UNDERSTANDING THE DIVINE LITURGY
PART II

Written by:
Fr. Youstos Ghaly

The Apostolic Fathers established the Holy Rituals of the Church as the rituals were handed down to them by the Lord Jesus Christ. St. Paul, the Apostle said, "For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you." (I Cor. 11:23) St. Paul further instructed St. Timothy, his disciple, to ensure that the precious rituals and doctrine of the Church were passed down through the generations. He told St. Timothy, "And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." (II Tim. 2:2)

The Holy Church is the earthly Kingdom of Heaven. Our beloved Lord Jesus Christ was the first to establish the rituals of the Church. He, Himself, prepared the Upper Room, He held the bread with His Hands and mixed the water and the wine.

In Part II of "Understanding the Divine Liturgy," I would like to conclude with six more commonly asked questions:

    1. Why are the Psalms' read before the Offering of the Lamb?
      The Psalms' are prophecies about the Incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ for the salvation of the world. For this purpose it is of great importance that the basket containing the offertory bread and the wine decanter is ready before praying the Psalms'.

    2. Explain the reason why Abouna washes his hands before the selection of the Lamb?
      The fact that a priest washes his hands doesn't mean that he enters the Sanctuary with dirty hands that need to be washed or cleaned, but rather these ritual washings are a symbol of the purification of the heart through repentance.

    3. What is wetting the bread after the selection of the Lamb symbolic of?
      Abouna wets the bread to symbolize the baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ by St. John the Baptist in the Jordan River.

    4. In the Procession of the Lamb, the priest wraps the Lamb in the Veil he used during its selection. The priest then places the Cross on top of it, and "slightly" bends the Cross. Could there be meaning in the bending?
      It is a symbol of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb, while bearing the Cross on route to Golgotha.

    5. Why does the priest mix the wine with water in the Chalice?
      Mixing the wine with water reminds believers of the blood and water that gushed out from the pierced right side of the Lord Jesus Christ.

    6. After the Litany of Offerings, the large altar veil called the "Prosfarine" is used to cover the Holy Mysteries on the altar. Then a small triangular shaped veil is placed on the top of the Prosfarine. What is the symbolic meaning of this?
      The Prosfrine represents the stone which was rolled against the entrance of the tomb, the small veil represents the seal on the tomb's door.

Every action during the Coptic Orthodox worship service has a spiritual meaning. Although it may not be instantly apparent, the meaning can be researched and understood. A recommended book for further researching the Divine Liturgy is "The Spirituality of the Rites of the Holy Liturgy in the Coptic Orthodox Church," written by His Grace Bishop Mettaous. If you would like to ask me any questions related to this topic please send your questions to:

MIGHTY ARROWS
PO Box 1215
Broussard, LA 70518

Editors' Error: I would like to clarify and correct a question asked in the first issue of the Mighty Arrows. The question was #6. "The five holes in the Holy Bread are representative of what?" The correct answer is the FOUR nails and the spear. There was one hole in each arm of the Lord Jesus Christ and two holes in the left foot and one hole in the right. We now know that the left foot was nailed first and the right foot then nailed onto the left foot. For the distinction between the Lord Jesus Christ's pain of suffering and pain of Crucifixion please refer to the "Holy Feast of the Resurrection Issue" for a more detailed discussion.