Since the feast of the Cross is approaching, I’d love to share some information about the hymn ⲫⲁⲓ ⲉⲧⲁϥⲉⲛϥ which is quite popular within Coptic Rite; the text is taken from the ⲑⲉⲟⲧⲟⲕⲓⲁ of Sunday (the stanza ⲫⲁⲓ ⲉⲧⲁϥⲉⲛϥ is actually found twice in the tadakia, once in section 6, and the other instance below). …

According to the tradition of the Moharraq Monastery and Cantor Tawfiq Youssef, the hymn ⲁⲇⲁⲙ ⲁⲃⲉⲗ is chanted for any prophet. However, in doing some digging it turns out that the hymn is not necessarily for the prophets at all but it is a ⲃⲱϩⲉⲙ ⲡⲁϭⲟⲓⲥ ⲓⲏⲥⲟⲩⲥ, that is, A Hymn for my Lord Jesus. …

Throughout Holy Week in the Coptic Rite, the Paschal Doxology ⲑⲱⲕ ⲧⲉ ϯϫⲟⲙ (Thine is the Power) is chanted in full 636 times (give or take depending on who’s counting ). Due to its depth and beauty, books have been written contemplating upon every word in this chant. By the end of ⲡⲁⲥⲭⲁ (Passover) Week, …

The Coptic fraction prayer, “O God, begetter of light” (Ⲫⲛⲟⲩϯ ⲡⲓⲣⲉϥⲙⲓⲥⲓ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲓⲟⲩⲱⲓⲛⲓ) is one of the oldest fraction prayers we know of as it is present in the earliest extant Bohairic euchologia. Unfortunately, it is rarely heard nowadays. According to many of the early euchologia, this text is attributed to the Patriarch St Severus …

Have you ever wondered why there are interpretations for the Sunday Tadakia chanted during the month of Kiahk? Why are only six interpretations chanted regularly though there are seven sections of the tadakia? How about the portions from the Gospel of Luke — why do we read only one throughout the year but six during …

ⲡⲓϩⲱⲥ ⲙ̀ⲙⲁϩϥⲧⲟⲩ ϧⲉⲛ ⲡⲓⲁⲃⲟⲧ ⲛ̀ⲭⲟⲓⲁϩⲕ Throughout the Coptic month of Ⲭⲟⲓⲁϩⲕ (Kiahk), the Coptic faithful take part in overnight vigils of praise in preparation for the Nativity of the Lord Jesus. While many tunes alternate with respect to the season, few change their structure, with the exception that the seven ⲑⲉⲟⲧⲟⲕⲓⲁ (Tadakia) are interspersed between …

One consistent lesson to be learned, especially now during this pandemic, is that man continues to search for love in his life. In any relationship, be it one of romance, or brotherhood, or friendship, the expression and perception love is imperative. Whether or not it is directly understood to be so, this deep need for …

Concluding this wedding season in style, I’d like to share a translation of رتل يا داود (Ratil Ya Daoud) that I worked on throughout the last few weeks. It is not an exact translation as the Arabic text itself was written to preserve a poetic prose, so I’ve chosen to do the same with the …

A summary of the history and the development of the Kiahk praises in the Coptic Church as a guest for the Chorus of St Jacob of Serugh of Vancouver.