The Divine Liturgy, Part 4

Servants Preparation Curriculum

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

1

The Divine Liturgy, St. Cyril’s Liturgy

Objectives:

1. To review content from previous lectures on The Divine Liturgy
2. To study and understand The Liturgy of St. Cyril in The Coptic Orthodox Church

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

2

The Common Liturgies

There are 3 common Liturgies in The Coptic Orthodox Church:

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1. St. Basil’s Liturgy (330 - 379 AD)
• Prayed Annually

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• St. Gregory of Nazianzus’ Liturgy (330 – 389 AD)
• Prayed on Feast Days

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• St. Cyril’s Liturgy (the 24^th Pope) (444 AD) is a modified version of St. Mark’s which might from St. James of Alphaeus, the Bishop of Jerusalem)
• Prayed during Lent

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Other Liturgies

• St. John Chrysostom’s Liturgy
• The Ethiopian Liturgy
• The Syrian Liturgy

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4

Pope Gabriel II

• Pope Gabriel II (2/1131 AD – 4/1145 AD) held a local council and selected the current three liturgies

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The Liturgy and The Season

• In The Coptic Church, The Liturgies are generally prayed according to season:
• St. Basil’s Liturgy = Annually
• St. Cyril’s Liturgy = Nativity and Lent
• St. Gregory’s Liturgy = Feast Days (Christmas, Easter, Sundays, The Holt 50 Days)

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

6

The Divine Liturgy, St. Cyril’s Liturgy

Objectives:

1. To review content from previous lectures on The Divine Liturgy
2. To study and understand The Liturgy of St. Cyril in The Coptic Orthodox Church

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

7

St. Cyril’s Biography

He was born c. 375—died June 27, 444; Western feast day June 27; Eastern feast day June 9), Christian theologian and bishop active in the complex doctrinal struggles of the 5th century. He is chiefly known for his campaign against Nestorius, bishop of Constantinople. Cyril was named a doctor of the church in 1882. He wrote many discourses and valuable epistles, confirming in them, that God the Word is One Nature, One Will, and One Person incarnated. He anathematized anyone who separated Christ or differed from this true faith.

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He departed to heaven on 440 A.D

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Introduction to St. Cyril’s Liturgy

• It was instituted by St. Mark in the Greek language
• There are 10+ old copies of it distributed in Egypt, France, and The Vatican Museums
• The old copies exist in the Monasteries like in St Anthony, St Paul, and St Makarious

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• St. Cyril the Great (Pope # 24) made some changes to respond to current heresies at the time - mainly Nestor’s Heresy
• The Liturgy of St. Cyril is around 60% similar to St. Basil’s Liturgy

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

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Quotations from Other Prayers

• Praises before and after The Litanies / Old Testament

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• The Litany of Assemblies (St. Clement of Rome, St Paul’s disciple)
• Loose the bound / save those who are in distress
• Satisfy the hungry / comfort the faint hearted
• Raise the fallen / confirm the upright

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• The deacon responses embedded in this liturgy are responses to the priest, in the same way the old Egyptians prayed

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

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St. Cyril’s Additions

• The Litany of The Pope
• The Long Thanksgiving Prayer
• The Invocation of The Holy Spirit BEFORE The Consecration
• The long priest confession at the end of the liturgy, when compared to St. Mark’s
• St. Mark’s Confession
• I believe in God, The Father, The Pantocrator, His Only-Begotten Son, and The Holy Spirit. I believe in The Resurrection of The Body in the holy universal church

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

11

The Order of St. Cyril’s Liturgy

1. The Reconciliation Prayer ended with greet one another with a holy kiss
2. The Anaphora
3. The Introduction to The Thanksgiving Prayer
4. Praises Before The Litanies
5. The Litanies
6. Praises after The Litanies
7. Agios, Agios, Agios
8. The Introduction Before The Institution of The Sacrament (378)
9. The Institution Narrative (383)

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

12

The Order of St. Cyril’s Liturgy Cont.

11. The Priest’s inaudible prayer (Page 384)
12. Your people and Your church (Page 386)
13. The Invocation of The Holy Spirit (Page 387)
14. upon us, we Your servants and upon these precious gifts which have been set forth before You
15. The Prayer of The Absolution (Page 403)
16. The Confession

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

13

Differences with St. Basil’s Liturgy

• The Longer liturgy
• Longer and more Deacon responses
• The different order of the prayer, like all the litanies before the consecration
• The Anaphora without mentioning the story of creation, the fall, The Incarnation, The Crucifixion, and The Resurrection

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• Note:
• The Anaphora starts when the priest says, “The Lord be with you all” and ends at The Trisagion, “Holy, O Lord of Hosts”

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Differences with St. Basil’s Liturgy Cont.

• Praise before The Litanies:
• For great is Your name O Lord, among all the nations, and in all places sweet incense and pure sacrifices are offered to Your Holy Name (Page 339)

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• Praise after litanies:
• For at all times, all hallow you. But with all who hallow you, receive from us we took our hallowing, O Lord as we praise you with them saying Agios, Agios, Agios

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Differences with St. Basil’s Liturgy Cont.

• The Commemoration of Saints divides The Litanies
• The Long Litany of Peace

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Differences with St. Basil’s Liturgy Cont.

• Many Litanies (16)
• Peace
• The Sick
• Travelers
• Water, Seeds, Herbs, and Tge Air of Heaven (3)
• The Leader (President)
• The Commemoration of Saints
• The Departed
• The Oblations

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Differences with St. Basil’s Liturgy Cont.

• The Patriarch / Bishops
• The Orthodox in every place of the world
• This Holy Place
• Those who are standing in this place (Page 368)
• Those who have bidden us to remember them
• The Servant Priest (Inaudible)
• The Priesthood
• The Assemblies

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Differences with St. Basil’s Liturgy Cont.

• The Introduction before The Institution of The Sacrament (Page 378)
• The Invocation of The Holy Spirit before Consecration

Fill this Your sacrifice O Lord with the blessing Which is from You by the coming down upon it of Your Holt Spirit

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• And with blessing, bless. Congregation ( Amen)
• And with sanctification, sanctify. Congregation ( Amen)
• Your precious gifts which are already set forth before You, this bread and this cup

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Differences with St. Basil’s Liturgy Cont.

• The Priest says
• Your people and Your church cry out to You Have mercy upon us O God The Father, The Pantocrator (3 times) and in response to the congregation praises, “Have mercy upon us O God, The Father, The Pantocrator” (3 times)

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• The Invocation of The Holy Spirit, The 2^nd Time
• Upon us we Your servants and upon these Your precious gifts which have been set forth before You

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• The secret prayer after Our Father…(Page 396)

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

20

The Dogma in St. Cyril’s Liturgy

• God is The Creator
• The Prayer of The Veil
• O Creator of the whole creation, visible and invisible, You provide for all things because they are Yours

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

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The Dogma in St. Cyril’s Liturgy Cont.

• God is Almighty
• God unto whom every knee bows, of those in heaven, of those on earth, and of those under the earth; to whom everything is subject and in the bond of servitude, bowing their heads to the scepter of Thy kingdom

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Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

22

The Dogma in St. Cyril’s Liturgy Cont.

• God is The Holy Trinity
• Zoxa Batri, ka Ayo Ka agio Ebnefmatti

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• Glory and honor, honor and glory, to the All-Holy Trinity; the Father, the Son, and The Holy Spirit.

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• The Lamb's Blessings
• Blessed be God the Father, Almighty. Amen.
• Blessed be His Only-Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
• Blessed be the Holy Spirit the Comforter. Amen.

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

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The Dogma in St. Cyril’s Liturgy Cont.

• God is The Holy Trinity Cont.
• Glory be to The Father, and to The Son and to The Holy Spirit, both now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. O Holy Trinity, have mercy upon us.

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• Congregation
• We worship you O Christ with your good Father and The Holy Spirit for you have come and saved us

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

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The Dogma in St. Cyril’s Liturgy Cont.

• God is The Holy Trinity Cont.
• One is the (All) Holy Father. One is the (All) Holy Son. One is the (All) Holy Spirit. Amen.

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

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The Dogma in St. Cyril’s Liturgy Cont.

• Equality Between The Father and The Holy Spirit
• Who is of One Essence with You who proceeds from You, the sharer of The Throne of The Kingdom of Your glory with Your Only-Begotten Son, Our Lord, God, Savior and King of us all, Jesus Christ.

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

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The Dogma in St. Cyril’s Liturgy Cont.

• Unity Between The Divinity and The Humanity
• Amen. Amen. Amen. I believe, I believe, I believe and confess to the last breath, that this is the life-giving flesh that Your Only-Begotten Son, our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ took from our Lady, the Lady of us all, the holy Theotokos, Saint Mary. He made It one with His Divinity without mingling, without confusion and without alteration. He witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate. He gave It up for us upon the holy wood of the Cross, of His own will, for us all. Truly I believe that His Divinity parted not from His Humanity for a single moment nor a twinkling of an eye. Given for us for salvation, remission of sins and eternal life to those who partake of Him. I believe, I believe, I believe that this is so in truth. Amen.

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Jesus Offered Us Salvation

• Jesus’ Crucifixion, Death, and Resurrection

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Godly Grace and Human Strife

Be a fellow worker with your servants in every good deed (The Litany of The Travelers)

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The Ever Virgin, The Holy Theotokos

• St. Mary is The Mother of God
• St. Mary is the Ever Virgin

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Intercession

• Through the intercession of the Theotokos, St. Mary, O Lord grant us the forgiveness of our sins

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• The Commemoration of The Saints

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The Prayer for the Departed

• St. Cyril believed in the benefits of praying for the departed

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• Even if any negligence or heedless has overtaken them as men since they were clothed in flesh and dwelt in this world

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• O God the One and Lover of Mankind graciously accord

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

32

The Divine Liturgy, St. Cyril’s Liturgy

Objectives:

1. To review content from previous lectures on The Divine Liturgy
2. To study and understand The Liturgy of St. Cyril in The Coptic Orthodox Church

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

33

Review Questions

1. X

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

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Memorization Verses

1. X

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