Church Canons

1. Church Canons Servant Meeting 8/9/2009

2. Topics • Speaking in Church • Prostrations • Altar • Seven Orders of the Church • Kiss of Peace • Prayers of the Hours • Feasts and Fasts

3. Speaking in Church • Cannon 10: Pope Gabriel • The Holy Scripture forbids speaking during prayer, should have pure hearts… • “other people mock us and say ‘they aren’t praying’… It is obligatory on us to be respectful during times of prayer.” • “If we fear not God, let us fear men’s reproach.” • the same disease of speaking in church was around since the 12th century. When visitors from other churches see the talking, they think we disrespect the house of God.

4. Speaking in Church • Canon 17 – • It has reached my lowliness that some priests deliberately abstain at the time of the liturgies from chants and prayers, and they pay attention to talking and conversation. (there is no such thing as anyone being above the canon law, even clergy). It is required that they should abandon this evil, vile, and detestable custom, and they shall stand around the altar bareheaded and in awe…. Whoever does this should not take communion. If a priest sees another talking, he should tell him that he shouldn’t talk.

5. Speaking in Church • Canon 37 (Athanasius) – As long as it is during the time of the chalice, no one can speak at all • Canons of St. Basil Canon 96 – The priest (clergy) should not speak while in the sanctuary, except for what is needed… because Aaron was wearing bells in the sanctuary, this was to notify the angels in order for him not to die. We, as Christians, have psalms instead of bells. So, whenever we enter the altar, we should be in prayer. We should notify all those who enter for cleaning, even the deacons who do this work should respect the holy altar. • Fr. Shenouda’s comments about deacons • Even the deacons who distribute the responses while serving the altar, it should be nonverbal… very subtle gestures with eyes… • There should be training for the liturgy – it’s not a playground – there should be training for younger deacons who will serve in the altar.

6. Prostrations and Standing • No Prostrations on Sunday, Feasts of the Resurrection, and Pentecost • Tertullian – (~160- ~225 A.D.) • “We count fasting or kneeling in worship on the Lord's day to be unlawful. We rejoice in the same privilege also from Easter to Whitsunday (Pentecost). • Pope Peter of Alexandria – Canon 15 • “But the Lord's day we celebrate as a day of joy, because on it He rose again, on which day we have received it for a custom not even to bow the knee.” • Ecumenical Council of Nicaea – Canon 20 • “Forasmuch as there are certain persons who kneel on the Lord's Day and in the days of Pentecost, therefore, to the intent that all things may be uniformly observed everywhere (in every parish), it seems good to the holy Synod that prayer be made to God standing.

7. Prostrations and Standing • St. Basil -- On the Holy Spirit • We pray standing, on the first day of the week, but we do not all know the reason. On the day of the resurrection we remind ourselves of the grace given to us by standing at prayer, not only because we rose with Christ, and are bound to “seek those things which are above,” but because the day seems to us to be in some sense an image of the age which we expect.”

8. Prostrations and Standing • Pope Peter of Alexandria (3rd Century seal of the martyrs) • Canon 15 –Wednesday is fasting because it’s the days the Jews conspired against the Lord, and Friday because He suffered, then - we preserve the day of the Lord as a day of happiness, because on that day the Lord rose…. Our tradition is not to kneel on that day. (this was before Nicea)

9. The Living Altar • St. Athanasius (Canon 7) • “If you will learn the truth, hear, that I may teach you how you may honor the church with all reverence. For she is built in heaven in the form that Moses planned, when he built the tabernacle according to the form which he had seen upon mount Sinai, (Ex. 25:9) as it was said unto him. Give heed to the reverence which belongs unto the holy place wherein you doest service. • Hear how God commanded Moses, (Lev. 16:2) ‘Ordain for thy brother Aaron that he come not at all times within the veil before the altar, lest he die. For in a cloud upon the altar will I show Myself and will speak with thee’. • For, because the Lord stands upon the altar, (Amos 9:1) so are they (i.e. the altar vessels) spiritual and neither silver nor gold nor stone nor wood; even as the bread and wine, before they are raised upon the altar, are bread and wine, yet, after that they are raised upon the altar, are no more bread and wine, but the life-giving body of God and blood, so that they that communicate therein die not, but live eternally. • So also is the altar; and be it of wood or stone or gold or silver, it is no more mortal, as its former substance, but lives forever and is spiritual; for the living God stands upon it……”

10. The Living Altar • St. Athanasius (Canon 6) • “…Say as thou prayest, (Ps. 119:37) ‘Avert mine eyes, that they behold not vanity’, as one that knoweth that the house entrusted unto thee is the house of heaven, and that it is the church upon earth, whereof Jacob saith, (Gen. 28:17) ‘This is the house of God, this is the gate of heaven’. For all the angels which come from before God do come first unto the church and glorify the house of God that is upon earth.”

11. Seven Orders of the Church of God • The 7 are clear in the Didaskalia, in the Canons of Athanasius, and in the Liturgy of St. Mark • Bishop – shepherd • Priest – teachers • Deacons – servants • Subdeacon – helpers or assistant • Oghnostos – readers • Psaltos – singers (chanters) • Church Keepers (doorkeeper)– in the Liturgy of St. Mark, the congregation is placed as the 7th order

12. 7 Orders • St. Athanasius (Canon 10) • For upon seven pillars hath Wisdom restored her house (Prov. 9:1) and seven are the perfect spirits of God in the church, which are the bishops and presbyters and deacons and half-deacons and readers and singers and doorkeepers, whom Zechariah doth call the seven eyes of God, (Zech. 3:9, 4:10) whereof God saith, (Zech 2:8) ‘He that toucheth them is as one that toucheth the pupils of his eyes’. For the seven orders that we have named, the same are the seven eyes of the church; but what is the church’s head but Christ? (Col. 1:18, Eph. 1:22, 5:23) • The bishop shouldn’t look down on any other position – we are all one body, the head needs the feet as much as the feet need the head – the bishop can’t pray and watch the doors at the same time… They are all considered the 7 eyes of God, the 7 pillars, and 7 spirits…

13. Kiss of Peace • Rom 16:16 - “Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you” • 1 Cor 16:20 – “All the brethren greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. 21 The salutation with my own hand--Paul's.” • 2 Cor 13:12 – “Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All the saints greet you. 14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit [be] with you all. Amen” • 1 Thess 5:26 – “Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss. 27 I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren. 28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [be] with you. Amen..” • 1 Peter 5:14 – “Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen”

14. Kiss of Peace • Canon 52- When the deacon says greet one another, the priests greet the bishops, males greet males, and women greet women. • Council of Laodicea – Canon 19 • “After the sermons of the Bishops, the prayer for the catechumens is to be made first by itself; and after the catechumens have gone out, the prayer for those who are under penance; and, after these have passed under the hand [of the Bishop] and departed, there should then be offered the three prayers of the faithful, the first to be said entirely in silence, the second and third aloud, and then the kiss of peace is to be given. And, after the presbyters have given the kiss of peace to the Bishop, then the laity are to give it to one another, and so the Holy Oblation is to be completed. And it is lawful to the priesthood alone to go to the Altar and there communicate.”

15. Prayers of the hours-Canons of the Apostles • AT WHAT HOURS, AND WHY, WE ARE TO PRAY. • XXXIV. Offer up your prayers in the morning, at the third hour, the sixth, the ninth, the evening, and at cock-crowing: in the morning, returning thanks that the Lord has sent you light, that He has brought you past the night, and brought on the day; at the third hour, because at that hour the Lord received the sentence of condemnation from Pilate; at the sixth, because at that hour He was crucified; (1) at the ninth, because all things were in commotion at the crucifixion of the Lord, as trembling at the bold attempt of the impious Jews, and not bearing the injury offered to their Lord; • in the evening, giving thanks that He has given you the night to rest from the daily labors; at cock-crowing, because that hour brings the good news of the coming on of the day for the operations proper for the light.

16. THECONSTITUTION OF JAMES THE BROTHER OF CHRIST CONCERNING EVENING PRAYER. • XXXV. I James, (4) the brother of Christ according to the flesh, but His servant as the only be-begotten God, and one appointed bishop of Jerusalem by the Lord Himself, and the Apostles, do ordain thus: When it is evening, thou, O bishop, shall assemble the church; and after the repetition of the psalm at the lighting up the lights, the deacon shall bid prayers for the catechumens, the energumens, the illuminated, and the penitents, as we have formerly said. • But after the dismission of these, the deacon shall say: So many as are of the faithful, let us pray to the Lord. And after the bidding prayer, which is formerly set down, he shall say:- • THE BIDDING PRAYER FOR THE EVENING. • XXXVI. Save us, O God, and raise us up by Thy Christ. Let us stand up, and beg for the mercies of the Lord, and His compassions, for the angel of peace, for what things are good and profitable, for a Christian departure out of this life, an evening and a night of peace, and free from sin; and let us beg that the whole course of our life may be unblameable. Let us dedicate ourselves and one another to the living God through His Christ. And let the bishop add this prayer, and say:- • THE THANKSGIVING FOR THE EVENING. • XXXVII. O God, who art without beginning and without end, the Maker of the whole world by Christ, and the Provider for it, but before all………..

17. Feasts and Fasts(CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES, BOOK V., SEC. III) XIII. Brethren, observe the festival days; and first of all the birthday …; after which let the Epiphany be to you the most honored, in which the Lord made to you a display of His own Godhead…; after which the fast of Lent is to be observed by you…. But let this solemnity be observed before the fast of the Passover, beginning from the second day of the week, and ending at the day of the preparation. After which solemnities, breaking off your fast, begin the holy week of the Passover, fasting in the same all of you with fear and trembling, praying in them for those that are about to perish.

18. Feasts and Fasts(CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES, BOOK V., SEC. III) (Holy Pascha Week) XVIII. Do you therefore fast on the days of the Passover, beginning from the second day of the week until the preparation, and the Sabbath, six days, making use of only bread, and salt, and herbs, and water for your drink; but do you abstain on these days from wine and flesh, for they are days of lamentation and not of feasting. Do ye who are able fast the day of the preparation and the Sabbath-day entirely, tasting nothing till the cock-crowing of the night; but if any one is not able to join them both together, at least let him observe the Sabbath-day…

19. Feasts and Fasts(CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES, BOOK V., SEC. III) (WATCHING ALL THE NIGHT OF THE GREAT SABBATH) But from the evening of the fifth day till cock-crowing break your fast when it is daybreak of the first day of the week, which is the Lord's day. From the even till cock-crowing keep awake, and assemble together in the church, watch and pray, and entreat God; reading, when you sit up all night, the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms, until cock-crowing, and baptizing your catechumens, and reading the Gospel with fear and trembling,

20. Feasts and Fasts(CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES, BOOK V., SEC. III) (Passover – Resurrection) Thenceforward leave off your fasting, and rejoice, and keep a festival, because Jesus Christ, the pledge of our resurrection, is risen from the dead. And let this be an everlasting ordinance till the consummation of the world, until the Lord come. For to Jews the Lord is still dead, but to Christians He is risen: (Thomas Sunday) After eight days let there be another feast observed with honor, the eighth day itself, on which He gave me Thomas, who was hard of belief, full assurance, by showing me the print of the nails, and the wound made in His side by the spear.

21. Feasts and Fasts(CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES, BOOK V., SEC. III) (Ascension) And again, from the first Lord's day count forty days, and celebrate the feast of the ascension of the Lord, whereon He finished all His dispensation and constitution, and returned to that God and Father that sent Him, and sat down at the right hand of power… (Pentecost) But after ten days from the ascension, which from the first Lord's day is the fiftieth day, do ye keep a great festival: for on that day, at the third hour, the Lord Jesus sent on us the gift of the Holy Ghost, and we were filled with His energy, and we "spoke with new tongues, as that Spirit did suggest to us;"

22. Feasts and Fasts(CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES, BOOK V., SEC. III) (Apostles’ Fast) Therefore, after you have kept the festival of Pentecost, keep one week more festival, and after that fast; for it is reasonable to rejoice for the gift of God, and to fast after that relaxation (Wednesdays and Fridays) We enjoin you to fast every fourth day of the week, and every day of the preparation; (No fasts on Saturdays and Sundays) Every Sabbath-day excepting one, and every Lord's day, hold your solemn assemblies, and rejoice: for he will be guilty of sin who fasts on the Lord's day, being the day of the resurrection, or during the time of Pentecost, or, in general, who is sad on a festival day to the Lord. For on them we ought to rejoice, and not to mourn.