The Liturgy of the Catechumens

• \ The Outline of the Liturgy of the Catechumens.*
• 1- Lections.
• 2- Intercessions.
• 3- Aspasmos (Pre-Anaphora).

The Outline of the Liturgy of the Catechumens

We can summarize what we have been saying concerning this service in the following points:

• 1- It is called the Liturgy of the Catechumens, not because it is celebrated only for the catechumens, but because they can enjoy it together with the believers. Its main work is missionary and catechismal, but we cannot ignore it as an act of worship.
• 2- It is also called the Liturgy of the Word, for its main work is the proclamation of the Word of God. In this service God speaks to us through His Holy Scripture, the Church's acts and the bishop's sermon.

This Word works in the catechumens preparing them to receive the spirit of adoption taken in baptism, and works in believers to prepare them to receive the Word's Body and Blood in the Communion. Origen says that in the liturgy of the Catechumens the soul is engaged to the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the liturgy of the faithful it is married to Him.

3- Fr. Gregory Dix has his own opinion concerning this service. He says that the Liturgy is divided into two parts (Synaxis and Eucharist). Up to the fourth century, the outline of the Synaxis consisted only of the proclamation of the revelation through the readings of the Scriptures, and the living witness of the church to their truth in the bishop's liturgical sermon followed by the intercessions of believers 1

At the pre-Nicene Synaxis the passive part was the only possible thing for the congregation. They were only listeners.

The Synaxis became an effective corporate act after the exit of the catechumens when the intercessions of believers began, In other words, Dix sees that the prayers might not be offered in the presence of the catechumens.

We cannot accept this opinion as it is, for the church never separated readings of the Scriptures or preaching by sermons from the prayers. She loves all mankind, revealing the "Truth" through the spoken and written Gospel but not without prayers. She preaches and

prays that the hearing of the word by mankind might be fruitful. In the Euchologium of Serapion, the liturgy of the Catechumens begins with a prayer headed: "First prayer of the Lord's day" and it ends with another prayer after the sermon. The prayer after the sermon is referred to several times by Origen in his homilies in Alexandria, and once by St. Athanasius the Apostolic.

Fr. Dix says that the primitive structure of the two rites was:

Coptic Liturgy of the Catechumens

1- Lections: God speaks through

a. Apostolic writings: Pauline and Catholic Epistles

b. Apostolic acts: Acts.

c. Church's acts: Sinaxarium. d. Christ: Gospel. e. Church's teaching: Sermon.

2 - Intercessions and Creed

3 – Spasmos

a. Reconciliation with God. b. Reconciliation with brethren.