And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up.
Why the Gospel has candles and incense
The Gospel reading is surrounded by candles, incense, responses, and procession because the Church is not treating Scripture as a casual reading. The body, senses, and faithful all turn toward the Word of God.
In the Coptic Liturgy, the Gospel comes after the Pauline Epistle, Catholic Epistle, Praxis, Synaxarium, and Psalm. The standing posture marks the Gospel as the climactic proclamation of the Word in that sequence.
If standing is difficult
Sit reverently and listen if standing is physically difficult. The heart of the practice is attention to Christ. The body is invited into reverence with humility, not with anxiety.
The important thing is to receive the Gospel as Christ speaking to His Church. Standing, candles, incense, and responses all serve that same reverence.
The posture helps the faithful hear the Gospel as proclamation, not background information.
The whole Church stands to receive the words of life.