Terminology - Glossary P

PROCESSION OF THE CROSS – A solemn procession of clergy and laity, at the head of which is carried the Holy Cross, banners, icons, etc.? The Procession of the Cross always occur at the end of the Matins of Holy Saturday (the “Burial of Christ”) and on the Holy Pascha (Resurrection) at the beginning of… Read More

PROFANE – Not holy.  The word can also be used as a verb meaning “to treat something sacred with irreverence.”

PROKIMENON – (Gradual) (Prokimenon) (pl. Prokeimena) A verse and refrain which is read and sung before the reading of the Epistle.- On most Sundays, the prokeimenon of the resurrection, for the tone of the week (from the Octoechos), is chanted. A form of responsorial singing consisting of a psalm-verse refrain and, by extension — the… Read More

PROPHET – 1) One who proclaims the will of God and/or who foretells the future, especially the coming and mission of Christ, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. (Deut. 18:18; Acts 28:25.)   2) (an appellation or Title of Jesus)  “The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst… Read More

PROPHETICAL BOOKS (of the Old Testament)  – Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the twelve others so-called minor prophets:  Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah,  Mica, Nahum, Habakkuk,  Zephaniah,  Haggai,  Zechariah, and  Malachi. PROPHETICAL BOOKS (of the New Testament)  – Revelation

PROPITIATION – 1) An offering that results in atonement, redemption, and reconciliation. Christ offered Himself on the Cross as a propitiation for our sins, to liberate humanity from sin and death. (Rom. 3:21-26; Heb. 2:17; 1 John 2:2; 4:10.) 2) (an appellation or Title of Jesus) ” And he is the propitiation for our sins:… Read More

PROSELYTE – Literally, “one who comes toward.” A proselyte is a convert to the Faith, usually from another religion. In the New Testament, the word usually refers to a Gentile convert to Judaism (Acts 2:10; 13:43).

PROSKORMIDE – Proskomedia (Gr. gathering of gifts or preparing to receive the gifts; Sl. Shertvennik). The Service of the preparation of the elements of bread and wine before the Liturgy. It takes place on the Table of Oblation (Prothesis), which is situated at the left (north) side of the altar.

PROSOMION (pl., PROSOMIA) – Also called PODOBEN. It is a Troparion (Sticheron) whose meter and melody are taken from that of an Automelon which serves as its model. Prosómia are a large, specific group of hymns of the Eastern Orthodox Church, which are used as models and paradigms for the composition of other hymns. In… Read More

PROSPHORA – The Altar Breads. Bread made from pure wheat flour, round, in 2 “layers,” signifying the two natures in Jesus Christ, stamped on the top with a four-pointed cross, thus dividing it into four parts, each part is marked with the following letters: 1C, XC, NI, KA (NIKA are first letters of words meaning… Read More

PROSTRATION – A posture of humility or adoration when in prayer one kneels and bows the head to the floor.

PROTECTION OF THE MOTHER OF GOD – The Protection of the Mother of God is one of the most beloved feast days on the Orthodox calendar among the Slavic peoples, commemorated on October 1. The feast is celebrated additionally on October 28 in the Greek tradition. It is also known as the feast of the… Read More

PROTHESIS – The Greek word used (1) for the table (zhertvennik) on which the preparation of the elements for Divine Liturgy is made; (2) for the Proskomidiya itself.

PROTOMARTYR – One of the various customary saint titles used in commemoration at divine services when remembering saints on the Church Calendar. – The first martyr in a given region (in the case of St. Stephen ( ACTS 7:60) , the first martyr of the whole Church).

PROTOPRESBYTER – A title of honor given by the Council of Bishops to an archpriest for long or outstanding service to the Church.

PROVIDENCE – God’s sovereign care in governing His creation, especially His care for the faithful (Rom. 8:28).

PSALM – An ancient Hebraic hymn that has, in various instances, a doxological, penitential, didactic, or messianic content. In many respects, psalms served as models for the composition of new Christian hymns, and also came to be incorporated as important elements into all forms of the Christian liturgy. Following Hebraic antecedents, the Christians developed various… Read More

PSALMS OF DAVID – One of the books known as the Doctrinal books of the Old Testament. The Psalter (also known as the Psalms of David) is the Old Testament book that contains hymns and poems traditionally ascribed to the Holy Prophet and King David, ancestor of our Lord Jesus Christ. Virtually every aspect of worship—praise,… Read More

PSALMS OF TYPIKA – (Typical Psalms)   Psalms 102 (103) and 145 (146), which, together with the Beatitudes, constitute the first part of Typika, a brief service of monastic origin. In current Russian practice Typika is served before the Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts, and the Psalms of Typika and the Beatitudes are the first, second,… Read More

PSALOMSCHIK (Sl.) – A psalm reader or lector. A layman who reads or sings the responses.

PSALTER – 1. The Psalter is the book of David, the King and Prophet. It is so termed because the majority of the psalms in it were written by the holy Prophet David. In these psalms, the holy Prophet opens his soul to God, with grief in repenting for the sins he has committed, and… Read More

PSEUDOEPIGRAPHA –  At the turn from the first century, many false writings about Christ were produced. These were the so-called apocryphal writings (not to be confused with the Deuterocanonical Old Testament books, also called pseudoepigrapha by some). These false writings carried the names of the apostles and introduced into Christian circles many fanciful and legendary… 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

PULPIT – (Gr.; Sl. Amvon, “an elevated place, podium”). A small raised platform or elaborate podium at the left (north) side of the soleas and in the front of the iconostasis. Decorated with representations of the four Evangelists, it is the place on which the deacon or priest reads the Gospel and delivers his sermon.