Eastern Catholic Life Official Publication of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic VOL. LI, NO. 7 JULY 2015 Bishop Kurt Visits Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary Hierarchical Divine Liturgy celebrated for seminary community A Personal and Vocational Reflection by Maximilian Mukerjee n April 15th, 2015, The attended in choir. The Liturgy took if they had been Byzantine Catholic life was like in the Western Church. Eastern and the West- place in the seminary’s Immacu- their entire lives. Raymond J Mas- The character and manners of the ern sides of Our Lord’s late Conception Chapel at 4 p.m. A torberte served as cantor, assisted by seminarians was so impressive: they ChurchO met at Saint Charles Borro- portable icon screen was moved in other area cantors, and ably led the were truly young men who lived meo Seminary in Philadelphia, PA. by Father Edward Higgins, Master more than 150 seminarians in sing- and practiced the teachings of Jesus I had the distinct privilege to attend of Ceremonies and Pastor of Holy ing the praises of the Lord. I felt like Christ. These young men came from and serve at the Hierarchical Divine Ghost Parish in South Philadelphia, I was surrounded by a choir of heav- parishes all across the United States Liturgy which was celebrated. The along with helpers, and was set up enly angels. An extremely powerful and some were even from other seminary is an absolutely beautiful promptly before the Liturgy. The part of the Liturgy was when the countries. One young man had property, massive in expanse, and entire seminary was full of energy time had come for the chanting of come all the way from Singapore the beautiful Romanesque architec- and the seminarians were eager to the Nicene Creed and the two bish- to study at the seminary! The age ture gave the place a very pious and experience a Byzantine Catholic ops embraced for the Kiss of Peace. range of the young men was greater holy feeling where the study of God Liturgy, while the Eastern Catholic It truly was a powerful sign of the than our Saints Cyril and Method- truly took place. The hallways were priests were eager to share our beau- unity, the two Churches coming to- ius Seminary, as they still had what beautifully decorated with artwork tiful liturgical practices with the gether in a symbol of fraternal unity: they called the “collegiate program” from a local artist who had donated seminary community. both sides of the One True Church, where young men enter the semi- it to the seminary in the service of East and West, uniting in a gesture nary directly from high school. Our Lord. The general living quar- The Liturgy was an absolutely of true brotherhood in Christ. ters were kept simpler, but, none- heavenly experience. I was assigned At the conclusion of the meal, theless elegant and tasteful. to the task of assisting Father Ed- After Liturgy, we were treated to Bishop Timothy gave a final word of ward Higgins by instructing the a delicious meal in the seminary’s thanks to Bishop Kurt and the rest Our Chief Shepherd, Bishop seminarians in liturgical practice refectory. One aspect of seminary of the Byzantine Catholic priests Kurt, was the main celebrant of the and etiquette during the service. life there that was quickly noticed an deacons for coming and sharing Liturgy, along with many priests and We were serving with eight acolytes is that they have the seminarians act our Byzantine Liturgy with them. In two deacons from the Eparchy of from the seminary. An acolyte is a as the serving staff! For the meal, turn, Bishop Kurt rose and thanked Passaic. The rector of Saint Charles minor ministry in the Roman Rite we were seated amongst the semi- them for being so warm and hospi- Seminary, Bishop Timothy Senior, which is the equivalent of our subdi- narians and had an opportunity to table towards us and hopes that we Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia, aconate. The acolytes performed as discuss with them what seminary may return in the future. Then, in a Continued on page 3 Bishop Kurt’s Pastoral Catechists Recognized—p3 Eparchial Summer Camps— Subdeacons Ordained in Reflection—p2 p6-7 Georgia—p8 Page 2 Eastern Catholic Life JULY 2015 I Lift Up My Eyes... Pastoral Reflections of Bishop Kurt David Danced with All His Might avid went and brought rah and Barak sang a song of victory of the Burnette family. up the ark of God. And together, a duet. when“D those who bore the ark had Many of the great songs of the Old gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox We sing the Song of Deborah in Testament take place after a delivery Bible stories when they composed and a fatling. And David danced our Matins service, as well as the from danger, as in the songs of Mo- songs to lift their spirits and enkin- before the Lord with all his might.” Song of Moses. Have you ever won- ses and Deborah mentioned above. dle their hope of a better life. These David, the mighty warrior king, was dered why we sing “When Israel But sometimes they sing while they natural geniuses invented new kinds also a singer and played a harp that walked through the deep sea, as on are in the middle of trouble. Jonah of music inspired by their faith. he made himself. His original in- dry land” at the Parastas? What sings a song inside the belly of the Even in the darkness of the twenti- troduction into the center of power does that have to do with funerals? fish. We don’t know whether the eth century, cosmopolitan compos- was because King Saul suffered from Well, that hymn was written to go fish liked the song or not, but it vom- ers returned to the shepherd boy on severe depression, which the scrip- with the Song of Moses at Matins. ited Jonah on the beach afterwards. the hillside singing to the Lord and ture attributes to an evil spirit, and These major songs that are recorded And in the Book of Daniel, the three playing his harp. Igor Stravinsky his servants found the shepherd in the Bible we call “scripture can- Hebrews Shadrach, Meshach, and wrote a setting of Psalms 38, 39, 40, David to sing and play for him. The Abednego sang and 150, and called it “A Symphony music of David must have been very hymns while of Psalms”. For some reason Stravin- sweet indeed to cure the depression they were walk- sky used Latin texts, even though of the king. As an aside, when Jesus ing around in he was Russian Orthodox. Rach- walked on water it was on the Sea of the fiery fur- maninoff also turned to the songs of Galilee. The Hebrew name for this nace. the scriptures for inspiration. In his lake is Kinnereth which means lyre. In the Gospel great All Night Vigil (often called Some people believe it is named that of Luke, there the Rachmaninoff Vespers) there because it shaped like a lyre; but no are two of the are settings of Psalm 1, Psalm 102, one knows for sure. most popu- Psalm 135, the Magnificat, and the One thing that we know with cer- lar hymns in song that Simeon sang when he met tainty is that music and dancing and history. After the newborn Messiah, “Now you poetry have been an important part Zechariah gets shall dismiss your servant, O Lord”. of our religion since at least the time his speech back Rachmaninoff asked that this last of Moses some 3,000 years ago. The at the birth hymn be sung at his own funeral. first song that is mentioned in the of Saint John Did you know Rachmaninoff is Bible is when Moses and all “the the Baptist, he buried a few miles from our church sons of Israel” sing a song of victory can’t control in White Plains? He wanted to be after God drowns the army of Pha- himself, and buried in Switzerland, but the war raoh. Not to be outdone, Miriam, he bursts forth prevented it. Stravinsky is buried on the sister of Moses, picks up a tam- with a hymn one of the islands of Venice. bourine. All the other women get describing not This column began talking about tambourines and Miriam leads the ticles” and they are supposed to be only the birth the important place of music in our women in music and dancing. Mo- sung at Matins. of his son John, but also the coming religion, but the music of the Bible ses sang another song at the end of of God’s promised mercy in Jesus. alone has filled up the column. his life, in which he sums up a little The great musician in the history This poem has many musical set- There was no time to mention the history and a lot of theology for the of our religion, as mentioned above, tings and is called the Benedictus in thousands of musical settings of the Hebrews. is the warrior king David. In Psalm the West. And when the Mother of 151 (found in some bibles), David God meets her cousin Elizabeth, she Mass by the greatest composers, and The next large musical production tells us that as he sat out on the hill- composes a poem on the spot, “My also in our tradition, the settings in the Bible celebrates the victory of side at night watching his sheep un- soul magnifies the Lord, and my of the Divine Liturgy by Rimsky- the prophetess and judge Deborah.