Preaching and the Church Readings ج3
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III speaks about the importance of church readings in building the spiritual sermon, explaining that the Coptic Church does not choose the readings randomly, but connects them all in one integrated topic. The Psalm and Gospel of Vespers and Matins, and the readings of the Liturgy such as the Pauline, Catholic, Praxis, and the Synaxarium all share one spiritual message serving a specific educational and faith-based purpose.
The Integration of Readings in the Church Rite
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that the wisdom of the Church appears in the connection between all the readings, as they form together a complete unity that provides rich material for preaching. Therefore, the priest or preacher should study all the readings related to the day, not only the Gospel, so that he may present a deep and complete sermon that reflects the spirit and teaching of the Church.
Example: The Feast of the Virgin Mary
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III clarifies how the Church chooses the readings of the Feast of the Virgin Mary to proclaim her greatness and her symbols in the Holy Scriptures. The Virgin is likened to the City of God, the golden censer, the Ark of the Covenant, the golden pot of manna, and the rod of Aaron that blossomed. These symbols show that the Virgin was the dwelling place of God among people and carried within her Christ, the Bread of Life.
The readings also reveal the virtues of the Virgin such as humility, obedience, and service, like her visit to Elizabeth and serving her despite the great glory she received as the Mother of God.
Example: The Readings of Archangel Michael
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III also presents the example of the readings of the Feast of Archangel Michael, where the readings speak about the nature of angels, their praise to God, their role in carrying out the will of God and serving Him, and also their role in the final judgment. These readings show the power of angels and their complete obedience to God.
Christ Is Greater Than the Angels
Although the Church honors the angels and their leader Michael, the readings confirm that Christ is greater than all angels, because they are servants of God while He is the Lord of the throne and the kingdom, and all the angels worship Him. Thus the Church preserves the balance between honoring the angels and glorifying Christ.
The Spiritual and Educational Dimension
The spiritual message of the lecture is that the true preacher should extract the treasures of spiritual and theological teaching from all the church readings, because through them the Church presents an integrated teaching that combines spirituality, theology, and biblical interpretation.
These readings also call believers to a life of repentance and purity, so that the angels of God in heaven may rejoice over them, and that they may live in communion with God and the saints.
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