THE ANGLICAN’S READY REFERENCE MANUAL
CHRISTIAN TERMINOLOGY
"IN PLAIN LANGUAGE"
Over 200 definitions, explanations and items of interest for the serious churchman
"For if the root be not sound,
the tree will not flourish and
cannot bring forth good fruit."
Compiled and published by the Parish of St. Michael The Archangel Charlotte, N.C.
G. J. Brenner, Editor
THIRD EDITION
Copyright 2003 A.D.
The Anglican Parish of Saint Michael the Archangel
2211 Margaret Wallace Road
Charlotte, North Carolina
THE ANGLICAN’S READY REFERENCE MANUAL
An excellent text for use in adult Confirmation Class or
a refresher course for your parishioners
on the basics of our Anglican tradition and worship.
SINGLE COPY $4.95 plus $1.00 Postage
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Copyright 2003 A.D. / The Anglican Parish of Saint Michael the Archangel / 2211 Margaret Wallace Road
Charlotte, North Carolina
FORWARD
St. Michael’s inaugurated the use of a new Confirmation Class course a few years back, using a new handbook prepared for the purpose. Over time, we became aware that many questions raised by the students and other parishioners regarding some of the material covered in the text needed to be addressed more comprehensively in a convenient form, and this manual is the result of that experience.
It was decided that the most usable format would be that of an alphabetical listing, cross-referenced to make access to the proper term readily available, even for those whose earlier exposure to religious terminology did not necessarily agree with that in use by Anglicans, who do tend to use our own unique language in preference to the vernacular. Definitions and explanations used are those broadly accepted by the One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church universally. Sources are not given other than those found in Scripture and the Book of Common Prayer, but were selected based on validity and tradition regarding all aspects of the teaching of the Church.
Although this work was carefully reviewed and proof-read, all errors may not have caught. We would appreciate any feedback regarding spelling, doctrine or content so we may purge and update future editions of this booklet. Suggestions for new material are always welcome.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We acknowledge, with our thanks and appreciation, the following people who have contributed to the contents, efforts of compiling, critiquing and producing this publication.
The Venerable Richard Bakley, Rector, St. Michael the Archangel
The Reverend Ray Unterburger, Curate, St. Michael the Archangel
The Reverend Paul Blankenship Ms. Elizabeth (Tina) Jenkins, Deaconess
Mr. Mike Cawthon, Sr. / Mr. Sanford England / Mr. and Mrs. William Jourdan / Mr. Arthur Walker
ABLUTIONS The cleansing of the Eucharistic vessels following the administration of Communion.
ABSOLUTION Being formally cleared or cleansed of a misdeed or mistake (sin), by a priest or bishop. See PENANCE under SACRAMENTS. See also APOSTLE.
ABSTINENCE See FASTING.
ACOLYTE In medieval times, an acolyte was a low order of the ordained ministry who assisted the priest during the Eucharist. This order was discontinued long ago, and the term is now used to describe men and boys who are trained to assist in several capacities. Servers assist the celebrant (q.v.) by bringing the elements (q.v.) to the priest for consecration, moving the altar book as necessary, presenting the alms (q.v.) to the celebrant, and act as crucifer or torch bearer in processions. Layreaders assist by reading the lesson, psalm and epistle during the Eucharist or leading the choir offices. Licensed layreaders are those who, after extensive proper training, are commissioned by the bishop to officiate at Morning and Evening Prayer, baptize and bury when clergy are unavailable; and may be further licensed to deliver the chalice to communicants during the Eucharist, and to preach. All layreaders are also capable of acting as servers. A layreader who is reading a lesson is called a lector.
ADULTERY Broadly, any kind of sexual experience or activity outside of a valid marriage.
ADVENT See SEASONS.
ALMS The offerings of parishioners to the Church. Originally alms were intended for distribution to the sick and needy. The cost of operating the parish, including the priest’s stipend, was borne by the English government. In the United States (also now in England) parochial expenses are covered by the offerings of parishioners, but we still refer to these contributions as alms. Supplemental aid specifically for the less fortunate may also be given in addition to our pledged support, either by arrangement with the treasurer or by depositing cash in the alms box.
ALTAR Originally an Old Testament structure used for burning a sacrificial animal or incense, the Church now uses this table-like object for the preparation of the elements to be used in the Eucharist. It may be constructed of wood or stone. An altar may have a top surface of granite or marble, or a stone insert called a mensa in the center of the top, although this is not a requirement. The altar is dressed, or covered, with a wax-impregnated fabric called a cerecloth, over which is laid the fair linen. This cover is required by the rubric on page 67 of the BCP, which calls it a fair white linen cloth. The altar may also have a frontal, a panel of silk brocade or embroidery, often of the seasonal color, which hangs down to the floor, covering the altar completely. A shorter version, about eight inches long, is called a superfrontal. See also SEASONS, VEIL and VESSELS.
Slightly above and behind the altar may be found a retable on which are candles called office lights. These candles are lighted for a High Mass, a sung Eucharist, or a choral (sung) service of Morning or Evening Prayer. On the altar proper are candles called Eucharistic lights or Communion lights, always lit during the Eucharist. At the center of the retable there is usually a cross or crucifix (q.v.) Although there may be exceptions, altars are usually found only in liturgical church buildings. See also TABERNACLE and the frontispiece.
ALTAR BOY See ACOLYTE
ALTAR GUILD A group of men and women appointed by the rector to keep the sanctuary (q.v.) clean and orderly, to prepare the altar and its accouterments for the Eucharist, and to take care of the post-Eucharist tasks. See also SACRISTAN.
ALTAR RAIL The railing that separates the sanctuary (q.v.) from the rest of the church building; and where communicants kneel to receive the Eucharist.
ALTAR STEP See GRADUAL
AMEN This word, adopted directly from the Hebrew language, means so be it or certainly. When we say amen after a prayer or the Creed, we are affirming our belief or asserting our agreement with what has just been spoken, without reservation or exception.
ANGEL – from the Greek angelws (angelos), a messenger. As listed in The Celestial Hierarchy, a work written about 60 A.D. by Dionysis the Areopagite (member of the Athenian Supreme Court) who was the first bishop of Athens, Greece, consecrated by St. Paul. Dionysis described three groups, each one consisting of three kinds of heavenly beings:
Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones
Dominions, Virtues, Powers
Principalities, Angels, Archangels
This grouping is repeated in our hymnal in Hymn 599. In the Communion Service, BCP page 77, we acknowledge “...with Angels, Archangels, and all the company of heaven...”. Angels are mentioned in many places in the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Annunciation to the Virgin Mary was made by God through the archangel Gabriel (Luke 1:26-30). Although there are descriptions of angels in Scripture and in other theological writings, we cannot be sure of what they look like. They have been described by theologians as pure intelligence with no physical form (Thomas Aquinas and others). They are, however, thought to take the shape of other living things, and in such forms they have been seen by humans in several instances in the Bible.
ANGELUS A brief form of devotional prayer, primarily one said at noon. Also, a bell rung to indicate the time for the devotions.
ANGLICAN Pertaining to the historic Church of England and her characteristic liturgy and doctrine (q.v.), or having any other historic relationship with or through England. We use this word in the first sense.
ANGLICAN WORTHY This is a term used to describe an Anglican who has led a saintly life but who has not been canonized as a saint. Among those so recognized are Thomas Cranmer, Richard Hooker and Hugh Latimer from early in the history of the Church of England, and William Temple and Michael Ramsey in the twentieth century. See also SAINT, and specifics under TRIVIA.
ANNUNCIATION, THE The delivery to the Virgin Mary of the message from God that she was to be the mother of Jesus. See ANGEL. We celebrate this event on March 25.
ANTHEM From the Greek antiphonon, a sacred choral composition, usually sung by the choir as the offertory (q.v.). It is so called because it was originally sung by two choirs as an antiphon (q.v.).
ANTIPHON A liturgical verse or series of verses, spoken or sung responsively, usually before a psalm or hymn. Also a devotional verse sung back and forth between two choirs as part of a liturgy. The best known is probably the greeting The Lord be with you, and the response And with thy spirit. This occurs seven times during the Eucharist.
APOCRYPHA See under BIBLE.
APOSTLE Literally, a messenger. Jesus chose from among his disciples twelve men whom he commissioned as apostles to carry his teachings to the world, with specific instructions that they baptize all nations with water and in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. He also gave them the authority to remit sins to men on earth. As written in the Gospel, Jesus breathed on them and said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.”(John 20: 22, 23). The original twelve apostles are listed in the New Testament in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, and in Acts. They were Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew; James and John the sons of Zebedee; Philip, Bartholomew and Thomas; Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alpheus; Thaddeus, also called Judas son of James, or Jude; Simon the Canaanean (“the zealot”); and Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus. Judas was replaced by Matthias, who was elected and commissioned (consecrated) by the other eleven apostles. A later addition was Paul (Saul of Tarsus) who was converted and commissioned by Jesus in a vision as Saul was traveling from Jerusalem to Damascus.
APOSTOLIC Having to do with the apostles, particularly with reference to the teachings of Jesus by his apostles, and upon which the Catholic faith is based.
APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION As the apostles aged, they realized that it would be necessary to the spreading of the gospel that new men be selected to carry on their work. Early examples given in Acts of the Apostles were Timothy, Titus and Barnabas. At first also called apostles, these and later men became known by the title of episcopos, a word from the Greek meaning overseer, and the title of apostle was reserved to those personally selected by Jesus. Episcopos is translated in English to bishop. The authority vested in the apostles by Jesus was passed on to these men by the apostles through proper prayer and the laying on of hands, and subsequently by the first bishops to their successors down to our present day bishops. We believe that our bishops today have received Christ’s authority on earth as given by him to the original apostles. That authority included the teaching of the true Gospel and the proclamation of forgiveness of sin to repentant Christians. It is also the means through which God’s grace (q.v.) is given to us, and the channel through which the Sacraments (q.v.) are administered and received. See also MALE PRIESTHOOD.
APSE A semi-circular or –octagonal protrusion behind the altar. This was originally the location of the bishop’s throne, and in later churches may contain a chapel or an ambulatory (walkway).
ASCENSION, THE Forty days after the Resurrection (q.v.), Jesus gathered his apostles on Mount Olivet, a short distance from Jerusalem, where he was preparing them to receive the Holy Ghost. When he had told them this, “...while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.” (Acts 1:9). We now celebrate Ascension Day forty days after Easter, so it always falls on a Thursday. See also SEASONS.
ASCRIPTION, THE The phrase, usually spoken by the preacher following the sermon, And now unto God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, we ascribe as is most justly due, all might, majesty ,dominion, power and glory, both now and forevermore, Amen. See also DOXOLOGY.
ARCHBISHOP See BISHOP
ARCHDEACON A priest appointed by the bishop to oversee a portion of the diocese. He is usually the rector of a parish within the assigned portion. In other provinces he may have other responsibilities.
ARTICLES OF RELIGION, THE The Thirty-nine Articles as published in the back of the BCP, pages 603 ff. The title page avers that these statements were “established by the Bishops, the Clergy, and the Laity...in the United States of America, in Convention, on the twelfth day of September...1801”. They were lifted bodily from the English BCP in use in 1571 during the reign of Elizabeth I while the Church of England was under stress from the Puritans, Romanists and Lutherans as well as from the Traditional Anglicans. They were intended to set forth not only those things we believe to be true and necessary to salvation as Christians, but also those things we do not believe to be valid. There are actually only 38 articles, inasmuch as Article XXI, Of the Authority of General Councils, was omitted from the original statements as being unnecessary. The Church in America has never ratified the Articles as Canon Law (q.v.), but they remain in the BCP as being informative to the benefit of Catholic Christians in the historic sense.
ATONEMENT, THE St. Paul tells us that “...the wages of sin is death.” (Rom 6:23). From Adam to the present, man has been predisposed toward sin and away from God (see ORIGINAL SIN). If a person sins today, there is no way that person can “make it up” to God because it is an incident of the past. It remains, in effect, as a debt to God that we are unable to pay, adding to our separation from God with every sin that is committed. Only God could repay this debt, but only man was under the obligation to pay. Christ is both man and God. When he died on the cross, he did what only God could do: and when he died, he did what only man had to do. In this act, Christ conquered death through the Resurrection and made it possible for sinful man to be reunited or made at one with God, hence the At-one-ment. See also ABSOLUTION and REDEMPTION.
AUTHORIZED VERSION The translation of the Bible authorized by King James of England in 1611. It is the primary text used for the Gospels, Epistles and lessons in our liturgy. See BIBLE.
BANNS, PUBLISHING See MATRIMONY.
BAPTISM See SACRAMENTS
BELOVED APOSTLE, THE Referred to as “...the apostle whom Jesus loved...” several times in his Gospel account, St. John, brother of James (the “sons of Zebedee”) was a cousin of Jesus and apparently his closest friend among all the apostles. The author of the last of the Gospels to be written, John was the most spiritual and introspective of the four accounts; and apparently his intention was to “fill in the gaps” left in the first three by showing the more intimate details of Jesus’ example and teaching. John is thought to have been the groom in the story of the marriage in Cana, where Jesus worked his first miracle, the changing of water to wine to supply the wedding party. His Gospel contains the only account of this occasion. John was also the author of the apocalyptic Revelation, the last book in the New Testament and certainly the most difficult to understand.
BENEDICTION The priestly blessing conferred upon the people at the end of the Eucharist.
BETROTHAL This word comes from the same stem as truth. The Church uses the term to describe the public exchange of vows of a couple of their intention to enter into matrimony (q.v.). Today, this takes place in the sacrament of matrimony at the very beginning of the office, but in the early Church and well into more modern history, this took place some weeks or even months before the marriage, outside the door of the church and before all the people of the parish, at the time the couple announced their engagement, and was as binding on the couple as the marriage itself.
BIBLE The volume of writings accepted by the Church as inspired by God and of divine authority. This consists of the Old Testament of the Hebrews, the New Testament of the early Christians, and the Apocrypha or psuedo-scriptural books, 14 in number. The Apocrypha are accepted by the Catholic Church as guides to Christian living, although not part of the Canon of Scripture (q.v.) and are not to be used to establish doctrine. Several of our canticles and lessons in the BCP are taken from the Apocrypha. The word apocryphal means hidden or spurious.
The Old Testament and the Apocrypha were originally written in Hebrew or Aramaic. The New Testament was written in Greek. Many translations into English have been made. Our standard is the King James (or authorized) version, translated from the Greek Septuagint in 1611 by a group of Biblical scholars. The psalms in the BCP are taken from the Great Bible, translated by Bishop Miles Coverdale in 1535 – 39 from the Latin Vulgate, which until recently was the standard text of the Roman Catholic Church. See also CANON OF SCRIPTURE.
BISHOP The highest of the three Holy Orders (see APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION and SACRAMENTS). As the chief pastor of a diocese (q.v.) he has the cure (q.v.) of souls for all in his diocese and is responsible for their health. He alone has the power and authority to ordain within his diocese. Before being consecrated to the episcopate, or order of bishops, one must previously have been ordained a deacon and must serve in that capacity for a period, usually a year, before he may be ordained a priest. He will again serve for some time as a priest before he may be considered for elevation to the episcopate. Three bishops are required for the consecration of a new bishop. This is a safeguard against the distant possibility that there might have been a break in the Apostolic Succession of only a single bishop. With three acting in concert, that chance becomes virtually impossible. A bishop remains both a priest and a deacon as well as a bishop. A suffragan is an elected assistant bishop. An assistant bishop with the right of succession to diocesan (q.v.) is a coadjutor. A supervisory bishop the head of a province in which several dioceses are geographically located is called an archbishop or a metropolitan, or simply a Presiding Bishop. His power and authority are still only those of any other bishop. See also STANDING COMMITTEE.
Bishops in the Continuing Anglican movement have received their orders variously from retired traditional Episcopal bishops and those from the Anglican Church of Canada; the Philippine Catholic Church, and the Old Catholics. Their consecrations are recognized as valid by the Roman Catholic Church.
BOW It is appropriate to bow one’s head when: the cross passes in procession; at the Name of Jesus wherever it occurs during a service; and at the words “we worship thee” and “receive our prayer” during the Gloria in Excelsis (BCP page 84). See also GENUFLECTION and SIGN OF THE CROSS.
BURSE See under VEIL.
CANON A person, usually a priest, associated with the staff of a cathedral (q.v.), or one proficient in canon law.
CANON LAW The rules established by the Church for her operation and government. Changes can be made at the provincial or diocesan level in the respective synod (q.v.).
CANON OF THE MASS The portion of the Eucharist in which the consecration of the elements occurs. It begins with the Sursum corda (See under LATIN) on page 76 in the BCP and ends with the Lord’s Prayer, page 82.
CANON OF SCRIPTURE By the end of the first century, the Church at large was in general agreement on what written material was appropriate to the teaching of Christianity, but it was not until the end of the fourth century that the Church convened councils of bishops and scholars to review all known writings relating to Christianity, and to agree upon certain of them as being accurate and in accordance with Christian teaching and understanding. At least 26 texts were eliminated as being either invalid or redundant. The final selection of written material became the New Testament as we know it today: the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; Luke’s Acts of the Apostles; the fourteen Epistles of Paul and those of James, Peter, John and Jude; and the Revelation of John. About 90 A.D. the officials of Judaism had done essentially the same thing to their historic literature, establishing what we know as the Old Testament. These two volumes together constitute the Canon of Scripture acknowledged as true and used by the Church since those times. See also BIBLE.
CANTICLE A song taken from the Bible for use in the liturgy, especially in the Daily Offices. They are primarily from the New Testament, although some are excerpts from a psalm or the Apocrypha ( See under BIBLE).
CATECHISM A course of instruction for catechumens, or those who are preparing for confirmation. In the early Church, this instruction covered a period of up to three years. Its primary purpose was to ensure that all those who were to be confirmed were fully aware of the sanctity of the Eucharist and the associated doctrine. Today we accomplish this from an early age through our Sunday school classes, leading up to a specific confirmation class at the age of 9 to 11. Special classes are held for adults. See also SPONSOR and SACRAMENTS.
CATHEDRAL When we hear the word cathedral what usually comes to mind is Notre Dame in Paris or St. Paul’s in London, but all cathedrals need not be of such grandeur. A cathedral is simply a church where a bishop has his seat or cathedra. If this happens to be the parish church in the city where the diocesan headquarters is located, it is called a pro-cathedral.
CATHOLIC With a small c, catholic means universal. With a capital C, Catholic refers to that faith that all men, in all times and in all places, have agreed to be the complete and true faith taught by Jesus. See MARKS.
CELEBRANT The priest (or bishop) who is conducting or celebrating the Eucharist.
CHASTITY Purity of life in thought, word and deed.
CHOIR OFFICES Morning and Evening Prayer. They are so called because they are conducted from the choir (see frontispiece) of the church rather than from the sanctuary.
CHRISM A mixture of olive oil and balsam which has been blessed by the bishop. It is used at baptisms, confirmations and ordinations, and may be used at the consecration or blessing of a church or its accessories.
CHRISTIAN DUTIES Our three Christian duties are personal prayer, fasting and almsgiving. (See individual headings for specific information on these duties.)
CHURCH BUILDING A typical Anglican church building is divided into areas, each of which has its purpose. As we enter the church, we come into the narthex, a foyer or vestibule, at the back of the church. Next we enter the nave where the pews are situated. Between the rows of pews is the main or center aisle. At the end of this aisle may be the chancel containing the choir stalls. If there is no chancel, the choir is usually in a loft or balcony over the back of the nave, and the aisle leads directly into the sanctuary (q.v.) where the altar stands. Some churches are built in a cruciform or cross-shaped configuration: where this occurs, there are two wings at the end of the aisle called transepts, and the area between them is the crossing. Most churches are oriented with the sanctuary at the east end of the building, and the transepts are called the north and south transepts. The north transept often contains a chapel with a small altar, used for services on special occasions or when there are few people attending. The south transept usually contains additional pews. A sacristy, where the vessels (q.v.) and supplies are stored opens off the sanctuary. A vestry where the vestments (q.v.) are stored may open off the narthex or sanctuary.
CHURCH, THE Our definition of The Church is Christ and His People (all baptized persons). This relationship would continue to exist even if there were no place set aside where we, as The Church, could worship our Lord and God.
CLOTHING See VESTMENTS
COLLECT A prayer, primarily one spoken by the celebrant immediately before the reading of the Epistle during the Eucharist. Pronounced COLL-ect, it usually emphasizes or “collects” our thoughts on the Gospel for the day.
COMFORTABLE WORDS, THE The invitation spoken by the celebrant in the Eucharist (BCP page 76) to the people to hear the words of Christ which follow. Comfortable in this sense means comforting; not in the current sense of ease or luxury, but in the original sense of strengthening or solace. Also, Christ’s words themselves, from the Gospels of Matthew and John and Paul’s Epistle to Timothy. We sometimes hear this passage referred to (mildly irreverently) as “The Comfies”.
COMMON PRAYER, THE BOOK OF The Book of Common Prayer, 1928 edition, is the standard of worship of the Anglican Church in the United States. It had its origin in 1549, when the Church of England under King Edward VI, son of King Henry VIII, commissioned Thomas Cranmer, then Archbishop of Canterbury, to translate the Latin Mass into English for the edification and participation of the people in the Eucharist and the Daily Offices (q.v.). The term Common Prayer means that this publication was intended for use by all people in common. The 1549 version underwent several modifications between 1549 and 1662, but in each version retained the full Catholic faith. The 1662 version was used by the American colonies prior to the American Revolution. Prayers for the President and Congress replaced those for the King and Parliament in 1789, otherwise retaining the essentials of Cranmer’s work. Minor revisions to the 1789 American version restored some ancient observances and updated some language usage in 1882 and 1928, still following the intent of the 1549 opus to retain the full True Faith and practice of the early Church. References to the prayer book in this manual use the common abbreviation “BCP”.
The BCP has often been referred to as “the Bible rearranged for Christian worship”. Over three-quarters of the book consist of selections taken from Holy Scripture. The Old Testament Book of Psalms is incorporated in its entirety from Coverdale’s Great Bible of 1535, for example; and much of the liturgy of the Eucharist is directly transcribed from the New Testament. Most of the Gospels and Epistles are bodily lifted from the King James (Authorized) version. The canticles in the Daily Offices are scriptural in origin, from both the Old and New Testaments and the Apocrypha (See under BIBLE). It is of interest to note that in the first BCP, the appropriate collect for each day was included, but the Gospels and Epistles were not printed in the book: they were included by reference to the appropriate Biblical passages under each collect. Not until 1662 were these actually printed in full in the BCP.
The BCP is divided into sections, which correspond roughly to the several manuals that were separately printed and bound in the original Latin version for use by the various clergymen participating in the Mass, for the Daily Offices (q.v.), for weddings, baptisms, visitation of the sick and burials; for ordinations, confirmation and other rites used only by the bishop; the Psalter or Book of Psalms; and for family prayer. Inclusion of the rite for Family Prayer in the BCP shows how valuable and important the Church considers our praying together as a family, as well as our regular attendance at the Eucharist. This section is a relatively recent addition, published separately in 1705 in England, and was based on a set of prayers prepared for the private use of King William III of England about 1694. The Daily Offices of which there were eight at the time, were consolidated by Cranmer into Morning and Evening Prayer.
Although the Book of Common Prayer (1928) is the standard for the liturgy of the Anglican Church, there are occasions in the life of the Church for which no BCP office (ceremony) exists. For example, the “propers” (q.v.) for saints’ days are limited to those saints that are named in the Bible. We refer to these as “Red Letter Days”. This Church has approved two extensions of the BCP, The Lesser Feasts and Fasts and The Book of Offices. The former, first published in 1917, provides propers for saints’ days and other occasions on which the Eucharist is celebrated but for which the BCP makes no special provision. The latter, published by the Episcopal Church in 1940, provides ceremonies for such occasions as a Blessing of a Marriage or of a House, Setting Apart of a Deaconess, the Installation of a Bishop, and Benediction (blessing) of new Church Furnishings, among others.
A third extension of the BCP is the Missal (q.v.). The introduction to the missal makes the point that the BCP does not contain specific instructions regarding the traditional practices followed by the Anglican Church in the Eucharist, and the personal prayers of the celebrant as originally provided in the ancient Latin Mass, among other things. The observances followed at St. Michael’s parish are from the missal, which accounts for their absence in the 1928 BCP found in the pews. Use of the missal is canonically approved in our diocese. An edition of the missal for use by the people is available. (See SUGGESTED ADDITIONAL READING, page 78).
COMMUNICANT A baptized and confirmed member of the Anglican Church who is eligible to receive the Eucharist.
CONFIRMATION See under SACRAMENTS
CONFESSION See PENANCE under SACRAMENTS
COUNSEL See SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
COVET To have an unreasonable or unrealistic desire for anything, especially something that belongs to another person: to be greedy.
CREED From the Latin credo, meaning I believe, a formal statement of the Catholic faith. When we recite the creed, we are affirming our belief in the complete teachings of Jesus as contained in the New Testament. There are three recognized creeds: the Apostles’ Creed found in the Daily Offices, The Nicene Creed found in the Eucharist, and the lengthy Athanasian Creed. The latter is not in the American BCP, but is included in the English BCP. All the creeds were created prior to 500 A.D. by the Church convened in the Ecumenical Councils (q.v.) in response to heresies or false teachings by heretics, those who distorted the Christian faith by introducing ideas or practices not in accordance with the true doctrine as taught by Jesus. See also DOCTRINE and DOGMA.
CROSIER The crook-shaped staff carried by the bishop when acting in his authoritative capacity. It represents the crook carried by a shepherd for the safety and protection of his flock. (Also spelled CROZIER.)
CROSS, SIGN OF THE See SIGN OF THE CROSS.
CRUCIFER One who carries a cross in procession. See ACOLYTE.
CRUCIFIX A cross on which is mounted a Corpus, a figure of the crucified Christ.
CRUCIFIXION, THE The act of nailing our Saviour to the cross on the day after the Feast of the Passover when he had celebrated the Last Supper with his apostles. In the words of the BCP, we refer to this occasion as God’s tender mercy in giving “...thine only Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the Cross for our redemption; who made there by his one oblation of himself once offered, a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction, for the sins of the whole world...” (page 80). We now remember this ultimate sacrifice at every Eucharist, and especially on Good Friday.
CURATE An assistant clergyman assigned to a parish as an aide to the rector. He is usually a newly ordained priest, and will use this first assignment to obtain experience before receiving his own parish.
CURE This word, as used here, is not a medical term, but refers to the function of the bishop (q.v.) as “the cure of souls” and, by extension, that of the rector. It can also mean the people committed to this care, his parishioners.
DAILY OFFICES Morning and Evening Prayer, found in the BCP on pp. 3-20 and 21-34 respectively. These offices were to be read or sung daily in churches, and always before and after the Eucharist on Sundays and Holy Days. Although most Anglicans don’t observe this practice regularly, we as Christians are expected to pray at home as a family twice daily. An order of family prayer is found on pages 587-600 in the BCP.
DEACON The first of the three Holy Orders. A candidate must meet strict requirements even before admission to a seminary, and is subject to frequent examination by the diocesan Board of Examining Chaplains appointed by the bishop before ordination. A deacon may read the Gospel and assist in the Eucharist. He may baptize and bury. If authorized by the bishop, he may preach his own sermons. He is directly responsible to the bishop, regardless of where he performs his duties as a deacon. See also under SACRAMENTS.
DEACONESS A mature woman, age 24 or over, who is usually assigned responsibility for attending to the poor or ill, or ministering to the women and children of a parish. She is not in Holy Orders, and has no responsibility or authority for liturgical or sacramental matters. She is “set apart” by the bishop to do her work. She may resign her position if she so desires. The office of deaconess dates back to the early apostolic period.
DEAN We use the title of dean for three different functions: (1) the chief priest of a cathedral; (2) the head of a seminary; and (3) a priest appointed by the bishop to represent him in a portion of a diocese called a deanery. This position is similar to that of an archdeacon (q.v.).
DEATH The bible story in Genesis relating to God’s creation of mankind tells us that we were made by this act of love in order that we might love and worship God forever. We were to do this not as robots, but of our own volition: otherwise, this love would be meaningless. In return, God would give us everything we needed for a joyful life in his presence. There were, of course, rules to be observed; and when, through natural curiosity, man chose to ignore them, we lost our opportunity to enjoy the life eternal and became subject to physical death. This curiosity still gets us into occasional trouble. The death of Adam and Eve was not the end of the story, however. St. Paul tells us, “For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (I Cor 15: 21-22). See REDEMPTION and RESURRECTION.
DIOCESE A group of parishes, usually within a specific geographical area, responsible to a bishop.
DIOCESAN The bishop in charge of a diocese. Used as an adjective, diocesan means having to do with a diocese.
DIVORCE The Anglican Church does not recognize civil divorce, and neither party may remarry within the Church unless (a) the divorce resulted from failure to consummate the marriage, (b) the marriage was invalid because of a previous marriage of either party, (c) fraud, or (d) infidelity. In any of these cases, the circumstances may be submitted to the bishop for review and investigation. He may, upon examining the case, annul the marriage, in which case the innocent party may, with the bishop’s permission, marry within the Church. Annulment does not affect legitimacy, parenting or inheritance.
DOCTOR In ecclesiastical terms, not a medical professional but a person well learned and authoritative in the theology, doctrine and practice of Christianity. This title would be comparable today with one who has a PhD degree in Sacred Theology or a closely related field.
DOCTRINE That which is taught and held to be true by the Church and provable by Scripture as being necessary for salvation, and not open to question by Catholic Christians. See also FAITH.
DOGMA A body of theology and religion formally stated and authoritatively proclaimed by the Church.
DOXOLOGY Any of several statements in which we ascribe glory to the Holy Trinity. The best known examples are the Gloria patri, the Gloria in excelsis (see under LATIN) and hymn 139, Praise God from all blessings flow, but there are others as well.
ECCLESIASTICAL Of or relating to the Church or its organization or government, as opposed to the secular.
ECUMENICAL COUNCILS In 325 A.D., the Roman emperor Constantine, following his conversion to Christianity, invited bishops from all over the empire to a meeting in the town of Nicaea for the purpose of agreeing on how the Church should pray and preach the Gospel. Great distances between the many churches established by the apostles and their successors restricted communication among them, and over time differences in prayer and teachings had developed. The bishops gathered in this Ecumenical or world-wide council and established standards for faith and practice, adopting a statement we now refer to as the Nicene Creed. Over the following 450 years, six more Ecumenical Councils were held. At each one, as in the Council of Nicaea, the Holy Spirit guided the bishops in making sure that all Christians would hear only the true teachings of the Gospel.
Note that the term ecumenical as used today refers to the efforts of the fragmented Church to reunite in some fashion agreeable to all, rather than for all to return to the One True Faith.
ELEMENTS The wine, water and bread to be consecrated at the Eucharist.
ELEVATION The act of raising the elements during the consecration, symbolic of offering our sacrifice to God.
EMBER DAYS Deriving from the Anglo-Saxon word ymbryne meaning “to run around,” the Ember Days are the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday following the first Sunday in Lent, Whitsunday, September 14 and December 13. These observances date back to about 220 A.D., when they appear to have been adapted from Roman pagan observances related to the four seasons of the year. They now are associated primarily with the clergy and ordinations. Seminarians are required by canon law to report their status to the bishop, in writing, during each of the four periods.
EMBLEMS See SYMBOLS
EPISCOPAL Having to do with bishops (from the Greek episcopos). See BISHOP.
EPISTLE A letter, specifically one in the New Testament, written by an apostle or early bishop to the members of one or more of the early Christian congregations, to encourage, teach or admonish the people. A selection from the Epistles is read at each Eucharist, either from the epistle or right side of the altar, or from the lectern (See under FURNITURE). It may be read by the celebrant, an assisting clergyman, or a layreader.
ESCHATOLOGY The doctrine of the last or final things to come. In the Nicene creed, we say that Jesus “...shall come again, with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead”, and that we “...look for the Resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.” These statements can be compressed to say that we believe the four last things are death, judgment, heaven and hell.
Death will happen to everyone. At death, one’s spirit is separated from one’s body. Death is the punishment of sin, and all Christians take death seriously. Eternal life for us Christians does not mean that we never see death. It means that we die and live to tell about it. When Jesus conquered death, he did not make it impossible to die; he made it possible to die and to rise again. That is what we mean by the resurrection of the body. Like our Lord’s body, our bodies shall rise and be joined to our spirits again.
Judgment will happen to everyone. Even those whom Christ saved will come before him to be judged. He himself has told us what judgment will be like. Those who have followed him will not feel as though they deserve special treatment. Those who have not followed him will try to argue how well they have behaved. If we have known Christ in this life, we will recognize him after death. If we have not known him, he will not know us. Whoever gives himself to Christ here in our earthly life will be Christ’s hereafter.
Heaven awaits those whom Christ has saved. In heaven, one lives in the kingdom of God forever. What is it like there? We can scarcely imagine what it looks or sounds like, but the Bible does tell us what goes on there. First, we shall see God “face to face.” Now we see him “darkly, as though in a mirror,” but then, we shall see him “as he is.” Secondly, there will be a “heavenly banquet.” We do not know what is on the menu. Yet this description seems to mean that what we enjoy about a feast here on earth - food and fellowship – we can hope for in heaven. It also means that we shall somehow grow spiritually.
Hell is spiritual death and the complete separation from God and from Christ and also from other people. In hell there is no love. There is only selfishness, which is never satisfied. Hell is also full of suffering without end.
EUCHARIST The service of Holy Communion. Derived from the Greek, the word Eucharist means Thanksgiving. In this liturgy, we are giving thanks to God for our redemption through the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is also called The Lord’s Supper or the Mass. Any of these names are proper. See also SACRAMENTS.
EVANGELICAL See HIGH and LOW CHURCH.
EXHORTATION The encouragement or warning to be read by the celebrant to the congregation regarding the importance of proper attendance and participation in the Eucharist. See BCP pages 85 to 89. Because we celebrate the Eucharist at least once a week, the exhortations are now rarely used or required.
FAITH That which we accept and believe to be true, even though no scientific proof is possible. We must be aware that Catholicism is not a menu from which one may select what part to believe: it is a matter either of embracing the entire faith or of rejecting all of it in favor of a lesser religion, whatever that might be. We strive toward a complete understanding of, and living by, the teachings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. See also DOGMA.
FASTING To fast means to go without eating for a period of time. It is one of our Christian duties, and a form of self-discipline that helps us keep control over our physical bodies and to concentrate on our spiritual selves with the objective of growing closer to God. Fasting also reminds us that we must eat in order to live, and that food is one of God’s gifts to us. Jesus taught us, “Man does not live by bread alone, but every word from the mouth of God.” (Mat 4: 3) We are expected to come to the Eucharist fasting, which means that we have eaten no food at least three hours prior to our partaking of the Sacrament The BCP (page li) lists Ash Wednesday and Good Friday as Fasts: this designation denotes a strict fast, meaning that no food be eaten before sundown. The 40 days of Lent are listed as days “...on which the Church requires such a measure of abstinence as is more especially suited to extraordinary acts and exercises of devotion.” This does not mean giving up candy, dessert or other trivial things: it means giving up something of consequence to your existence. Throughout Lent (except on Sundays, which are always feast days) traditional Anglicans give up one of their meals each week, or eat one full meal and two half meals, and on Wednesdays and Fridays we abstain from meat and meat products. The Church does not require anyone under 7 or over 70 to fast; nor are those whose physical condition would be worsened by fasting: mere hunger, however, is NOT considered a physical condition. We abstain from meat or meat products on all Fridays during the year except those that fall between Christmas and Epiphany or on a feast day. See also FEASTS AND FASTS.
FEASTS AND FASTS Moveable feasts in the Church Seasons (q.v.) are those that do not occur on the same date every year. Except for Advent Sunday, the dates on which these are celebrated are based on the date of Easter Day (NOT Easter Sunday) which is always the first Sunday after the full moon on or after March 21. This formula is that by which the date of the Hebrew festival of the Passover was established, the Thursday before Easter, the occasion of the Last Supper shared by Jesus with his apostles and the day before the Crucifixion, Good Friday. The “Gesimas”, or Sundays before Lent, are: Septuagesima, nine weeks before Easter; Sexagesima, eight weeks before Easter; Quinquagesima (also called the Sunday next before Lent), seven weeks before Easter; and Quadragesima (the first Sunday in Lent) is six weeks before Easter. (The Gesimas are symbolically seventy, sixty, fifty and forty days before Easter.) The first day of Lent is Ash Wednesday, the Wednesday following Quinquagesima. Rogation Sunday (q.v.) is five weeks after Easter; Ascension Day is forty days after Easter; Whitsunday is seven weeks after Easter; and Trinity Sunday is eight weeks after Easter. Advent Sunday is always the Sunday nearest (either before or after) the Feast of St. Andrew which is celebrated on November 30, and is always four Sundays before Christmas.
The forty days of Lent represent the forty days spent in the desert by Jesus, in preparation for the Crucifixion. Sundays during Lent are excluded: all Sundays are feast days, as lesser celebrations of Easter.
The fixed Holy Days are: the celebrations of the saints’ days, Christmas Day (December 25), the Circumcision (January 1), the Epiphany (January 6), the Purification (February 2), the Annunciation (March 25), the Transfiguration (August 6), and the Holy Innocents (December 28). Except for saints’ days, all of these celebrations were calculated from the date of Christmas. In addition to the feast days above that we celebrate according to historic Christianity are the Monday and Tuesday following Easter and Whitsunday; and we also celebrate our national days of Independence and Thanksgiving as the gifts of God to our country.
The fast days are: Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, the forty days of Lent (Sundays excluded), the Ember Days (q.v.), all Fridays (except those that fall on Christmas Day, the Epiphany, between them or within their octaves), and the Rogation Days (q.v.).
FERIAL and FESTAL These two words refer to the nature of our worship relative to the type of music for the particular occasion. A ferial service is one that is observed on ordinary occasions, and the music is simple or even unused, as in the usual 8:00 o’clock Sunday service. A festal service is used on major feast days, and the music is more elaborate and extensive. For examples, see hymns 601 and 602 in the hymnal, pages 699-703.
FISH A symbol used by early Christians during the persecutions. Drawn with two simple curved lines, it could be inscribed in the dust, and thus used as a secret symbol for one Christian to identify himself to another without fear of revealing himself to the local authorities. It was from the Greek word icthus, meaning fish. The initial Greek letters of the word, icqgs, stood for Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.
FONT A structure that is designed to hold a basin of water to be used in baptism. It may be of any convenient design or size. Traditionally it is placed near the entrance of the nave, signifying the entrance of the newly baptized person to membership in Christ and his Church. The word comes from the same stem as fountain.
FURNITURE There are several pieces of furniture found in an Anglican church building, aside from the altar (q.v.). Each has its particular function. The lectern is simply a reading stand from which the Epistle or a lesson is read. It is usually on the epistle side of the nave, opposite the pulpit (see below). A pew is one of the benches in the nave where the parishioners sit during a service. The pulpit is a raised structure with a kind of fence around it, where the preacher stands to deliver his sermon. It is usually on the gospel side of the nave just outside the sanctuary (q.v.). The sedilia is a chair inside the sanctuary. The bishop’s throne is the chair used by the bishop when he visits the parish. It is inside the sanctuary on the gospel side. A credence table is a shelf placed on the wall against which the altar stands or on the south wall of the sanctuary to hold the elements prior to their preparation for consecration. Behind the altar may be a reredos, an ornamental screen or partition, usually of wood. A similar arrangement of fabric is called a dorsal.
GARMENTS See VESTMENTS
GENUFLECTION Kneeling briefly on the right knee. It is a gesture of reverence, and while not a requirement, it is traditionally observed, while the sanctuary lamp (See under TABERNACLE) is lit, as one enters or leaves a pew; when passing in front of the altar; at the Incarnatus (See under LATIN); and when entering or leaving the sanctuary (q.v.). Some prefer to genuflect as the bishop passes in procession while issuing the pontifical blessing, but a bow will suffice as well. Either is proper and correct.
GHOSTLY STRENGTH See SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
GODPARENT See SPONSOR
GOOD WORKS We are taught that we cannot achieve heaven and eternal life through the doing of good deeds, but rather that through our receiving of the Holy Ghost in baptism and partaking of the Eucharist, we receive grace (q.v.) and are inspired to help our fellow man as our Christian duty. In the Great Thanksgiving (q.v.) we pray, “...we humbly beseech thee, O heavenly Father, so to assist us with thy grace, that we may...do all such good works as thou hast prepared for us to walk in...” . Attempting to “buy our way” into heaven by doing good works alone apart from grace is called supererogation.
GOSPEL Literally, good news: in this case, the four versions of the life and teachings of Jesus included in the New Testament, written shortly after Jesus’ death by an apostle or an early bishop. A selection from one of the Gospels is read during the Eucharist, either by the celebrant or another assisting clergyman, from the left or gospel side of the altar. We stand for the reading of the Gospel out of respect for the Word of God.
GOSPEL SIDE As we face the altar, the Gospel side is at its left or northern side (see frontispiece). This is a place of honor in recognition of the significance of the reading of the Gospel, the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. But, you will wonder, why the left side when the place of honor is usually on one’s right? In early church buildings the altar was not against the wall as it usually is today, but set out some distance, and the bishop sat behind the altar facing the congregation, and hence the place of honor was on his right. We still see a remnant of this ancient position, with the bishop’s throne to our left, or to the altar’s right. See also APSE.
GRACE Grace is an undeserved favor given to us by God. The word comes from the Latin gratus, meaning favorable or pleasing. We use this simple word to describe God’s love for sinful mankind. We are not able to earn God’s love, but because he loves us, he helps us to do what we can’t do for ourselves, by giving us the power to be better than our human nature alone would let us. Grace comes to us through prayer, especially in the Eucharist; by reading the Bible to help us understand God’s Word; and through our good works. See also APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION.
GRADUAL A hymn, anthem (q.v.) or canticle (q.v.) spoken or sung between the Epistle and Gospel during the Eucharist. The term gradual comes from the Latin gradus, the name of the step from which the gradual was originally sung or chanted. It is just below the footpace on which the altar stands. Today the gradual is usually an appropriate hymn sung by the congregation.
GRAVEN IMAGE A carved or cast figure in the shape of a real or imagined person or thing, intended as an object of worship; here specifically including a representation of any kind of our God. Old Testament references to idols or graven images included even posts or trees designated by the heathen as symbols of their gods.
HIGH and LOW CHURCH Since the Reformation, the Anglican Communion has recognized two distinct concepts within itself. One puts the primary emphasis on the Eucharist, while the other sees preaching of the Gospel as its main role, and we see such a parish observing the Daily Offices as the norm, with the Eucharist celebrated only occasionally. A parish of the first type is called a High or liturgical Church and the other a Low or evangelical Church. Anglicanism accepts both, and we refer to this as broad churchmanship.
HOLY Sacred, or set apart for the worship of God.
HOLY COMMUNION See EUCHARIST.
HOLY DAYS See under FEASTS AND FASTS.
HOLY FEAR See SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
HOLY ORDERS The clergy. See DEACON, PRIEST, BISHOP, and SACRAMENTS.
HOMILY A short sermon in a set form, often from a volume of such addresses, usually dealing with morality or Christian living.
HYMNAL An extension of the BCP containing sacred songs and versicles set to music, for use during any of the services. In the front of the BCP on page viii, there is an authorizing statement regarding Hymns and Anthems. The hymnal is divided into sections, according to Season, Saints’ Days and Holy Days, Thanksgiving and National Days, Morning and Evening Prayer, the Sacraments, Litanies, Hymns for Children, Missions, and General Hymns. At the back of the hymnal are found Directions for Anglican Chanting, The Choral Service, Morning and Evening Canticles, Occasional Canticles (for special occasions) and The Holy Communion. Selection of music for any service is the responsibility and authority solely of the rector or vicar.
INCARNATION, THE The taking on of human flesh by our Lord Jesus Christ through the Virgin Mary. We celebrate this event on December 25, Christmas Day. See also ANNUNCIATION.
INCENSE From ancient times incense has been associated with religious rites. It is made from the sap of trees related to the cedar, found originally in Arabia and Somalia and transplanted from there throughout Asia and the Middle East. It was highly valued, and extensive trade routes were established for its sale to places around the world. In the 4th century, the early Church began its use in the Eucharist where it symbolized the rising of prayers to Heaven. It was adopted by the Church of England for a period after the Reformation until proscribed by the Puritans (q.v.) under Cromwell, but was restored in the 19th century as part of the Oxford Movement, the pressure group established among Anglican laymen to restore many of the ancient traditions and observances that were lost under Puritan pressures to do away with “popish” usages.
Incense is burned on glowing charcoal in a vessel called a thurible. The acolyte carrying it is a thurifer. The act of swinging the thurible is called censing. Extra incense is carried in a vessel called a boat, and the junior acolyte carrying it is a boat boy. An anecdote tells of a celebrant who is about to cense the altar at the introit which he is then chanting, singing to the thurifer, “What have you done with the incense pot?”, to which the thurifer responds, chanting, “I left it in the hall ‘cuz it was too durn hot”.
INTINCTION The word used to describe the practice of receiving Eucharistic wine by having the chalice bearer dip the edge of the wafer into the wine and placing it on the tongue of the communicant. The Church teaches that it is expected and proper that you receive the chalice. There is no factual reason to abstain from the Cup of Grace other than a compelling medical condition that would require you to do so. Should this occur, you may receive the wine by intinction. It would be appropriate for you to discuss this with the rector beforehand.
INTROIT Literally, to enter: a psalm or a short selection from Scripture, read by the celebrant upon entering the sanctuary, followed by the Gloria Patri, “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost”. The introit varies with the particular Sunday or special occasion for the Eucharist. It may be spoken or sung by the celebrant, or by the choir or a cantor.
KALENDAR The annual guide to the Church Year, which lists all the days on which the Church observes special occasions. Similar to the secular calendar, it is broken down into weeks and months of the year. It displays the ecclesiastical color to be used each day and lists such information as the Saints’ Days, the Church Seasons, and some specifics regarding special observances. The spelling (with a K) is to distinguish it from other kinds of calendars. It is sometimes called an Ordo. See also SEASONS.
KNOWLEDGE See SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
LAST THINGS, THE See ESCHATOLOGY.
LAITY The members of the congregation, or the people in general, as opposed to a man who has been ordained to the clergy. An individual is called a layman, regardless of whether the person is a man, woman or child.
LATIN Latin was the language of the liturgy used by the early western Church based in Rome, the text of which was the basis for translation of the Mass into English. See COMMON PRAYER, THE BOOK OF. The titles of the psalms and the various canticles found in the BCP are still printed in Latin by tradition. Each title is usually the first line of the psalm or canticle (q.v.). Although some Latin titles are not found in the BCP, we traditionally refer to many things found there by their Latin names. Some examples are:
Agnus Dei – “O Lamb of God”, following the Prayer of Humble Access, BCP page 82.
Ecce Agnus – “Behold the Lamb of God...” at the elevation.
Gloria tibi –“ Glory be to thee, O Lord”, at the introduction of the Gospel
Gloria Patri – “Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost”
Gloria in excelsis –“ Glory be to God on high...” etc., found on page 84 of the BCP following the communion
Incarnatus – the point in the Nicene Creed at the words, “And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, And was made man”
Sanctus – “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, Lord God of Hosts”
Sursum corda –“ Lift up your hearts”, BCP page 82.
LAVABO BOWL A small bowl of glass or silver, used by the celebrant when washing his hands following the preparation of the elements for the Eucharist.
LAYREADER See ACOLYTE
LECTIONARY A section in the front of the Book of Common Prayer that lists the psalm(s), Old Testament and New Testament lessons to be used in the Daily Offices for each day of the Christian year.
LESSON An excerpt from the Bible read during an office. Two are usually read during a daily office, one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament. A lesson from the Old Testament may be read before the Epistle during the Eucharist.
LITANY From the Greek litaneia, a prayer or supplication: a liturgical series of petitions spoken (or sung) by the officiant, each of which is followed by a response from the congregation. In our litany on page 54 in the BCP, there are five sections, which are:
(1) Invocations- solemn addresses to the Holy Trinity.
(2) Deprecations- petitions for deliverance from evil.
(3) Obsecrations-entreaties to Christ, recalling his redeeming acts on our behalf .
4) Petitions- asking for the intercession or aid to us by our Lord in our many human troubles, ending with the Agnus Dei, the Kyrie and the Lord’s Prayer.
(5) Supplications- consisting of responsive versicles and collects.
The litany is usually read by the officiant from a litany desk or prie-dieu placed at the head of the center aisle in the nave, but may be read or sung in solemn procession.
LITURGY The word liturgy means “The work of the people”. As we use this word, it refers to all of our public services of worship. A liturgical church is one in which a set form of worship is used, and in which the people participate. Capitalized, Liturgy refers to the Holy Eucharist.
LORD’S PRAYER, THE In the Gospels of Matthew (6:9-13) and Luke (11:1-4) we read that Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Master, teach us to pray as John also taught his disciples”. From these two references, in translations from the Greek into English, we have the prayer that we use today. Its importance to us is shown in that every rite in the BCP contains this prayer, and in the Eucharist we find it in two places. We are also taught that we should use this prayer daily in our private devotions, morning and evening. The prayer actually ends with ...but deliver us from evil, and the phrase following it is another form of the Doxology (q.v.) that is a later addition. We find this prayer without the Doxology in two places in the BCP: On page 67 at the beginning of the Eucharist, and on page 58 in the Litany.
LUST A desire arising from a self-indulgent motive, usually sexual in nature: any abnormal, unrealistic or sinful temptation or emotion.
MALE PRIESTHOOD, REGARDING For centuries the polity and canons of the Holy Catholic Church made no mention that Holy Orders were restricted to men alone because this was until very recently understood and unquestioned universally as ordained by Christ himself. St. Luke tells us that Jesus spent the entire night in prayer before choosing his apostles (Luke 6:12-13).
Twentieth century feminist interpretation demands that his choice of males alone was due to the Jewish social mores and traditions of the period, and was not the result of Providential directive. To accept this concept is to deny the True Divinity of Jesus, inasmuch as it implies only human understanding on his part, and that the will of God played no role in his selection.
During his life on earth, Jesus had many women around him. He welcomed their involvement and held them in high esteem. Well-known examples are Mary Magdalene, Martha and her sister Mary, and his own mother. Jesus, himself a manifestation of the Godhead, selected men for the apostolate as father figures, the providers and protectors of our human families and, by extension, of the Family of the Church. We also find in the New Testament examples of women serving the Church in the capacity of a deaconess, not in that of the ordained clergy, but in providing for the poor and tending the ill among the Christian community. From the medieval period and beyond, such tasks were performed by nuns as well. Nowhere do we find any suggestion that their authority or responsibility went beyond those tasks. The Church has followed this practice into the present.
Contrast Apostolic ordination with that of the “free churches”: Presbyterians are ordained by their own ministry (presbytery), Congregationalists by their local congregation, others by their own declaration. There is nothing to stop anyone, male or female, who wishes to do so from preaching his or her interpretation of the Bible on a street corner or in a store front without regard for the teaching of the historic Church: this has been done from the Reformation in the sixteenth century to the present. None of these are recognized as valid by the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, where a candidate for Holy Orders must meet rigid requirements, complete very extensive training and receive approval for his qualification by a board appointed by the bishop before he can even be considered a postulant. He must first receive ordination by a bishop ordinary to the deaconate, then serve in that capacity for a year before he becomes eligible for ordination to the priesthood. Priests and deacons in their respective positions, acting for and through the bishop, are acting for Christ whom the bishop represents on earth. The Catholic Episcopate is the bond of unity within the Church, and is the guarantee against heresy. Unless the sacraments are administered by persons duly qualified, there is no security or assurance that they convey grace. The power and authority to administer the sacraments was given by Christ in the first instance to the apostles, to be handed on by them to the bishops succeeding them in an unbroken line, and extended through the authority of the bishops to the priests under their jurisdiction.
Of interest is that all of the current treatises researched on Christian priesthood use male pronouns exclusively, thereby acknowledging the universal understanding of the masculine character of Holy Orders. This is confirmed in general terms by the choice of the free churches of the term minister or pastor rather than priest as women are accepted as religious leaders, thus making a clear distinction in nature between them and the clergy within the historic Apostolic Succession. It is interesting also that where some women are considered priests by their congregations (e.g. in the Episcopal Church) the issue is “skirted” by addressing both genders familiarly by their first names rather than by the traditional and respectful term of father.
MARKS The Church is said to have four marks or characteristics, which are: One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. See under the individual headings for further definitions.
MARRIAGE See MATRIMONY
MASS See EUCHARIST.
MATRIMONY In its literal sense, matrimony means motherhood, but the Church views this as a much broader concept. We are taught, for example, that any kind of marriage is for the purpose of bringing up children and for the mutual support and help of each mate toward the other. Matrimony differs from other marriages in that matrimony brings with it the blessings and support of the Church. A priest is constrained from participating in a matrimony unless and until he is completely satisfied that the couple’s intentions to marry are fully in accord with the teachings of the Church; that is, that the union is to be a lifelong commitment of each party to the other; that the couple understands the teaching of the Church in this regard; that they are aware of the pitfalls that may arise, and that the Church stands prepared to assist with their resolution. To this end, the Church requires that the priest must counsel the couple and satisfy himself that both parties understand and concur with the position of the Church before agreeing to the union. He must also be satisfied that neither party is or has been previously married, and that there are no other reasons that might preclude the proposed union. In addition to whatever information in this regard the priest may find in the course of his counseling, he is required to publish the intended marriage to the people of the parish, asking that anyone who believes that there are reservations or undisclosed problems to present them to him. This must be done at least three times at weekly intervals prior to the wedding, and is referred to as publishing of the banns.
Christian marriage is mentioned in the New Testament, indicating that the Church has always taught its importance and sanctity. St. Paul tells us, “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body...Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church...So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies.” (Eph 5: 22-28). Submission as used here does not mean that a wife must grovel and accede to her husband in all matters, but rather that she supports him in his role of provider and protector of the family and eschews the use of sex as a weapon. Contrary to worldly opinion, the vows in the rite of marriage do not read “love, honor and obey”, but require each party to “love and to cherish” the other. See also under SACRAMENTS.
MINISTER Literally, a servant: an officiant or assistant who may be other than a priest, such as a deacon or a licensed layreader. The BCP makes this distinction in the rubrics on pages 82 and 83. The term is also used broadly to mean any clergyman.
MISSAL A book intended for use at the altar, primarily for celebration of the Eucharist. It contains meditations for the celebrant during the consecration, and other material such as the rite for the blessing of palms on Palm Sunday, propers for feast days not provided for in the BCP, and instructions for proper ceremonial order.
MURDER Killing another person (including oneself) without just cause. The Church recognizes that there are cases when the killing of another person is justified: defense of self and family against unprovoked attack is one such case, and there are others similar in nature. We are constrained, however, to use this means only as a last resort when there is clearly no rational alternative; and we should seek God’s forgiveness should it occur.
NEIGHBOR In the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), Jesus made it clear that all mankind was bound into one brotherhood, and that we must love one another as oneself.
OBLATION A religious or ritualistic offering; also that which is offered.
OFFERTORY The portion of the Eucharist during which the Elements (q.v.) are offered to God before they are consecrated, and our alms are presented. If there is a choir, it will sing the offertory anthem as its offering of service to the Church during this ritual. NOTE: This word is NOT “offer-a-tory”, a common mispronunciation.
OFFICE Any one of the services in the BCP other than the Eucharist and those rites reserved to the bishop.
OFFICIANT The person conducting or leading an Office.
ONE As used in the Marks of the Church, One means undivided. Unfortunately the Christian Church is no longer undivided, and we pray that Christians everywhere will be reunited in the One True Church.
ORDAIN To invest with sacerdotal functions through prayer and the laying on of hands by the bishop. See also ORDER under SACRAMENTS.
ORDINARY Another title meaning a diocesan bishop.
ORIGINAL SIN The inclination of mankind toward evil and away from God. See BCP page 604.
ORPHERY A broad band of fabric embroidered with Christian symbols. It is applied to the paraments (q.v.) and the chasuble as appropriate decoration.
PARADISE From the Greek paradeisos, a park or pleasant place; in Hebrew, Sheol. This is the abode of souls after death while awaiting the final judgment. We are taught that Jesus, following his death on the cross, descended into this realm to preach redemption to those who died before knowing him. In the Apostles’ Creed, this is what we mean about his descent into hell. The BCP stipulates that in the Apostles’ Creed we may use the words, He went into the place of departed spirits, which are considered as words of the same meaning in the Creed (rubric in the BCP on page 15). On the cross, when the good thief asked to be remembered, Jesus told him, “Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:42-43). When we exit our life on earth in physical death, our souls leave the continuum of time and enter a new timeless condition where it is always now. There is no today, tomorrow or yesterday; and because of this it is probable that our next awareness will be that of the Final Judgment regardless of how much worldly time has elapsed.
PARAMENTS The hangings on the pulpit and lectern made of the same material and with the same orpheries (q.v.) as the chasuble. They change color in accordance with the seasons.
PARISH Originally a specific piece of English geography within which all people were members of the local congregation of the faithful when there was only One Church, it is now the domain from which a particular church draws its membership. The term is also used to mean the collective parochial membership.
PARISH HALL A building, usually adjacent to or connecting with a church building, that is set aside for church activities not involving worship. Non-Anglicans may call this structure a “fellowship hall” or some similar title.
PASCHAL CANDLE A large candle, often decorated with Christian symbols, placed on a tall candle stand located in the sanctuary on the Gospel side. It is lighted at daybreak on Easter Day and burns until Ascension Day, when it is extinguished following the Gospel. It is re-lighted for occasions such as baptisms, and burns during that office.
PASTOR From the same root as pasture, the word pastor means shepherd. The bishop is the chief pastor of the Christian flock. Jesus referred to his disciples as his sheep.
PENANCE See SACRAMENTS.
PERSONAL PRAYER falls into five different categories, each of which serves a particular purpose. These are:
1. Praise and thanksgiving – saying “thank you” to God for all he gives us.
2. Intercession – asking God’s help for someone else.
3. Petition – asking God’s help for yourself.
4. Penitential – asking God’s forgiveness for our sins.
5. Meditation – thinking about God and listening for his words to us. We must remember, in this instance, that God is constantly aware of all our thoughts, and we must be careful not to think thoughts that would violate our obligations as Christians.
PISCINA A basin or small sink with a drain leading directly into the earth, used for the final cleansing of the Eucharistic vessels and the associated linens. It is usually located in the sacristy.
POMP Anything overly elaborate or ornate for the purpose of attracting attention: cheap, gaudy or tasteless, or unnecessary for the intended action or purpose.
PRAYER BOOK See COMMON PRAYER, THE BOOK OF
PRAYER OF HUMBLE ACCESS, THE The prayer on page 82 of the BCP beginning with We do not presume to come to this thy table, O merciful Lord..., in which we ask God for the merits and blessings we derive from participating in and receiving the Eucharist.
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING, THE The prayer on page 83 of the BCP beginning with Almighty and everliving God, we most heartily thank thee..., in which we thank God for the benefits we receive through our participation in the Eucharist.
PREACHER The person who delivers a sermon. The word is never used as a title or honorific for any clergyman.
PRIEST The middle or second grade of Holy Orders. He must have served as a deacon, usually for a year, before he is ordained a priest, and again must have passed review by the Board of Examining Chaplains during his tenure as deacon. As a priest, he receives the authority to officiate at matrimony, bestow unction, hear confessions, and to remit the sins of a penitent, and to celebrate the Eucharist. A priest is still a deacon as well. See also under SACRAMENTS.
“PROPERS” are the proper collect, Epistle and Gospel appointed to be read during the Eucharist on any specific day.
PROVINCE An area, usually geographical, containing a number of dioceses, and administered by an archbishop, metropolitan or presiding bishop. Sometimes referred to as an archdiocese.
PSALM From the Greek psalmos, a sacred song or hymn intended to be accompanied by a stringed instrument similar to our present day zither, called a psaltery; one of the Hebrew songs from the Old Testament Book of Psalms, commonly called the Psalter or Psalms of David. Although traditionally these songs are attributed to King David, only about half are believed to have been written by him. In the King James version of the Bible, the psalms attributed to David are so labeled in the introduction. See also COMMON PRAYER, THE BOOK OF.
PURPOSES The Church has four purposes:
Liturgical: the Church is supposed to lead the whole creation in worshipping God. In the Book of Revelation, four living creatures (q.v. below) that represent the powers of nature, and 24 elders who stand for the Church, surround the throne of God.
Missionary: the second purpose is to preach the Gospel (Mat. 28:19). The Church preaches because people cannot worship God before they know him.
Teaching: the Church is supposed to teach people what to believe and what to do (Mat. 16:19 and 18:18).
Pastoral: the Church is supposed to give the means of grace, including the sacraments, Bible study, prayer and fellowship. This duty is not for the clergy alone. Every Christian has a duty to work and pray for the spread and support of the Church.
In the Eucharist, all four purposes are served.
PURIFICATOR A square of fine linen about 12x12 inches, used by the chalice bearer to wipe the lip of the chalice after each communicant receives the consecrated wine of the Eucharist.
PURITANS When we hear this word, the picture that usually comes to mind is that of stern men in New England wearing tall hats, dressed in black, with Bibles tucked under their left arms. At the time of the Reformation (q.v.), these were Englishmen who had been strongly influenced by the Protestant trends in Europe, particularly under Calvin and Knox, and who felt the Church of England should be “purified of popishness”. In varying degrees, their objectives were to cast aside from the Church of England such things as Eucharistic vestments at the conservative end of the spectrum, to the elimination of bishops and the Eucharist itself at the radical end. In 1642 the Puritans fomented rebellion against the English monarch, King Charles I. Their leader, Oliver Cromwell, took over the government and established the Commonwealth. During this period, the Church of England was suppressed and the Book of Common Prayer was prohibited. Charles and many of the Church of England leaders were summarily executed. In 1660 the Commonwealth lost the support of the people and the army. In an effort to reunify the English, the army commander George Monck engineered the return of the monarchy and Charles II assumed the throne in 1660, restored the Church of England and reauthorized the 1549 Book of Common Prayer with minor revisions in 1662. The more radical Puritans fled, mainly to the New England colonies in America where they established Presbyterian, Congregational and Quaker churches. See also section on ENGLISH MONARCHS.
REAL PRESENCE, THE This is the doctrine held by the Anglican Church which teaches that Christ’s Body and Blood, in the consecrated bread and wine of the Eucharist, is truly real and present, not merely symbolically or figuratively, even though they physically remain bread and wine. We base this on Christ’s own words which appear in all four gospels, Take, eat, this is my body; and Drink ye all of this, for this is my blood of the new testament...(Matthew 26:26-28 quoted).
RECTOR The priest in charge of an established parish. He has tenured rights to this position, which provides stability to his parish. He is responsible to the bishop, and receives his authority from and through the bishop.
RECTORY A home or residence provided by the parish for use by the rector and his family.
REDEMPTION To redeem means to reclaim by paying a penalty. As Christians, we have been redeemed by the penalty paid by God on our behalf in the form of the Crucifixion. See also ATONEMENT.
RED LETTER DAYS are those celebrating the greater feast days during the Church Year. They are so-called because these dates were originally printed in red in the calendar of the BCP.
REFORMATION, THE In the 16th century, the western Church under the papacy had misused its power and allowed a number of inappropriate practices to creep in among the upper ranks. Some of these were papal indulgences, sold for considerable sums as a condition for forgiveness of serious sins; charging church members for the prayers of the Church; and the buying and selling of positions in the Church to unqualified persons, primarily that of bishops who profited greatly from the money extracted from simple people and princes alike in the form of church taxes. These practices were clearly wrong, and were resented by the laity and many clergymen. Several men registered severe objections, notably Martin Luther, a German monk and priest, who posted a list of grievances on the door of his church. The pope ignored these theses or objections and excommunicated Luther, whose followers then separated themselves from the Church and started a new society for worship under its own rules. They called themselves Protestants because they were protesting the malpractices of the Church. Other people in Europe quickly followed suit, and dozens of these societies emerged, each with its unique characteristics.
In England, however, contrasting with the Continent, King Henry VIII simply withdrew the Church from papal control and banned the inappropriate practices. He retained the full Catholic faith and traditions, including the Latin Mass and the practices of worship, and prohibited any separatism within the realm. From this position, the Anglican Church as we know it has descended. See also COMMON PRAYER, THE BOOK OF.
A contributing factor in the Reformation was the invention of moveable metal type by Johann Gutenberg a century earlier. Before this, every copy of the Bible was laboriously copied out by hand and prohibitively expensive. The printing process made the Bible affordable to anyone, thus allowing the average man to read scripture, and to put his own interpretation on what he had read without the benefit of the teachings of the Church. Most of the “reformers” did just that, and the process continues today.
REPENTENCE The feeling of true contrition or sorrow for having committed a sin: feeling sorry enough that you are unlikely to commit that same sin again. See PENANCE under SACRAMENTS.
RESURRECTION Central to the Christian faith, and our assurance of a new life after our physical existence on earth, is the Good News that Christ was restored to life three days after his crucifixion. The Gospels give accounts of the number of people who saw the resurrected Jesus, spoke with him and ate with him. He was truly physically alive in his old body, still bearing the wounds of which he died, but somehow vastly changed. Forty days later, he ascended bodily to heaven, and promised to all who believed in him a new life with him after our worldly death.
REVEREND An adjective meaning worthy of reverence, used as an honorific to a clergyman, but never as a title. A deacon is referred to as The Reverend Mr. Albert Jones, a priest as The Reverend John Smith; a canon as The Reverend Canon Paul Brown; an archdeacon as The Venerable (q.v.); a dean (q.v.) as The Very Reverend; and a bishop The Right Reverend. The honorific for a presiding bishop or archbishop is The Most Reverend.
REQUIEM (properly REQUIEM MASS) A Eucharist, usually sung, in which we ask God for the repose or rest of the soul of one or more of those departed the physical life. The term comes from the Latin, Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine; Rest eternal grant them, O Lord.
RITE A specific text and form of a particular service or liturgy.
RITUAL The procedures, motions and ceremonies used during a rite.
ROBES See VESTMENTS
ROGATION DAYS The word rogation comes from the Latin rogare, meaning to ask or pray. This period of the year is dedicated to prayers for the success of crops on which we depend for food, and begins on the fifth Sunday after Easter. In England before the 20th century, on the following Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, the parishioners of each parish walked the bounds of the parish, pausing at particular landmarks for a brief sermon or prayer, or even a picnic lunch. This activity was called “Beating the Bounds” which we can no longer do because we no longer have specific parish bounds, but is still widely observed in principle by walking the property line of the churchyard on Rogation Sunday after church.
RUBRICS So called because they were originally printed in red (from the same stem as ruby), these are the instructions printed in italics relating to the conduct of the several services and offices in the BCP, a kind of “stage direction”. In some editions, particularly those used at the altar, rubrics still appear in red.
SABBATH The Hebrew word meaning seventh, relating to the day of rest taken by God after his acts of creation. It is observed by the Jews on Saturday (the seventh day of the week). The Christian day of rest and celebration of Christ’s Resurrection in the Eucharist is observed on Sunday (properly called The Lord’s Day) in recognition of the day on which the Resurrection occurred. An interesting aside: our names for four of the seven days of the week are derived from the names of the ancient pagan Teutonic mythological gods. The other three (Saturday, Sunday and Monday) are named for Saturn (a Roman god), the sun and the moon respectively.
SACRAMENT This word comes from the Latin sacrare meaning holy. The Church recognizes seven sacraments: Holy Baptism, Holy Confirmation, Holy Order, Holy Eucharist, Holy Matrimony, Holy Penance and Holy Unction. Our broad definition of a sacrament is “The outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace.” Five things are required for a sacrament to be recognized or valid: matter, form, intention, subject andminister. These may be seen in the chart below for each of the sacraments.
The Matter is the outward and visible sign of the sacrament.
The Form is the action required to perform the sacrament, consisting essentially of the prayers and ritual used in the ceremony provided for the specific sacrament.
The Intention is the result desired, or the inward and spiritual grace of the sacrament.
The Subject is the person (or persons) who is (are) to receive the sacrament.
The Minister is the person who is to celebrate or administer the sacrament. Some sacraments may be celebrated only by a bishop, others by a priest, and still others by any baptized Christian.
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Baptism is one of the two sacraments instituted by Christ, saying, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you”. (Mat. 28:19-20). It is the means by which God conveys forgiveness of sins, membership in the Church, unity with Christ, and inheritance in the kingdom of heaven. Baptism with water and in the Name of the Trinity makes a permanent change in the soul of the subject, and may be administered only once. St. John tells us of Jesus’ statement to Nicodemus: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3: 1-7). Established practice calls for baptisms to be performed by a priest or bishop inside a church and before the congregation, but circumstances may be such that this is not always practicable. Some examples are: a person near death desiring baptism; an infant who, for any reason, cannot be brought to the church; or a priest is unavailable. In such cases, baptism may be performed by a deacon, a licensed layreader, or, in extremis, any baptized Christian (in that order of preference) using moving water and the statement, “(Name), I baptize thee in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, Amen.” A record of this kind of baptism must be entered at first opportunity in the permanent parish register, together with a statement of the circumstances and the names of the person administering the rite and the sponsors or witnesses thereto. Because baptism is the sign of membership of the Church, a person seeking to become a member of an Anglican parish must show evidence of baptism as a Christian. If such proof is unavailable or in question, conditional baptism is administered, and the clause, “If thou art not already baptized”, is spoken before the baptism (See BCP page 282).
Confirmation is the completion of baptism, and conveys the sevenfold gift of the Holy Spirit. It may be celebrated only by a bishop. This rite was separated from baptism when it became the custom to baptize children and infants. The Church requires that persons to be confirmed must have full knowledge of the importance of the Eucharist and the essentials of the Christian faith before being brought to the bishop for this sacrament. A person desiring to join the Anglican Church, but who has already been confirmed by a bishop within the Apostolic Succession from another branch of the Catholic Church, is received into the Anglican Church by our bishop. As in the case of baptism, he must demonstrate proof of his prior confirmation. This is usually accomplished by a letter of transfer from his previous affiliation. There is no provision for conditional confirmation.
Order is the sacrament of the ministry or ordination. This sacrament may be celebrated only by a bishop through prayer and the laying on of hands. Ordination to any of the three grades may be done only once because it applies a change of character to the subject through the action of the Holy Ghost.
The Eucharist is the regular duty of all Christians to receive frequently. This, like baptism, is a sacrament created by Christ. It was instituted at the Last Supper, with his commandment, “This do as oft as ye shall eat/drink this in remembrance of me”. (1 Cor. 11:23-26).
Matrimony is often called marriage. Even non-Christians may marry, but there is a difference between Christian and non-Christian marriage. Matrimony is a permanent bond between the couple, and it is supposed to represent the relationship between Christ and his Church. This means that the husband is supposed to act toward his wife as Jesus acts toward the Church; and the wife is supposed to behave toward her husband as the Church acts toward Christ. St. Paul calls these two behaviors sacrifice and submission. These ideas are hardly popular with today’s ideas of equality between the sexes, but they make it possible for the couple to work together in harmony, and thus obtain happiness and fulfillment together.
Penance is often referred to as confession, but this is only one part of the sacrament. The penitent, or the person making a confession, admits his sins to a confessor, who may be a priest or a bishop. The confessor offers advice, assigns a penance, and grants absolution or forgiveness of the sins. The penitent performs the penance, which is the sign of forgiveness. The penance assigned is commensurate with the sin, and may range from prayers for help in personal improvement to making restitution for stolen materials or turning himself in to th