For over 25 years, the church has published a calendar titled "The Church Calendar". As the title indicates, it is specifically intended to help those who use it to know all the events of the Church, whether the feasts or fasts, as well as the liturgical aspects associated with them. This calendar is a continuation of the same idea, but is given a different shape and form. We preferred that it takes the shape of a book and on its cover is one of the Coptic Orthodox icons written by Dr. Isaac Fanous at Holy Virgin Mary Church in Los Angeles.
This calendar is characterized by the following:
1. The page for every day of the year contains a description of the Church
events.
2. In order to distinguish the fasting days from the non-fasting days, the
non-fasting days have a one-line border, whereas the
fasting days have a border of three lines.
3. The upper portion and the margins of the feasts of our Lord, Saturdays,
Sundays, and the Fifty Holy Days are shaded whether they fall on a fasting
or non-fasting day. There is no strict
abstinence on fasting days that are shaded.
Christ Enthroned
4. For every day of the year, the liturgical tune is mentioned,
e.g. Annual, Kiahk Tune,
Fasting, Festal, or
Hosanna Tune.
5. Every fast is identified by its name, e.g. Nativity Fast, Great Lent,
Fast of the Apostles, etc. Also, a small picture of a fish is placed to
indicate the fasts in which fish is allowed.
6. The references of the appropriate readings for Vespers, Matins, and the
Divine Liturgy is written, as well as the verse of the psalms, which is
taken from the Septuagint edition of the Old Testament. This
translation is the one used in the Church and it is difficult to find.
7. The Saints of the Day,
as written in the Synxarium, are mentioned with a very brief
history of their lives. The name of the saint for which the readings have
been chosen is underlined to indicate the reason why they have been chosen
and how they relate to the life of this saint. The exception to this is
the readings for Sundays, Great Lent, the Fifty Holy Days, and the feasts;
these all have special readings.
8. All the references for the readings of Passion Week are written.
9. If a day has a liturgical Church name, then it is written, as in the
Sundays of the Coptic months, e.g. the first Sunday, the second Sunday,
etc. Also the Sundays of Great Lent are given their names, e.g. Temptation
Sunday, Sunday of the Prodigal Son, etc. Additionally, the name of the
week for that day is also mentioned, e.g. the first week of Great Lent.
10. The appropriate Seasonal
Litany for the day is mentioned, e.g. the litany for the
plants, the fruits, or the waters of the river.
11. This calendar ends on September 10th (the 5th of the Little
Month) or in the Leap years on September 11th (6th of the Little Month),
which is the last day of the Coptic Year. God willing, the next calendar
will begin with the 1st of Tout, which is the Coptic New Year. This way
the calendar will follow the beginning and end of every Coptic year.
12. At the beginning of every week, there is an icon of the most important
event or saint for that week, as well as a saying from one of the Church
Fathers.
The calendar in its new form will be beneficial, helping the Christian
person to live the life of the Church on a daily basis. May our Lord Jesus
Christ help us to enter into the depths of the Church's
liturgical life and understand Her treasures so that we can preserve and
keep with all our hearts the Holy Tradition of the Church. May the
blessings of the Holy Theotokos and the Feast of Nairouz (the
Coptic New Year) be with all of us and glory be to our God in His Holy
Church forever. Amen.
Holy Virgin Mary Church
Los Angeles, California
Your Donation will help our Church to cover the printing and mailing expenses
We will ONLY accept Orders within the United States sent via regular mail to the Church address:
Holy Virgin Mary
Coptic Orthodox Church
P.O. Box 50689
Los Angeles, CA 90050-0689
United States
Please indicate in your Calendar Church Order the number of
required Calendars
and whether you need them in Arabic or in English