www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Eastern-Rite Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament

Somehow I am disinclined to think that a Moleben to the Sacred Heart incorporating Benediction would spiritually fortify me. But lest I sound unkind, here is a contribution:

Genitori, Genitoque,
Laus et Iubilatio!
Salus, honor, virtus quoque
Sit et benedictio!
Et ab Patre Procedenti
Compar sit laudatio!

Amen

Fr. Serge

In the prayerbook "Hear Me, O Lord", compiled by the Rev. Demetrius E. Wysochansky, OSBM and published in 2001 under the imprimatur of Michael Wiwchar, CSsR (the former bishop of the Eparchy of St. Nicholas in Chicago) one can find a text for a ceremony called "Supplication" on page 657 - as well as texts for the Stations of the Cross and the Dominican rosary.

I humbly submit this ain't quite kosher, the imprimatur notwithstanding.

I know Father Demetrius Wysochansky quite well, and I hold him in the highest regard.

To the Good Members of the Byzantine Forum:

I know that the Contemplative Sisters of Saint Basil the Great who are of the Ukrainian Byzantine Catholic Rite in Middletown,, New York have Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament as part of the spiritual lives at their Monastery. So prayers in honor of the Blessed Sacrament should not be something strange or unknown to Byzantine Rite Catholics.

May Jesus the Lover of Mankind Bless All

John Doucette

That is fine and good but it is still a Latinization <SP?>and we have been instructed to be done with them.

In Christ:
Einar

And a recent one at that. One can find prayer books from Ukraine in even the late 1800s prior to the Synod of L'viv that do not include even a mention of "Supplikatisa".

Article 7 of the Union of Brest states While this article specifically refers to Corpus Christi, the last statement "inasmuch as our use of the Mysteries is different" most definitely applies here by extension. We can take this to mean that similar neolatinizations involving non-traditional usage of the Mysteries should also be treated in the same way (and indeed the hierarchs and the Synod take that opinion).

Praying before the Holy Altar in silence is certainly a praiseworthy thing as the Sisters do. Making it a liturgical thing out of concordance with the authentic received tradition is something entirely different.

In accordance with Article 7 of the Union of Brest (as well as the Instruction, the directions of our Synod, the last Council of the Church, etc.) we of the UGCC should not be making use of this sort of liturgical neo-latinization that most certainly is not a traditional part of the Kyivan liturgical corpus outside of the Divine Liturgy or the giving of Holy Communion outside of the Liturgy.

I have in my hands as I write this (I wanted to check first-hand) the first Ukrainian Greek Catholic prayerbook specifically written in L'viv for the new Eparchy in the US by Fr. Lev Sembratovich and carrying the imprimatur of +Soter of Philadelphia of blessed memory in 1908.

It does not call it "Benediction" or "Supplikatsia" but simply "Prayers before the Holy Gifts", makes no mention of rubrics for a monastrance or elevation of a chalice or anything. Instead these prayers are included basically as a small appendix appearing after such occasional offices as the Paraklesis/Moleben to the Mother of God (which by the way in this book includes the full Canon of Supplication), Akathists to the Savior, the Mother of God, and St. Nicholas.

As a more general side note, I and many others here prefer to be referred to as a "Ukrainian Greek Catholic" or "Ukrainian Catholic" rather than a "Ukrainian Byzantine Catholic Rite" or "Byzantine Rite Catholic". We are a particular Church and not a "Rite".

Hopefully the Holy Synod will revisit the issue in the future.

As one very wise Studite hieromonk related to me when we were discussing this phenomena amongst Eastern Catholics - the Mysteries are our Supersubstantial Food, meant to be eaten as our Lord commands for communion unto Him and for life everlasting, and not to simply be gazed upon.

Curiously, that is almost the very language of the Thirty-Nine Articles of religion of the Anglican church says that the Sacrament was not intended "to be carried about".

Well, you have to carry the Eucharistic elements around a little bit, that is, if you are going to distribute it to the faithful at communion time.

If one is to bring Holy Communion to the sick in their homes, one obviously must carry it - the Holy Gifts are unlikely to go from the church to the sick-bed under their own power, at least not on a regular basis.

And yes, I do realize that the Second Prayer Book of Edward VI prescribes celebrating the "Holy Communion" at the sickbed, presumably to avoid "carrying the Holy Gifts about". But most Anglican priests I know prefer to reserve the Holy Gifts and carry the Gifts to the sick. Some recent editions of the Prayer Book take this into account.

I've also been present in Oxford for Anglican celebrations of Corpus Christi - I'll spare you a full description!

Fr. Serge

Very nice!

It's the right number of syllables, but it doesn't rhyme as well as "procedenti ab utroque"

Now, now. Orthodoxy before poetry!

Fr. Serge

The Catholic West has certainly extended worship of the Eucharist beyond the Mass itself, but the centrality of the Mass is and has always been kept, which is not the case with those who presume to pronounce about intent.

Though the context is within the Liturgy itself, the "Sacrament" is carried about in a solemn ritual in the Liturgy of the Presanctified; and every Divine Liturgy has a "benediction" (blessing) with the "Sacrament" after Communion at "Save Your people, O God, and bless Your inheritance."

The Studite hieromonk is correct -- "meant to be eaten" -- something especially those who do not gaze as in the West (where frequent communion is now normative) should practice and exemplify as they preach.

Aye, and distribution of the previously sanctified has always been my pastoral practice so as to strengthen the connection between the eucharistic community and those whose illness precludes their participation.

St. Paul instructs us that since there is one bread we many as we are form one body; I therefore find it imperative, whenever possible, to commune the absent from the same gifts as were sanctified in the Sunday celebration.