THE FEAST OF THE GLORIOUS RESURRECTION

Gospel of today's Coptic Divine Liturgy:

ٍوَفِي أَوَّلِ الأُسْبُوعِ جَاءَتْ مَرْيَمُ الْمَجْدَلِيَّةُ إِلَى الْقَبْرِ بَاكِراً وَالظّلاَمُ بَاقٍ. فَنَظَرَتِ الْحَجَرَ مَرْفُوعاً عَنِ الْقَبْرِ. فَرَكَضَتْ وَجَاءَتْ إِلَى سِمْعَانَ بُطْرُسَ وَإِلَى التِّلْمِيذِ الآخَرِ الَّذِي كَانَ يَسُوعُ يُحِبُّهُ وَقَالَتْ لَهُمَا: «أَخَذُوا السَّيِّدَ مِنَ الْقَبْرِ وَلَسْنَا نَعْلَمُ أَيْنَ وَضَعُوهُ». فَخَرَجَ بُطْرُسُ وَالتِّلْمِيذُ الآخَرُ وَأَتَيَا إِلَى الْقَبْرِ. وَكَانَ الاِثْنَانِ يَرْكُضَانِ مَعاً. فَسَبَقَ التِّلْمِيذُ الآخَرُ بُطْرُسَ وَجَاءَ أَوَّلاً إِلَى الْقَبْرِ وَانْحَنَى فَنَظَرَ الأَكْفَانَ مَوْضُوعَةً وَلَكِنَّهُ لَمْ يَدْخُلْ. ثُمَّ جَاءَ سِمْعَانُ بُطْرُسُ يَتْبَعُهُ وَدَخَلَ الْقَبْرَ وَنَظَرَ الأَكْفَانَ مَوْضُوعَةً وَالْمِنْدِيلَ الَّذِي كَانَ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ لَيْسَ مَوْضُوعاً مَعَ الأَكْفَانِ بَلْ مَلْفُوفاً فِي مَوْضِعٍ وَحْدَهُ. فَحِينَئِذٍ دَخَلَ أَيْضاً التِّلْمِيذُ الآخَرُ الَّذِي جَاءَ أَوَّلاً إِلَى الْقَبْرِ وَرَأَى فَآمَنَ لأَنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَكُونُوا بَعْدُ يَعْرِفُونَ الْكِتَابَ: أَنَّهُ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَقُومَ مِنَ الأَمْوَاتِ. فَمَضَى التِّلْمِيذَانِ أَيْضاً إِلَى مَوْضِعِهِمَا. أَمَّا مَرْيَمُ فَكَانَتْ وَاقِفَةً عِنْدَ الْقَبْرِ خَارِجاً تَبْكِي. وَفِيمَا هِيَ تَبْكِي انْحَنَتْ إِلَى الْقَبْرِ فَنَظَرَتْ ملاَكَيْنِ بِثِيَابٍ بِيضٍ جَالِسَيْنِ وَاحِداً عِنْدَ الرَّأْسِ وَالآخَرَ عِنْدَ الرِّجْلَيْنِ حَيْثُ كَانَ جَسَدُ يَسُوعَ مَوْضُوعاً. فَقَالاَ لَهَا: «يَا امْرَأَةُ لِمَاذَا تَبْكِينَ؟» قَالَتْ لَهُمَا: «إِنَّهُمْ أَخَذُوا سَيِّدِي وَلَسْتُ أَعْلَمُ أَيْنَ وَضَعُوهُ». وَلَمَّا قَالَتْ هَذَا الْتَفَتَتْ إِلَى الْوَرَاءِ فَنَظَرَتْ يَسُوعَ وَاقِفاً وَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ يَسُوعُ. قَالَ لَهَا يَسُوعُ: «يَا امْرَأَةُ لِمَاذَا تَبْكِينَ؟ مَنْ تَطْلُبِينَ؟» فَظَنَّتْ تِلْكَ أَنَّهُ الْبُسْتَانِيُّ فَقَالَتْ لَهُ: «يَا سَيِّدُ إِنْ كُنْتَ أَنْتَ قَدْ حَمَلْتَهُ فَقُلْ لِي أَيْنَ وَضَعْتَهُ وَأَنَا آخُذُهُ». قَالَ لَهَا يَسُوعُ: «يَا مَرْيَمُ!» فَالْتَفَتَتْ تِلْكَ وَقَالَتْ لَهُ: «رَبُّونِي» الَّذِي تَفْسِيرُهُ يَا مُعَلِّمُ. قَالَ لَهَا يَسُوعُ: «لاَ تَلْمِسِينِي لأَنِّي لَمْ أَصْعَدْ بَعْدُ إِلَى أَبِي. وَلَكِنِ اذْهَبِي إِلَى إِخْوَتِي وَقُولِي لَهُمْ: إِنِّي أَصْعَدُ إِلَى أَبِي وَأَبِيكُمْ وَإِلَهِي وَإِلَهِكُمْ». فَجَاءَتْ مَرْيَمُ الْمَجْدَلِيَّةُ وَأَخْبَرَتِ التّلاَمِيذَ أَنَّهَا رَأَتِ الرَّبَّ وَأَنَّهُ قَالَ لَهَا هَذَا.

Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him."

Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.

But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?"

She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him."

Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?"

She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, "Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away."

Jesus said to her, "Mary!"

She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" which is to say, Teacher.

Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, "I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God."'

Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.

-St. John 20:1-18

Night of the Apocalypse/Bright Saturday (Coptic)

"After the Raising of the Incense, the Third and Sixth Hours are prayed according to the rituals of that night. After the Third and Sixth Hours Prayers have been read, the church begins to read the Holy Book of Revelation. The Holy Book of Revelation is read on Night of the Apocalypse because the Holy Book of Revelation refers to the bride of the Lord Jesus Christ; the Church. 

"In the Holy Gospel of St. John, St. John calls Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ the "bridegroom" (John 3:29) and in the Holy Book of Revelation 21:9 St. John refers to the "bride" of the Lord Jesus Christ; the church...and tells St. John..."Come I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife." Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ shed His blood on the cross and descended into Hades to get his bride, the saints and then opened the gates of Paradise. Now there is a bridegroom and we await the bride by reading the description of the church in the Holy Book of Revelation.

 "The story of salvation is that God the Father chose a bride for His Son, who paid for His bride, not with gold or silver, but with His Precious Blood. We are engaged to the Lord Jesus Christ; purified by His water and blood (Ephesians 5:25), wedded at the moment of His death on Great Friday. 

"All the hymns of the holy book of revelations are related to the bride of Christ: the church. These hymns call the bride to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, enumerate the number the sealed bride, the song of the bride (Alleluia), and the foundation of the heavenly Jerusalem (the bride of Christ). 

"The book of revelation is read between the Sixth and the Ninth hour since at that time the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, shed His blood and descended into Hades to restore Adam and his children to the paradise of joy. 

"The anointing of oil by the priests to the congregation before the Divine Liturgy is referred to in the Holy Book of Revelation 7:2-8, in which the servants of God must have sealed upon their foreheads. We are anointed with oil to seal us; to say that we are the bride of the Lord Jesus Christ. Following this, the Ninth Hour is prayed in preparation for the Divine Liturgy."

The Divine Liturgy 

"The Night of Apocalypse ends with the Divine Liturgy and the Holy Communion; called the "Supper of the Wedding of the Lamb" (Revelation 19:9). This Divine Liturgy is unique in that we do not pray the "Prayer of Reconciliation" because the Lord Jesus Christ must trample death by His death (1 Corinthians 15) and death was not yet abolished at this point. Although we do not pray the Commemoration of the Saints on Covenant Thursday, we do pray the Commemoration of the Saints on Bright Saturday because Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has opened the gates of Paradise. 

"During Holy Communion the church prays the Eleventh Hour, chants selected Holy Psalms, and reads the prophecies of the Glorious Feast of Resurrection. 

"May we all enter into a blessed Holy Week with daily church attendance and solemn prayers and scriptural readings befitting its spiritual remembrance." 

-H.G Bishop Youssef

Holy Week (Coptic)

Here is the Holy Week schedule for the Coptic Orthodox Church on my street.  What an incredible week we have coming up.

Let us pray that God may unite the Oriental and Eastern Orthodox Churches with the Church of Rome soon so that we may all be able to participate fully in all of the liturgies of the Church.



Palm Sunday: 
Raising of Incensing and Palm Sunday Procession: 7:00-8:30
The Divine Liturgy: 8:30-12:30
Funeral Service office for the Congregation: 12:30-13:30
Evening Prayers of the Holy Pascha: 17:00-20:30

Monday:
Daytime Prayers of the Holy Pascha: 7:00-10:30
Evening Prayers of the Holy Pascha: 18:00-21:00

Tuesday:
Daytime Prayers of the Holy Pascha: 7:00-11:00
Evening Prayers of the Holy Pascha: 18:00-21:00

Wednesday:

Daytime Prayers of the Holy Pascha: 7:00-10:30

Evening Prayers of the Holy Pascha: 18:00-21:00

Covenant Thursday:

Daytime Prayers of the Holy Pascha,including Matins, prayers of the 3rd, 6th, 9th hrs: 8:00-11:30

Blessing of Water and Washing of Feet: 11:00-12:30
The Divine Liturgy ended by the 11th hour: 12:30-15:00
Evening Prayers of the Holy Pascha: 17:30-21:30

Great Friday: 
Daytime Prayers of the Holy Pascha:  8:00-18:00

Apocalypse Night/Saturday:
Praises and Readings,
“The Book of Revelation”- Apocalypse: 23:00 (Friday night) - 5:00 (Saturday morning).
Divine Liturgy of Bright Saturday: 5:00-7:00

PASCHA/SATURDAY NIGHT:
DIVINE LITURGY OF THE GLORIOUS RESURRECTION: 19:00-0:00 (Midnight)

Fraction Prayers (Coptic)

Fraction Prayers to the Father during the Great Lent:

O Master, Lord God the Pantocrator, who sent His Only-Begotten Son into the world; He taught us the Law and commandments written in the Holy Gospel. 

And He taught us that fasting and prayer cast out demons, when He said, "This kind cannot come out by anything, but by prayer and fasting." 

Fasting and prayer are those which raised Elijah to heaven and saved Daniel from the lions´ den. 

Fasting and prayer are those which Moses pursued until he received the Law and Commandments written with the finger of God. 

Fasting and prayer are those which the people of Nineveh pursued until God had mercy on them and forgave them their sins, and lifted His wrath away from them. 

Fasting and prayer are those which the prophets pursued, and prophesied concerning the advent of Christ many generations before His coming. 

Fasting and prayer are those which the apostles pursued, until they preached to all nations and made them Christians, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 

Fasting and prayer are those which the martyrs pursued until they shed their blood for the Name of Christ, who confessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate. 

Fasting and prayer are those which the righteous and the just and the cross-bearers pursued until they dwelt in the mountains and deserts and holes of the earth because of their great love for Christ the King. 

And we too, let us fast from all evil, in purity and righteousness, and let us proceed forth to this Holy Sacrifice and partake of it with thanksgiving, so that with a pure heart, an enlightened soul, an unashamed face, a faith unfeigned, a perfect love, and a firm hope,
we may dare with boldness, without fear, to pray to You, O God, the Holy Father, who are in the heavens, and say, "Our Father ..."

The Great Lent Begins

As I noted last week, the Great Lent had begun for those who follow the Coptic Rite on the 20th of February.  For adherents of the Byzantine Rite, it starts today and for those who follow the Roman Rite, it begins on Ash Wednesday which is only two days away.

No matter what tradition we follow, we have to remind ourselves of how much of a blessing it is to enter this solemn period.  We should act is if this was our very last Lent.  Let us purify our hearts and enter into the mystery of our salvation.

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This Lent, I will attempt to connect the three traditions that I have found solace in (Byzantine, Coptic, and Roman) and will make posts alternating between the three liturgical traditions.  I will start tomorrow on a post about the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete (Byzantine) and then, God Willing, continue down the line.

Let us pray for another.

Great Lent Fraction

The Great Fast

For those who celebrate the Coptic Rite, the Great Fast begins today.  I have attached the Gospel below for the Monday of the First Week of the Great Fast.

"And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him! 

"Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 

"Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. 

"And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven. 

"Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."

-Saint Luke 12:4-12

Morning Doxology

The select incense, of your virginity, ascended to the throne, of the Father.
Better than the incense, of the Cherubim, and the Seraphim, O Virgin Mary.
Hail to the new heaven, whom the Father has created, and made a place of rest, for His beloved Son.