St. John Cassian Research Papers (original) (raw)

Agpeya; a prologue
The Coptic hours, portray the most ancient personal devotion of prayer, adopted by the Church of Alexandria soon after declaring a monastic vocation, of the survived version of the 4th century praying office of Pachomian Koenonia, fellowship of prayer on time. The Horologion, hourly prayer book of the Church of Alexandria developed around the twelve psalms tradition, that the novice monks trained in to the life of prayer, and was alleged to an angelic advice according to the Palladius Lausiac history.
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Praying with the Christ Loving Church of Alexandria
By Didaskalex; Vine Voice, on June 8, 2002
Agpeya: The Coptic Monastic Early Horologion

Basilica Horologion
When this monastic tradition became personal for the Laos in Coptic Egypt, it was organized by Church fathers to help the Christian Catechumens, for the new converts (up to three years). It was gradually endorsed and amended with the Lord's prayer, the prayer of thanksgiving, and the 51st psalm (50 in the Septuagint), the corresponding twelve psalms, a Gospel reading of the hour, and few short beautiful litanies (some are Byzantine, and one is R. Catholic). Now you pray Lord have mercy, 41 times (representing 39 lashes, the spear and crown of thorns), Holy, Holy, Holy Lord of hosts, Self absolution, and the seal prayer of every hour (exact word for word with Eastern Orthodox parallel).

Seven times a day, I praise You
Two ways do the Copts respond to this beautiful verse of psalm 119:164
a. The Arrow prayer unceasingly: by Macarius and his Schetan monks in the North, carried by his disciple Evagrius Ponticus to Capadocia and Byzantium, to Russia; taking the name, 'the Jesus prayer' to this day.
b. The 12/ 7/ 7: twelve focused psalms, seven hours a day, seven days a week. You keep yourself sanctified by praying every three hours from dawn to midnight.

Allegorical Spirituality?
Origen wrote extensively on praying, in Exhortation to Martyrdom; martyrdom is the vocation of all confessors; unceasing prayer is the helmet and shield!
The hour of dawn commemorates resurrection of our Lord IC XC, keep yourself holy to the third hour (9 AM) when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, Sixth hour (mid day) his enthronement on the Cross; look up and be whole. Ninth scurry death of the passions in imitation of our Lord who died in the flesh, the right bandit is a confessor of faith, who stole eternal life. Eleventh hour (Vespers: 5 PM) removing the body of our Lord, anointing it with sweet fragrances, and 12th Hour (Compline) commemorating laying down, of His life giving body, in the grave. This is the last hour of the day, sleep is but a temporary death.

Midnight Services
Midnight prayers help you to live His struggle in Gethsemane, prying thrice: First watch, when three disciple slept, second watch, when He longed for their company: "Couldn't you stay awake for a while?", and third watch when He wakes them, but Peter denied him thrice next day.
The prayer of the veil is a monastic rite for Coptic monks, John 6:15 - 23 preaches He comes in the last watch, when the wind became violent, comes walking on the waves.
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Exercising in the Pachomian Coenobitic Spirituality
By TheoGnostus; Vine Voice, on June 23, 2004

"Seven times a day I praise You for your righteous Ordinances." -- Psalm 119:164

Praying with the Desert Fathers
Seven was understood in Hebrew as many, taken from ancient Egyptian plan of the unending week of seven day, and accordingly the desert fathers prayed unceasingly. This ancient communal prayers was initiated by St. Pachomius for his congregating monks in upper Egypt, in early fourth century. It was carried by St. Basil, who studied the monastic orders in Egypt, and its ordinance became known through Evagrius Ponticus. John Cassian, carried out the Pachomian tradition with him to Marseille, in south France, were he established two monasteries, and a convent, applying its system for both monks and nuns, before their adoption by St. Benedict.

Agpeya, Book of prayers
The Agpeya is used by the Copts (Christian Egyptians), Orthodox and Catholics. It developed from the Coenobitic praying practice of the Pachomian tradition, forming the core of spiritual life, through the fellowship of praying, same twelve psalms that Pachomians alleged to the angle's directions on prayer to their Abbot. It contains the standardized prayers for seven different timings, corresponding to events occurring in the last days of Jesus, to keep you sanctified throughout, day and night.

Each prayer set, is composed of the Lord's prayer, prayer of thanksgiving, and Psalm 51 (50 in the Septuagint), followed by twelve Psalms(19 in Prime), a fixed reading from the Holy Gospel, and few litanies. Kyria eleison (Lord Have Mercy) follows, repeated in trios, 41 times (representing Jesus' 39 lashes, the spear, and tiara of thorns), followed by few litanies and prayers of self absolving, and concluding prayer of the hour.

Praying the Coptic Hours
The Agpeya, is the Coptic Horologion prayed throughout the day, from dawn to midnight, by monastic and lay. Coptic kids rehearse it and many memorize it by heart, silently recalling its prayers during their daily life. The hours of the day start from early dawn before daybreak and culminate at midnight. Each hour is a mental and mystical recall of Christian spiritual events in the believers day. Morning prayer or Prime is a condensation of the Sunrise with early dawn prayer, when the disciples sought the Lord in the tomb.

The third hour (9 AM), is known as Terce and commemorates the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. These two morning prayers are liturgically integrated in the liturgy are prayed before the Anaphora, during the Offering of Incense. The sixth (midday) as Sext. The None hour (3 PM) is also read during fasting days. Vespers (6 PM at sunset) and Compline (9 PM) are prayed early evening and before going to bed, respectively. Midnight hour prayer, the longest and most spiritual is in three services recalling our Lord prayer in Gethsemane. Liturgically it is integrated with the Midnight Praise. The Veil prayer service is intended for all monks.