Agpeya

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Agpeya

The Agpeya (

Coptic Orthodox cycle of canonical hours is primarily composed of psalm readings from the Old Testament and gospel readings from the New Testament, with some added hymns of praise, troparia (known as "قطع" in the contemporary Arabic Agpeya and as "preces
" or "litanies" in English), and other prayers.

Kyrie eleisons (believers may use the mequteria to count these metanoias).[3]

It includes seven canonical hours, with an additional "Prayer of the Veil" which is usually recited by Bishops, Priests, and Monks. The Coptic terms for 'Matins' and 'Vespers' are 'The Morning Raising of Incense' and 'The Evening Raising of Incense' respectively, with reference to prayers rising to God.

Before praying the Agpeya, Coptic Christians wash their hands and face in order to be clean before and present their best to God;

Christian headcovering when praying, a practice explicated in 1 Corinthians 11:5–6.[5][6] While praying the Agpeya, many believers hold a cross in their hand during the parts where the believer is standing (during which he/she extends his/her arms in the orans position).[7]

Canonical hours

Many believers may hold a hand cross during the parts of the prayer when they are standing with their arms in the orans position.

The hours are chronologically laid out, each containing a theme corresponding to events in the life of Jesus Christ:[8]

  • Prime (Morning Raising of Incense) is said at 6 am, upon awaking up in the morning or after the Midnight Praise the previous night. It symbolises Jesus Christ's incarnation and Resurrection.
  • Terce (9 am) reminds us of three events, Christ’s trial by Pilate, his ascension to the heavens and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples at Pentecost.
  • Sext (noon) commemorates the Passion of Christ.
Terce and Sext are prayed before each Divine Liturgy.
  • None
    (3 pm) commemorates the death of Christ on the Cross. This hour is also recited during fasting days.
  • Vespers (6 pm, Evening Raising of Incense), prayed at sunset (around 5 pm), commemorates the taking down of Christ from the Cross.
  • Compline (9 pm - before bedtime) commemorates the burial of Christ, and the Final Judgment.
Vespers and Compline are both recited before the Liturgy during Lent and the fast of Nineveh.
  • The "Cetar" or "Veil" is usually recited by bishops, priests and monks, as a form of the examination of conscience. Some individuals and families also elect to recite it as a part of their daily devotions at home.
  • Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 25:1–13).[9]

Structure

Christian prayer beads called the mequteria may be used to count the 41 Kyrie Eleisons prayed during each fixed prayer time in the Agpeya.

Every one of the Hours follows the same basic outline:

  • Introduction, which includes the
    Lord’s Prayer
  • Prayer of Thanksgiving
  • Psalm 51 (referred to as Psalm 50 in the Septuagint)
  • Various Psalms
  • A reading from the
    Holy Gospel
  • Short Litanies
  • "Lord Have Mercy" is then chanted 41 times (This represents the 39
    crown of thorns, plus one for the spear
    in his side.)
  • Prayers
  • Absolution
  • Conclusion

See also

References

  1. ^ "Prayers of the Church". Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  2. ^ Kalleeny, Tony. "Why We Face the EAST". Orlando: St Mary and Archangel Michael Church. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  3. ^ a b Kosloski, Philip (16 October 2017). "Did you know Muslims pray in a similar way to some Christians?". Aleteia. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  4. ^ Mary Cecil, 2nd Baroness Amherst of Hackney (1906). A Sketch of Egyptian History from the Earliest Times to the Present Day. Methuen. p. 399. Prayers 7 times a day are enjoined, and the most strict among the Copts recite one of more of the Psalms of David each time they pray. They always wash their hands and faces before devotions, and turn to the East.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ Bercot, David. "Head Covering Through the Centuries". Scroll Publishing. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  6. ^ Duffner, Jordan Denari (13 February 2014). "Wait, I thought that was a Muslim thing?!". Commonweal. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  7. ^ Dawood, Bishoy. "Stand, Bow, Prostrate: The Prayerful Body of Coptic Christianity: Clarion Review". The Clarion Review.
  8. ^ The Agpeya. St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church. pp. 5, 33, 49, 65, 80, 91, 130.
  9. ^ "Coptic Church Prayers". St. Abanoub Coptic Orthodox Church. 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2020.

External links

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