- 1 TraditionsNo servant enters the Orthodox Church and stays within her very long before meeting a question that will, if we let it, shape his whole ministry: What is Tradition, and why does…
- 2 BaptismOf the seven sacraments the Church has received from her Lord, the first is Baptism. It is the door of the Church. Through it, we are born again; through it, we enter…
- 3 MyronAfter the water of the font comes the oil of the seal. The second sacrament the Church has received from her Lord is Chrismation — the anointing of the newly baptized with…
- 4 Spirituality of the Raising of IncenseLong before the Divine Liturgy begins, the Church comes together to raise incense. In the Coptic reckoning, the day itself runs from evening to evening, and so every Christian day opens with…
- 1 Divine Liturgy I: Overview & OffertoryThe Divine Liturgy is the heart of the Church. Everything else we have received — the Scriptures, the Fathers, the feasts, the rhythms of prayer — either prepares us for it, flows…
- 2 Divine Liturgy II: Liturgy of the WordHaving laid the Lamb upon the altar in the Offertory, the Church now turns her ear toward heaven. In the Liturgy of the Word, the Scriptures are opened and the voice of…
- 3 Divine Liturgy III: Liturgy of the FaithfulHaving heard the Word, the Church now approaches the altar. The Liturgy of the Faithful is the holy of holies of our worship, the hour in which the bread and wine are…
- 1 Feast of the CrossTwice a year the Coptic Orthodox Church lights its candles and sings its joyful Shanini tune for a feast that celebrates, of all things, an instrument of execution. The Feast of the…
- 2 Midnight PraisesThe Midnight Praises are the Church awake in the middle of the night, training herself for heaven. They are the hinge between the day that has ended and the Liturgy that is…