After the absolution of the servants, deacons will enter the altar and present the censor to the priest and start the circuit of the Pauline
Deacon will present the censor to the priest and priest will put 5 spoonfuls of incense
Deacon will take the cross and go around the altar with the priest 3 times
Each time the deacon faces west (towards the congregation) he will silently say one of these 3 prayers - Response of the Litany of Peace: “Pray for the peace of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Orthodox Church of God”, Response of the Litany of the Fathers: Pray for our archpriest Pope Abba Tawadros the second Pope and patriarch and archbishop of the great city of Alexandria; and for our orthodox bishops.”, Response of the Litany of the Assemblies: “Pray for this holy church and for our assemblies.”
Deacon will then prostrate in front of the altar and stand at the right side of the altar holding the cross until the priest walks away.
Deacon will put back the cross in its designated location on the right side of the altar next to the Beshara.
The priest will go around the entire church as St. Paul who wrote the Pauline Epistles preached to the whole world, then enter the altar, pray a prayer then add one spoonful of incense and go around the altar one more time and exit the altar
Deacon should take the censor from the priest when he enter the altar a second time
Circuit of the Praxis will take place after
Same instructions as circuit of the Pauline except the priest will only go throughout a small portion of the church as the apostles did not preach everywhere like Paul, they preached in a specific area.
Censor should be taken from the priest at the door of the sanctuary before he enters as the apostles did not return back to Jerusalem after their preaching
Litany of the Gospel
Priest will be presented the censor
Two deacons will stand outside behind the priest: one holding the cross the other holding the beshara (only time it is used)
For the sake of organization and to minimize conversation: Deacon holding the beshara will be the one to say “Pray for the Holy Gospel”
As the priest concludes the litany the deacon holding the cross will take the beshara and enter the altar. He will walk backwards as the priest takes from him the beshara (this is a symbol of when Simeon carried the baby Jesus in his arms in the temple. As Simeon held the Word of God incarnate, the priest also holds the Word of God (the Beshara or Gospel).
Deacon will stand at the right side of the altar facing the congregation and say “estasithe”
Deacon reading the Gospel will kiss the beshara and take it from the priest after all priests and full deacons have kissed the beshara
He will read the Gospel as he’s holding the beshara
At the conclusion of the Gospel he will kiss the cross and hand of the priest and place the Beshara back in it’s place on the right side of the altar