Worship at Nativity Parish
"Incorporated into the Church by Baptism, the faithful
have received the sacramental character that consecrates
them for Christian religious worship. The baptismal seal
enables and commits Christians to serve God by a vital
participation in the holy liturgy of the Church and to
exercise their baptismal priesthood by the witness of
holy lives and practical charity."
Worship in the Eastern Catholic tradition is marked by
theological richness, distinct cultural expression, and
profound reverence. The Liturgies of the Eastern Catholic
Church are almost entirely sung. At Nativity the majority of
the Liturgical celebrations are in English, but there are
also prayers and songs in Slavonic and Ukrainian.
At the heart of Eastern Catholic worship is the
Divine Liturgy. While the
Divine Liturgy is, in its essence, the same Eucharistic
celebration as the Mass, its outward expression is a bit
different from what most Catholics experience in the
Western, or Roman, rite. There is also the use of
icons and gestures and a
different emphasis in the practice of
spirituality.
The Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is the most
commonly celebrated Liturgy at Nativity parish.
St. John Chrysostom (ca.
349-407) was the patriarch of Constantinople and a Father
and Doctor of the Church.