Terminology -

SAINT SIMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN – ( 1021). St. Simeon, commemorated March 12 and October 12, was noted as a brilliant spiritual writer, whose works hold a place of honor in the Phllokalia, a major monastic spiritual work. For this reason he endured persecution and also received the veneration of the Orthodox Church which honors… Read More

ONE CHURCH – The Church is one because God is one, and because Christ and the Holy Spirit are one. There can only be one Church and not many. And this one Church, because its unity depends on God, Christ, and the Spirit, may never be broken. Thus, according to Orthodox doctrine, the Church is… Read More

HOLY CHURCH –  The Church is holy because God is holy, and because Christ and the Holy Spirit are holy. The holiness of the Church comes from God. The members of the Church are holy to the extent that they live in communion with God. Within the earthly Church, people participate in God’s holiness. Sin… Read More

CATHOLIC CHURCH – The Church is catholic because of its relation to God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. The word catholic means full, complete, whole, with nothing lacking. God alone is full and total reality; in God alone is there nothing lacking. Sometimes the catholicity of the Church is understood in terms of the Church’s… Read More

APOSTOLIC CHURCH – The word apostolic describes that which has a mission, that which has “been sent” to accomplish a task. Christ and the Holy Spirit are both “apostolic” because both have been sent by the Father to the World. It is not only repeated in the Scripture on numerous occasions how Christ has been… Read More

ANALOI – A stand, about four or five feet high, with a sloping top; usually made of wood, and often covered with a cloth. Such stands 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.

LAMB – The symbol for the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross (cf. John 1:29). In the Orthodox liturgy the Lamb is the first square piece from the altar bread (prosphora), inscribed with the letters ICXC NIKA. This particular piece is to be consecrated during the Eucharist

NEKROSIMA – stichera for the reposed

MARTYRIKON – a sticheron commemorating the martyrs

NIMBUS – A nimbus can also refer to the halos of light around the heads of angels and saints in icons. Also in icons, Christ’s nimbus (halo) carries the cross and contains the Greek words meaning He Who Is  

INCARNATION – refers to Jesus Christ coming “in the flesh.” The eternal Son of God the Father assumed to Himself a complete human nature from the Virgin Mary. He was and is one divine Person, fully possessing from God the Father the entirety of the divine nature, and in His coming in the flesh fully… Read More

HOMOSEXUALITY – Although there is much more open discussion about homosexuality since the twentieth century than in previous times, there is definite reference to it in ancient writings. The frequently used synonym, sodomy, comes from the apparent homosexual activity among men of Sodom (Genesis 19), and the severity of strictures set forth in the Holiness… Read More

ECCLESIARCH – An ecclesiarch, or sacristan, in the Orthodox Christian Church is an officer of the church who is charged with the care of a church and its properties particularly in monasteries. His position resembles that of a sacrist in the Western Church. In large monasteries and important churches the ecclesiarch may be assisted by… Read More

LITURGICAL DAY – A liturgical day includes the cycle of services beginning with vespers in the evening and ending with the 9th hour the following afternoon. Thus when we speak of services for Sunday, or the Resurrection service, we begin with vespers, which is served Saturday evening. Similarly, vespers for the 25th of the month… Read More

CURRENT TONE – tone of the week, that is, the tone of the Octoechos that is currently in use.  

OF THE SAINT –  The expressions “of the saint” and “of the saint of the day” mean the saint (or the icon, or other fixed feast) being commemorated that calendar date (for example, the saint for September 26, if that is the current date). Any reference to “saint” means the hymn can be found in… Read More

OF THE DAY – The expressions “of the day,” “for the day,” etc. mean of the day of the week (Monday, Tuesday, etc.), often the current or present day of the week. Thus, “troparion of the day” means, on Monday, the troparion of the Bodiless Hosts; on Tuesday, the troparion of St. John the Baptist;… Read More

RESURRECTIONAL – “Resurrectional” and “Sunday” are equivalent; thus “Sunday Troparion” and “Resurrectional Troparion” and “Troparion of the Resurrection” are equivalent expressions. “of the Resurrection” means “taken from the service of the Resurrection in the Tone of the Week.”  

GLORY VERSE – “Glory verse,” “Glory” and “Doxastichos” mean a hymn (usually to a saint) that is sung after “Glory to the Father …” but before “Now and ever …” The expressions “The saint has a glory,” “there is a glory,” “glory for the saint (if there is one)” etc. refer to such a hymn…. Read More

HOLY UNCTION – The Mystery or Sacrament of Holy Unction is celebrated on Holy Wednesday evening. Actually this service can be celebrated any time during the year, especially when one is ill.  However, because of our need for forgiveness and spiritual healing, we offer this service during Holy Week for the remission of our sins. … Read More

NON-CHALCEDONIANISM  – Non-Chalcedonianism is the view(s) of those churches that do not accept the Confession of Chalcedon as defined at the Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon of 451. Some Christian denominations accept the doctrines of the previous council at Ephesus in 431, but do not accept, for varying reasons, the teachings of Chalcedon. The most substantial… Read More

LAMENT – (Lamentation) formal expression of sorrow or mourning, especially in hymn, verse, or song; an elegy or dirge.

EASTER BASKET – Following The Resurrection Matins and Liturgy it is traditional among Slavic peoples to have their “Easter baskets” blessed. There are traditional foods among every Slavic group: Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Ruthenian, Bulgarian, Romanian, Serbian, Croatian, Slovenian, Montenegrin, etc. Following is a list of foods commonly included in the basket. It is not necessary to… Read More

METROPOLIA – the pre-1970 general term for the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in America, now known as the Orthodox Church in Americ