a felt sensation of the country within you

“Egypt is not a country we live in but a country that lives within us.” 

These words by Pope Shenouda III, the 117 Pope of Alexandria and in the direct lineage of the Apostle Mark, express the liturgical music of the Coptic church. Ancient Pharaonic Egypt still lives within the spoken and written language of Coptic, which represents the final stage of the ancient Egyptian language.

Likewise, the cymbal was one of the major instruments used in ancient Egypt, where music played an important role in ceremony as well as everyday life. 

Although I did not understand the words, when I closed my eyes, I could both sense and feel the passage of time from antiquity to this moment, through the timeless quality of the music. 

For a moment, Father Mercurius, gave a priceless gift, namely, the feeling of having ancient Egypt within me. At the same time, there was also a felt sensation of the eternal divine connection, extending into no time.  All the books about Egypt could not produce that deeper knowing of a country that lives within. It just needs to be felt and sensed. 

Wishing you a felt sensation of the country within you.