Our Lord Jesus Christ spent 40 days with His disciples after the resurrection to prove to them that He is truly risen, then before He ascended to heaven He said to them “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission …
The Meaning of the Resurrection Enactment
On the Feast of the Resurrection, there is a rite that takes place in the church that we all like to attend; it’s called The Resurrection Enactment. This is when all the lights in the church are turned off and altar curtain is closed with Abouna inside the altar. The deacons standing outside engage in a melodic dialogue with Abouna …
Spirituality of Lent
Introduction Great Lent is considered the holiest fast since our Lord Jesus Christ Himself had fasted it. Therefore, during Great Lent we follow the example set by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who fasted on our behalf forty days and forty nights (Matt. 4: 2). Also during Holy Week, which comes after the 40 days, we live the Passion of Christ …
The Sacrament of Matrimony
In The Cana of Galilee Wedding St. John is the only one who recorded the events of the wedding at Cana in his gospel (John 2:1-11), since he was one of the witnesses of the event. He was the only one who knew the details of the conversation between Christ and St. Mary, as St. Mary stayed with him in …
The holy fifty days: a time of great joy
The Holy Fifty Days is a very special period. It is a time that is filled with joy: the joy of the resurrection. During this time, the church is decorated with white curtains and white flags and the festal (joyful) tune is used in all the prayers even funerals. During this time the church lives the life of great joy …
Ascension Feast to Pentecost: the 10 waiting days
The church fathers say that the Ascension Feast is the crown of all feasts in the church, as the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into the heaven and fulfilled the Divine measure of salvation after 40 days of His resurrection (Luke 24:51) & (Acts 1:1-11). According to the Deskolia (book of apostles’ teaching), the Church celebrates the Feast of Ascension of …
The holy fifties period
The Holy Fifties period is concluded by the Pentecost Feast, when the Holy Spirit descended on all the apostles and started preaching to Jews, Samaritans and to all nations. Number 50 represents eternity. If 7 represents the weekday’s cycle, so 49 (7 x 7) represents the completion of the earthy life. The day after the 49th i.e. the 50th day, …
The rite of Choosing the Lamb
After Abouna washes his hands, he takes a veil from the paten, folds it up so that it’s straight and puts it inside his sleeve. This is a symbol of the dagger that Abraham used when he was asked to offer up his son Isaac which is a symbol of the sacrifice of Christ. Abouna then stands at the altar …
Rite of the Liturgy of the Word
After Abouna choose the bread, he takes it into the alter and start the prayer with the procession of the lamp. The procession of the lamp refers to Simeon the elder when he took Jesus up in his arms and blessed God and said: Lord now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to your word for my …
The Prayers in the Agpeya
The prayers in the “Agpeya” are the seven prayers recited at fixed different hours of the day. Each hour includes a general introduction, Psalms, intercessions, a few biblical passages, a closing prayer, and a general prayer to conclude all the prayers included at a specific time of the day. Why do we use the Agpeya for prayer? We use the …