Orthodoxy and Catholicism have a place in amongst over 35,000 Christian organizations (Jacobsen 7). I attended a mass at St. John 's Catholic Church and a service at St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church, and the similarities and differences that I observed were extremely intriguing. Both services recite similar prayers, like the Nicene Creed and Our Father, and they celebrate the Eucharist during mass. While the Orthodox Church is demographically Greek, the Catholic Church represents a large white population, and they both show incredible hospitality toward newcomers. The Orthodox Church is dome-shaped and houses many paintings, but the Catholic Church is a cathedral design with statues of saints scattered about. The content of both
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John 's Catholic Church service consisted two readings along with the Gospel story. The Gospel of Luke was the story of the Pharisee and Tax collector who prayed in the Temple together. The Pharisee told God of the great things that he did to show is faith, while the tax collector asked for forgiveness for his sins. The priest 's sermon was based on the Gospel, calling us to be vulnerable in the presence of God and search for forgiveness instead of gloating about our accomplishments.
Likewise, at St. John the Baptist, there was one reading in addition to the Gospel. The Gospel was the parable of the good Samaritan. The priest 's sermon was much more casual than the Catholic service. He wandered around the Church, cracking jokes and using modern day issues to support his points. Also, there seemed to be a heavy emphasis on the psalms. There were three Psalms sung during the Orthodox service, while there was only one during the Catholic service.
Following the sermon, communion is prepared and divided amongst the congregation. During the preparation, both churches said the Our Father and the Nicene Creed. The Orthodox version of the creed has never been revised by the Ecumenical Councils unlike the Catholic Creed, but these recitations reflect their fundamental emphasis on doctrine. In both Churches, Eucharist is the central event in the service, believing that the bread and wine are truly converted into Jesus ' body and …show more content…
Going into this paper, I did not think that the Orthodox and Catholic services would be much different, but through attending both, I have a new appreciation for the unique celebrations of both masses. In the doctrinal faith, Orthodoxy and Catholicism have proven similar. Through demographics and style, both religions show their distinction. Even so, it is important to notice the emphasis on community both churches portray, and through their traditions, it is clear there is an unshakable foundation that each church is built upon, one filled with faith, compassion, and
John 's Catholic Church service consisted two readings along with the Gospel story. The Gospel of Luke was the story of the Pharisee and Tax collector who prayed in the Temple together. The Pharisee told God of the great things that he did to show is faith, while the tax collector asked for forgiveness for his sins. The priest 's sermon was based on the Gospel, calling us to be vulnerable in the presence of God and search for forgiveness instead of gloating about our accomplishments.
Likewise, at St. John the Baptist, there was one reading in addition to the Gospel. The Gospel was the parable of the good Samaritan. The priest 's sermon was much more casual than the Catholic service. He wandered around the Church, cracking jokes and using modern day issues to support his points. Also, there seemed to be a heavy emphasis on the psalms. There were three Psalms sung during the Orthodox service, while there was only one during the Catholic service.
Following the sermon, communion is prepared and divided amongst the congregation. During the preparation, both churches said the Our Father and the Nicene Creed. The Orthodox version of the creed has never been revised by the Ecumenical Councils unlike the Catholic Creed, but these recitations reflect their fundamental emphasis on doctrine. In both Churches, Eucharist is the central event in the service, believing that the bread and wine are truly converted into Jesus ' body and …show more content…
Going into this paper, I did not think that the Orthodox and Catholic services would be much different, but through attending both, I have a new appreciation for the unique celebrations of both masses. In the doctrinal faith, Orthodoxy and Catholicism have proven similar. Through demographics and style, both religions show their distinction. Even so, it is important to notice the emphasis on community both churches portray, and through their traditions, it is clear there is an unshakable foundation that each church is built upon, one filled with faith, compassion, and