The Liturgy of the Word

OBJECTIVE

Students will be able to recall the components of the second part of the Liturgy by focusing on The Liturgy of the Word, which includes the readings from the Pauline Epistle, the Catholic Epistle, Praxis, Synaxarion and the Gospel. In addition, they will be able to analyze the rites/practices of the Priest, Deacon, and Congregation during the Liturgy of the Word.

INTRODUCTION and HOOK - 5 Minutes

The liturgy of the word is also called the Liturgy of the Catechumens. The Coptic Orthodox Church reads many chapters from various parts of the bible. The readings are always mixed with prayers and raisings of incense. These prayers and incense are a kind of worship and supplication to our Lord Jesus Christ that He reveals Himself through the Holy Scriptures.

The readings have been prepared in an order before the council of Nicea. Every Sunday, feast and day around the year has its own readings. The center of all these readings is the life of our Lord Jesus Christ and His salvation.

Suggested Hook Activity 1: Demonstration - Have a student volunteer come up to the front of the class and blindfold the student so that they could not see. Place any item of your choosing anywhere in the classroom and ask that student to find the item blindly (all classmates have to stay quiet and observe) Now ask for another student to assist that same blindfolded student to find the item by giving instructions to them. Was it easier to find the item? Have the students share out.

Explain that in the early centuries of the church, there were many pagan converts. These converts had to be taught the knowledge of the church and after they have understanding, they would be baptised. Typically, those baptisms would occur on the last Sunday of Lent (man born blind). There are many symbols and analogies between light and knowledge to seeing. A separate Liturgy was incorporated before the Liturgy of the Faithful to allow those learning about the faith (called Catechumens) an opportunity to worship and learn. Much like how the blindfolded student was given instruction, the church uses the Liturgy of the Word to give instruction to the people.

HOLY SCRIPTURE - 5 Minutes

"And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets." Joshua 6:4--5

CONTENT (KEY POINTS) - 25 Minutes

Transition from the Hook to the Lesson Content: Technically, every time you attend the Sunday Liturgy, you are actually attending two Liturgies. Can someone explain how? So what is the Liturgy of the Word and what are its components? We are going to develop a Thinking Map called a Brace Map ({}) to outline those components and the spiritual significance of the actions/rites of the Priest, Deacon, and Congregation.

The Procession of the Pauline Incense

The Pauline Epistle is quoted from one of the Epistles of St. Paul.
This rite declares our struggle to enter heaven. The priest processes around the altar seven times, during the readings, and the deacon goes to the opposite side of the altar. They pray the litanies of the peace, the Fathers and the Congregation.
Doing this is a petition to God to let us enter to the heavenly holies and inherit the kingdom of God as the priest and the people did in the Old Testament, when they processed around Jericho seven times to enter it as the Lord ordered Joshua; "Have seven Priests s carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets". (Josh 6:4)

The Catholic Epistle

The reader begins reading the Catholic Epistle; a selection from the epistles of St. James, St. John, St. Peter, or St. Jude.

The Procession of the Praxis Incense

The Praxis is quoted from the Book of Acts.
In this procession of incense, the Priests do not offer the incense among the whole Congregation as he did in the Pauline incense. He offers it in the first rows as the Apostles started their mission in Jerusalem and Judea.

Synaxarion (Chronicle of the Saints)

The Synaxarion is a book that has biographies of the saints, and explanations of the feasts and fasting arranged according to the Coptic Calendar.
As the church preaches the Gospel of Christ, we remember what the martyrs and saints did for their love of the gospel.
- The Lord Jesus commands to remember such deeds as He said; "I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." (Matt 26:13)
The Synaxarion is not read during the fifty days following the Lord's resurrection because during this period we should only be concerned with the miracle of the resurrection.

The Psalm and the Gospel

Before reading the Gospel, the priest prays the litany of the gospel, declaring the blessings which we have through the incarnation of our lord Jesus Christ, the true Word of God. Through Him we have seen the things which the profits and the righteousness desired to see.
In this prayer, the priest asks God to make us worthy of hearing and acting according to the gospel and the church prays for spreading the word of God.
The Congregation hears the Gospel while they are standing in reverence, honoring God who speaks to us through His Words. Moses said to the people of Israel; "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today." (Exod 14:13)
Chanting the Psalm and the Gospel expresses our joy for salvation, declared in the Gospel.

DISCUSSION/REVIEW (Challenge) - 5 Minutes

What is the significance of the priest going around the altar 7 times during the Pauline reading?
Why is the Synaxarion not read during the Holy 50 days?
Why does the priest and/or the deacon chant the psalm and Gospel as opposed to just reading it?

CONCLUSION - 5 Minutes

Every part of the liturgy is founded in the Bible. Every action that the priest takes during liturgy has purpose and it's only in understanding the liturgy, do we gain a better understanding and appreciation for the sacrifice that's offered upon the altar.

ACTIVITY - 10 Minutes

Suggestion 1: In pairs, have students complete the attached worksheet OR allow students to use the handout during the lesson to take notes.

Suggestion 2: The Liturgy of the Word is intended to shed light onto our knowledge and understanding about God. Every time we are given the grace to attend the Liturgy of the Word, we gain understanding of the Holy Scripture. The Sunday Readings are typically the same every year, are you gaining understanding in those scripture readings? How can one gain greater understanding of the Holy Scripture? - Bring your own Bibles to church (NKJV) and have the readings already selected for that day. Highlight any verse that stands out to you or one in which you would like to know more about its context and meaning. Share those verses with your Sunday School Servants, Parents, or Priest.

RESOURCES

Copticchurch.net (click on the Liturgy tab to find books)

Liturgy of the Word Presentation

For instructions and templates of Thinking Maps, please see the attached link: The 8 Types of Thinking Maps Explained with Editable Templates

PARENTS CORNER/HOMEWORK

Suggestion 1: Email parents the lesson plan prior to the date you plan on teaching it and ask them to help their child identify which saint(s) are going to be mentioned in the Synaxarion at the next liturgy that they plan on attending. Together read the life of the saint and have the student share what they learned about the life of that saint during the first few minutes of class.

Suggestion 2: Creating a plan to attend the Liturgy early. Discuss sleep, waking up routines with estimated times to complete each step, and who is responsible in the family.