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Mass... or Liturgy?!

[Deleted User]
edited December 1969 in Coptic Orthodox Church
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Comments

  • peterfarringtonpeterfarrington
    There is no real difference in any colloquial sense. I mean if we are just having a conversation. The word means the same service of prayer and the reception of the mysteries.

    Technically, 'liturgy' comes from the Greek for 'the work of the people' and has a certain important theological value. While 'mass' comes from the end of the Latin liturgy and means more or less 'the dismissal', from the phrase, 'ite, missa est'. This can also be considered to have a theological meaning since it speaks of our being sent out into the world, and it has the same sort of root meaning as 'missionary'.

    Mass is not a Coptic or Arabic word, but it is well known in a Western context. There are many words which could be used to describe the liturgy so I think it would be wrong for someone to condemn you for using this one. We could also use the word 'eucharist', which is a Greek word meaning 'thanksgiving'. Or we could use the Latin word 'communion'.

    There are many other words. Unless someone is making a particular theological point then as far as I can see they all refer to the same reality and are all acceptable.

    Father Peter
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