|
Web Site Home - Theology Home - Hierarchy Home - Locations Home - Education Home - Stewardship Home - Links Home - Vendors Home - Alphabetical Index Home - Thesaurus Home - Sitemap Home - Arabic fonts Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information CenterDivine Liturgy - CustomsThe three explanations below were written by Rev. Fr. James Graham, Pastor of Saint Elias the Prophet Melkite Greek Catholic Mission, San Jose, CA, Sunday Bulletin Oct. 27, 2002 Everyone is Invited to Stand Under the Gospel BookStanding Under the Gospel Book During the Reading of the Gospel is a wonderful custom for children and for adults. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me." And He said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." Jesus is the Word of God who became a man for our salvation. His Word is in the Gospel, and standing under the Gospel Book (the Evangelion or Vangile), or holding it for the priest, is a sign that we want to make the Word of God the center of our lives. All the children, and all the people in the church, are invited to come forward to stand under the Gospel Book when the priest comes out from the altar and announces, "Wisdom! Let us stand to hear the reading of the Holy Gospel!" Touching Heads With the Gifts Includes You in the OfferingDuring the Great Entrance with the Holy Gifts of Bread and Wine, the priest touches the heads of the people with the diskos or the chalice. Since the diskos and the chalice contain the gifts of the community offered to God to be changed into His Body and Blood and given to us for salvation and for eternal life, having them touched to our heads shows in a special way that we are offering our lives and our prayers and intentions to God to be transformed along with the Bread and Wine. This is another beautiful custom, and everyone is invited to stand near the aisle and bow your heads so that the Holy Gifts may be touched to you. You do not have to do this-your prayers and intentions are offered in the Eucharist already-but it is a way of physically sharing in the offering. Children Belong In the Divine Liturgy... It is not proper to take children out of the Divine Liturgy for religious education. They belong in the Divine Liturgy with their families, where they will learn to sing and to stand and to pray and to cross themselves by watching their parents and the other parishioners. The Liturgy should not be disrupted by parading children in and out, and children should not be deprived of the grace of participation in the Liturgy. If parents want religious education for their children -- and are willing to participate in their children's education in the faith -- a time separate from the Divine Liturgy will be arranged. Web Site Home - Theology Home - Hierarchy Home - Locations Home - Education Home - Stewardship Home - Links Home - Vendors Home - Alphabetical Index Home - Thesaurus Home - Sitemap Home - Arabic fonts Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center Martha Liles Web URL address: Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center or https://www.mliles.com/melkite/ E-mail: mliles@mliles.com or mliles@mliles.com Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center is
an unofficial Melkite Greek Catholic Web site and has not been reviewed or
approved by any Melkite clergy person. Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center is
dedicated to my cousins: Bucky (Richard C. Liles), Shirley (Shirley Jean Liles Buck), and Donna (Donna Bertha Liles Campbell). Bucky fell asleep in
the Lord on Dec. 12, 2000, Shirley fell asleep in the Lord on Nov. 8, 2001, and Donna fell asleep in the Lord on March 9, 2020. This site copyright©2000,2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2019,2020 Martha Liles. All rights reserved.
|