The Antiochian liturgical tradition is the Byzantine Rite as received and practiced by the Patriarchate of Antioch. We use the same basic liturgical structure as Greek, Russian, and other Orthodox churches, the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, the cycle of Vespers and Matins, the liturgical year with its fasts and feasts. What makes it distinctively Antiochian is how we’ve adapted this shared tradition pastorally, especially in language and music.
If you’ve visited an OCA parish or a Greek Orthodox church, you’d recognize what happens at St. Michael’s. The structure is identical. But you might hear English throughout (not just some of it), and the musical style might sound less like what you’d hear in Athens or Moscow and more accessible to American ears.
Ancient roots, living practice
Antioch is one of the oldest Christian centers. The disciples were first called Christians there. The see of Antioch contributed early liturgical forms that shaped what became Byzantine worship, the Liturgy of St. James, for instance, which we still celebrate occasionally on its feast day. Over centuries the tradition absorbed Greek, Syriac, and Arabic influences as the Church lived through different empires and cultures.
That’s not just history. It’s why Antiochian parishes today feel comfortable using the vernacular and adapting musical settings without anxiety. We’ve always done this. The Patriarchate moved from Greek to Arabic centuries ago in the Middle East. In North America, we’ve moved to English while keeping the theological content and liturgical structure intact.
The Divine Liturgy
Most Sundays you’ll experience the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. It’s divided into two parts: the Liturgy of the Catechumens (focused on Scripture and prayer) and the Liturgy of the Faithful (the Eucharistic prayer and Communion). Ten times a year we use the longer Liturgy of St. Basil instead. Both are the same service the Orthodox Church has celebrated for over a thousand years.
What happens in that service isn’t symbolic. We’re not reenacting the Last Supper or remembering Christ’s sacrifice in a memorial way. The bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. The Holy Spirit descends. Heaven and earth meet. That’s not Antiochian theology versus Greek or Russian theology, it’s just Orthodox theology. But it’s worth saying clearly because if you’re coming from a Baptist background in Beaumont, this is probably different from what you’ve known.
Music and language
Here’s where you’ll notice Antiochian distinctives most. Many Antiochian parishes in North America use English almost exclusively. Some use Arabic for parts of the service, especially if the community includes Middle Eastern families. The music often draws on Byzantine chant but arranged for American congregational singing or four-part harmony that sounds less foreign to Western ears.
This isn’t watering anything down. The texts are the same. The theology is identical. We’re just doing what the Church has always done, proclaiming the Gospel in the language people actually speak. St. Paul would approve.
You’ll also find that Antiochian parishes tend to encourage congregational participation. We want people singing, responding, knowing what’s happening. If you grew up in churches where everyone sang, that’ll feel natural. If you’re used to a choir performing while you listen, it might take adjustment. Either way, the goal is the same: the whole people of God worshiping together.
The liturgical year
The Antiochian tradition follows the same liturgical calendar as the rest of Orthodoxy. That means we’re always in one of several cycles, fasting or feasting, preparing for Pascha (Easter) or celebrating it, remembering saints, marking the life of Christ. The calendar shapes how we pray, what we eat, how we live.
This can feel overwhelming at first. There’s Great Lent, the Dormition Fast, the Nativity Fast, fast days every Wednesday and Friday. There are feast days you’ve never heard of. But don’t panic. You’re not expected to master it all at once. The rhythm becomes familiar as you live it. And your priest can help you figure out what’s appropriate for where you are in your journey.
Why it matters
When people ask what’s distinctive about Antiochian Orthodoxy, the honest answer is: not much, theologically. We believe exactly what the Greek Orthodox believe, what the OCA believes, what the Serbian Orthodox believe. We’re all the same Church. The Antiochian tradition is a local expression of that universal faith.
But practically, it matters because it’s shaped how we do mission in North America. The Antiochian Archdiocese has been intentional about using English, about making the services accessible to converts, about explaining what we’re doing rather than assuming people just know. If you’re inquiring into Orthodoxy here in Southeast Texas, that’s probably why you’re reading this on a website with clear explanations rather than just being told to show up and figure it out.
The liturgical tradition isn’t about ethnic preservation or cultural nostalgia. It’s about handing on the faith once delivered to the saints. When we celebrate the Divine Liturgy, we’re doing what the Church in Antioch did, what the Church in Constantinople did, what the Church has always done. We’re joining that great cloud of witnesses, participating in something that transcends time and place. And we’re doing it in a way that invites you in.
