User:Youssefa/Sandbox

Sandbox

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Disappointing Change in Focus of this Article

I must say that I am deeply disappointed in the shift in focus of this article. It had been a discussion of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Now it seems to portray all the Christian beliefs that have been taken up by Copts. Or a forum for discussing the differing sects of Christianity vying for ownership of the See of Saint Mark. While I am not opposed of informing readers of these aspects of religious politics, I just don't believe it's appropriate here. I therefore move to split this article into [at least] two, if not more.

Simply, this article no longer reflects an image of history the Coptic Orthodox Church nor its present state.

Adolphe Youssef 21:44, 31 July 2006 (UTC)

Anne and Catherine's Restaurant

Grape Leaf Garden

Agpeya

The Coptic cycle of canonical hours is largely monastic, primarily composed of psalm readings. The Coptic equivalent of the Byzantine Horologion is the Agpeya.

Seven canonical hours exist, corresponding largely to the Byzantine order, with an additional "Prayer of the Veil" which is said by Bishops, Priests, and Monks (something like the Byzantine Midnight Office). The Coptic terms for 'Matins' and 'Vespers' are 'The Morning Raising of Incense' and 'The Evening Raising of Incense' respectively.

The hours are chronologically laid out, each containing a theme corresponding to events in the life of Jesus Christ:

• Morning Raising of Incense "Midnight Praise" (said in the early morning before dawn) commemorates the Second Coming of Christ. It consists of three watches, corresponding to the three stages of Christ's prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane ( Matthew 25:1–13 ).
• Prime (dawn) is said upon waking in the morning or after the Midnight Praise the previous night. Associated with the Eternity of God, the Incarnation of Christ, and his Resurrection from the dead.
• Terce (9 a.m.) commemorates Christ's trial before Pilate, the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
• Sext (noon) commemorates the Passion of Christ.

Terce and Sext are prayed before each Divine Liturgy.

• None (3 p.m.) commemorates the death of Christ on the Cross. This hour is also read during fasting days.
• Evening Raising of Incense (sunset) commemorates the taking down of Christ from the Cross.
• Compline (9 p.m. - before bedtime) commemorates the burial of Christ, the Final Judgment.

Vespers and Compline are both read before the Liturgy during Lent and the fast of Nineveh.

• The Veil is reserved for bishops, priests and monks, as an examination of conscience.

Structure

Every one of the Hours follows the same basic outline:

• Introduction, which includes the Lord’s Prayer
• Prayer of Thanksgiving
• LXX Psalm 50 (Psalm 51 KJV).
• Various Psalms, an excerpt from the Holy Gospel
• The Five Short Litanies:
  • Peace of the Church
  • Fathers of the Church
  • Safety of the World
  • the Air, the Fruits and Plants
  • the Congregation
• "Lord Have Mercy" is then chanted times 41 (This represents the 39 lashes Jesus Christ received before the crucifixion, plus one for the spear in His side, plus one for the crown of thorns.)
• Prayers
• Conclusion

Psalm 50

English translation from the Ancient or Koine Greek Septuagint.

1. Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy; and according to the multitude of Thy compassion blot out my transgression.
2. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
3. For I know mine iniquity, and my sin is ever before me.
4. Against Thee only have I sinned and done this evil before Thee, that Thou mightiest be justified in Thy words, and prevail when Thou art judged.
5. For behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sins did my mother bear me.
6. For behold, Thou hast loved truth; the hidden and secret things of Thy wisdom hast Thou made manifest unto me.
7. Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be made clean; Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.
8. Thou shalt make me to hear joy and gladness; the bones that be humbled, they shall rejoice.
9. Turn Thy face away from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
10. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
11. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.
12. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and with Thy governing Spirit establish me.
13. I shall teach transgressors Thy ways, and the ungodly shall turn back unto Thee.
14. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, Thou God of my salvation; my tongue shall rejoice in Thy righteousness.
15. O Lord, Thou shalt open my lips, and my mouth shall declare Thy praise.
16. For if Thou hadst desired sacrifice, I had given it; with whole-burnt offerings Thou shalt not be pleased.
17. A sacrifice unto God is a broken spirit; a heart that is broken and humbled God will not despise.
18. Do good, O Lord, in Thy good pleasure unto Sion, and let the walls of Jerusalem be built.
19. Then shalt Thou be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, with oblation and whole-burnt offerings.
20. Then shall they offer bullocks upon Thine altar.

Source:

http://www.copticchurch.net/topics/liturgy/agpeya/sixthhour.html

Qurban

http://www.copticheritage.org/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&p=59169 H.G. Bishop Mettaous wrote: "The number of holy breads in the basket from which the priest chooses the Lamb should always be an odd number (for example 3, 5, 7). The spiritual significance of this is that the number three signifies the Holy Trinity and choosing one of them reminds us that the Eternal Word was Incarnated to forgive the sins of the world. It also declares that the three Hypostasis ? the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit - are all sharing in the salvation process. The number five signifies the five sacrifices of the Old Testament : The Burnt offering The Sin offering The Inequity Offering The Peace offering The bread offering These sacrifices were performed using one of five pure living creatures; sheep, cows, goats, pigeons or turtledoves (Lev.10:14). The number seven represents the five types of sacrifice, as stated above, plus the two birds that were sacrificed to purify the leper (Lev.14:4). All of these sacrifices were archetypes of the sacrifice of the cross and therefore also of the sacrifice of the Holy Liturgy. Since our Master, Jesus Christ carried our sins within His Body on the cross as He offered Himself as a sacrifice for sin, so the bread offered in the Holy Liturgy should be made with yeast to symbolise these sins that Christ bore. The Coptic Orthodox Church, led by the Holy Spirit, makes its holy bread with yeast, which should then be baked so that the yeast perishes just as sin perished in the Resurrected Body of Christ. The yeast is still present in the bread but is dead because of the fire. As the fire spoiled the effect of the yeast, so Christ had ended the effect of sin through offering His Body as a sacrifice; "God...by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh on account of sin, He condemned sin in the flesh" (Rom.8:3)."