| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| GOVERNOR | GOVERNOR – (an appellation or Title of Jesus) “And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.” Matt 2:6 |
| GRACE | GRACE – (Sl. Blahodat‘) The gift of God’s own presence and action in His creation. Through grace, God forgives sins and transforms the believer into His image and likeness. Grace is not merely unmerited favoran attitude of God toward the believer. Grace is God’s uncreated energy bestowed in the sacraments and is therefore truly experienced…. Read More |
| GRADUAL | GRADUAL – (Sl. Prokimen) Verses from the Psalms, or other parts of Scripture, sung before the reading of the Epistle. |
| GREAT ENTRANCE | GREAT ENTRANCE – the solemn procession during the singing of the Cherubic Hymn at Divine Liturgy, in which the bread and wine are transferred from the Table of Preparation to the Holy Table. (see Cherubic Hymn) |
| GREAT VESPERS | GREAT VESPERS – refers to the Vespers done the evening before a major feast day. Since Sunday is always the commemoration of the Day of Resurrection, Vespers on Saturday evening is always a Great Vespers. There are only minor variations between regular and Great Vespers, but generally there is more chanting as opposed to intoning… Read More |
| GREAT ZNAMENNY CHANT | GREAT ZNAMENNY CHANT – One of the varieties of znamenny chant which is characterized by richness of melodic content and an abundance of melismas. In the system of Russian church musical aesthetics, melodies of Great Znamenny Chant were used primarily at particularly solemn moments of the liturgy and on feast days. (see also little znamenny… Read More |
| GREAT-MARTYR | GREAT-MARTYR – One of the various customary saint titles used in commemoration at divine services when remembering saints on the Church Calendar. One who was martyred for the faith and suffered torture |
| GREEK CHANT | GREEK CHANT – One of the liturgical chants of the Russian Orthodox Church, which became known in Muscovite Russia in the mid-17th c. The melodies of Greek Chant are characterized by syllabic structure, symmetry of rhythm and phrase construction, a strong tonal center, and the exact repetition of melodic phrases. The exact relationship of Russian… Read More |
| GREGORIAN CALENDAR | GREGORIAN CALENDAR – (New Calendar) The Gregorian calendar is the calendar in contemporary use in most countries. During the Middle Ages, some problems were discovered with the use of the Julian Calendar: every century had three to four days too many. In the sixteenth century the mistake grew to 10 days. Therefore, in 1582, it… Read More |
| GREGORY PALAMAS, SUNDAY OF | GREGORY PALAMAS, SUNDAY OF – The Second Sunday of Lent is the commemoration of St Gregory Palamas. It was St. Gregory (d.1359) who bore living witness that men can become divine through the grace of God in the Holy Spirit; and that even in this life, by prayer and fasting, human beings can become participants… Read More |
| GUARDIAN ANGELS | GUARDIAN ANGELS – Angels appointed by God at Baptism to protect and guide each individual soul to eternal salvation. We know this from the following words of holy Scripture: He shall give his angels charge over thee, to guard thee in, all thy ways. Psalm xci. 11. Each one of us his guardian angels. Of… Read More |