Here is a picutre of Melkite Archbishop Cyril (Bustros) distributing Holy Communion at the Melkite church here in Atlanta.

Is this the kind of "Melkite method" we're talking about?

What's strange is that during normal Divine Liturgies, Fr. Azar (the resident priest and the one in the picture holding the Chalice) distributes using a Spoon, in the "normal" way.

[img]http://stjohnmelkite.org/photo_gallery_archbishop.html[/img]

Alexis

P.S. The picture doesn't seem to be showing up, so just go here to see it: http://stjohnmelkite.org/photo_gallery_archbishop.html

Sayidna Cyril Boustros is distributing communion in the most common method used in the Melkite Church.

Which means sans Spoon?

Sorry, I'm just trying to be totally clear.

Maybe I'm overcomplicating the issue or am confused (probably both), but if one distributes Communion with his hands and the Lamb has already been dipped in the Precious Blood, how does one stop the Blood from running down one's fingers, or dripping on the floor, or falling outside the communicant's mouth? A spoon seems to make this much less of a problem, doesn't it?

Am I understanding the process correctly?

Alexis

Alexis, "sans" in French means "without", but I don't know where you have seen it.

Matta, coul you answer to my question please? You're my last hope!

***

Why Bishop Cyril is not using the crown in those photos?

Alexis, when you dip the Holy Body into the Precious Blood, it takes up some of the Blood. You merely shake the Holy Body slightly or wipe it on the edge of the cup. It rarely drips, and if so, the plate is held underneath the communicant's mouth--as is a cloth, which traps any crumbs that might fall.

Philippe, the bishop does not always wear the crown. It depends on how he is celebrating the Divine Liturgy. If he is celebrating a solemn or pontifical Divine Liturgy, he will wear the crown. If he is celebrating privately (i.e., without priests), merely attending, or just came up at the end, then he would not. He would normally then be wearing the Epanokalymavchion (the black cylindrical hat covered with a black veil), for those parts of the Divine Liturgy where his head may be covered.

When the bishop wears his crown, he would normally carry his staff as well.

Thanks, Matta! But could you answer my other question too (the main one of the topic), please?

Philippe, do you mean your question about whether the lamb splitting as it soaks up the wine might represent the pierced side of the Saviour?
It certainly could.

Yes, that's my question.

Beautiful, isn'it?

hey guys!
I guess this is the first time I'm posting for something which isn't a "prayer request" in this website...

I was here... reading, each and each post...

And, I started to think about somethings...

First of all, it is really important to analyze the very unique details of the Devine Liturgy.
But, I am here to write, not as a Melkite boy, and not even as a "deep Maronite boy", because, as I told in one of the other posts here, although my mother was baptized in the Maronite Rite, in Lebanon.
I am just getting to know about the Maronite Rite, in the past two years, because it has been two years we are with a Maronite Parish near home.
Because, before it, there was already a Maronite Eparchy, in São Paulo, but, it was a bit far from home and as it is all in Arabic and Aramaic and at home only my mom speaks Arabic and my daddy is Brazilian, so, it is kinda difficult to attend to a Mass which you don't know ANYTHING that the priest says. For that reason, we have been in the Latin Rite, until the day that, my latin parish priest, started to study the Maronite Rite and he is authorized to celebrated in both rites, by the Bishop Edgar, and even before, by our bishop Mahfouz.
So, you can see I'm kinda "new" into these things of "Eastern Rites", although my mom's faith has always called my attention to how they express themselves as Catholics.

And, while I saw all that...
I started to worry about something...

Although it is important to know which is the origin of giving the Eucharist in the spoon or not...

Can't we realize the beauty of what Philippe said?
"From his side poured out blood and water"

I think we must realize the beauty of God's Mercy...

It doesn't matter "how" Christ's blood and body will be entering in our mouthes...
What really matters is WHO we are receiving...

We are receiving the Lord of our lives...
We are getting close the the Only One who gave us the freedom, the forgiveness, He is the only One who could love us more than our own minds can figure...

I don't know if you can get my point...

But, sometimes...
We have stop and think...
"Are we receiving the communion?"
Or, are we receiving Christ Jesus fully, in the His Holy Eucharistic Body and Blood??

I will never forget the day I asked my priest parish, what was the meaning of "Eucaristia", as we say in Portuguese, and he told me " It comes from Greek, and it means THANKSGIVEN"...
Jesus is the perpetual Thanksgiven Lamb which we do receive our lives must be surrounded by His Holy Blood, touching us, sealing us...

I'm sorry if what I said could cause any contradiction...
But, it is only an alert...
More than "thinking about how to give Christ Jesus in the Eucharist", we must open ourselves to Him and let His Body and Blod, Soul and Divinity, be the reason of our lives, in a way we will be able to profess, as Saint Paul says to the Philippeans, in the chapter 2 and verse 11, that "HE IS LORD", so... everytime we receive Jesus in the Eucharist, let's ask Him to be the Lord of each thing we have, of all that we are, let us ask Him and accept His Lordship, because... we can not pass by the Holy Alter, see the Holy Chalice, and do it just as "an obligation", and not as "the reason why we are saved"....

That's it...

I don't know if what I said changed the subject a bit "more"...
But, maybe, it is just a way to remind the others... not the ones here, because everyone here has a deep faith, as we can see, but, maybe, the ones who are still going to read these posts and are still going to be converted through the words we say here...

lol
don't ask me why... but I just realized now... that I couldn't see the last post from Phi and the last from Matta, hehhehe
But, anyways, it is always important to think about "how we get to Christ in His Eucharist", lol

hugs for you all

(All these topics made me remember of a song which says
"Glory, Glory, Glory...
to Jesus the Lord,
to the Lamb of God,
to the name above all names"... ( it is in Portuguese and I translated it)