Rituals of the Final Days — The Great Lent
General Introduction
In this lecture, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains the rituals of the final days of Great Lent and their spiritual meanings, focusing on three main liturgical signs used in the church: the water of the laver, the oil of the anointing sacrament, and the palm fronds and olive branches on Palm Sunday.
Spiritual meaning of the water (laver water)
Water symbolizes the work of the Holy Spirit, spiritual life, and purification. The listener is reminded that the water is not mere physical water but water prayed over in which the power of the Spirit moves for washing and renewal, as in baptism, repentance, and liturgical blessings. Water gives life, purifies from sins, and is used for blessing and spiritual and bodily healing.
Spiritual meaning of the oil (the anointing sacrament and myron)
Oil symbolizes the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, spiritual empowerment, and illumination. Anointing with oil points to the presence of the Spirit and the consecration of a person or place for divine service, and is used for healing and spiritual strengthening. Oil is associated with light and holiness and has a role in the sacrament of anointing and church rites.
Spiritual meaning of the fronds and olive branches (Palm Sunday)
Palm fronds and the heart of the palm symbolize a pure and white heart and the believer’s readiness to receive Christ as King. Olive branches symbolize peace, blessing, and the Church anointed by the Spirit. The palm tree itself is a symbol of spiritual steadfastness, patience, sustaining spiritual food (the date) and its multiple benefits which express the fruit of the believer.
Other liturgical indications and their biblical connections
The lecture connects these rites to biblical patterns: Creation where the Spirit moved over the waters, Christ’s talk about the living water, the crossing of the Red Sea as a symbol of salvation, and the washing of the feet as a sign of purification. Verses are cited that highlight the relation of blood, water, and the Spirit to salvation and the Eucharist.
Spiritual and educational application from a Coptic Orthodox perspective
The listener is invited to understand that the rites are not superficial rituals but means of encountering the work of the Spirit: repentance, washing, anointing, and preparation for communion. The believer is urged toward inner renewal — a pure heart, sincere repentance, reception of the Holy Spirit, and spiritual fruit likened to the fruit of the palm.
Short Conclusion
The lecture ends with a prayer that these rites would be a cause for spiritual ascent and drawing near to God at the end of the fast, with a reminder of the importance of preparing by repentance and confession before the holy celebrations.
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الروح
Spirit
