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Terminology

Plain definitions for the liturgical and church terms used across Learn. 57 terms, from Abouna to Vestments.

A

Abouna: A common Coptic way to address a priest, meaning our father, because priestly service is pastoral and fatherly within the life of the Church.; Why do people call the priest Abouna?
Absolution: The priestly prayer of forgiveness and release, prayed by the authority Christ gave His Church for repentance and reconciliation.; What is absolution?
Agpeya: The Coptic Book of Hours, a daily pattern of psalms, Gospel readings, and prayers that teaches the day to return to Christ.; What is the Agpeya?
Alleluia: A biblical word of praise meaning praise the Lord, sung often in worship as the Church responds to God's presence and works.; What does “Alleluia” mean?
Altar: The holy table in the sanctuary where the Eucharistic gifts are offered and consecrated, treated with reverence as the center of liturgical worship.; What is the altar?
Amen: A word of assent meaning truly or let it be so, by which the faithful receive and affirm the prayer being offered.; What does “Amen” mean?
Anaphora: The Eucharistic prayer of offering and thanksgiving. The word means a lifting up or offering, and it includes the Church's great thanksgiving over the gifts.

B

Baptism: The sacrament of new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, joining a person to Christ's death and resurrection and to the life of the Church.; What is baptism in the Coptic Orthodox Church?
Bishop: A successor in the apostolic ministry who shepherds the Church, ordains clergy, guards the faith, and presides in the unity of the local Church.; What is the difference between a priest, monk, hegumen, bishop, metropolitan, and pope?

C

Cassock: The black clerical garment worn outside altar service as a visible sign of priestly identity, repentance, sobriety, and pastoral availability.
Catechesis: The Church's ordered teaching and formation in faith, worship, repentance, doctrine, and sacramental life.
Catechumen: A person being prepared to enter the Church through teaching, repentance, worship, and the sacramental path given by the Church.; Can a visitor, inquirer, or catechumen go to confession?
Censer: The vessel that holds burning coal and incense during prayer. Its movement helps express prayer rising to God and reverence for the Gospel, altar, and people.; What is the censer, and why is incense used?
Chrismation: Also: Myron; The anointing with holy Myron after Baptism, sealing the newly baptized with the gift and indwelling of the Holy Spirit.; What is chrismation or myron?
Confession: The sacrament of repentance in which a person confesses sins before God in the presence of the priest and receives absolution and guidance.; What is confession?
Coptic: A word connected to Egypt and the Egyptian Christian heritage of the Church of Alexandria, founded through the preaching of St. Mark.; What is baptism in the Coptic Orthodox Church?
Creed: The Church's shared confession of faith, proclaimed in the Liturgy before the Eucharistic prayer as the faithful stand together in apostolic belief.; What is the Creed, and why does everyone say it together?

D

Deacon: An ordained servant who assists the bishop or priest and leads parts of the people's liturgical response, reading, order, and service.
Divine Liturgy: The Church's central Eucharistic worship, where Scripture, Creed, offering, thanksgiving, consecration, and Communion are gathered into one prayer before God.; What is the Divine Liturgy?

E

Epiclesis: The prayer calling upon the Holy Spirit to descend upon the gifts and sanctify them as the Body and Blood of Christ.
Episcopal see: The church or territory entrusted to a bishop. In this article, the See of St. Mark means the apostolic patriarchal church of Alexandria.
Eucharist: A Greek word meaning thanksgiving. In Orthodox worship it names the sacrament in which bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ.; Why are Baptism, Chrismation, Confession, and Eucharist central to salvation?

G

Great Lent: The major fasting season before Holy Week and the Resurrection Feast, ordered around repentance, prayer, fasting, and return to God.; What is Great Lent?

H

Hegumen: A senior priestly rank in the Coptic Church, commonly given to a priest entrusted with mature pastoral service and responsibility.; What is the difference between a priest, monk, hegumen, bishop, metropolitan, and pope?
Holy Communion: Also: Communion; The faithful receiving the true Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist, after baptismal life, repentance, confession, fasting, reconciliation, and pastoral preparation.; What does it mean to be spiritually prepared for Communion?
Holy Tradition: The apostolic life of the Church handed down in Scripture, worship, doctrine, councils, saints, and sacramental practice.; Why does the Church rely on Holy Tradition?
Holy Trinity: The one God confessed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one essence and three Persons, worshiped and glorified together.; What does the Coptic Orthodox Church teach about the Holy Trinity?

I

Icon: Also: Icons; A sacred image of Christ, St. Mary, an angel, a saint, or a holy event. In Coptic practice, church icons are consecrated with Holy Myron and are venerated, not worshiped.; What is the difference between an icon and an idol?
Iconostasis: Also: altar curtain; The icon-bearing screen and curtain before the sanctuary, marking the holy altar space while teaching the faithful through icons and liturgical movement.; What is the altar curtain or iconostasis?
Incarnation: The mystery that the eternal Word of God truly became man for our salvation while remaining fully divine.
Incense: Fragrant offering used in worship as a biblical sign of prayer rising before God, especially around the altar, Gospel, icons, clergy, and faithful.; What is the Raising of Incense?
Intercession: Prayer offered on behalf of another. The Church asks the saints to pray with and for us because they are alive in Christ.; Why do people ask for the intercession of specific saints?

K

Kiss of Peace: A liturgical sign of reconciliation and peace before approaching the Eucharistic prayer and Communion.; What is the Kiss of Peace, and how do I participate without feeling awkward?
Korban: Also: Qurban, Holy Bread, Eulogia; The holy bread prepared for the Coptic Liturgy. During the Offering of the Lamb, one is selected to be offered and consecrated as the holy Body of Christ.; What is the blessed holy bread given after the Liturgy?
Kyrie Eleison: Greek for Lord have mercy, one of the most repeated prayers in Orthodox worship because mercy means God's healing and saving compassion.; What does “Kyrie eleison” mean?

L

Lamb: The holy bread selected during the Offering of the Lamb, named in relation to Christ the Lamb of God who gives Himself for the life of the world.; What is the Offering of the Lamb?

M

Matins: The morning prayer service, often joined to the Raising of Incense before the Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning.; What is Matins?
Metanoia: A bodily bow or prostration expressing repentance, reverence, and humility before God, often practiced in prayer and before receiving a blessing.; What is a metanoia?
Myron: The holy chrism oil used in Chrismation and other consecrations, associated with the gift of the Holy Spirit and the Church's sacramental life.; What is chrismation or myron?
Mysteries: Also: Mystery; The Orthodox name for the sacraments, calling attention to God's grace given through visible rites such as Baptism, Chrismation, Confession, and the Eucharist.; What are the Holy Mysteries in the Coptic Orthodox Church?

N

Nayrouz: The Coptic New Year and the beginning of the Calendar of the Martyrs, a feast remembering faithful witness and renewal.; What is Nayrouz?

O

Offertory: The early part of the Liturgy when the bread and wine are selected, prepared, and offered to God for the Eucharistic prayer.
Oriental Orthodox: The family of ancient Orthodox churches, including the Coptic Church, that share the same non-Chalcedonian Orthodox Christological confession.; Why is the Coptic Church called Oriental Orthodox?
Orthodox: Right worship and right belief, naming the Church's received apostolic faith and the life of worship that preserves it.; What is baptism in the Coptic Orthodox Church?

P

Pascha: Also: Holy Week; The holy week of Christ's Passion, Crucifixion, burial, and Resurrection, marked by intense Scripture readings, hymns, fasting, and prayer.; What is Holy Week or Pascha?
Praxis: The Acts reading in the Coptic Liturgy, showing the life and witness of the apostolic Church after the Resurrection and Pentecost.; What is the Praxis or Acts reading?
Prostration: Also: Prostrations; A full bodily bow to the ground, used in seasons and prayers of repentance as the body joins the soul in worship.; Why do people kneel or make full prostrations?

R

Raising of Incense: A Coptic service of psalms, doxologies, litanies, absolutions, and incense, commonly prayed in Vespers and Matins.; What is the Raising of Incense?
Relics: The honored remains or belongings of saints, kept with reverence because the body is called to resurrection and the saints remain alive in Christ.; Why are relics kept in churches?

S

Sacrament: Also: Sacraments; A visible mystery through which God gives grace to His people. In Coptic usage the sacraments belong to the whole healing life of the Church.; What is the sacrament of anointing of the sick?
Sanctuary: The set-apart altar area of the church, entered by appointed clergy and altar servers according to the rite because it is ordered around the holy mysteries.; Why does the Church set the sanctuary apart?
Sign of the Cross: The Christian gesture of tracing the Cross on the body while confessing the Holy Trinity and Christ's saving Cross.; Why do people make the sign of the Cross?
Synaxarium: The liturgical book of saints' lives and commemorations read in church so the faithful remember the witnesses who lived the Gospel before them.; What is the Synaxarium?

T

Theotokos: A title for St. Mary meaning God-bearer or Mother of God, confessing that the One born from her is truly God the Word incarnate.

V

Veneration: Reverent honor shown to icons, saints, relics, and holy things. Worship belongs to God alone.
Vespers: The evening prayer service, often joined to the Raising of Incense, preparing the Church to enter the coming liturgical day in prayer.; What is Vespers?
Vestments: Liturgical garments worn for service at the altar, setting the minister apart for prayer and symbolizing purity, service, and the grace of the priesthood.; Why does the priest wear white vestments during the Liturgy?