Christian Holy Days and terms
Antiphonary (Service books):
An antiphonary is a church service book that contains chants and portions of scripture sung by a choir during Mass. Hymns are usually contained in a separate volume known as a gradual.
B
Book of Hours:
A book, used for private devotions. Its central text is the Hours of the Virgin, which is a shortened version of the divine office. The text entered into popular use by the end of the twelfth century and continued in general use until the sixteenth century. It often includes the private devotions from the book of Psalms known as a psalter. The majority of these books are illuminated, in a manner that reflects the patron’s budget. They often contain scenes from the life of Jesus, depictions of the apostles, martyrs, and saints and themes relating to the end times.
Breviary:
A book containing the texts needed to perform rites during a church service. A breviary is often adorned with intricate initials at the beginning of a paragraph, or an important passage. Some copies contain miniature paintings of Biblical scenes. In the eleventh century, the psalter, antiphonal, lectionary, collector, martyrology, and other texts were combined to form the breviary.
C
Clergy:
Ministers or priests that have been ordained in the Christian Church.
D
Devotions:
A combination of prayer, scripture, and private meditation.
Divine Office:
Daily devotions for meditation and prayer performed by members of religious orders and the clergy at regular intervals. Initially, each office consisted of the recitation of Psalms and lessons from Scripture. In the fourth century, hymns and antiphons were added.
G
Good Friday:
The Friday before Easter, on which the crucifixion of Jesus is emphasized in the Christian Church.
H:
Homiliary:
A book containing discussions of biblical passages, usually from the Gospels, arranged according to the ecclesiastical year. It is also known as a sermologus.
Hymnal:
A book containing songs sung in the divine office and arranged according to the Christian calendar. The hymnal could be included in a psalter or antiphonal as its own section. Its contents were eventually incorporated into the breviary.
L
Lay:
A lay person is someone who is not a priest or a member of a religious order.
Liturgy:
Rituals or customs prescribed for public worship. At the core of Christian liturgy are the Mass (the celebration of the Last Supper) and the divine office.
M
Mass:
The mass forms the basis of Christian liturgy. It centers on the Eucharist, which involves the breaking of bread and drinking of wine to symbolize the Last Supper. The texts for mass were first contained in the sacramentary and then in the missal.
Maundy Thursday:
The Thursday before Easter, observed in the Christian Church as a remembrance and participation in the Lord’s Supper.
Missal:
A service book containing the texts necessary for Mass including chants, prayers, and readings, together with ceremonial directions. The missal was introduced in the Carolingian period.
Monastery:
A building or a complex of buildings occupied by monks living under religious vows.
Monk:
A member of a male religious order who lives in a monastery and observes vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
N
Neume:
Various symbols representing from one to four notes, used in the musical notation of the Middle Ages but now employed solely to notate Gregorian chants in the Roman Catholic Church.
P
Psalter:
The psalter is from the book of Psalms in the Bible. Psalters often contained additional texts such as the Hours of the Virgin, prayers, and creeds. From the ninth century on, the Psalms formed a major part of medieval prayer books. The psalter was the main devotional book before the book of hours in the thirteenth century.
S
Sermon:
A speech about moral and spiritual issues delivered in a place of worship by a member of the clergy such as a pastor or priest.
Service Book:
A book used in the Christian liturgy.
T
Theology:
The study of God, religion, and religious beliefs