www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Tell us about the Melkites

Have the Melkites ever attempted to evangelize India? Given the Hindu veneration of all those sacred cows, the Melkites might be a most attractive form of Christianity.

Incognitus

I've also been told about the Melkites who came to great the newborn Christ - in observing the heavens, they had noticed the Star of Bethlehem on the Melky Way.

Incognitus

Another pilgrim (who plans to write a book on his pilgrimage, to be entitled "In the Footsteps of Saint Colman, Ireland's First Melkite") tells me that he recently visited Melk Abbey and that the oblates of the Abbey are offering, absolutely free, prints of the icon of Saint Melk, on A4 size paper. As you might suspect, the icon is pure white.

Incognitus

We all knew about them; one of the "Three Kings" was named "Melkior" after all.

Dave

I hope nobody listens to Lawrence Melk. That is some oldy moldy stuff.

Does anyone remember the Southern department store chain - Melk?

I went to a Melkite Divine Liturgy for the first time last Sunday, and I loved it!

I personally like it better than the Ruthenian Divine Liturgies Ive been to.

I've never been to a Melkite Liturgy, since we don't have a Melkite church in my area. What did you especially like about it?

I just felt the Melkite Liturgy was more Eastern, more traditional, than the Ruthenian Liturgy.

It was so powerful, that Im seriously considering becoming an Eastern Catholic! If it hadnt been for the Melkites, I might have not considered it (no offence to those who are Ruthenian though )

Clearly Drewmeister is a man of excellent, admirable taste. May he enjoy life with the Melkites! Ahlan wa Sahlan!

Incognitus

Drew,

By your locale, I presume you went to Saint John of the Desert. Although I've never had the pleasure of visiting Saint John's, two good friends served as pastors there for periods during the 1990s. I'm very glad to hear that you found the Liturgy so very special.

My understanding is that Father Peter Boutros, the current pastor, is a very welcoming and spiritually reverent priest. I've had occasion to exchange e-mails with him on a couple of occasions and found him to be a warm and pleasant person.

Many years,

Neil

Last Sunday (Pentecost) I attended a Melkite Church in Ohio (St. Elias). Although I'm Roman Catholic, I have attended a few liturgies at Holy Transfiguration Melkite Church in Virginia, so I was familiar with the spirituality and liturgy.

What I found interesting about St. Elias is that it was more ethnic, yet (counterintuitively to me) more latinized, than Holy Transfiguration. I was surprised there were holy water fonts, as well as western stain glass windows in the Church. Also, the pews had kneelers (although only a few people used them after receiving communion). Furthermore, I'm sure I saw a few people make the sign of the cross in the western fashion. But at St. Elias my wife and I might have been the only caucasians in the congregation that day - everyone else had a distinct middle eastern look. But at Holy Transfiguration, I was surprised that there were a great number of non-middle eastern people attending.

I would have guessed that the more ethnic parish would have been the more definitively "eastern". But the opposite seemed to be true (admittedly, this is with very little experience at either).

Just some observations from an admirer of the Melkite Church.

Thank you, Incognitus

Yes, IrishMelkite, it was Fr. Peter . He seemed like a very wonderful and good priest! Very friendly and funny too. Very welcoming for me to come back. I would like to talk to him over the summer more about Eastern Catholicism, when school will be out.

Yes, it was St. John of the Desert. The parish wasnt beautiful, because they are renovating the house, preparing it to be a rectory, and are just starting to build the actual Church. I cant wait to see it when its done! Im sure it will be nice.

Thanks for your replies!

As the First among the Apostles exhorts us, we must seek the pure Melk. (I Peter 2:2).

Incognitus