So my dad and his cousin who is here from Lebanon are buying a lamb to kill on Saturday at my aunts business. Its a quasi-religious happening. When my sister bought her house, we bought the lamb, killed it on her doorstep, and while we were killing it and its blood was being spilt, my dad and cousin were saying some sort of prayer in arabic. Then they take some of the blood dabbed on their fingers and place a cross on either side of the door.  I asked a priest about this, and his response was that it was a cultural thing, and there's nothing wrong with it. But I thought the sacrifice of Our Blessed lord removed all need for sacrifice. I don't think my family does this in any way to supersede the Holy Sacrifice offered at mass. And we do donate meat to the poor. Just wondering what your thoughts might be on this one.

My mom sent me two texts just now: The first of the lambs; the second of my father staring at them at the fence, and they're all huddling nearby showing interested in him. The caption: "Silly lambs, run away! Its a wolf in sheeps clothing."

A cross on either side of the door...

So they are reenacting Exodus 12:7 ?

I remember hearing a sermon speaking about that ritual once. I wonder which one it was. It was one of the Audio Sancto ones I believe.

Shin: So they are reenacting Exodus 12:7 ?


Not sure. I'll get clarification on what they are actually saying during the prayer today.

Sigi-

My Lebanese Grandmother(+RIP) was Maronite till the day she died. Her husband, my grandfather (+RIP), was Orthodox. And almost all my dad's brothers and sisters are Orthodox (in name), but my father and a sister of his have kept the Catholic tradition. I imagine, but have not confirmed, that with my father it had to do with my dad marrying my mother (and she being Mexican Catholic). Whatever the reason, he defends the Church and its position and is not Orthodox in any way, Deo gratias.

I've never attended a Maronite service; by the time I was old enough to do so on my own, I was immersed in Tradition and had been instructed that they've gone along with many changes post Vatican II. I've also read that a Roman Catholic should attend Roman services (and vice versa for the other Rites) and not doing so, without the permission of the bishop, is forbidden by the church. Interesting thing is, is that I was recently discussing attending Byzantine and Maronite services with one of my good friends, and he was telling me of the beauties he saw in the byzantine mass and confession; he brought up that the spirituality (for lack of a better word) was far more appealing to him in both, but that if he was able to, that he would attend Maronite mass.

There is a byzantine church not far from where I work. I may take a visit one day to see what its about. I just looked and found an Maronite chapel in Riverside too, not far from where I live. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Saint-Joseph-Maronite-Church/142269375859570?v=info

My family is slaughtering a lamb this Saturday. , Ah, the glories of being Lebanese..

..immediately, I thought, "Did anyone think of telling the lamb in advance?"


I mean, did the lamb know about it?
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All Catholics are perfectly free to attend the liturgies of other rites and to receive Communion there. Formally switching rites requires some permission, but is usually easy enough if you have anything like a good reason.  

..that would be other rites like Greek or Armenian or Russian Orthodox?  
Does that constitute "switching rites?"  And what do you suppose the
Orthodox priests have to say about that?  

Slaughtering a lamb is awesome.

Have you ever witnessed or done it?

Quote from: ShepherdofSheep

Quote from: Matto

Slaughtering a lamb is awesome.

Have you ever witnessed or done it?

Not so awesome for the lamb though.  

If the man knows what he is doing it would be quick but not pretty and downright nauseating for many witnesses.
 

Yes, I thought it was an odd statement to make.  I don't know of anybody who enjoys slaughtering anything, much less declaring it awesome.  At best, it's a job that needs to be done, and more than likely done with great distaste.  I mean, you are taking something's life in a very dramatic fashion.

Quote from: When I saw what this

My family is slaughtering a lamb this Saturday. , Ah, the glories of being Lebanese..

..immediately, I thought, "Did anyone think of telling the lamb in advance?"


I mean, did the lamb know about it?
.
.
.
.

Quote from: Sigismund

All Catholics are perfectly free to attend the liturgies of other rites and to receive Communion there. Formally switching rites requires some permission, but is usually easy enough if you have anything like a good reason.  

..that would be other rites like Greek or Armenian or Russian Orthodox?  
Does that constitute "switching rites?"  And what do you suppose the
Orthodox priests have to say about that?  

He's talking about switching to a different Catholic rite.  Not defecting from the Church.

It appears that it is a sacramental.