The CELESTIAL CHURCH OF CHRIST lives by a rhythm God gave the Prophet OSCHOFFA: adoration every day, a great service every month, communion four times a year, and high points that return every year, from Holy Week to the first seven evenings of January.
This guide is a starting point. It presents the Celestial Christian's year at a glance, answers practical questions, and each time points to the full teaching. The order of each service is found in the Ordre des Cultes (Order of Services).
The year at a glance
- Every day: adoration, forehead to the ground.
- Every first Thursday of the month, at 10 p.m.: the service that opens the spiritual month.
- Four times a year: communion, starting from Maundy Thursday; the last takes place on 24 December.
- Palm Sunday: from then on, people greet each other by saying "Hosanna".
- Holy Week: seven days of fasting, the Church's only compulsory fast.
- Maundy Thursday: the washing of feet, once a year, then communion.
- The night from Holy Saturday to Easter Sunday, at around 1 a.m.: the Resurrection service; the greeting returns to "Alleluia".
- One week after Easter: the Galilee service.
- The seven days before the matins: sanctification of heart and body.
- From 17 to 24 December, at 4 in the morning: the seven matins.
- The evening of 24 December: the great Nativity service, with communion.
- 25 December, at 10 a.m.: the worldwide thanksgiving.
- 31 December: the end-of-year service.
- From 1 to 7 January: the first seven evenings.
The questions people ask
Is fasting compulsory?
Only one fast is: the seven days of Holy Week. Exempt are the bedridden sick, those who do heavy work, breastfeeding women and people following treatment at fixed times.
What should be done when Maundy Thursday falls on a first Thursday of the month?
The three services follow one another in a single evening, without being mixed up: the washing of feet, the first Thursday service, communion after the sermon and the collection, then the thanksgiving of the first Thursday. The details: “Holy Week: when Maundy Thursday falls on a first Thursday of the month”.
Where should the Resurrection be celebrated?
On the forecourt, at the entrance to the cemetery, never inside. Where this is forbidden, a corner of the parish is chosen. Why: “The Resurrection service: on the forecourt, never in the cemetery”.
How should one prepare for the matins?
With seven days of sanctification, which are compulsory: emptying oneself of grudges, asking forgiveness, and, for husbands and wives, abstaining from relations. Go to bed early so as to be at the parish at 4 o'clock. The order: “The matins: seven nights to prepare for the pilgrimage”.
I cannot go on the pilgrimage: what should I do?
Follow the matins in your parish, and gather there for the service of the 24th, with communion, then for the thanksgiving of the 25th. The meaning of these two days: “The Nativity: the service of the 24th and the thanksgiving of 25 December”.
Can a crib or a Christmas tree be put in the church?
Not in the temple. They can be set up in the courtyard, or at a party for the children.
Why is the pilgrimage held at Imeko and no longer at Sèmè?
It was held at Sèmè, by the sea, until 1975, then it was suspended for eight years. On 15 October 1983, the Prophet announced its resumption at Imeko, in Nigeria.
How should one take stock of the year?
In December, one settles accounts with God: daily adoration, communion, church dues. It is first of all a time of forgiveness. The details: “December, the month of taking stock: living New Year's Eve”.
What is done during the first seven evenings?
A short service of twenty minutes or so, at the parish or at home. One presents one's requests for the year to God, and above all offers Him one's sins. The meaning: “The first seven evenings of the New Year”.
Words to know
- Spiritual month: the month that begins after the first Thursday service.
- Matins: the seven early-morning services, from 17 to 24 December, that prepare for the pilgrimage.
- Pilgrimage: the great annual gathering of 24 and 25 December.
- Anointing: the blessing that raises one to a rank, often received at the pilgrimage.
- Galilee service: the service that recalls the moment when the risen Jesus met his apostles again.
- Church dues: each member's contribution to the life of the parish.
Reference books
- Ordre des Cultes 1984-1985: the last order of services published by the Prophet, in December 1984 at Imeko;
- La Doctrine: the recommendations and commands of the Holy Spirit to the Prophet, in a single volume;
- La Doctrine – Rectifications: practices and services set right.
