liturgy – Journal

The Vicariate Ordo

By V. Rev. John W. Fenton, Assistant to the Vicar General

St Paul concludes his several chapters on liturgical directions with these words: “Let all things be done decently and in order” or “according to order” (secundum ordinem). (1 Cor 14.40) The Apostle’s point throughout this section (1 Cor 8-14) is that liturgical worship is not according to the whims of the presider, faithful, or anyone else; rather, it is orderly. This liturgical orderliness is inherited from the Old Testament worship prescribed by the Lord, and it helps unify both in the moment as well as across various boundaries. To borrow St Paul’s words from another place, liturgical order aids in “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ” (Eph 4.3). Continue reading “SECUNDUM ORDINEM FIANT”

When I first stepped into a Western Rite parish, I nearly walked out in the middle of the service. “What is this?” “It is so western!” “This can’t be Orthodox…” These were the thoughts that filled my mind as I watched the community chant in Gregorian tones and genuflect in front of the altar. I had been chrismated into the Church several years and had only experienced Orthodoxy in its eastern expression. Though I had heard a few references to “Western-Riters,” it was rarely in a positive light. Essentially, the thought of anything western struck me as a bad idea, and like so many people, I never took the time to examine these assumptions in the light of our Church’s history and theology.

Continue reading “What Do We Make of the Western Rite?”