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Glossary
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Afterfeast |
The period immediately following a feast, during which the
observance of the festival continues. |
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Ambon |
In Greek churches, the pulpit. In Russian churches, which in
general have no pulpit, the term 'ambon' is applied to the central part
of the soleas, i.e. to the space immediately in front of the Royal
Doors. Whichever the sense in which ambon is used it is the place
from which the deacon reads the Gospel, and from which the sermon is
delivered. |
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Analogion |
A desk, about four or five feet high, with a sloping top; usually
made of wood, and often covered with a cloth made of silk, damask, or
the like. Such desks are used: (1) for reading (2) when an icon or
the Book of the gospels is placed in the body of the church for
veneration by the faithful. |
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Antidoron |
Small pieces of bread distributed to the congregation by the priest
at the end of the holy Liturgy. As material for the antidoron, it
is the practice to use what remains of the loaves from which the
Eucharistic bread has been cut. Although sharing in the some
measure in the Eucharistic blessing, the antidoron is to be
distinguished carefully from the bread of the Eucharist itself: the
antidoron is blessed but not consecrated. |
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Apodosis |
The last day of the afterfeast, on
which the festival finally closes. The office of the feast is repeated
more or less in its entirety on the apodosis. |
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Apolytikion |
The principal troparion of
the day, occurring at the end of Vespers (hence its name), and
celebrating the particular feast or saint commemorated in the calendar.
Also know at the 'troparion of the feast' or the 'troparion of the day'.
On Great Feasts the practice
with regard to the apolytikion is as follows:
(1) It is sung three times at
the end of Vespers, immediately before the blessing of the bread, while
the priest censes the table on which the bread rests.
(2) It is repeated three
times near the beginning of Matins, after The Lord is God.
(3) It is sung once at the of
Matins, immediately after the Great Doxology.
(4) It is sung at the
Liturgy, after the Small Entrance and the Introit.
(5) it occurs likewise at
Great Compline and at all the hours. |
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Aposticha |
Stichera accompanied b verses
taken from the Psalms. Aposticha occur:
(1) At the end of Vespers,
both on feasts and on ordinary days.
(2) At the end of Matins, on
ordinary days only (i.e. on days when there is no Great Doxology). |
| - B - |
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Blessing of Bread |
A ceremony occurring at the end of Vespers on the eve of Great
Feasts, and on certain other days on which there is a Lity. A
table is placed in the centre of the church, and on it are set five
loaves together with three small vessels, containing respectively wine,
oil, and grains of wheat. During the singing of the apolytikion
the priest goes round the table censing it, and then he say a prayer of
blessing, recalling the five loaves at the feeding of the five thousand
in the desert (Matthew 14:15-21). The loaves
are then taken into the sanctuary, cut up, and dipped in the wine.
The bread is later distributed to the congregation: if there is a
Vigil,. after the Gospel matins; if there is no Vigil, at the end of
Vespers. |
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Canon |
A series of eight canticles, each made up of a number of troparia.
The canon occurs at Matins after the reading of the Psalter and of Psalm
50 (on Sundays and feasts, after the Litany, O Lord, save Thy people).
Originally, in Matins at this point the nine Scriptural canticles or
'odes' were sung, with a short refrain inserted between the verses.
St. Andrew of Crete (7th-8th century) established
the practice of expanding these short refrains into troparia celebrating
some particular theme: repentance (as in St. Andrew's own masterpiece,
The Great Canon); the feast or saint of the day; the Savior; the
Theotokos; the departed; and so on. In course of time the custom
of reading the actual Biblical text largely disappeared, although it is
still observed by many monastic communities during Lent (also throughout
the year in monasteries on Mount Athos, Patmos, and certain other
places). As a result the troparia of the canon are now usually
recited by themselves, accompanied by a short invocation such as
Glory to Thee, O God, glory to Thee, or Most Holy Theotokos, save
us. The sole Biblical canticle still sung in full is the
Magnificat: this is never omitted, except on Great Feasts. In
present practice there is no second canticle in the canon, save only on
various days in Lent: thus the canon, which theoretically contains none
canticles, has in reality only eight. The canons on weekdays in
Lent contain as a rule either two, three, or four canticles. |
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Forefeast |
One or more days of preparation immediately preceding a feast. Christmas
has five days of forefeast, and Theophany four; the remainder of the Great
Feasts have a forefeast of one day only. |
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Synaxis |
A title applied, among other things, to certain commemorations
falling on the day immediately after a Great Feast, and honoring some
personage closely connected with the theme of the Feast itself (i. g.
the Mother of God on December 26/January 8;
St. John the Baptizer on January 7/20; the
Archangel Gabriel on March 26/April 8).
Not every Great Feast is followed by a Synaxis. In a more general
sense, "synaxis" mean an assembly for worship. |
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tetrarch |
From Greek meaning a governor of the fourth part of a province - a
subordinate prince |
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