His Holiness Pope Tawadros II prayed the Liturgy of Covenant Thursday (Great Thursday) this morning at the Monastery of St.Mina in Mariout, in Alexandria, with the participation of H.G. Bishop Kyrillos Ava Mina, the Bishop and Abbot of the Monastery and the monks of the Monastery.
The prayers started by Thursday Day prayers, which includes Offering of Morning Incense then the prayers of the hours, followed by Lakan and Liturgy and ended by the 11th hour of Thursday.
His Holiness delivered the sermon under the title “Make Me a Partaker of the Grace of Your Life-Giving Mysteries,” during which H.H. pointed out that “Covenant Thursday” is one of the Lord’s feasts, which was filled with many events during the time of Christ, as He washed the feet, established the Sacrament of the Eucharist, and prayed the farewell prayer.
His Holiness took part from the “9th Hour Prayer” in Agpeya, which explains the week of the Pascha and the events of the Cross, through:
1- “Sanctify my soul and enlighten my understanding”, which expresses the days of the Pascha, during which we ask God to sanctify the soul through prayer, and to lighten our understanding through the Holy Bible and the Word of God
2- “Make me a partaker of the Grace of Your Life-Giving Mysteries,” which expresses Covenant Thursday, on which the Lord Christ established the “Sacrament of the Eucharist”, which is the strength of the church and its prayers, because by practicing the Sacrament of repentance and the Sacrament of communion, a person becomes a living member in the body of the Lord Christ.”“He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.” (John 6:56)
This Body and this Blood that was offered for the salvation of mankind is extended in its effect over time, and therefore we ask God for grace in all the days of life, and we ask for fellowship with Him in the events of this day in order to live by it through the prayer of the Liturgy.
3- “That when I taste of Your benevolences”, which expresses the day of “Good Friday”, because the benevolence of the cross is many, as it grants salvation, redemption, acceptance of repentance and forgiveness, and grants aid and management of human life and strength, so we ask to taste these benevolences and the work of Christ for the salvation of every person.
4- “I offer You praise without lukewarmness”, which expresses the praises of the “Bright Saturday”, which makes human life praises on earth, and the best thing we offer to God as an expression of thanksgiving is the praises, which represents a form of prayer.
5- “Longing for Your splendor above all things”, which expresses Resurrection Sunday, where a human’s heart longs to Resurrection and being in God’s presence, “He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”(Revelation 22:20)
His Holiness also recommended every person to start a new covenant with God starting today with a pure heart, and to repeat these prayers because they represent the spirit of Holy Week that lives with us throughout the year.
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