The Priest and the Practice of Rituals
The General Message of the Lecture
The lecture emphasizes that the spirituality of the priest in practicing church rituals is a fundamental element that deeply affects the souls of the believers, and that the ritual is not merely movements or words, but a living worship filled with reverence, understanding, and spiritual responsibility.
First: The Spirituality of the Ritual and Its Effect
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that the spirituality of performing the ritual alone is capable of leaving a deep impact on the people even without a sermon. Prayer that comes from the heart, and the priest’s movements filled with reverence, testify to God’s work in the Church.
Second: The Priest’s Responsibility Before God and the People
The priest stands before God representing the entire people and carries their requests and needs in his prayers; therefore, he must be faithful in his stewardship, realizing that his prayers in the Liturgy are not only for himself but for everyone.
Third: Reverence and Understanding in Prayer
The teaching stresses that prayer must be with spiritual understanding, not with empty haste, and that every word and every movement has a meaning. A contrite heart can replace lack of worthiness and make the prayer acceptable before God.
Fourth: The Ritual as an Integrated Spiritual Life
The rituals, from incense, signing, secret and public prayers, are not a formal repetition, but a deep life of prayer. The priest must practice them with awareness and knowledge so that the people may feel the power and effectiveness of prayer.
Fifth: Teaching and the Pulpit as an Extension of the Ritual
The spirituality of the ritual also extends to teaching and preaching, where the people should feel that it is the voice of God speaking from the mouth of the priest, without settling accounts or departing from the purpose of the word.
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