Liturgy means the work of the people.

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-09

In the Coptic Orthodox tradition, the word Liturgy comes from the Greek word ⲗⲉⲓⲧⲟⲩⲣⲅⲓⲁ (leitourgia), which is a compound of leitos (public/people) and ergon (work).

It literally means "The Work of the People."

This definition changes everything about how we "labor for the food which endures." Here is how that "work" is lived out in our tradition:

1. You Are Not a Spectator

In many modern settings, people go to a "service" to be entertained or to watch a performance. But in the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Liturgy is a labor that requires your presence and participation.

• When the Priest says, "Lift up your hearts," and the people respond, "ⲥⲉ ⲉⲣϩⲱⲧⲡ ⲉⲣⲟⲛ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲥⲉ ⲟⲩⲱⲛϩ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ" (They are with the Lord), that is a work of the will. You are laboring to pull your mind away from your phone, your bills, and your anxieties to place it on the Altar.
• If you are not there, or if you are there but your mind is elsewhere, you are not doing the "work."

2. The Responses Are "Work"

The Liturgy is a dialogue. The "People's Responses" (ⲙⲉⲧⲉⲣⲉϥⲟⲩⲱϣⲉⲃ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲓⲗⲁⲟⲥ) are not just decorations; they are the "Amen" that makes the sacrifice corporate.

• When the congregation cries out "ⲕⲩⲣⲓⲉ ⲉⲗⲉⲏⲥⲟⲛ" (Lord have mercy), they are laboring in intercession for the whole world—the sick, the travelers, the air of the heaven, and the fruits of the earth.
• Even the simple "ⲁⲙⲏⲛ" is an act of faith. It is the people sealing the prayer of the priest with their own will.

3. The Work of the Hierarchy

St. Ignatius of Antioch and the Alexandrian Fathers taught that the Liturgy is the work of the whole Body of Christ—the Bishop, the Priest, the Deacon, and the Laity.

• The Priest offers the ⲑⲩⲥⲓⲁ (sacrifice).
• The Deacons serve the Altar and lead the people.
• The People provide the "Amen" and the "Sacrifice of Praise."

Without the "work of the people," the Liturgy is incomplete. It is the gathering of the ⲉⲕⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ (the called-out assembly).

4. The Practical Labor: Preparation

Because Liturgy is "work," it requires preparation. You wouldn't show up to a construction job without your tools or an office job without your computer.

• The Labor of the Fast: We fast before the Liturgy so that our physical hunger reminds us of our spiritual "work."
• The Labor of Reconciliation: The "Work of the People" cannot happen if the people are divided. This is why we have the Reconciliation Prayer and the command to "Greet one another with a holy kiss." The labor is to let go of any grudge before the ⲁⲛⲁⲫⲟⲣⲁ (Anaphora) begins.

5. Preserving the Work (The Legacy of the Chanters)

This "work" includes the preservation of our melodies. When we look at the labor of the great cantors, we see people who worked to ensure the "Work of the People" stayed pure. People like Mikhail al-Batanouni and those who recorded him were "laborers" in the vineyard of the Liturgy. They ensured that when you stand in church today, you are doing the same "work" that St. Cyril and St. Basil did centuries ago.

When Christ tells us to "labor," He is inviting us to the Liturgy. He is saying: "Come and do the work of worship. Come and join the Cherubim and Seraphim. Don't just stand there—participate in the Mystery."

If the Liturgy is the "Work of the People," let us be the most diligent workers in the world, especially as we approach the Great Fast.

ⲁⲙⲏⲛ.