Litany of St. Cyril

It’s a rare textile fabric from the fifth century depicting a bearded, middle-aged man at prayer. His manner is distinctive–arms raised, elbows to the sides of his body, and hands open to God. It’s a posture known as orans, a Latin word that describes someone praying and is consistent with Paul’s admonition, “I urge people everywhere to pray, lifting holy hands” (1 Tim. 2.8). It’s a customary posture of praying among Coptic Christians. The Coptic Orthodox Church is among the oldest Christian denominations. Tradition has it that St. Mark came to Alexandria, Egypt, on a missionary journey in AD 42 to establish a church there. Christian converts became known as Copts, a Greek word for Egyptians and a nod to their dialect, a holdover from ancient Egypt. Coptic Christians pray seven times daily at fixed intervals. They remove their shoes, patterning themselves after Moses, whom God directed at the burning bush to take off his sandals. They pray facing east, waiting for Christ’s return in glory. While most westerners regard prayer as primarily a mental, verbal practice, Coptic Christians engage the whole body in prayer. While standing is customary, kneeling and prostration with the forehead touching the floor are also observed as reminders of mortality and express humility. Coptic Christians are the largest religious minority in Egypt today, comprising an estimated ten percent of the population. They have been in the news in recent years as the victims of violent attacks by Islamic terrorist groups. Today’s prayer is part of a fourth century collection of prayers, called the Litany of St. Cyril, that is still in use in Coptic churches: