Thanks for that info. I will have a deeper look at those suggested websites.

I have the book “so you want to learn coptic” Excellent book i might add. I must admit, my ability to read coptic is a little rusty. So hopefully this book will help me spice it up a little!!

But, Sorry St Stephen deacons, this does not let you off the hook! Make your congregation a CD!!! English and Coptic!!! Pretty Please….

PPFM Abouna!!

To get any hymns you can go to http://www.tasbeha.org or http://www.coptichyms.net . There are a lot of “Alhans” by various Cantors. Further, learning Coptic: perhaps try “So, you want to learn Coptic” found in the Library. You can probably just keep struggling to follow the deacons when they speak Coptic in the Liturgy book, and you will recognise some letters and you can then figure out the remaining letters.

Those are some suggestions. Hope they help GB

And thanks Abouna. Please pray for us.

The first is: We have fabulous deacons in our church. (Thank you fabulous deacons). I think their voices are great without the use of the microphones. Personally, I feel the lack of mic’s create a more natural, Angelic sound that encourages me to get involved in the praising as we sound more in sync as a ‘congregation.’ The use of the mic’s will always give the impression that someONE is leading so there is no need for me to get involved. (And yes, my answer is slightly biased towards my dislike of mic’s so forgive me!)
The second is re Nathan’s comments. Great suggestion Nathan. I’m sure many people enjoy certain liturgies that we do not pray often, like the Gregorian mass. My only suggestion, is if you do change the liturgy to kindly make it clear to the congregation when this will happen and what will be prayed. I am one who finds it hard to follow something I am not familiar with so will need a bit of warning to prepare myself.

Thanks for the blogs Abouna!

As always, thank you for these blogs that continue to raise questions in our heads. I am a long time reader, first time responder

One thing that stuck out on this blog is the female choirs. This is something that i, personally would not be interested in at all. However, i am sure there are some ladies who would appreciate that gladly.

But, may i make a suggestion? Our deacons at St Mary & St Stephens church are outstanding. They know what to say, how to say it and when to say it. It is lovely to hear the boys all singing with one voice, leading the congregation. Their voices are angelic.

I have to agree with Abram when he says people need to be educated on why we do certain things in the mass. However, being a female, we do not get to see much of what happens in the altar (boys consider yourselves SUPER lucky)

Maybe a way of educating can be to teach the congregation the hymns and Alhan, which the deacons know so very well. Alhan classes may be a little hard, but we would LOVE a CD or a few CD’s on the Alhan said during certain times of the mass.

Personally, i would like something nice to listen to in my car. I would like to know background on things we say. EG why we say certain things at certain times of the year.

When it says CONGREGATION in the liturgy books most people don’t actually know how to say it. Especially if the deacons decide to say it in Coptic. I am very PRO-COPTIC but i want to learn it first. So that when the deacons take the microphone and start singing, i can join them!! I want to join them and i want to be taught.

Maybe then, it will feel like the whole church is getting involved. Maybe then it will feel as if the Deacons are not just saying on their own, but they will truly be leading the congregation.

Just a thought.

Thanks Abouna PPFM and i love these blogs more and more!!

We have three different and equally beautiful liturgies, and yet we only ever pray one of them (the Liturgy of St Gregory only being prayed on the major holidays).

If you want to keep people interested, I think a good way to do it is to alternate the liturgies every week. I, for one have unfortunately never heard the Liturgy of St Mark (Cyril) prayed, and I would love to! (I believe there is a parish in our diocese which dedicates one liturgy a week to praying that of St Mark (Cyril)).

We should do that on Sunday’s at our parish; the first two Sunday’s can be dedicated to praying as we were taught by St Basil (as usual), the third and fourth Sunday’s can then be dedicated to praying the Ligurgies of Sts Gregory and Mark (Cyri). That way almost every week is different.

I understand the Litugy of St Gregory is a long one, and we may not necessarily want to hold people back at the service for too long a time, so perhaps on the week that this particular liturgy is prayed, it can be prayed just up to the initial short litanies after the epiclesis (I quite like these), and then the litanies of St Basil can be continued to the end of the liturgy. That will make the liturgy not too lengthy.

That’s my suggestion…

And just one other note…my favourite part of the litugy is the end (from ‘the Holies are for the holy’, through the thrice declaration of the Holy Body and Precious Blood, to the final Confession)…unfortunately I’ve noticed that more often than not this part of the liturgy is rushed, and when it is I always leave the liturgy unsatisfied…so please don’t

God bless!