The Lamp of the Holy Places (1947)
This is a partial translation of the first volume of Fr Manqaryus’ famous Manārat al-aqdās. The work is presented in the form of a narrative, where the author accompanies a group of believers on a trip through the ancient churches of Old Cairo.
The Lamp of the Holy Places
Volume 1
Fr Manqaryus Awadalla
Contents
3. When should the Liturgy Be held?
4. Why has Sunday replaced the Sabbath?
When should the Liturgy be held?
Since one of you has asked me to speak to you on some matter relating to the proper church rites, I say to you: my beloved, know that the liturgy is only ever held during the day, in accordance with that saying of the Lord of Glory, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day” (Jn 9:4). There are only three exceptions each year, namely, the Feasts of the Nativity, the Epiphany and the Resurrection. Concerning this, St Basil the Great said, “The Lord was born at night, baptised at night, and rose at night.”[1]Source unknown.
The disciples directed that the liturgy should be held on ordinary days after the prayer of third hour, which is the hour in which the Most High created the first man, and also the hour in which the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples! On Sundays however, they used to begin the liturgy after the prayer of the sixth hour (midday), which is the hour in which Adam stretched out his hand for the forbidden fruit, and the same hour in which the Lord Christ was crucified as a propitiation for this great sin!
However, on the days of the Great Fast, the liturgy begins after the ninth hour, which is the hour in which Adam was exiled from Paradise, and the same time in which the Lord Christ gave up His spirit so that by His death, He might restore Adam to his original rank![2]In the Liturgy of the Word, while offering incense during Pauline Epistle, the priest silently prays these words corresponding to part of the Fourteenth Part of the Sunday Theotokia: “This is He who offered Himself up on the cross as an acceptable sacrifice for the salvation of our race. His Good Father inhaled His aroma at sunset upon Golgotha. He opened the door of Paradise and restored Adam to his lordship once more. Through His cross and holy resurrection, man was brought back to Paradise.”
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Chapter 4
Why has Sunday replaced the Sabbath?
At this point one of my companions asked me: “But why is the liturgy held on Sunday rather than Saturday, even though God Most High commanded to keep the Sabbath, saying, ‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy’?”
Know, my beloved, that the Sabbath was in fact a type pointing towards Sunday. This is in accordance with the law of progress brought about by Christianity, which does not abolish the old law, but rather completes it and fulfils it, as the Lord of Glory said, “I did not come to destroy but to fulfil.”[3]Mt 5:17.Thus, instead of the Temple which was in one place, there is the Church which is in every place. Instead of the altar on which calves and goats were offered, there is the altar on which is offered that living, pleasing sacrifice, the sacrifice of the divine liturgy. Instead of the laver for washing away the filth of the flesh, there is baptism which washes away the filth of the spirit. In place of the Feast of Weeks[4]i.e. the Old Testament Feast of Pentecost or Weeks, see Dt 16:9; Lv 23:16; Ex 23:16. in which the blessings and fruits of the earth were offered, there is the Feast of Pentecost in which there come the good things of heaven and the grace of the Holy Spirit. In place of the Passover where a lamb was slaughtered and its blood sprinkled, there is the New Passover in which the body and precious blood of the Son of God are offered. In place of the priest who testifies to the cleanness of a leper and the purity of one who had been polluted,[5]Referring to Lv 14:1–32, which describes the role of the priest in testifying that a leper has been cleansed of their illness. there is a priest who has the authority to loose and to bind, and to grant the blessings and graces of God. And in place of the Sabbath on which it was not proper to kindle a fire or walk on one’s feet beyond a certain distance, there is Sunday, on which it is proper to do good with all the power one has. What then, is the Christian covenant, except a covenant of grace and spiritual progress towards perfection?
The reason the Church was moved to consecrate Sunday was that the Lord rose from the dead on this day, and imparted life and hope to the living and the dead; the fragrance of joy and jubilation poured forth, the dark clouds of grief were lifted, an the disciples rejoiced on that memorable and glorious day. It was an immortal day[6]yawmān khālidān, lit. an eternal, immortal, or glorious day. in human history, and will continue to be so unto the ages of ages … But
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I marvel, O my companions, that there is a sect of Christians that continues to keep the Sabbath holy! That day on which the Lord was in the tomb! It is as though they are rejoicing when they ought to weep, and sharing in the delight of the foes who crucified the Lord.
In fact, since the time of the Lord’s resurrection on Sunday, the disciples were accustomed to celebrate that great day, and made it the holiest day of the week. On [that day] they gathered together for prayer, as the Evangelist Luke recounts to us in Acts, “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow …” (Acts 20:7). The breaking of bread refers to the distribution of the body of the Lord, which was celebrated on Sunday and not on the Sabbath. Therefore the Coptic Church followed this custom, that liturgies should be held on Sundays throughout the year. Liturgies are not held on Saturdays except on Lazarus Saturday and the Saturday of Joy.[7]Lazarus Saturday is the day before Palm Sunday, while the Saturday of Joy (sabt al-faraḥ) is the traditional Coptic name for Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday. Socrates testifies to this fact in his book Ecclesiastical Histories, Book 5, ch. [22],[8]The Arabic text has “ch.19” written here, but the details that follow are actually from Book 5, ch. 22. See Socrates Scholasticus, Ecclesiastical Histories 5.22. where he says that the church of Rome held in common with the church of Alexandria the ancient tradition of not consecrating the Sabbath, in contradiction to the custom that prevailed in the churches of Jerusalem, Antioch and Constantinople.
Even with regard to charity and collections for the poor, Christians were accustomed to performing these on all days, especially Sundays. In this regard, the apostle Paul says, “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: on the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.” (1 Cor 16:1, 2)
In the Book of Revelation, John the Visionary reveals how greatly this day blessed day was revered and with what priority, saying, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day” (Rev 1:10). The “Lord’s day” is Sunday, on which the Lord rose; it was on this day that John stripped off earthly things and soared like an eagle through the heavens on high and was granted a vision of that which no eye has seen and no ear has heard … And just as liturgies were held on Sundays, they were likewise held on the feast days of the saints and their commemorations, whatever day they happened to fall on.
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Notes:
| ↑1 | Source unknown. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | In the Liturgy of the Word, while offering incense during Pauline Epistle, the priest silently prays these words corresponding to part of the Fourteenth Part of the Sunday Theotokia: “This is He who offered Himself up on the cross as an acceptable sacrifice for the salvation of our race. His Good Father inhaled His aroma at sunset upon Golgotha. He opened the door of Paradise and restored Adam to his lordship once more. Through His cross and holy resurrection, man was brought back to Paradise.” |
| ↑3 | Mt 5:17. |
| ↑4 | i.e. the Old Testament Feast of Pentecost or Weeks, see Dt 16:9; Lv 23:16; Ex 23:16. |
| ↑5 | Referring to Lv 14:1–32, which describes the role of the priest in testifying that a leper has been cleansed of their illness. |
| ↑6 | yawmān khālidān, lit. an eternal, immortal, or glorious day. |
| ↑7 | Lazarus Saturday is the day before Palm Sunday, while the Saturday of Joy (sabt al-faraḥ) is the traditional Coptic name for Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday. |
| ↑8 | The Arabic text has “ch.19” written here, but the details that follow are actually from Book 5, ch. 22. See Socrates Scholasticus, Ecclesiastical Histories 5.22. |
| ↑9 | A slightly modified quotation from Ps 84:1,2. |
How to cite this text (Chicago/Turabian):
Awadalla, (Hegumen) Manqaryus. A Lamp of the Holy Places, in Explanation of the Rites of the Church and the Liturgy [Manārat al-’āqdās fī sharḥ ṭuqūs al-kanīsa wa-l-quddās]. Vol. 1. al-Sakakini: al-Matba‘a al-Tajariyya al-Haditha, 1947. Translated by Samuel Kaldas in Archive of Contemporary Coptic Orthodox Theology. Sydney, NSW: St Cyril’s Coptic Orthodox Theological College. https://accot.stcyrils.edu.au/ma-lampv1/.
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