www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Not novenas, but...what?

While I have been "officially" EC for 3 years and interested for 5 years prior, I still struggle to understand Eastern prayer life at home. As a RC, I did daily Mass, rosary, later on morning and evening prayer, scriptual meditation, and novenas in times of special intentions - most of which are very different from Eastern devotions. I need a look inside an Eastern home back in the old country. What does it look like? Both in terms of family and personal prayer. Having a child (and hopefully more), I really want to give them a rich and authentic Eastern upbringing. We have several Orthodox prayer books, and I've read about and practiced the Jesus prayer, but I don't really have a sense of the rest. I feel like my personal prayer life *used* to be very rich, and I struggle to translate it into Eastern practices.

Are families praying morning and evening prayer together? Or just selections from prayer books?

Novenas are not part of our tradition, but what do we do for special intentions? Candles at Liturgy and Liturgy commemorations....what else? Akhathist or Paraklesis at home? (RCs will gift "rosary novenas" or the like....for example)

Any book recommendations?

I understand that there are not equivalents between the two, because they are very different "systems." I get "we don't do that" but what is it that we DO do?

Thanks!

I like to read the supplication services at home...to the Blessed Mother of God, and to different saints for different intentions.

--Alice

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Michelle,

The Hours are good daily prayers
1st Hour - 6 am
3rd Hour - 9 am
6th Hour - Noon
9th Hour - 3pm

Also, Compline, before bed. The good sponsors of Byzcath.org have a comprehensive list --- go back to the home page, select "Resources" for the drop down menu, then select "Liturgical Texts" or click here https://www.byzcath.org/index.php/resources-mainmenu-63/liturgical-texts

The Melkites may have a site with complete texts; if not you can access similar texts from http://metropolitancantorinstitute.org/Publications.html where you can print out the services.

Our other readers can hopefully provide some Melkite sources.

Christ is amongst us!
Fr Deacon Paul

My family (my wife and I) pray evening prayers together. I will admit that morning pray is a struggle for me. I know a family that does pray Vespers daily together. They are a family of six.


A traditional Orthodox/Eastern Catholic home would of course have an Icon corner for family prayer. This is important since this is our home church.

A great book that I use is A Guide to Orthodox Life by Fr. David Cownie.


I would encourage prayers at home of different Akathists to the Lord, the Mother of God, and other Saints for special intentions. My wife and I pray them from time to time. During the Virgins Fast we pray the paraklesis in our Icon corner. We simply asked our priest for the text of these prayers.

I would suggest getting a copy of the Byzantine Hours and pray them often. Continue the Jesus pray, under your spiritual father’s guidelines. Pray the daily Tropars of Saints and Feasts, take advantage of the fast of the Church, which will increase your prayer life

Dive in MelkiteMichele, the riches of the East are deep and waiting to be embraced.

Also since you are Melkite I would suggest checking out Sophia Press

http://www.melkite.org/SophiaPress/SophiaPressCatalog.htm

They offer The Horologion for only $60. A very reasonable price for a prayer book that has so much in it.

Or the Byzantine Catholic Seminary Press or another other Orthodox press.

For good starting points on Eastern Prayer I would recommend

Metropolitan Antony (Bloom), Beginning to pray

The Way of the Pilgrim and the Pilgrim Continues His Way

Igumen Chariton of Valamo, The Art of Prayer: An Orthodox Anthology

St. Theophan the Recluse, Unseen Warfare

In the Slavic Churches, the Moleben is the service most often offered for special intentions.

Stuart, do you happen to have a Moleben to Saint Seraphim of Sarov? Thanks!

Michelle,

I don't have any additional thoughts to offer, beyond the excellent ones already posted by Alice, Deacon Paul, Nelson, and Stuart, but I want to welcome you to the forum - there are never quite enough Melkites here (though we are certainly many more in number than we were several years back).

Many years,

Neil

Thank you, all, for the feedback. Many helpful suggestions I'm going to save. We do have an icon corner and the Horologion and pray parts of it, and I've read Way of a Pilgrim several times.

Is praying the hours the [i]tradition [/i]of home devotions? Or is this something more recent, now that such things are more widely available in translation and print? If so, what did regular folks do for home devotions traditionally? Is it good to try to chant it (we do a simple, mono-tone-ish chant as best we can)? (Of cousre, maybe some of the books recommended have information and advice in this area.)

I have the same questions about the various prayers of supplication.

I am thinking that maybe families in the old days in the old country would go to a nearby monastery or church for the hours....but since that isn't possible for most people in western countries, praying it at home is an acceptable alternative? Anybody know what the tradition was/is?

I think having very young children can also limit the amount of time spent praying hours....that is one way daily Mass was nice, because even if you are distracted by caring for a little one, you are still there in church, the prayers continue, and you unite your heart with it even as you are otherwise occupied....just not quite the same at home.

On posture - is standing the usual posture of private prayer in the East (of course bows, metanies, prostrations, too) or is kneeling part of the tradition of private prayer in the East? (Of course, with the context that you do the best you can...sit if it is too burdensome, for example.)

Thanks!

MelkiteMichele:

Christ is in our midst!!

In addition to the great resources our brothers and sisters have offered, may I offer another suggestion.

We sometimes think that it's in the amount of things we do, but that isn't the case. I have two icon corners in my home: one in our bedroom and one in my home office. Sometimes, especially when I'm really tired, the greatest grace is just to sit and look at the Lord and His Holy Mother, remembering the Scripture "Be still and know that I am God." The icon of Christ shows Him raising His Hand in blessing. Knowing that He blesses me even when I am not fully aware is a great truth to return to time and again.

Bob

Prostrations with Jesus, theotokos and the guardian angel prayer and reading the psalms.

I am wondering why you are so concerned with how they used to do it in the old country. Would their way of prayer somehow be purer and better than a way that emerges naturally from your modern life? Perhaps you should ask some of the older members of your parish, members who are from "the old country."

The Melkites have a wonderful handbook, *Guide to the Domestic Church.* If you can't get it from the eparchy, you might ask for it at your parish.

Hard to find that book. It's no longer in print, and I am glad I had the foresight to buy it when I first joined the Church, even though it was the Ruthenian and not the Melkite Church.

In luck - 4 copies of Father Fred's book are currently available on Abebooks

12.00+4.50s&h [abebooks.com]

14.75+4.75s&h [abebooks.com]

11.50+8.95s&h (from Canada) [abebooks.com]

22.34+4.50s&h [abebooks.com]

I'd go w/ one of the first two. The s&h from Canada is rough. The 4th one is way over-priced, as good as the book is.

Do NOT confuse this w/ "The Domestic Church: Room by Room: A Study Guide for Mothers" - which is plentifully available and comes up when searching for Father Fred's book.

It may actually be back in print - Theological Book Service, which markets the Melkite Office of Educational Services texts shows 69 available - but, their sale price is $14.00 plus another $7.08 for s&h. I find their price structure a bit exorbitant (shipping is fine at $2.58 for media mail but they routinely tack on a $4.50 handling charge).

Theobooks [theobooks.org]

Many years,

Neil

While this question was put to Stuart & not to me, it's an opportunity for me to point out that Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY, has published a 2 volume collection of akathists in English. Some of them are well-known - there is one to St. Seraphim of Sarov - others, to more what I'd call somewhat obscure Russian Orthodox saints. (Of course, no saint is obscure in the light of God).

Since I like akathists, these 2 books are a treasure-trove for me. Not every text appeals to me, but they don't have to: I'm glad to have both. Maybe additional volumes will be published in the future.

I did not know that. Thanks very much.