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The Coptic Church, Part 3

Servants Preparation Curriculum

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

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The Coptic Church, Part 3

Objectives:

To cover the seven Major and Minor Feasts of Our Lord
To study The Monthly Feasts
To learn about The Weekly Feasts and The Feasts of The Saints
To study The Feasts of St. Mary
To take a look at The Other Feasts

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

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Why Feasts?

“for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Matthew 13:17)

To make us relive the events
To allow us to remember God’s promises and actions with His people
To learn about Jesus Christ and the Saints to imitate them
To get a tiny taste of Heaven and to revive The Spirit of joy and gladness
To recite our joyful Hymns

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

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The Seven Major Feasts

Annunciation
Nativity
Epiphany
Palm Sunday
Resurrection
Ascension
Pentecost

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The Seven Major Feasts Cont.

The Annunciation (Baramhat 29, c. April 7)

In it we recall the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies

“And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35)

The Nativity of Christ / Christmas (Kiahk 29, c. January 7)

It is preceded by a fast of 43 days and its aim is to confirm The Divine Love, when God sent His Only Begotten Son

“For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11)

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The Seven Major Feasts Cont.

The Epiphany / Baptism of Christ (Tobah 11, c. January 19)

It is connected to Christmas and The Circumcision Feasts, for on Christmas The Word of God took what is ours - our humanity
In the Circumcision He subjected Himself to the Law as He became one of us
In the Epiphany, He offered us what is His own
The Liturgy of blessing the water is conducted and the priest blesses the people by the water on their foreheads and hands to commemorate baptism

“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mathew 3:17)

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

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The Seven Major Feasts Cont.

Palm Sunday

It is the Sunday which precedes Resurrection and has its characteristic joyful hymns

“Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9)

Resurrection

It is preceded by The Great Lent (55 days) and is essentially celebrated every Sunday by participating in the sacrament of The Eucharist for the church wishes that all believers may enjoy the new risen life in Jesus Christ

“Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him” (Romans 6:8)

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

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The Seven Major Feasts Cont.

Ascension

It is celebrated on the 40^th Day after Resurrection on a Thursday
In this feast we recall Him who raises and lifts us up to sit with Him in Heaven

“and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6)

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The Seven Major Feasts Cont.

Pentecost

It is celebrated on the 50^th Day after Resurrection and represents the birth of The Christian Church
The Holy Sprit came down as tongues of fire and we have three sets of prayers called Prostration

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8)

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The Seven Minor Feasts

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The Seven Minor Feasts Cont.

The Circumcision of our Lord (Tobah 6, c. January 14)

It is celebrated on the 8^th day after Nativity / Christmas
We remember that the Word of God, who gave us the Law, was subjected to this Law, fulfilling it, to grant us the power to fulfill the Law in a spiritual manner.

“And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb” (Luke 2:21)

“In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ” (Colossians 2:11)

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The Seven Minor Feasts Cont.

The Entrance of our Lord into the Temple (Amshir 8, c. February 15)

The first time to enter the temple (40 days)
St. Mary offered a pair of doves

“Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word” (Luke 2:29)

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The Seven Minor Feasts Cont.

The Coming of the Holy family to Egypt (Bashans 24, c. June 1)

The Coptic Church is distinguished among all nations with this unique divine work, by the coming of our Lord to Egypt among the Gentiles

“Behold, the Lord rides on a swift cloud, And will come into Egypt; The idols of Egypt will totter at His presence, And the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst” (Isaiah 19:1)

The First Miracle of our Lord Jesus at Cana (Tobah 13, c. January 12)

Our Lord changed the water into wine, as His first miracle, at the wedding in Cana of Galilee

“This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee” (John 2:11)

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The Seven Minor Feasts Cont.

The Transfiguration of Christ (Musra 13; c. August 19)

The unity of the two testaments was manifested in this feast, for Moses and Elijah assembled with Peter, James and John and The Glory of our Lord was revealed to satisfy every soul who rises up with Him to the mountain of Tabor to enjoy the brightness of His Glory

“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” (Matthew 17:5)

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The Seven Minor Feasts Cont.

Maunday Thursday / The Last Supper

The establishment of the Sacrament of The Eucharist by our Lord Jesus
This is the only day in Holy Week in which the Sacrifice of the Eucharist is offered
The rite of washing the feet is practiced in commemoration of what Jesus did for His disciples
Judas’ procession

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The Seven Minor Feasts Cont.

Maunday Thursday / The Last Supper Cont.

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:26-28)

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

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The Seven Minor Feasts Cont.

Thomas Sunday
This is the Sunday that follows Resurrection and in it we bless those who believe without seeing so that all might live in faith through the internal touch of the Savior’s wounds

“Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29)

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The Coptic Church, Part 3

Objectives:

To cover the seven Major and Minor Feasts of Our Lord
To study The Monthly Feasts
To learn about The Weekly Feasts and The Feasts of The Saints
To study The Feasts of St. Mary
To take a look at The Other Feasts

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

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The Monthly Feasts

The Annunciation, Nativity and Resurrection of Jesus Christ are celebrated on the 29^nth of every Coptic month
The Commemoration of St. Mary is celebrated on the 21^st of every Coptic month for her passing
The Feast of Archangel Michael is celebrated on the 12^th of every Coptic month

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The Weekly Feasts and The Feasts of the Saints

The Hymn of Alleluia Fai Be Bi (Alleluia This is the day)
Every day we celebrate saints

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The Coptic Church, Part 3

Objectives:

To cover the seven Major and Minor Feasts of Our Lord
To study The Monthly Feasts
To learn about The Weekly Feasts and The Feasts of The Saints
To study The Feasts of St. Mary
To take a look at The Other Feasts

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

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The Feasts of St. Mary

The Coptic Church venerates St. Mary as Theotokos / The Mother of God

The annunciation of her birth (Misra 7, c. August 13)
Her Nativity (Paschans 1, c. May 9)
Her presentation into the temple (Kiahk 3, c. December 12)
Her death (Tobah 21, c. January 29)
The assumption of her body (Mesra 16, .August 22)
Her apparition over the Church of Zeitoon (Baramhat 24, c. April 2)
The miracle of melting the iron at Bounts/Galatia (Baaouna 21, c. June 28)
Her monthly feast (on the 21^st of every Coptic month)

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The Feasts of St. Mary Cont.

Her apparition over the Church of Zeitoon (Baramhat 24, c. April 2, 1968)

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

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The Coptic Church, Part 3

Objectives:

To cover the seven Major and Minor Feasts of Our Lord
To study The Monthly Feasts
To learn about The Weekly Feasts and The Feasts of The Saints
To study The Feasts of St. Mary
To take a look at The Other Feasts

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

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Other Feasts

The Apostles’ Feast (Abib 5, c. July 12)

This is the feast of martyrdom of the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul

The Nayrouz Feast (Tout 1, c. September 11)

The word “Nayrouz” is Persian and means “the beginning of the year”
The beginning of Diocletian’s reign in 284 AD is used to commemorate the millions of Coptic martyrs

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Other Feasts Cont.

The Two Feasts of the Cross:

The first feast is on Tout 16, c. September 27 and commemorates the discovery of The Holy Cross by Queen Helen in 326 AD

The second feast Barmahat 10, c. March 19 and commemorates Emperor Heraclius retrieving the Cross from the Persians in 629 AD

During these two feasts the church conducts a procession, similar to that of Palm Sunday, and uses the same tunes in chanting

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

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The Persian Invasion Into Egypt

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

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The Coptic Church, Part 3

Objectives:

To cover the seven Major and Minor Feasts of Our Lord
To study The Monthly Feasts
To learn about The Weekly Feasts and The Feasts of The Saints
To study The Feasts of St. Mary
To take a look at The Other Feasts

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum

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Review Questions

Why do we celebrate feasts in the Coptic church?
How many major and minor feasts are in the Coptic church?
How many monthly feasts are in the Coptic church?
How many feats for St. Mary are in the Coptic church?
What is The Nayrouz Feast?
How many Feasts for The Cross are in the Coptic church?

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Memorization Verses

“but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you” (John 16:22)

“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)

Lecture X, Servants Preparation Curriculum