Church Canons

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Church Canons

• Servant Meeting
• 8/9/2009

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Topics

• Speaking in Church
• Prostrations
• Altar
• Seven Orders of the Church
• Kiss of Peace
• Prayers of the Hours
• Feasts and Fasts

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Speaking in Church

• Cannon 10 Pope Gabriel
• The Holy Scripture forbids speaking during
  prayer, should have pure hearts
• other people mock us and say they arent
  praying It is obligatory on us to be respectful
  during times of prayer.
• If we fear not God, let us fear mens reproach.
• the same disease of speaking in church was around
  since the 12th century. When visitors from other
  churches see the talking, they think we
  disrespect the house of God.

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Speaking in Church

• Canon 17
• It has reached my lowliness that some priests
  deliberately abstain at the time of the liturgies
  from chants and prayers, and they pay attention
  to talking and conversation. (there is no such
  thing as anyone being above the canon law, even
  clergy). It is required that they should abandon
  this evil, vile, and detestable custom, and they
  shall stand around the altar bareheaded and in
  awe. Whoever does this should not take
  communion. If a priest sees another talking, he
  should tell him that he shouldnt talk.

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Speaking in Church

• Canon 37 (Athanasius) As long as it is during
  the time of the chalice, no one can speak at all
• Canons of St. Basil Canon 96
• The priest (clergy) should not speak while in
  the sanctuary, except for what is needed because
  Aaron was wearing bells in the sanctuary, this
  was to notify the angels in order for him not to
  die. We, as Christians, have psalms instead of
  bells. So, whenever we enter the altar, we
  should be in prayer. We should notify all those
  who enter for cleaning, even the deacons who do
  this work should respect the holy altar.
• Fr. Shenoudas comments about deacons
• Even the deacons who distribute the responses
  while serving the altar, it should be nonverbal
  very subtle gestures with eyes
• There should be training for the liturgy its
  not a playground there should be training for
  younger deacons who will serve in the altar.

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Prostrations and Standing

• No Prostrations on Sunday, Feasts of the
  Resurrection, and Pentecost
• Tertullian (160- 225 A.D.)
• We count fasting or kneeling in worship on the
  Lord's day to be unlawful. We rejoice in the same
  privilege also from Easter to Whitsunday
  (Pentecost).
• Pope Peter of Alexandria Canon 15
• But the Lord's day we celebrate as a day of joy,
  because on it He rose again, on which day we have
  received it for a custom not even to bow the
  knee.
• Ecumenical Council of Nicaea Canon 20
• Forasmuch as there are certain persons who kneel
  on the Lord's Day and in the days of Pentecost,
  therefore, to the intent that all things may be
  uniformly observed everywhere (in every parish),
  it seems good to the holy Synod that prayer be
  made to God standing.

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Prostrations and Standing

• St. Basil -- On the Holy Spirit
• We pray standing, on the first day of the week,
  but we do not all know the reason. On the day of
  the resurrection we remind ourselves of the grace
  given to us by standing at prayer, not only
  because we rose with Christ, and are bound to
  seek those things which are above, but because
  the day seems to us to be in some sense an image
  of the age which we expect.

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Prostrations and Standing

• Pope Peter of Alexandria (3rd Century seal of the
  martyrs)
• Canon 15 Wednesday is fasting because its the
  days the Jews conspired against the Lord, and
  Friday because He suffered, then - we preserve
  the day of the Lord as a day of happiness,
  because on that day the Lord rose. Our tradition
  is not to kneel on that day. (this was before
  Nicea)

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The Living Altar

• St. Athanasius (Canon 7)
• If you will learn the truth, hear, that I may
  teach you how you may honor the church with all
  reverence. For she is built in heaven in the
  form that Moses planned, when he built the
  tabernacle according to the form which he had
  seen upon mount Sinai, (Ex. 259) as it was said
  unto him. Give heed to the reverence which
  belongs unto the holy place wherein you doest
  service.
• Hear how God commanded Moses, (Lev. 162) Ordain
  for thy brother Aaron that he come not at all
  times within the veil before the altar, lest he
  die. For in a cloud upon the altar will I show
  Myself and will speak with thee.
• For, because the Lord stands upon the altar,
  (Amos 91) so are they (i.e. the altar vessels)
  spiritual and neither silver nor gold nor stone
  nor wood even as the bread and wine, before they
  are raised upon the altar, are bread and wine,
  yet, after that they are raised upon the altar,
  are no more bread and wine, but the life-giving
  body of God and blood, so that they that
  communicate therein die not, but live eternally.
  
• So also is the altar and be it of wood or stone
  or gold or silver, it is no more mortal, as its
  former substance, but lives forever and is
  spiritual for the living God stands upon it

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The Living Altar

• St. Athanasius (Canon 6)
• Say as thou prayest, (Ps. 11937) Avert mine
  eyes, that they behold not vanity, as one that
  knoweth that the house entrusted unto thee is the
  house of heaven, and that it is the church upon
  earth, whereof Jacob saith, (Gen. 2817) This is
  the house of God, this is the gate of heaven.
  For all the angels which come from before God do
  come first unto the church and glorify the house
  of God that is upon earth.

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Seven Orders of the Church of God

• The 7 are clear in the Didaskalia, in the Canons
  of Athanasius, and in the Liturgy of St. Mark
• Bishop shepherd
• Priest teachers
• Deacons servants
• Subdeacon helpers or assistant
• Oghnostos readers
• Psaltos singers (chanters)
• Church Keepers (doorkeeper) in the Liturgy of
  St. Mark, the congregation is placed as the 7th
  order

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7 Orders

• St. Athanasius (Canon 10)
• For upon seven pillars hath Wisdom restored her
  house (Prov. 91) and seven are the perfect
  spirits of God in the church, which are the
  bishops and presbyters and deacons and
  half-deacons and readers and singers and
  doorkeepers, whom Zechariah doth call the seven
  eyes of God, (Zech. 39, 410) whereof God saith,
  (Zech 28) He that toucheth them is as one that
  toucheth the pupils of his eyes. For the seven
  orders that we have named, the same are the seven
  eyes of the church but what is the churchs head
  but Christ? (Col. 118, Eph. 122, 523)
• The bishop shouldnt look down on any other
  position we are all one body, the head needs
  the feet as much as the feet need the head the
  bishop cant pray and watch the doors at the same
  time They are all considered the 7 eyes of God,
  the 7 pillars, and 7 spirits

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Kiss of Peace

• Rom 1616 - Greet one another with a holy kiss.
  The churches of Christ greet you
• 1 Cor 1620 All the brethren greet you. Greet
  one another with a holy kiss. 21 The salutation
  with my own hand--Paul's.
• 2 Cor 1312 Greet one another with a holy
  kiss. 13 All the saints greet you. 14 The
  grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of
  God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be
  with you all. Amen
• 1 Thess 526 Greet all the brethren with a
  holy kiss. 27 I charge you by the Lord that
  this epistle be read to all the holy brethren.
  28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with
  you. Amen..
• 1 Peter 514 Greet one another with a kiss of
  love. Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus.
  Amen

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Kiss of Peace

• Canon 52- When the deacon says greet one another,
  the priests greet the bishops, males greet males,
  and women greet women.
• Council of Laodicea Canon 19
• After the sermons of the Bishops, the prayer for
  the catechumens is to be made first by itself
  and after the catechumens have gone out, the
  prayer for those who are under penance and,
  after these have passed under the hand of the
  Bishop and departed, there should then be
  offered the three prayers of the faithful, the
  first to be said entirely in silence, the second
  and third aloud, and then the kiss of peace is to
  be given. And, after the presbyters have given
  the kiss of peace to the Bishop, then the laity
  are to give it to one another, and so the Holy
  Oblation is to be completed. And it is lawful to
  the priesthood alone to go to the Altar and there
  communicate.

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Prayers of the hours-Canons of the Apostles

• AT WHAT HOURS, AND WHY, WE ARE TO PRAY.
• XXXIV. Offer up your prayers in the morning, at
  the third hour, the sixth, the ninth, the
  evening, and at cock-crowing in the morning,
  returning thanks that the Lord has sent you
  light, that He has brought you past the night,
  and brought on the day at the third hour,
  because at that hour the Lord received the
  sentence of condemnation from Pilate at the
  sixth, because at that hour He was crucified (1)
  at the ninth, because all things were in
  commotion at the crucifixion of the Lord, as
  trembling at the bold attempt of the impious
  Jews, and not bearing the injury offered to their
  Lord
• in the evening, giving thanks that He has given
  you the night to rest from the daily labors at
  cock-crowing, because that hour brings the good
  news of the coming on of the day for the
  operations proper for the light.

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THE CONSTITUTION OF JAMES THE BROTHER OF CHRIST
CONCERNING EVENING PRAYER.

• XXXV. I James, (4) the brother of Christ
  according to the flesh, but His servant as the
  only be-begotten God, and one appointed bishop of
  Jerusalem by the Lord Himself, and the Apostles,
  do ordain thus When it is evening, thou, O
  bishop, shall assemble the church and after the
  repetition of the psalm at the lighting up the
  lights, the deacon shall bid prayers for the
  catechumens, the energumens, the illuminated, and
  the penitents, as we have formerly said.
• But after the dismission of these, the deacon
  shall say So many as are of the faithful, let us
  pray to the Lord. And after the bidding prayer,
  which is formerly set down, he shall say-
• THE BIDDING PRAYER FOR THE EVENING.
• XXXVI. Save us, O God, and raise us up by Thy
  Christ. Let us stand up, and beg for the mercies
  of the Lord, and His compassions, for the angel
  of peace, for what things are good and
  profitable, for a Christian departure out of this
  life, an evening and a night of peace, and free
  from sin and let us beg that the whole course of
  our life may be unblameable. Let us dedicate
  ourselves and one another to the living God
  through His Christ. And let the bishop add this
  prayer, and say-
• THE THANKSGIVING FOR THE EVENING.
• XXXVII. O God, who art without beginning and
  without end, the Maker of the whole world by
  Christ, and the Provider for it, but before
  all..

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Feasts and Fasts(CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY
APOSTLES, BOOK V., SEC. III)

• XIII. Brethren, observe the festival days and
  first of all the birthday after which let the
  Epiphany be to you the most honored, in which the
  Lord made to you a display of His own Godhead
  after which the fast of Lent is to be observed by
  you. But let this solemnity be observed before
  the fast of the Passover, beginning from the
  second day of the week, and ending at the day of
  the preparation. After which solemnities,
  breaking off your fast, begin the holy week of
  the Passover, fasting in the same all of you with
  fear and trembling, praying in them for those
  that are about to perish.

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Feasts and Fasts(CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY
APOSTLES, BOOK V., SEC. III)

• (Holy Pascha Week)
• XVIII. Do you therefore fast on the days of the
  Passover, beginning from the second day of the
  week until the preparation, and the Sabbath, six
  days, making use of only bread, and salt, and
  herbs, and water for your drink but do you
  abstain on these days from wine and flesh, for
  they are days of lamentation and not of feasting.
  Do ye who are able fast the day of the
  preparation and the Sabbath-day entirely, tasting
  nothing till the cock-crowing of the night but
  if any one is not able to join them both
  together, at least let him observe the
  Sabbath-day

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Feasts and Fasts(CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY
APOSTLES, BOOK V., SEC. III)

• (WATCHING ALL THE NIGHT OF THE GREAT SABBATH)
• But from the evening of the fifth day till
  cock-crowing break your fast when it is daybreak
  of the first day of the week, which is the Lord's
  day.
• From the even till cock-crowing keep awake, and
  assemble together in the church, watch and pray,
  and entreat God reading, when you sit up all
  night, the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms,
  until cock-crowing, and baptizing your
  catechumens, and reading the Gospel with fear and
  trembling,

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Feasts and Fasts(CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY
APOSTLES, BOOK V., SEC. III)

• (Passover Resurrection)
• Thenceforward leave off your fasting, and
  rejoice, and keep a festival, because Jesus
  Christ, the pledge of our resurrection, is risen
  from the dead. And let this be an everlasting
  ordinance till the consummation of the world,
  until the Lord come. For to Jews the Lord is
  still dead, but to Christians He is risen
• (Thomas Sunday)
• After eight days let there be another feast
  observed with honor, the eighth day itself, on
  which He gave me Thomas, who was hard of belief,
  full assurance, by showing me the print of the
  nails, and the wound made in His side by the
  spear.

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Feasts and Fasts(CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY
APOSTLES, BOOK V., SEC. III)

• (Ascension)
• And again, from the first Lord's day count forty
  days, and celebrate the feast of the ascension of
  the Lord, whereon He finished all His
  dispensation and constitution, and returned to
  that God and Father that sent Him, and sat down
  at the right hand of power
• (Pentecost)
• But after ten days from the ascension, which from
  the first Lord's day is the fiftieth day, do ye
  keep a great festival for on that day, at the
  third hour, the Lord Jesus sent on us the gift of
  the Holy Ghost, and we were filled with His
  energy, and we "spoke with new tongues, as that
  Spirit did suggest to us"

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Feasts and Fasts(CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY
APOSTLES, BOOK V., SEC. III)

• (Apostles Fast)
• Therefore, after you have kept the festival of
  Pentecost, keep one week more festival, and after
  that fast for it is reasonable to rejoice for
  the gift of God, and to fast after that
  relaxation
• (Wednesdays and Fridays)
• We enjoin you to fast every fourth day of the
  week, and every day of the preparation
• (No fasts on Saturdays and Sundays)
• Every Sabbath-day excepting one, and every Lord's
  day, hold your solemn assemblies, and rejoice
  for he will be guilty of sin who fasts on the
  Lord's day, being the day of the resurrection, or
  during the time of Pentecost, or, in general, who
  is sad on a festival day to the Lord. For on them
  we ought to rejoice, and not to mourn.