The Episcopalian is a series of articles written by Deacon John for our newspaper "VISIONS". They are instructive and interesting and I hope to keep adding to them. They are on several pages and are in no particular order.
| Found on this page, page 4 6/3/00 |
The Book of Common Prayer describes the Holy Eucharist as the principal act of Christian worship on the Lord's Day. This being the case, it seemed like it might be appropriate to review some of the traditions or customs regarding the distribution of elements at the Eucharist, maybe under the title of "etiquette." By the way, singing at the table is OK.
If an individual (child or adult) has come forward for a blessing but not to receive the elements, our tradition is that this individual paces their arms across their chest (right hand by the left shoulder and vice versa). If the arms are not crossed, our first assumption is that the individual is to receive the elements. When receiving the Chalice, it is very helpful for the communicant to guide and steady the Chalice with one or both hands. I favor the two handed method, but the use of at least one hand is appreciated.
The Rubrics for the Eucharist specify that the opportunity always be given to every communicant to receive the consecrated Bread and Wine separately, but sacrament may be received in both kinds simultaneously. If you wish to receive in both kinds simultaneously, we use "intinction." If you leave the Bread in you hand, the person with the Chalice will take the Bread, dip it into the Wine, and place the moistened Bread on your tongue.
There are some individuals who may not have, or prefer not to have, the Wine. Receiving the Bread only certainly does not diminish the nature of the Sacrament. After receiving and consuming the Bread the communicant who does not desire the Wine should remain at the altar and cross their arms, The person with the Chalice will stop and recite the usual words: "The Blood of Christ, the cup of salvation," but will not actually administer the Chalice. The "Amen response is appropriate. Some people just remain with their arms crossed while the words of distribution are spoken, others may touch the Chalice with their fingers or touch their fingers to their lips and then touch the Chalice in a "holy kiss." Each of these are ways we acknowledge or reverence the Blood of Christ even though we are no going to partake.
Finally, one last request. After the person with the Chalice
leaves you, please remain in your place until the person on your left has also
finished with the Chalice. This helps to insure that you do not inadvertently
bump your neighbor while they have the Chalice at their lips, resulting in
spilled Wine.
Deacon John 2/00
If you look on page 882 of the Book of Common
Prayer, you'll find that Easter in the year 2000 falls on April 23rd. If that
seems a little late, you are correct. The last time that Easter fell as late as
April 23rd was in 1946! Easter can occur as late as April 25th as it did in
1943, and will again in 2038. The rule in the Western Christian Church is that
Easter Day is always the Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after the
spring equinox on March 21st. March 21st is used even if this does not
correspond to the astronomical equinox. If the full moon occurs on Sunday, then
Easter is celebrated the next Sunday as long as it is no earlier than March 22nd
or later than April 25th.
Now if you count backwards forty days from April 23rd (but
don't include Sundays), then Lent begins on Wednesday March 8th this year. The
word "Lent" probably comes from the Middle English Lente,
meaning spring. The first day of Lent is marked by the imposition of ashes upon
the head as a symbol of mourning and penitence - hence "Ash
Wednesday." Ash Wednesday is a "Special Day" in the life of the
church, together with Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy
Saturday. Special liturgies are provided for these days.
In an earlier period of the church, in order to prepare for
Ash Wednesday, it was necessary to have your confession heard and to be given
absolution - to shrive. The past tense of shrive is shrove, and so we get Shrove
Tuesday.
However, to have a Shrove Tuesday pancake supper is actually
mixing two traditions. The pancake supper is really a Mardi Gras or "Fat
Tuesday" celebration to use up all the goodies in the house before the
austere fasting of lent. When the celebrating continues for several days before
Lent, it is more correctly called Carnival.
Deacon John 3/00
Some thoughts on Easter Eve taken from the Exsultet:
This is the night in which thou formerly broughtest forth our forefathers, the children of Israel, out of Egypt and didst lead them dry-footed through the Red Sea.
This then is the night which dissipated the darkness of sin by the light of the pillar.
This is the night which now delivers all over the world those that believe in Christ from the vices of the world and foulness of sin,, restores them to grace, clothed in holiness.
This is the night in which Christ broke the chains of death, and rose conqueror from hell. For it was no boon to be born, had we not received the boon to be redeemed. 0 how wonderful is thy goodness towards us!
0 how inestimable is thy love! Thou hast delivered up thy Son to redeem a slave. 0 truly blessed night, which alone was worthy to know the time and hour when Christ rose again from hell.
This is the night of which it is written: And the night shall be as light as the day, and the night is my illumination in my delights.
Therefore the holiness of this night blots out crimes, washes away sins, and restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to the sorrowful. It banishes enmities,- bring peace, humbles pride.
Deacon John 4/00
You are probably going to hear a good deal about the Year of the Jubilee during 2,000. In the following paragraph I have quoted portions of Scripture from the 25 th Chapter of Leviticus to give you a feel for the background, but I strongly recommend that you spend just a few minutes and read the entire chapter yourself. Think about the debt burden of the third world countries in the context of the Year of the Jubilee.
2"Give these instructions to the Israelites: When you have entered the land I am giving you as an inheritance, the land itself must observe a Sabbath to the LORD every seventh year. 3 For six years you may plant your fields and prune your vineyards and harvest your Crops, 4 but during the seventh year the land will enjoy a Sabbath year of rest to the LORD..." 8(in addition, you must count off seven Sabbath years, seven years times seven, adding up to forty-nine years in all. 9Then on the Day of Atonement of the fiftieth year, blow the trumpets loud and long throughout the land. 10 This year will be set apart as holy, a time to proclaim release for all who live there. It will be a jubilee year for you, when each of you returns to the lands that belonged to your ancestors and rejoins your clan. "Yes, the fiftieth year will be a jubilee for you..." 24"With every sale of land there must be a stipulation that the land can be redeemed at any time. 28 But if the original owner cannot afford to redeem it, then it will belong to the new owner until the next Year of Jubilee. In the jubilee year, the land will be returned to the original owner... 39"If any of your Israelite relatives go bankrupt and sell themselves to you, do not treat them as slaves. 40 Treat them instead as hired servants or resident foreigners who live with you, and they will serve you only until the Year of Jubilee. 4IAt that time they and their children will no longer be obligated to you, and they will return to their clan and ancestral property.
Deacon John 6/1/00