Entrance (liturgical)In Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic churches, an entrance is a procession during which the clergy enter into the sanctuary through the Holy Doors. The origin of these entrances goes back to the early church, when the liturgical books and sacred vessels were kept in special storage rooms for safe keeping and the procession was necessary to bring these objects into the church when needed. Over the centuries, these processions have grown more elaborate, and nowadays are accompanied by incense, candles and liturgical fans.
Parable of the Prodigal SonThe Parable of the Prodigal Son (also known as the parable of the Two Brothers, Lost Son, Loving Father, or of the Forgiving Father) is one of the parables of Jesus in the Bible, appearing in Luke 15:11–32. The setting in vv. 1-3 has Jesus tell three stories to a group of Pharisees and scribes who were complaining that he welcomes and eats with sinners: (1) a man throws a party after finding the one lost sheep among his one hundred sheep (vv. 4–7); (2) a woman throws a party after finding the one lost coin among her ten coins (vv.
TypikonA typikon (or typicon, typica; Τυπικόν , "that of the prescribed form"; Slavonic: Типикон, сиесть Устав - Tipikon or Ustav) is a liturgical book which contains instructions about the order of the Byzantine Rite office and variable hymns of the Divine Liturgy. The ancient and medieval cathedral rite of Constantinople, called the "asmatikē akolouthia" ("sung services"), is not well preserved and the earliest surviving manuscript dates from the middle of the eighth century.
SynaxariumSynaxarion or Synexarion (plurals Synaxaria, Synexaria; Συναξάριον, from συνάγειν, synagein, "to bring together"; cf. etymology of synaxis and synagogue; Latin: Synaxarium, Synexarium; ⲥⲩⲛⲁⲝⲁⲣⲓⲟⲛ; Ge'ez: ሲናክሳሪየም; ٱلسِّنْكِسَارُ/ٱلسَّنْكِسَارُ/ٱلسِّنَكْسَارُ) is the name given in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches to a compilation of hagiographies corresponding roughly to the martyrology of the Roman Church. There are two kinds of synaxaria: Simple synaxaria: lists of the saints arranged in the order of their anniversaries, e.
Church tabernacleA tabernacle or sacrament house is a fixed, locked box in which the Eucharist (consecrated communion hosts) is stored as part of the "reserved sacrament" rite. A container for the same purpose, which is set directly into a wall, is called an aumbry. Within Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and in some traditions of Anglicanism and Lutheranism, the tabernacle is a box-like or dome-like vessel for the exclusive reservation of the consecrated Eucharist.
