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Dear Dan and Remie,

I think you've hit on what is the point here.

To get my point across, I'm going to have a coin a phrase that I hope I'll be forgiven for if it gives a bad impression. That phrase is "Liturgical passion."

Traditional Catholics come to the Eastern Church not because they are attracted to Eastern spirituality or tradition, but because they are attracted to the liturgical passion that is celebrated there.

The five senses, the emotions, the sense of mystery and wonder - all these go to make up what I mean by "liturgical passion."

Prayer beads, crosses and other things for individuals like us heighten that sense of passion.

They search for the passion they feel their Particular Church has lost. And they come looking for it in our Churches, sometimes imposing their sense of passion on ours and creating tension.

The modern-day secularist is consummately against passion.

Passions strangely warm the blood and make one less coldly logical. It makes one less calculating and prevents one from being totally able to predict everything in advance within a steel framework of rational order.

This is why I believe our Eastern spirituality has a great future here in North America.

"Feeling" is often experienced in harmful ways, drugs, sex etc.

When people have enough of the dichotomies, they will look to the Christian East.

They already are . . .

Alex

Alex,

You are quite right. It not a choice between Benny Hinn and a science lab. Or between TV talk shows and the Unitarian Universalists. The choice is between Christianity and secular humanism masquerading as Christianity. It is between the beauty, grandeur and mystery of the real thing and the sterile, cold, and often heartless excuse for liturgy often offered up by what appear to be (and I may be wrong) political hacks.

Give me passion anyday. Even the late Joseph Campbell, no Christian he, recognized that the central joy of life comes by finding ones passion and going with it.

Dan Lauffer

Dear Professor Dan,

Yes, I liked Joseph Campbell and I thought he had a lot of very valid things to say to Christians as well as others!

I have to tell you I've quite the confidence in our local Methodist Saint, Holy Anne of Thornhill!

She prayed all night sometimes and was a true miracle-worker. The entire municipality has joined in affirming her as "Holy Ann" a term first given her by Roman Catholics.

Her well, the site of one of her miracles, has been enshrined by the municipality as has her prayer shed.

She may not get past the Bollandists, but she is our Saint, always passionate for God!

Alex

Dear Dan,

I agree with you that secular humanism is a serious issue, especially when it masquerades as Christianity. It is a clear danger to Faith.

Your strong passion for the Faith is clear and is admirable. On the outside wall of our parish church is painted this saying: Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God. I think that the passion to which you refer leads to such joy.

I do have a request based on what you posted. Could you clarify what you are talking about when you say:

The choice is between Christianity and secular humanism masquerading as Christianity. It is between the beauty, grandeur and mystery of the real thing and the sterile, cold, and often heartless excuse for liturgy often offered up by what appear to be (and I may be wrong) political hacks.

To what Liturgy do you refer as sterile, cold, and often heartless excuse for liturgy? Could you clarify the persons to whom you refer as political hacks?

Here's why I make the request.

I have attended liturgies celebrated in various rites by Churches in the Catholic and Orthodox Communions. To date, I have not experienced what you are talking about. The passion for the Faith has not been lacking in any of them and the persons offering the Liturgies have not appeared to be other than religious leaders. None have been sterile and cold.

So, I'm not sure exactly what you're talking about.

Thanks for hearing me out.

Steve

By the way, I'm glad that your new ministry seems to be taking root. I've been praying for it and you.

On a related note...

Other RC's who have come to our parish have asked me how I approached Byzantine spirituality. (By the way, my request for canonical transfer is submitted and pending). My answers:

#1: I got rid of my statues (gave them to my mother) and replaced them with icons.
#2: I studied (and continue to study) Eastern Orthodoxy intensely.
#3: I abandoned Latin forms of private prayer in favor of Byzantine forms.
#4: I don't go to Roman Masses unless I have to for the purpose of fulfilling a Mass obligation (e.g. November 1, All Saints Day).

My approach was total immersion from day one. When anyone asks, this is what I recommend. However, YMMV.