Coptic Liturgy Explained

Informational Sharing: Just For Liturgical Study: The Ancient Coptic Liturgy Explained

And this the sacred worship of the Coptic Christians [ Non-Chalcedonians] who are now being  mass slaughtered and their churches and holy places destroyed, by the Moslem fanatics, [ which is causing them, in large numbers,  to flee to all parts of the world, where they immediately start to evangelize the local people, and in making their worship services in the local languages, for the sake of the local natives, to convert them],  where they are re-settling], a persecuted nation,  whom the Arab Moslems [ who long ago invaded and occupied their ancestral homeland of Egypt, till today] have  been oppressing and been martyring for many long  long centuries. These ancient people  are blood and cultural descendants of the original race of the Egyptians. They are the true Egyptians. Their Coptic language is heavily Greek in its vocabulary, from when they  were first Christianized. Regretfully  they rejected  The Fourth  Ecumenical Council,  that of Chalcedon, hence they only recognize the first three Ecumenical Councils.

Their liturgy here is explained in English, as it is served.

Much is very similar to our Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, or of our other ancient Orthodox liturgies.

But their pious worship is usually very long, compared  to the present day  practices of  ours.

THEIR religion is central in their lives!, so they don't mind being in church for long periods.  On Sundays, the whole congregation will often come to church hours before the Liturgy, to together in a rhythmic chant,  to chant the entire Psalter, just to spiritually prepare themselves, for the Liturgy, and Holy Communion. Some things are a bit different, especially in their unique priestly rituals around the altar, and what all in on their altars, compared to ours.

Normally the congregation stands in church, with their shoes  off, as they are on holy ground {like Moses before the Burning bush, and when he was in the presence of  The Living God].  They tend to repeat prayers and blessings, more than we do. And they use a very elongated system/style  of ancient chants, -because they are singing holy words, so they sing the same words, for some length, and of course, with great reverence, in the fear of God.

Two simple musical instruments are used,  though sparingly, together with certain special chants by the group of deacons on the kleiros, - the cymbal and the triangle- both ancient middle -eastern worship instruments. [ no doubt used by the Old Testament Hebrews]

Their iconography, typically,  is mostly in a naïve  ancient Coptic style or  pre-Byzantine...or influenced by western Catholic sources (sadly).

May God save them!

Rd. Daniel

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nm5pIrmw358