Random Thoughts about a UkrainianByzantine Rite Mass We Attended

• My husband and I attended a Ukrainian Byzantine Mass yesterday afternoon in the chapel at Human Life International in Front Royal. It was the ancient rite of St. John Chrysostom. 

• The Mass was a beautiful mixture of the familiar and unfamiliar. 

• There were several icons in the front of the church and three poles with gold objects on top behind the altar: a cross in the middle (I think) and discs with designs on either side. At one point, two of the altar boys came with the discs and held them over the priest like what's being done in the photo on the right. 

• In front of the altar was a table with an icon (as pictured) and many people came up and venerated it before Mass. 

• There were six altar boys wearing gold vestments matching the priest's and quite beautiful; several couldn't have been more than six. They were very reverent and so sweet -- like little cherubs.

• The priest used incense frequently throughout the Mass and the incensor had bells that made a joyful noise to the Lord every time he swung it. I was charmed by it.

• I think it was before the Gospel that many little children came up and kissed the icons on the ornate cover of the lectionary. 

• Most of the liturgy was sung including the epistle and gospel. 

• Communion was under both species distributed with a little spoon. The Body of Christ was in the form of small cubes of bread saturated with the wine. Several parents brought up very young children to receive. (I think the Eastern rites do all the sacraments of initiation at Baptism. Can someone correct me if I'm wrong.)

A Byzantine church decorated for Christmas

• I confess to being distracted by the unfamiliarity of it all. I kept looking for the correct place in the prayer book to follow along. Fortunately, a man in the lobby who was greeting people had given me a quick instruction before the service, but I was still somewhat baffled. Not to mention that a precious little girl in front of me was restless and kept making eye contact and smiling. I am easily distracted by children.

• The element of awe in this form of worship was palpable. There was no doubt that the congregation was following the shepherd. In many ways it made me think of the Old Testament and the descriptions of the worship tent in the Book of Exodus.And the congregation was definitely involved since much of the liturgy was sung by the people led by the choir. 

• I definitely want to experience this again. I love the idea that icons are like windows into heaven helping us to reflect on our brothers and sisters who have gone before us and are present to us still when we call upon them. And there was such a sense of worshiping with the Church throughout the ages. Our time is not isolated from all others. We are in union with the Body of Christ throughout the millennia. I experienced a profound sense of that yesterday. So I'm sure I'll go back.