Terminology -

PARALYIC, SUNDAY OF THE – The fourth Sunday of Pascha is dedicated to Christ’s healing of the paralytic (Jn 5). The man is healed by Christ while waiting to be put down into the pool of water. Through baptism in the church we, too, are healed and saved by Christ for eternal life. Thus, in… Read More

WOMAN OF SAMARIA, SUNDAY OF THE – The fifth Sunday of Easter deals with the woman of Samaria, with whom Christ spoke at Jacob’s Well (Jn 4). Again the theme is the “living water” and the recognition of Jesus as God’s Messiah (Jn 4:10-11; 25-26). We are reminded of our new life in him, of… Read More

BLIND MAN, SUNDAY OF THE -The sixth Sunday of Easter commemorates the healing of the man blind from birth (Jn 9). We are identified with that man who came to see and to believe in Jesus as the Son of God. The Lord has anointed our eyes with his own divine hands and washed them… Read More

HOLY SYNOD OF BISHOPS – The Holy Synod of Bishops is the supreme canonical authority in the Orthodox Church in America. It includes, as voting members, all the diocesan bishops of the OCA. The Metropolitan is the ex-officio Chairman of the Synod. In case of his absence, a Chairman is elected by the diocesan bishops… Read More

ORTHODOX CHURCH IN AMERICA – (OCA) The Orthodox Church in America is an autocephalous Church with territorial Jurisdiction in the United States of America and the Commonwealth of Canada. Its doctrine, discipline, and worship are those of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church as taught by the Holy Scriptures, Holy Tradition, the Ecumenical and… Read More

ALL AMERICAN COUNCIL – The highest legislative and administrative authority within the Orthodox Church in America is the All-American Council. The All-American Council is convened periodically at intervals of about three years. Every parish is entitled to send both clergy and lay delegates .

METROPOLITAN OF ALL AMERICA AND CANADA – Among the bishops of the Church, the Metropolitan enjoys primacy, being the first among equals. He is the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, and is the diocesan bishop of one of the dioceses of the Church (Washington DC), and bears the title, “Metropolitan of All-America and… Read More

METROPOLITAN COUNCIL – In the Orthodox Church in America, the Metropolitan Council is the permanent executive body of the Church Administration which exists for the purpose of implementing the decisions of the All-American Council and continuing its work between sessions. It consists of the Metropolitan as Chairman, the Chancellor, the Secretary, the Treasurer, two representatives… Read More

SCOBA – Founded in 1960, the Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), brings together the canonical hierarchs of Orthodox jurisdictions in the Americas. The purpose of the Standing Conference is to create and foster ties of unity among the canonical Orthodox Churches and administrations for a stronger and more visible… Read More

IDOLATRY – 1) Excessive or blind adoration, reverence, devotion, ect. 2) Religious worship of idols.

ICXC – IC XC is an ancient Greek Christogram. This comes from the Greek spelling of Jesus Christ,  IC XC is simply the first and last letter of each individual word. Often a bar is depicted over each to signify that it is an abbreviation and to signify Christ’s divinity. In Orthodox iconography, IC XC… Read More

THEOSIS – Theosis is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit, whereby through Grace one becomes a participant in the Kingdom of God. Theosis literally means to become gods by Grace. The Biblical words that are synonymous and descriptive of Theosis are: adoption, edemption, inheritance, glorification, holiness and perfection. Theosis is an act of the uncreated… Read More

THEOLOGIAN – Theology deals with God, our participation in Him, and the underlying divine reality inherent in creation. It is far more than intellectual and scholarly discourse about God, and is not acquired through academic study. A real theologian is someone who has reached intimate communion with God and has perception of the spiritual world…. Read More

PSYCHE – The most important and least understood of all Biblical words is the word psyche. The Orthodox understanding of psyche remains unified and unchanged. The psyche is a pure unalloyed essence which animates the body and gives it life; it is our immaterial nature, created yet eternal, comprising of our cognitive, conative, and affective… Read More

NOUS – The nous is our highest faculty. It has been called: the “eye of the psyche,” the “eye of the heart,” and also the “energy of the psyche.” When cleansed, the nous resides and operates from within the heart; it can perceive God and the spiritual principals that underlie creation; it is cognitive, visionary,… Read More

HOLY OBLATION – The Holy Oblation occurs on the Holy Altar, it is the part of the Divine Liturgy during which the Eucharistic elements are offered to God, and so become His Blood and Body.

TONSURE – The tonsure, which is the cutting of hair from the head in the sign of the cross, is the sign that the person completely offers himself to God — hair being the symbol of strength (Jud 16:17). Thus, until the fifteenth century the clergy of the Orthodox Church — the “professional Christians,” so… Read More

VESTRY – At the right (South) side of the Altar is a space reserved for the sacred vessels, books and vestments, called the Vestry (or Diakonnikon, since the Deacons are usually in charge of these items). In ancient times this was a separate room and here the faithful would bring all sorts of edible gifts… Read More

BLAGOVEST – The Announcement. This is a slow rhythmic, unhurried striking of one bell, which is usually rung for the announcing of the beginning of services: Before the All-Night Vigil (also accompanied by the Trezvon); before each group of services of the daily cycle (9th Hour Vespers Compline; Nocturns Matins 1st Hour; 3rd Hour 6th… Read More

ANNOUNCEMENT (BELLS) – Blagovest This is a slow rhythmic, unhurried striking of one bell, which is usually rung for the announcing of the beginning of services. (see BLAGOVEST)

PERL – The Peal (Trezvon). This is the ringing of bells in three modes, three times repeating a musical measure with a definite harmony of many selected bells. The Peal is used at the beginning of major services: Combined with the Announcement, the Peal is rung at the beginning of the All-Night Vigil, at Matins,… Read More

TREZVON – The Peal (Trezvon). This is the ringing of bells in three modes, three times repeating a musical measure with a definite harmony of many selected bells. The Peal is used at the beginning of major services: Combined with the Announcement, the Peal is rung at the beginning of the All-Night Vigil, at Matins,… Read More

CHAIN-RINGING – Chain-Ringing (Perezvon).? This is a successive ringing of all the bells from the largest (lowest pitch) to the smallest (highest pitch), with the striking of each bell a number of times before the next bell is struck, and repeating this method several times. It is used before the Blessing of Waters, before the… Read More

PEREZVON – Chain-Ringing (Perezvon). This is a successive ringing of all the bells from the largest (lowest pitch) to the smallest (highest pitch), with the striking of each bell a number of times before the next bell is struck, and repeating this method several times. It is used before the Blessing of Waters, before the… Read More