Byzantine Back and Forth
This week is Holy Week and as the LifeTeen band isn’t playing this weekend, it means I can spend Easter at my favourite church, an Eastern Rite (Byzantine) Catholic parish near to where I live. Alleluia!…well, almost 😉
One of the things I love about the Byzantine Rite is the standard set of greetings and responses which take place during the year. For example, when I first attended the parish I got there very early on in the morning and heard the priest greet a parishioner with the exclamation: “Glory to Jesus Christ!”, to which the parishioner responded “Glory forever!”. This seems to me like a wonderful way to begin any conversation! 🙂
These responses change throughout the liturgical year. Â At “Nativity” (Christmas) it becomes:
“Christ is born!”
“Glorify Him!”
We will shortly be entering the “Pascha” (Easter) season when it will change to:
“Christ is Risen!”
“Indeed He is Risen!”
And at certain blessings, such as at the end of Great Vespers or at the Kiss of Peace:
“Christ is among us!”
“He is and will be!”
 These all seem wonderful ways of proclaiming the faith! Glory to Jesus Christ…