SPSA Church Giving (opens in a new tab)

Questions & Answers

Matins

Faith Q&A › Metropolitan Youssef › Prayer, Fasting and Worship › Matins

The question

In Matins, during the prayer for the oblations, should the oblations be put on the altar? If yes, why? And if not where should they be kept?

The answer

No, the oblations should not be put on the alter, because the Prayer for the Oblation includes all the other oblations (e.g., the oil, the curtains, the book, the candles, the incense…etc) and not only the bread. Another point is, only one loaf of bread should enter the Altar, which is the bread that has been carefully examined and chosen to be the Body of the Lord.

During the Prayer for the Oblations, the bread should be kept outside the Altar in the basket where the bread of the lamb was previously kept.

Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)

Questions answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab) of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Question 318 on the Diocese’s Q&A site. Questions and answers © Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. All rights reserved.