Light of the East

The family and I are visiting my wife's side of the family here in California. The kids are having a blast and I am enjoying visiting different churches. Today I attended the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom at a Byzantine Catholic Parish in Anaheim. It was beautiful. Here is a picture of the liturgy today which was done in a side chapel. The other picture at the very bottom of the post is of the main sanctuary which they only use for Sunday and other solemn liturgies

A beautiful line from the Anaphora of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom that caught my eye today: We also thank You for this liturgy which You are pleased to accept from our hands, even though You are surrounded by thousands of Archangels and tens of thousands of Angels, by the Cherubim and Seraphim, six-winged, many-eyed, soaring with their wings, Singing the victory hymn, proclaiming, crying out, and saying: Holy, holy, holy, Lord Sabaoth, heaven and earth are filled with Your glory...

A Large majority of catholics are only familiar with the Roman Catholic Church as it is the most prominent. They are unaware that the Catholic Church is a communion of twenty-two ritual Churches, each with its own unique customs, traditions, and liturgy, united by the same Faith under the leadership of the Vicar of Christ, the Roman Pontiff. 

Vatican 2, in the document ʻOrientalium Ecclesiarumʻ , decreed the right of Eastern Catholic to keep their own distinct liturgical practices while remaining in full communion with the Holy See. It is truly beautiful that our Holy Church has allowed the treasure of the Liturgical and customary catholic traditions of the East to share its Light with the rest of the Holy Catholic Church!