UNDERSTANDING THE
DIVINE LITURGY Written by: |
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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:
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:
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. |