The Seven Sacraments of the Coptic Orthodox Church

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The Seven Sacraments of the Coptic Orthodox
Church

• The Sacrament of Chrismation

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• The Sacrament of Chrismation / Myron / Holy
  Anointment / Holy Seal / Confirmation, is a Holy
  Sacrament, with which we get the seal of the Holy
  Spirit.
• The word MYRON is a Greek word means Ointment or
  Fragrant Perfume.

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Did the Apostles get anointed?

• On The Pentecost the Apostles were anointed for
  their divine mission, to continue the preaching,
  healing and sanctifying the ministry of Christ in
  the world.
• On the Pentecost day, the Holy Spirit dwelled in
  the Apostles filling them with the power and the
  wisdom of God enabling them to preach
  Christianity in different locations to different
  people with different languages.

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• What happened to Jesus Christ at Epiphany and to
  the Apostles at Pentecost takes place in the life
  of each member of the body of Christ (Believers)
  immediately following Baptism through the
  Sacrament of Chrismation. Baptism and Chrismation
  are not separated in Our Coptic Orthodox Church,
  because one is baptism with water and the other
  is baptism by Spirit. Jesus said Unless one is
  born of water and the Spirit, he can not enter
  the kingdom of God (John 35)

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What is Chrismation?
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• Chrismation is the fulfillment of Baptism as
  Pentecost is of Easter.
• Chrismation is receiving the Holy Spirit Who will
  dwell in us to able us to live the life of God
  into which we are born through Baptism.
• Chrismation is the Sacrament by which our bodies
  are made temples of the Holy Spirit. The whole
  body is anointed, sealed and sanctified as a
  temple.

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• Chrismation is the sacrament by which we are
  ordained into the body of Christ.
• Chrismation is the SEAL of the Holy Spirit
• The Seal of the Holy Spirit consecrates your body
  organs and sense organs they are sealed /
  dedicated to the service of God.
• The Seal of the Holy Spirit is the signature of
  God upon His new creation.
• The Seal of the Holy Spirit denotes that this
  creation is owned and guaranteed by God.
• The Seal of the Holy Spirit is the imprint of the
  One Who owns us.

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• Every anointed person has been sealed with the
  Seal of the Holy Spirit to denote that he is the
  property of God, elected and chosen by Him as His
  personal belonging. From the moment we receive
  the Seal of the Holy Spirit, we do not belong any
  more to ourselves but to CHRIST

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• Dwelling of the Holy Spirit

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• Our fathers the Apostles granted this Sacrament
  by Laying Hands after Baptism, we find it in the
  book of Acts when St. Peter and St. john laid
  hands on the people whom were baptized, so they
  received the Holy Spirit (Acts 92-6).
• It was not possible for the Apostles to wander
  all countries to lay hands on the baptized, so
  they established anointment by MYRON as an
  alternative for laying hands for the Holy Spirit.

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Holy Myron
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• The Myron consists of pure olive oil mixed with
  precious perfumes and spices from which God
  ordered the great prophet Moses to make the holy
  ointment, the recipe is given in the book of
  Exodus chapter 30

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• The first who made the Myron were the Apostles as
  they kept certain oils which were made by women
  to anoint the body of Our Lord Jesus Christ, but
  He had risen. When St. Mark came to Egypt he
  brought some with him.

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• The first Coptic Pope to make the Myron was Pope
  Athanasius, Pope 20

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• Our late Pope Cyril 6th Pope 116 (1959-1971)
  made the Holy Myron Once

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• Our beloved Pope Shenouda the 3rd (Pope 117)
  has made it several times to meet the need of the
  Coptic churches worldwide.

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• Trough the years the Coptic Popes make Myron as
  the Church grows across the world and there is
  need for more Myron, it is been made 30 times
  until now.

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The Anointment by Myron

• After the baptism, the mother of the child dries
  him/her, and then the priest starts to anoint the
  child by the Myron in SIX groups with total of 36
  places of the childs body as follow

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Group No. 1 EIGHT ANOINTMENTS

• Top Head (1)
• Nostrils (2)
• Mouth (1)
• Right Ear (1)
• Right Eye (1)
• Left Eye (1)
• Left Ear (1)

• The Priest says
• In the name of the Father and of the Son and of
  the Holy Spirit. The Anointment of grace of
  the Holy Spirit, Amen.

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Group No. 2 FOUR ANOINTMENTS

• The Heart (1)
• The Navel (1)
• The Back (1)
• The Lower Back (1)

• The Priest says
• An Anointment as a token for the kingdom of
  heaven, Amen.

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Group No. 3 SIX ANOINTMENTS

• The Right Shoulder joint (1)
• The Right Underarm (1)
• The Right Elbow (1)
• The Right Inner Elbow (1)
• The Right Palm (1)
• The Right back of the Wrist (1)

• The Priest says
• An Anointment for the community of eternal life,
  Amen.

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Group No. 4 SIX ANOINTMENTS

• The Left Shoulder joint (1)
• The Left Underarm (1)
• The Left Elbow (1)
• The Left Inner Elbow (1)
• The Left Palm (1)
• The top of the Left Palm (1)

• The Priest says
• A Holy Anointment of Our God Christ and
  imperishable seal Amen.

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Group No. 5 SIX ANOINTMENTS

• The Right Hip joint (1)
• The Inside of the Right Hip (1)
• The Right Knee (1)
• The Inside (back) of the Right Knee (1)
• The Right Ankle Joint (1)
• Above the Right Ankle (1)

• The Priest says
• Perfection of the grace of the Holy Spirit,
  Amen.

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Group No. 6 SIX ANOINTMENTS

• The Left Hip joint (1)
• The Inside of the Left Hip (1)
• The Left Knee (1)
• The Inside (back) of the Left Knee (1)
• The Left Ankle Joint (1)
• Above the Left Ankle (1)

• The Priest says
• I anoint you (Name) by a Holy Anointment In the
  Name of the father and of the Son and of the Holy
  Spirit, Amen.

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Notes

• The 36 Anointments include all joints and senses
  of the Human Body to bless them, sealed them and
  protect them
• The child is anointed by Myron only once in
  his/her life.