This page explains what constitutes a “rite” in the Church and then gives a basic introduction to the Byzantine Rite. Its goal is to help better understand and enter into the Catholic faith life as it is practiced at St. Michael’s within the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. This includes our distinctive Byzantine approach to theology, liturgy, spirituality, and canon law.
What is a “rite” in the Church?
From the earliest centuries the life of the Church developed somewhat differently in the various places Christian faith took root. While united in essentials of belief, diverse regions took on distinctive characteristics based on their local languages and cultures. This inculturation of the Christian faith was a gift to the richness of the Church, as faith in Christ made itself a part of the life of the people in both everyday ways and in high culture. These local traditions eventually formed a “rite,” a distinctive way of understanding the Christian mystery and practicing Christian life. The four elements that characterize a rite are its approaches to theology, liturgy, spirituality, and canon law, each of which has a small section below.
In the ancient Church five major cities eventually became the most important centers: Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople, and Jerusalem. The Armenian nation also adopted Christianity by the early fourth century. These locations eventually gave birth to five distinctive ritual families: in Rome, the Latin Rite; in Alexandria, the Coptic Rite; in Antioch, both the East and West Syriac Rites; in Armenia, the Armenian Rite; and in Constantinople, the Greek or Byzantine Rite.
Sadly sometimes conflicts, misunderstandings, or even divisions could also arise between traditions. Today there are Churches from all the ritual families listed above that are in communion with the Pope of Rome (the Eastern Catholic Churches) and other Churches of the same rite that are not (the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Assyrian Church of the East). These Churches share the same historical roots but regrettably today are not “in communion” with one another.
A rite is the liturgical, theological, spiritual and disciplinary patrimony, culture and circumstances of history of a distinct people, by which its own manner of living the faith is manifested in each Church sui iuris.
Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, canon 28 §1
What is the Byzantine Rite?
The Byzantine Rite is the Christian tradition that developed in and around the ancient city of Constantinople, the capital of the eastern Roman Empire. Its dominant language is Greek, although other local languages are also used. It has characteristic approaches to liturgy, theology, spirituality, and canon law, briefly explored below.
Byzantine Theology
Theology in the Byzantine Rite depends upon both Scripture and tradition. Its greatest theological authorities are the Church Fathers who spoke and wrote in Greek, many of whom were involved in or closely connected to the great ecumenical councils of the early Church that defined her belief about the Trinity, Jesus Christ, and icons. They are called for short “the Greek Fathers.” Some of the most famous are St. Athanasius of Alexandria, St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory the Theologian, St. John Chrysostom, St. Cyril of Alexandria, St. Maximus the Confessor, and St. John Damascene.
Byzantine theology has a strong contemplative dimension of awe at the mystery of God and often flows from liturgy and makes it a point of reference. In the Middle Ages Byzantine theology began to develop strongly in monastic traditions with saints like Theodore the Studite and Symeon the New Theologian. Nicholas Cabasilas, who wrote a work of theology on the Holy Mysteries (Sacraments), is also a representative figure.
Byzantine Liturgy
The liturgy, or communal celebration of the faith in prayer, holds a special place in the Byzantine tradition. This includes both the Eucharistic sacrifice, called the Divine Liturgy, as well as other kinds of liturgical prayer. The solemnity and beauty of the Byzantine Divine Liturgy is often described with phrases like “heaven meets earth.” The heart of the two principal Byzantine anaphoras (prayers of the Eucharistic offering) date back to the patristic era in the fourth century AD and are traditionally attributed to St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great. We pray with the Fathers. Yet, while Byzantine liturgy truly preserves ancient traditions, it has not been static. The other parts of the Divine Liturgy changed much over the centuries into the Middle Ages.
The Liturgy of the Hours also has primary significance in Byzantine liturgical life. This includes prayers for different times of the day, like Vespers (evening) and Matins (morning). Litanies, short hymns, entrances, and other processions characterize our services. There is a rhythm to our prayer. The short hymns, especially at Vespers and Matins, contain a treasure trove of spiritual and theological teaching. In these hymns written for specific feasts and days, the Byzantine tradition hands on some of its deepest insights in theology and spirituality, while forming the faithful in them through singing and celebration.
Byzantine Spirituality
Byzantine spirituality consists of liturgical, ascetic, and mystical elements. The Byzantine Christian at prayer seeks contact with and conformity to the mystery of God. We speak of the mystery of theosis or deification as the goal of our spiritual life. This is the gift of God in Christ by which we, through God’s grace in the Holy Spirit, become like God – sharing in his qualities of goodness, truth, and love.
Our spiritual life consists first of all in faithful reception of the Holy Mysteries (Sacraments) in the Church of God. Praying in community forms us in love of God and neighbor, and we receive the profound patrimony of our tradition through praying the liturgical services.
Byzantine spirituality is also strongly influenced by the monastic tradition of ascetic discipline, from both the earliest desert Fathers and monks who lived in community. “Asceticism” is our word for spiritual discipline. It comes from a Greek word, ἀσκέω/ἄσκησις (askeo/askesis), thatliterally means“to practice, exercise, train.” Although the original use often regarded athletic training, we use it for exercise and training in the spiritual life with the goal of theosis.
Finally, by the gift of God and faithful personal effort, some Byzantine holy women and men have reached the heights of Christian mystical contemplation. In our tradition this often involves the combined realization of the infinite majesty and glory of God who is completely beyond our comprehension with a strong sense of how close he has chosen to come to us in the Holy Spirit, through the salvation of Christ, to lead us to the Father. We strive to live in harmony with that greatest mystery we profess – “God is love” (1 Jn 4:8)!
Icons: Synthesis of Theology, Liturgy, and Spirituality
Icons or sacred images hold such an important place in Byzantine liturgy, spirituality, and even theology that they merit a section of their own. All these aspects come together in icons. Byzantine Christians do not look on icons as works of art, but as windows into the heavenly dimension. The theology of the Second Ecumenical Council of Nicea teaches that the veneration we give to them passes to the holy person or event depicted. Icons fill our churches, are present in our homes, and accompany our personal lives because they help to connect us with God’s dimension of living. Often icons are not written with natural perspective, but an inverse perspective, so as to draw one into a new way of seeing things, to be present to the heavenly realm.
In the eighth and ninth centuries, especially in Byzantine lands, the very use and existence of icons in the Church became controversial. High authorities criticized them for being practically idolatrous. After all, according to them, how could you depict the invisible God with visible matter like wood and colors? But the long tradition of prayer and theology prevailed, with the defenders of icons explaining that icons were possible because God himself in Jesus Christ freely chose to become human, in limited matter. Icons are an expression of the mystery of the Incarnation, God’s humble love in becoming human. We can accept them not merely as a legitimate, but even a very helpful tradition. Byzantine Christians have a special feast day every year on the first Sunday of Great Lent called the Sunday of Orthodoxy, in which the victory of the true teaching about icons and their continuance in the Church is celebrated, because of their close ties with theology, liturgy, and spirituality.
Icons of Christ, Mary the Mother of God, the angels, and the saints abound. Important events from biblical salvation history and the history of the Church are depicted and commemorated. In addition to icons painted or hung on the walls, a Byzantine church has an icon screen (or iconostasis), which is a screen covered with icons that marks off the boundary between the church’s sanctuary and its nave, where the faithful gather.
St. Michael’s is blessed with extremely beautiful iconography, both on our walls and icon screen. You can see some of our icons on the Our Iconography page.
Byzantine Canon Law
Canon law is the technical term for the Church’s law. Like any society the Church needs laws to ensure respect for its beliefs and traditions, the correct functioning of its own life, as well as the rights of its members. In the early Church these laws had the name canon, from the Greek κανῶν (kanon), meaning “rule or standard,” literally a right measure. Different kinds of laws apply to the different aspects of the Church’s life, regulating things like the celebration of the Holy Mysteries and Church discipline.
As part of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church urged the Eastern Catholic Churches to recover their own ancient traditions including in law. After a long process of research and study, this resulted in the promulgation of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches in 1991 – a separate and properly Eastern code of canon law that governs the life of the Eastern Catholic Churches and is different from the Code of Canon Law that governs the Latin Church. Eastern Catholics are bound to live by this canon law. It contains unique elements compared with the Latin Rite, such as the possibility of married men being ordained to the priesthood, ordinary governance by the synod of bishops in the Church’s home territory, and the norm of administering all three Mysteries of Christian Initiation on the same occasion.
In addition to the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, there is a small Particular Law of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, used to govern certain more local traditions where the main code allows.
St. Michael's Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church 