Very cool vestment

This is for Carolina Cannonball.

I share her intrest in Eastern things. Liturgically, the Eastern Churches (Byzantine Cahtolics and Eastern Orthodox) have, for the most part, done a good job of preserving the liturgical tradition. One thing I love is how much respect they give the Mass (Divine Liturgy as it is usually referred to in the East). I mean, if you look at their icons, their churches, their vestments, you can see they generally take it seriously. Don't get me wrong, we can do some pretty beautiful liturgies in the West, although it is much less frequent in the Novus Ordo reform. You can tell there has been a general decrease in the respect for the Mass and liturgical tradition in the West after the reforms of the 1960's (but that is for another post).

Anyway, I found this picture of an Eastern Orthodox Metropolitan in Milan.


I don't know why, but I love the pattern on the vestments. I am wondering if something like that could work on a chasuble (more likely a more gothic vestment than a Roman style). Of course, that much blue wouldn't work since that is not a liturgical color in the West (sorry, Advent is violet and Marian feasts are white in the West). Still, I think the pattern could possibly work. It's certainly better than the burlap/curtain/drapes/polyester material a majority of vestments in the West seem to be made in.

Anyway, I need to try to get more good Western vestment pics up since we need all the encouragement we can get in these liturgically chaotic days.

For example, Fr. Z. had a beautiful chasuble for All Souls the gold and black material is impressive (just ignore that last photo ... or at least avoid drinking anything when you view it, otherwise your beverage will end up all over your keyboard and monitor).

RS