The Melkite Greek Catholic Church is one of 23 self-governing churches that are in communion with Rome which brings a rich, Byzantine and Middle Eastern tradition into our Church. Though they offer the sacraments and are part of the wider Catholic Church, their traditions can look slightly different from the Latin Rite and thus offer us another way to look at how we can participate with Christ in His last days, His Passion, and Resurrection in the liturgy during Holy Week.
Michael is proud to host Melkite seminarian and CE contributor Thomas Moses to tell us about how Holy Week is celebrated in the Melkite Church and how that liturgy is a way of experiencing Christ anew during this sacred time. Thomas also bring some fine liturgical insights that will help us to meditate during these last days of Lent and the Paschal season. This podcast is perfect for all of us as we try to deepen our prayer life and our appreciation of the Mass this week.
Resources
An example of an Epitaphios from Russia
Thomas Moses is currently studying as a seminarian for the Melkite Greek Catholic Church at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Byzantine Catholic Seminary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He grew up just outside of Manchester, New Hampshire, where he graduated from St. Anselm College with a B.A. in Philosophy in 2010.
Thomas has published several articles with Catholic Exchange, including his introduction to the Melkite Church in “An Introduction: Who are the Melkite Greek Catholics?”
To learn more about the Melkite Church, or to find a parish near you, please visit Melkite.org. For a video introduction to the Melkite Catholic Church, including a preview of their chants and hymns, you can view this one from Aleteia.
To hear music from the Byzantine tradition, the editors recommend music by Cappella Romana, which can be found on most music services as well as YouTube and Amazon.
image: Zahraa Saleh / Shutterstock.com
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