John the Baptist - Page 3 of 10

The Monastery of St. Macarius (WADI AL-NATRUN)

The Monastery of St. Macarius (WADI AL-NATRUN) THE FOUNDING FATHER OF THE MONASTERY ST. MACARIUS (Anba Maqar, ca. 300-390) was one of the first hermits in Wadi al-Natrun. According to his vita, a cherub took him by the hand and showed him the place where he should build cells and a church. This site must …

The Monastery of St. Macarius (WADI AL-NATRUN) Read More »

St. Catherine’s Monastery (SINAI)

Places / By Armia FAYEZ

St. Catherine’s Monastery (SINAI) ST. CATHERINE’S MONASTERY, at the foot of Gebel Musa in the Sinai desert, was built in the sixth century by the Byzantine emperor Justinian (527-565). It is one of the earliest remote Christian monasteries, and the oldest still used for its original purpose. Anchorites had settled at the foot of the …

St. Catherine’s Monastery (SINAI) Read More »

The Church of the Holy Virgin (HARAT ZUWAYLA)

Places / By Armia FAYEZ

The Church of the Holy Virgin (HARAT ZUWAYLA) THE CHURCH COMPLEX OF HARAT ZUWAYLA, situated in the center of the busy shopping district of Muski and Khan al-Khalili, consists of three churches. The main church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the northern church to St. Mercurius, and the upper church to St. George. The …

The Church of the Holy Virgin (HARAT ZUWAYLA) Read More »

Theology And Liturgy Bibliography

Liturgy, Theology / By Armia FAYEZ

THEOLOGY AND LITURGY BIBLIOGRAPHY Abdallah, Alfonso. L’ordinamento Liturgico di Gabriele V-88 Patriarca Copto. Cairo: Ain Shams Press, 1962. ‘Abd al-Masih Salib al-Mas‘udi. Al-Khuulaji al-Muqaddas. Cairo: n.p., 1902. Alcock, Antony. The Life of Saint Samuel of Kalamun by Isaac the Presbyter. London: Aris & Philips, 1983. Allen, Pauline, and C. Datema. “Leontius presbyter of Constantinople.” Byzantina …

Theology And Liturgy Bibliography Read More »

Cycle

Culture, Liturgy, System / By Arsanious Adel

CYCLE One of a group of works in Coptic literature dealing with episodes in the life of one or more specific characters, mostly saints and martyrs. There are two basic types of cycle: homiletic and hagiographical. The difference lies simply in the different literary forms used, with the homiletic cycles being made up of texts …

Cycle Read More »

Confession And Penitence

Liturgy, System / By Arsanious Adel

CONFESSION AND PENITENCE Sacramental confession consists of the avowal of one’s sins and faults, accompanied by genuine contrition, made to a priest for the purpose of obtaining absolution. Before Christ instituted this sacrament, He had given His disciples two relevant promises. When Peter recognized the true nature of Jesus Christ as the Messiah and acknowledged …

Confession And Penitence Read More »

Christian Subjects In Coptic Art

Heritage, History / By Arsanious Adel

CHRISTIAN SUBJECTS IN COPTIC ART Whatever its materials and techniques—stone or wood relief sculpture, painted walls or manuscripts, textiles, metalwork, ceramics, or glass—Coptic Christian iconography retained a few rare elements of pharaonic origin and many Greco-Roman elements from Alexandrian tradition. From the fifth century on, these pagan subjects mingled with Christian motifs. The Christian subjects …

Christian Subjects In Coptic Art Read More »

Church Of Abu Sayfayn (Old Cairo)

History, Places / By Arsanious Adel

CHURCH OF ABU SAYFAYN (Old Cairo) In the Arabic manuscripts this church is called “church of Abu Marqurah,” and in a Garshuni manuscript (Arabic written in Syriac characters) “church of Mar Quryus” (Mercurius). Two late Coptic manuscripts describe it thus: “Mercurius at the tetrapylon of the river.” Western travelers of the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries …

Church Of Abu Sayfayn (Old Cairo) Read More »

Celibacy

Culture, Heritage / By Arsanious Adel

CELIBACY The unmarried state, particularly of clergy who are so bound by a solemn vow. Although matrimony is one of the seven holy sacraments and is likened to the union between Christ and the church (Eph. 5:31, 32), ascetic celibacy is regarded as a superior state, as it relieves men from earthly attachments and prepares …

Celibacy Read More »

Mark

Eminent / By Armia FAYEZ

MARK The Apostle, evangelist, and saint. According to the Coptic tradition, St. Mark is the founder of the Coptic Church in Egypt. This tradition is supported by the testimony of Eusebius of Caesarea in his Church History. A Coptic manuscript preserved in Paris contains a detailed story of St. Mark. This manuscript was copied in …

Mark Read More »