Cradle Catholic in the East

So, if I have any friends left (after reminding them all I was on vacation) then, life is nearly perfect.

Yesterday, I went to a local Byzantine parish whose priest I have been in frequent email contact with. Lee and I have attended Divine Liturgy there already in the recent past, so it was great to bring the kids with us as well. The kids loved it. Before we had left the church for our usual Sunday summer drive after services, I spied my oldest venerating the icons of the Theotokos and Christ in the far corner of the church. He is completely taken with the Divine Liturgy.

"Mommy! That was the best Mass I have ever been to!" said my second oldest son. "Even though they don't have a coffee hour with doughnuts, I want to come back!"

"It was like Mass where people cared," said my oldest.

There was another half Hispanic/half blond family directly across the aisle from us. They had, at least, six children like us.

"It is very hard to find a traditional Catholic parish anymore in the Northeast," the mother said. "I converted from the Assemblies of God to Roman Catholicism (a very big trend, might I add), and was very disappointed with the very unCatholic edge to the parishes around here. So we have gone Eastern."

My husband spoke up and informed her that he, too, is a convert from that same denomination. I told her I was a cradle Catholic. The converts lamented together, but both seemed to have found a home in Byzantium. I know I have. It feels like Catholicism in the rest of the country, in more interested parts of the world.

"Father, that was a beautiful liturgy," I said to the priest as we cornered him outside the sacristy at the end of the Divine Liturgy.

He smiled. "Thank you."

Strange. I have not gotten a response like "thank you" from a Catholic priest in many years around these parts. I shared with him my complaints. He nodded knowingly.

"About half my parish is made up of disaffected Roman Catholics who are wondering where the Mass is going."

One last day of vacation, and it has started off perfectly at the DL, as my sweetheart calls it. We all received the Eucharist Eastern style and took a pal with us.

"Our Lord does not give us what we want all the time," said Father Michael this weekend. "He gives us what He knows we need."