Liturgical Terms

Liturgical Terms

APOSTLES' CREED: The earliest statement of the Christian faith. Also known as the "Nicene Creed" and the "Orthodox Creed".

BELIEVERS LITURGY: Following the first part of the liturgy, i.e., that of the catechumens, church's gates were closed (in the early ages). Only believers were allowed to stay behind to participate together in hymning, praying and receiving Holy Communion. (Also known as Liturgy of the Faithful.)

CANONICAL HOURS (AGPEYA): The book of daily prayers according to certain hours. It includes all the prayers, Psalms, Gospel readings, and petitions to be said at the various hours by day and night, appointed in accordance with analogous points in the life and Passion of Jesus Christ. Canonical hours were appointed in conformity with Psalm 119: 164 "Seven times a day do I praise You because of Your righteous judgments," and in fulfillment of Christ's commandment that prayers be offered at all times and with unflagging energy (Luke 18:1).

  1. Prime (6 AM, matins - morning prayer): we remember the Lord Jesus Christ's Resurrection.
  2. Tierce (9 AM): we remember when the Holy Spirit has came upon the believers.
  3. Sixth (12 PM): we remember the Lord's Crucifixion.
  4. None (3 PM): we remember the Lord's death.
  5. Vesper (5 PM): we remember the Lord's burial.
  6. Compline (6 PM, bedtime): we remember our departure from this world.
  7. Midnight (4 AM): we remember the Lord's last advent.
  8. The "Veil" Prayer, concerning monks and nuns.

CATHOLIC EPISTLES: So is called the epistle of St. James, the two epistles of St. Peter, St. John's three epistles and St. Jude's epistle. These were sent to the church all over the world. A chapter of it is read in the Liturgy after the Pauline epistles.

COMMUNION OF BREAD AND WINE: In the West, the custom of receiving Holy Communion under the two species of bread and wine was general until about the 12th century. Till today, the Coptic Church has the same custom.

CONFESSION [IN THE EUCHARISTIC LITURGY]: Before receiving the Holy Communion we admit that through the Lord Jesus Christ's Body and Blood we are given the forgiveness of sin and we gain eternal life. We pray the "Confession" in reverence and fear, as a preparation to receive Holy Communion.

COPTIC LITURGIES: Liturgies of St. Basil, St. Gregory the Theologian and St. Cyril (St. Mark's).

ANTIPHONARY: A collection of short stories of the saints of each day, and it is read during the Midnight Praise. A book that tells the stories of saints of the day and praises them in prose.

DIPYTUCH (Diptichon, Touptikon): The list of names of departed Christians for whom special prayers are offered. We love our deceased fathers and brothers, that's why we ask God to have mercy upon them; and they on their turn pray on our behalf. Praying "Dipytuch" takes place after the assembly, in the liturgy of Eucharist (Mass).

DIVINE OFFICE (Evening and Morning Incense or Vesper and Matins): These are prayers, hymns and thanksgiving that are presented in the evening preceding the Eucharistic Liturgy and in the early morning before the Eucharistic Liturgy.

EPSALMODIA: Book containing midnight psalms and praises.

EUCHARIST: It is the sacrament of Thanksgiving or of Holy Communion. Our Lord Christ established it in Person (Matt. 26:26). The whole congregation participates with the celebrant and deacons together in the Eucharist's prayers and Hymns. Although all sacraments contain and impart grace, the Eucharist carries the most sublime grace of all. In the Eucharist, the bread and wine become the true Body and Blood of the Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Whereas in other sacraments the Lord bestows His gifts in accordance with each sacrament. In the Eucharist He offers His entire Self, so that partakers may enter in full and complete communion with Him. Being the sacrifice of Christ for all humanity, the Eucharist is universal in nature, embracing the living and the dead, and is not, as in the case of other sacraments, a grace restricted to one individual. The Eucharist has also been known as the sacrament of Thanksgiving, the Lord's supper, the Lord's table, Christ's table, the sacred table, Holy Communion, the Holy sacrifice, the divine mystery.

EUCHOLOGION: The book comprising the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Originally a comprehensive prayer book but now confined to the prayers used in the evening and morning offering of incense, and the three anaphora’s of SS. Basil, Gregory The Theologian, and Cyril the Great, the last being the Liturgy of Saint Mark the apostle.

FRACTION: The breaking of the bread, which in all Eucharistic Liturgies takes place before the Communion. It goes back to Christ's action at the original institution (Matt. 26:26), and was a sufficiently striking element in the primitive rite to make the "breaking of bread" (Acts 2:42; 20:7) a regular name for the Eucharist. According to the Coptic rites, "Fraction" is performed in two stages during the celebration of the Liturgy: Immediately after the prayers of crossing the gifts, known also as the recitation of the words of institution, where the celebrant takes the Oblation and slightly divides it into one-third and two-thirds sections, without actually separating them. The second stage follows the Epiclesis of the Liturgy, and is accompanied by special prayers known as fraction prayers.

"Fractions" follows the rite of Commemoration; in it the celebrant divides the Holy Body into thirteen parts. This numeral refers to the Lord Jesus Christ gathering together with His twelve disciples. Through the Fraction we can recognize in Christ His church united in Him.

GOSPEL: A silver box enclosing a copy of the four Gospels or the complete New Testament. We accept the Gospel with honor because we love the word of God that He gave us.

HALLELUJAH: We praise God together with the heavenly creatures, saying: "Hallelujah" Rev. 19:1 meaning "Praise God."

HOLY COMMUNION: We have to prepare ourselves for the Holy Communion through repentance and confession. See "Eucharist."

HOOS: Means "praise." In praising there is four "Hooses."

  1. First "Hoos," has a "Lopsh" i.e. interpretation.
  2. Second "Hoos," has its "Lapsh."
  3. Third "Hoos."
  4. Fourth "Hoos."

HYMN (Tasbeha): Some hymns that believers recite as a preparation to the Eucharistic liturgy.

HITEN: "Hiten" means "supplication." Through "Hiten" we ask angels, martyrs, saints, and bishops to pray for us.

KISS OF PEACE (Greek, aspasmos): A greeting exchanged among the clergy and the congregation during the Divine Liturgy of the Eucharist, as a token of pure love and the one spirit. The aspasmos dates back to the apostolic age. In his epistles St. Paul repeatedly referred to the "holy kiss," as in Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12; and 1 Thessalonians 5:26. Besides St. Peter described it as a "kiss of charity" in 1 Peter 5:14. The kiss of peace is omitted in the Liturgy of Maundy Thursday, before Good Friday, and in the liturgy of the Bright (Holy) Saturday to remember that our reconciliation with God and with each other has been realized by the crucifixion and the resurrection of our Lord.

KYRIE ELEISON: We say it repeatedly in prayer, meaning "Lord have mercy." An ancient petition, which is said or sung in worship in both Eastern and Western churches.

LECTIONARY: The book of church readings quoted from the Holy Bible, appointed to be read at public worship. There is an annual lectionary, another for the great lent, a third for the Holy Week or the Pasch, and one for the Pentecost, i.e. the fifty days following Easter.

LECTIONS: The Church had selected certain chapters of the Holy Bible to be read out in the first part of the Liturgy of the Eucharist. These chapters are recorded in a book called the Lectionary. These readings (Bible quotations) are linked together and matches church occasions, i.e. feasts and fastings.

LITANIES: The Greek word "Litania" means "supplication." The litanies are "prayers" that are recited or sung by the priest, deacons and people, during the liturgies, such as:

  1. Litany of the Fathers
  2. Litany of the Departed
  3. Litany of the Place
  4. Litany of water, plants or fruits
  5. Litany of the Sick
  6. Litany of the Oblation
  7. Litany of the Travelers

The church asks her Christ on behalf of everyone (and every thing) in need to Him, and for all the world's needs. As an example, when the deacon asks the people to pray for the sick persons, every person has to remember the names of the sick and pray for them secretly.

LITURGY: It is derived from two Greek words "Lios" means "people" and "Ergon" means, "work." The original Greek word was used to express a public work of any kind, not only religious, but by the time of the Septuagint it had come to be applied particularly to the services of the Temple. Now the word is used for all church worship, especially the Eucharist as the chief act of public worship. The main church liturgies are:

  1. Eucharist Liturgy (Holy Mass/Divine Liturgy)
  2. Baptismal Liturgy
  3. Marriage Liturgy (Matrimony)
  4. Blessing of the Water
  5. Ordination of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons
  6. Consecration of Churches

LITURGY OF THE CATECHUMENS: The catechumens can participate in the first part of the liturgy, where readings and sermons are given. However they don't participate in the liturgy of the believers. Eucharistic service is comprised of two distinct, inseparable, and complementary sections: the Liturgy of the Catechumens and that of the believer.

LITURGY OF THE FAITHFUL: It comprises the major section of the Eucharistic service, during which the oblations are consecrated and the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. It is preceded by the Liturgy of the catechumens.

LORD'S PRAYER: The prayer which Christ taught His disciples ("Our Father who art in heaven" Matt. 6:9; Luke 11:12.

MARK, LITURGY OF ST.: One of the Eucharistic Liturgies of the Coptic Church. A modified form of the Coptic rite (known alternatively as "The Coptic Liturgy of St. Mark," or "of St. Cyril") it is still in use among us; another form of it, an Ethiopian, is used among the Ethiopians.

OFFERING or OFFERTORY: That which is offered or presented to God, whether alms or Eucharistic elements of bread (wheat or flour) and wine.

ORIENTATION TOWARDS THE EAST: Since the early days of Christianity, the east has been the direction designated to be faced during prayers, both by the officiating priest and by the congregation. This has to be taken into account in building a church, so the altar must be placed in the eastern end, with the longer axis of the church running east to west.

PAULINE EPISTLES: St. Paul the Apostle wrote 14 Epistles. A chapter of St. Paul's Epistles is usually read during the Eucharist.

PSALMODY: It is the book of church hymns. We have an annual Psalomdy, and another for "Kiahk", i.e. used during the month of "Kiahk" which comes right before Christmas.

SYNAXARIUM: A book that includes short accounts on the lives of the saints or feasts and fastings arranged according to the Coptic calendar. The Synaxarium is usually read after reading the "Acts." The Synaxarium is not to be read during the 50 days following the Lord's resurrection, for during this period we should be only concerned with the Lord's resurrection.

TASBEHA: Collection of Doxologies and praises.

TONES OF HYMNS: Our Church is rich in different melodies of the hymns (praises):

  1. Adam: used starting on Sunday up till Tuesday.
  2. Watos: used on the rest of the week's days.
  3. Special melodies for feasts and fastings, such as "Hossana's melody," "Kiahk's melody", etc.

TRISAGION: A Greek word meaning "thrice holy," a hymn used in Coptic worship.The refrain "Holy God, Holy and mighty, Holy and immortal, have mercy upon us" is a characteristic feature of Orthodox worship. It is solemnly chanted in all our liturgies. The whole hymn is understood as being addressed to Christ.

VESPERS: Evening liturgical worship.

WINE (BLESSED): During the liturgy of the Eucharist, in this mystery the Holy Spirit turns the blessed wine into the Lord's Blood.


Next: Liturgical Seasons


Source: Dictionary of Church Terms by Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty