My Church Is Spirit And Life
Our Coptic Orthodox Church is:
• A Church of Theologians: St. Athanasius, St. Dioscorus, and St. Cyril.
• A Church of Monasticism: St. Anthony, St. Macarius, St. Shenouda, and St.
Bakhoumios.
• A Church of the Martyrs: The only Christian church that has, besides the
Gregorian calendar, the Calendar of Martyrs because of the large number of
martyrs in its long history, and continues to have martyrs until today.
• An Evangelic Church: preached throughout the world. For example, St. Maurice
and St. Verena have many churches, monasteries, institutions, and cities in
Europe after their names. The church is still spreading today in all the
continents of the world, yet the church is one body in Christ, with the same
faith, rites, and history.
• In the Divine Liturgy, we hear the deacon say: “Pray for the peace of the One,
only, Holy, Catholic, and apostolic Orthodox Church, the Church of God.”
1. One: There is only one church in the mind of God from eternity. The body of
Christ is one. The bride of Christ (the church) is one.
2. Only: “unique in its kind”, nothing else is similar to it. It is the holy
place where God meets with His people, where Heaven and earth unite.
3. Holy: The Holy Spirit of God is the essence of the holiness of its members.
It is He who dwells in each one making us the temple of the Holy Spirit,
sanctifying our thoughts, conscience and behavior.
4. Catholic (Catholic meaning Universal): If the Old Testament focused on one
group of people, the children of Israel, the New Testament expanded to include
the whole world, from all nations, all peoples, tribes, and tongues. “For God so
loved the world” John 3:16 and “ desires all men to be saved and to come to the
knowledge of the truth” 1Timothy 2:4
5. Apostolic: The Church has “been built on the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.” Ephesians 2:20. The
Church is an extension of the Apostles, in its faith, its teachings, and its
preaching.
6. Orthodox: Orthodox means sound or correct in opinion or doctrine, especially
theological or religious doctrine. The life of the Church is straightforward and
glorifies God at all time. There is no opposition between our faith and our
life.
7. The Church of God: The Church is not the property of anyone, not even itself,
but rather a pure property of God, who loved her, redeemed her with His blood,
and acquired her as a pure bride for Himself. “For I have betrothed you to one
husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” 2Corinthians 11:2
– “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.” Song of Solomon 6:3
The Church is the community of the believers gathered in the consecrated house
of God, led by the clergy in the presence of the angels and the saints around
the Holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus.
1. The community of believers: The word “ecclesia” means “congregation,” and the
church - according to the Bible - is “the body of Christ”, as St. Paul says:
“Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.” 1Corinthians 12:27
2. Gathered in the consecrated house of God: The church is “the house of God,
the door to heaven” the altar has become like heaven because of the presence of
the Lord of Glory in it with His angels and the saints. “And the Lord added to
the church daily those who were being saved” Acts 2:47
3. The leadership of the clergy: When the Lord established the sacrament of the
priesthood after His glorious resurrection, “He breathed on them, and said to
them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are
forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any they are retained” John 20:22-23.
He then sent them to minister.
4. In the presence of angels and saints: When we put icons of saints and angels
in the church, we feel their presence in the house of God, the house of the
angels. Therefore the priest prays saying: “ Before Whom stand the angels, the
authorities, the thrones, the dominions, and the powers”
5. Around the Holy Body and Blood of the Lord: The Eucharist is the foundation
of the whole church. It is the Body and Blood of Emmanuel our God, the head and
the bridegroom of the church. As our Lord Jesus said “I am the Bread of life”
John 6:35 which is why we receive the gift of eternal life when we partake of
the Holy Communion.
What are the blessings of communion?
1. We abide in Christ: Man is weak before sin and Satan and before the world,
but when he partakes in Communion as our Lord Jesus said, “He who eats My flesh
and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.” John 6:56, he becomes stronger
with God’s grace.
2. We become united with the heavenly: angels and saints are present in the
church. They pray and intercede on our behalf before God. We are in unity with
them as we are all members of the Body of Christ, the Church.
3. We become united with each other: We all partake in the Body and Blood of
Christ. As St. Paul said “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the
communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the
communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one
body; for we all partake of that one bread” 1Corinthians 10:16-17
4. We receive forgiveness: During the liturgy, the priest holds the Holy Body
saying: “Salvation, remission of sins and eternal life to those who partake of
Him”. As long as we repent from our heart and faithfully confess our sins, our
sins are forgiven.
5. Salvation: It is not merely forgiveness, but purification and sanctification
from sin, freedom from slavery and the acceptance of the dwelling of the Lord of
glorywithin us so we may abide in Him and He in us.
6. Eternal life: The Lord said: “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has
eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” John 6:54
7. We proclaim His death, confess His resurrection and remember Him until he
comes
The work of the Holy Spirit in the church: “For as many as are led by the Spirit
of God, these are sons of God.” Romans 8:14
After the Lord’s ascension, the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles on the day
of the Pentecost. They established the Church and Christianity spread throughout
the world and many churches were built.
The Holy Spirit and his work in Church Sacraments:
The Seven Sacraments of the Church were instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ.
They are visible signs by which we receive invisible grace.
1. The Sacrament of Baptism: With it we are born a second birth by immersing in
water three times in the name of the Holy Trinity. It is the door of all the
sacraments by which we enter the kingdom of grace. “Most assuredly, I say to
you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of
God.” John 3:5
2. The Sacrament of Confirmation: By which we receive the seal of the Holy
Spirit, 36 anointments to sanctify the whole person “But you have an anointing
from the Holy One” 1John 2:20
3. The Eucharist: We receive the Body and Blood of the Lord to unite with Him
and abide in Him and He in us. (John 6:53-56)
4. Sacrament of Repentance and Confession: It is the return of the sinner to God
and the reconciliation with Him by confessing his sins before the priest. “If we
confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness. 1John 1:9
5. The Sacrament of Unction of the sick: In it, the priest anoints the sick with
oil and prays for him that through God’s grace they obtain recovery from the
spiritual and physical illness. “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the
elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the
name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will
raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” James 5:14-15
6. The Sacrament of Matrimony: Marriage is a natural law that God established
first from the beginning with Adam and Eve. The Lord Jesus blessed it by
attending the wedding of Cana of Galilee and sanctified it and said: “For this
reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and
the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh.
Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate.” Matthew 19-5-6
7. The Sacrament of Priesthood: The Holy Spirit comes upon the person when the
bishop lays his hand on him and gives him the grace of the priesthood. “He
breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:22