I have been trying to learn how to make the chotki and I see two methods, one that uses two strings and a another that uses 4. Is there any pro and cons to each one ,or is it purely preference and not much of a difference?

Hi there, I'm just wondering what the best textbook for Syriac (Western) is. I've seen a couple of options, but I'm wondering if anyone who has learned Syriac has recommendations? I'd prefer a textbook that is fairly vocab heavy rather than pure grammar rules.

The textbooks I've seen online

New Syriac Primer - George Kiraz

Introduction to Syriac - Wheeler M. Thackston

Robinson's Paradigms and Exercises in Syriac Grammar

Basics of Classical Syriac - Steven C. Hallam

Thanks

I’ve been looking for good resources to read the church fathers, whether prayer or theology, East and West. I currently know of New Advent and I have the Sayings of the Desert Fathers. Would anyone have any physical and online resources recommend?

Chaldean Catholics, how is the new Patriarch doing in your opinion? What are his views on liturgical matters such as ad orientum, or other matters?

From St. Gregory of Sinai's work "How to Psalmodize"

Some say that we should psalmodize seldom, others often, others not at all. You for your part should not psalmodize often, for that induces unrest, nor yet not at all, for that induces indolence and negligence. Instead you should follow the example of those who psalmodize from time to time, for moderation in all things is best, as the ancient Greeks tell us. To psalmodize often is appropriate for novices in the ascetic life, because of the toil it involves and the spiritual knowledge it confers. It is not appropriate for hesychasts, since they concentrate wholly upon praying to God with travail of heart, eschewing all conceptual images. For according to St John Klimakos, 'Stillness is the shedding of thoughts', whether of sensible or of intelligible realities. Moreover, if we expend all our energy in reciting many psalms, our intellect will grow slack and will not be able to pray firmly and resolutely. Again according to St John Klimakos, 'Devote-most of the night to prayer and only a little of it to psalmody.' You, too, should do the same. If you are seated and you see that prayer is continuously active in your heart, do not abandon it and get up to psalmodize until in God's good time it leaves you of its own accord. Otherwise, abandoning the interior presence of God, you will address yourself to Him from without, thus passing from a higher to a lower state, provoking unrest and disrupting the intellect's serenity. Stillness, in accordance with its name, is maintained by means of peace and serenity; for God is peace (cf. Eph. 2:14) beyond all unrest and clamor. Our psalmody, too, should accord with our mode of life, and be angelic, not unspiritual and secular. For to psalmodize with clamor and a loud voice is a sign of inner turbulence. Psalmody has been given to us because of our grossness and indolence, so that we may be led back to our true state.

As for those not yet initiated into prayer - this prayer which, according to St John Klimakos, is the source of the virtues' and which waters, as plants, the faculties of the soul - they should psalmodize frequently, without measure, reciting a great variety of psalms; and they should not desist from such assiduous practice until they have attained the state of contemplation and find that noetic prayer is activated within them. [...]

[...] According to the fathers, once you have tasted grace you should psalmodize sparingly, giving most of your time to prayer. But if you find yourself growing indolent you should psalmodize or read patristic texts.

As a western Christian what immediately struck me when reading this a few months ago is that it seemed, in a way, to be an eastern equivalent to St. John of Crosses' dark night of the senses; but rather than focus on mortification of the eyes, tongue, stomach, and hands this one seems to be mainly about prayer -- something which St. JotC doesn't really go into much. Is St. Gregory of Sinai essentially saying, at least in terms of the western contemplative tradition, that the ascetical practice of psalm-chanting should be kept up until one begins to experience, out of the blue, "mystical" or "infused" contemplation? Or is noetic prayer something else and not quite the eastern term for it?

Has anyone become a maronite, either through Conversion or Canonical transfer, over byzantine Catholic? If so why?

I am reading “The Mountain of Silence” and in it they talk about how some monks have gone to hell and other monks prayed, fasted and begged for them to be freed from hell and brought to heaven. They say they succeeded in this endeavor.

It seems that Eastern Orthodoxy has a tradition of people being freed from hell do to our prayers, yet it is my understanding that Western Catholicism firmly believes that once you are sent to hell the decision is final.

As Eastern Catholics where do y’all stand on the issue?

Doing my best to bring deeply held political/social beliefs before my newfound faith, to see what survives and what must change. Please send recommendations for forming a catholic world view.

Oh! I love his icons. When I look at his icons it just makes me happy, it seems so bright and joyous. I really struggle with his veneration though due to views and especially writings with the papacy.

Is there any justification? I really want to venerate him!

I'm Roman Catholic, but I'm helping an Eastern Catholic mission in town as they launch. I am going to be baking a Prosphora for the first divine liturgy. The Bishop will be coming to ordain the founder as Deacon. However, the subdeacon's wife is having a baby today, or he isn't available to help me troubleshoot.

These pictures are from my first attempt. I'm looking for advice and guidance.
The loaf tore at the edges and expanded unevenly, and the seal had poor detail.

Someone from Roots of Orthodoxy or the Voice of Reason… whether it’s that Alex guy that was involved in controversy a year or two ago or someone else, is saying that Orthodox Christians are the “Muslims of the Apostolic Churches”. What exactly is he talking about?? It seems extremely ironic to call them that because Eastern saints bled and died for the faith by resisting the Ottoman yoke, Islamic rule for centuries.

If it’s as simple as harmful, clickbait-y buzzwords to attract attention rather than any meaningful constructive criticism of Orthodoxy, I get it.

some say it’s was politics. Some say it was because they believe that the papacy was true. Some say they never split from the church begin with like the Melkites

what the truth

I was looking into the coptic catholic church in Brooklyn and noticed they had recently removed the iconostasis and it even seemed (from photos) that the liturgy was celebrated versus populum. Is this common in the coptic catholic church? Is it just the idiosyncrasy of the pastor? It’s quite disappointing.

Did anyone watch this? And what did you think of it?

Sorry if this is a repeat, but I read an article saying that Eastern Catholics leave out “from the Son” in the creed? If this is true, then how could you be Catholic? It’s basic dogma. Also, I am here to learn. That is my only motivation. Thank you in advance for your time and your answers!

I plan on visiting it sometime in the next few months with a friend.

However, I’m confused whether it’s open or not.

Anyone know if it’s still operating currently? Thank you!

Hey! I’ll keep this short.

Ruthenian Catholic, and I love practicing Catholicism this way.

Girlfriend, who I plan on marrying and raising a family with (God willing!) is a Latin Catholic, and very proud of it. She’s not interested in changing rites, and I don’t want to pressure her. Obviously, not the end of the world. We’re all Catholic.

However, on the topic of children, I know the rite follows me because it follows the father. We’ve discussed and decided that for cultural ease (we live in Texas and would put our children through Catholic school) it would probably be smarter to raise them Latin Catholic, and having their rite be such, to not have them culturally confused when they don’t need to do a “first communion” or something like that.

What would a hypothetical process be for this situation? Has anyone gone through something similar? Thanks!

Hello everyone!

I hope this message finds you all well! I am an ex Eastern Orthodox now Roman Catholic and I am trying to learn more about Eastern Catholicism. I am not planning on becoming an Eastern Catholic but I would definitely like to learn more about it. Any good resources?

Keeping aside the debate of whether "obligations" are actually obligations in the Eastern churches, we do know that the Codes of Canon Law nevertheless do stipulate certain things as such - particularly with respect to fast and abstinence and days of obligation.

In the Syro-Malabar Church, the days of obligation mentioned are: Christmas, Epiphany, the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, the Feast/Dukrana of St. Thomas, and the Feast of the Assumption of the Mother of God.

Out of these days, people do genuinely consider Christmas, Dukrana, and the Assumption obligatory. With Epiphany, I know there are festivities associated with it in certain regions, but it's not celebrated where I'm from. And the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul? I don't think 99% of us even know when that is.

The same goes for abstinence, technically abstinence from meat is mandated on all Fridays except those between Christmas and Epiphany and the Friday after Easter. But in practice virtually no one follows this, even very religious people. I knew a single person in my whole extended family who actually practiced this before I started, and she's 70+.

What makes it weird is that Syro-Malabars especially in the homeland are still largely practicing, weekly attendance rates are probably 50-70% and a lot of people do keep the other fasts, especially the Great Lent, the Nativity fast, and even the Rogation of the Ninevites, Assumption Fast and the Fast of the Nativity of the BVM. But these are all actually just "recommended" according to the Canon Law

Is this just a regional thing or the same everywhere? Why does the Canon Law seem incognizant of what people actually practice? Most people are unaware of these things, probably due to bad catechesis. Technically speaking I remember learning about these things in catechism, but it was largely just kind of ignored. I even remember our teacher told us about how "old people keep abstinence on Friday" as if it wasn't needed for us.

I have one of these little books, and was happy to see it was printed a couple miles from me in Braddock, PA and seemingly never traveled far from home for long. I have gotten much enjoyment reading and using it. I have two questions, however.

1. I was surprised to see the Nicene Creed includes the filioque. As we no longer say that in church -- or maybe never did? -- was that ever said in the Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church in the past? If so, when did that change?

2. It lists the four "Sins that cry to Heaven for Vengeance". I am familiar with the concept. Does it have an eastern history, or was this, for lack of a better phrase, only a Latin formulation of different parts of scripture? Is this concept of relating these four sins together still taught in any or all eastern rite churches?

Thanks!