The Divine Liturgy is the most important activity in our Orthodox Christian lives. It is the time when the people of God, the ekklesia, stand before Him in reverence, worship Him and entreat His mercy, and receive Communion with Him for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Because of its importance, any changes to the Divine Liturgy must be studied with caution. I feel we are at the cusp of such a change relating – …

The goal of the Ecclesiastical Choir is to encourage girls and female youth to learn and memorize church hymns, and to participate in the liturgical life of the Church. The Development of the Ecclesiastical Choir From the beginning of my service in Los Angeles, I noticed that church choirs, as a service, were made up primarily of females who focused on singing Western songs, avoiding learning Coptic hymns as families paid more attention to their – …

Under the auspices of Their Graces Bishop Serapion, Bishop Youssef, Bishop David, Bishop Mina, and others, a committee of deacons was formed to research and record standardized congregational responses for the Liturgy of St. Basil. The purpose of these standard responses is to unify congregational responses throughout North America and make it easier for visitors to pray in any parish. The files below reflect the fruit of the committee’s efforts. Our fathers the hierarchs have requested that – …

Blessing of the “Tunics” The “tunic” should be blessed before the “Matins Raising of Incense”. In case some deacons come late, the “Tunic” can be blessed before the “Agpia”, after the “Agpia” or before the “Absolution of the Servants”. The “Tunic” should not be blessed after the “Absolution of the Servants”. Lighting and Holding the Candles inside the Altar during the “Anaphora” Candles should not be lit while kneeling; therefore, candles should be lit as – …