Now You Know 1

I’ve always been curious about “things,” especially things religious. Others seem to enjoy learning about these things that interest me, so now and then, I like to share them. Thus, this week’s post.

The Egg

Ever wonder what eggs have to do with Easter? Historically, eating certain foods, like meat, has been forbidden during Lent. The egg is one such food. Somewhere in the middle ages, a tradition developed of bringing eggs to church on Easter to have them blessed so they could, once again, be eaten. Who knows why someone started decorating them?

The Number Eight

Eight represents Jesus’ Resurrection, because he rose from the tomb on the eighth day after he entered Jerusalem. In the early Church, rather than call Sunday the first day of the week, it was called “Eighth Day.” It has also come to represent baptism because, eight people were saved from The Flood. Which is why, many baptismal fonts, such as St. Mary’s is--guess what---eight-sided. There are also eight Beatitudes and Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. Finally, the various hours of prayer which ordered monastic life and the life of nuns consisted of eight times to pray.

Gradual

Have you ever noticed in the bulletin of many Episcopal churches, a Gradual Hymn is sung? We tend not to list it in our bulletin, but we sing one. Our meaning of “gradual” might confuse you. But it’s not our meaning. It comes from the Latin word for “step.” Historically, what we call the pulpit was called (and still can be called) the ambo, which means “raised platform,” that is, a platform raised by steps from the main level. While sermons were preached from the highest level, readings from the Old Testament or Epistles were read from a lower step. Hence, a gradual hymn is sung prior to reading some Scripture while the lector goes to a lower step to read.

Sequence

We alway sing a sequence hymn prior to the reading of the Gospel, and we even list it that way in the bulletin. You’ve probably guessed sequence is not being used in the sense we use it today. The hymn or chant which has historically been sung here is inspired by a kind of Latin poetry, written in a non-classical meter, usually on a sacred subject, called a sequence. However, most non-Catholic liturgical churches choose a hymn from their hymnal that relates to the readings of the day. The likely purpose was to give the clergy, typically the deacon, time to move to the center of the nave so he could be heard.

IHS or INRI

These letters are often placed in the center of a cross or engraved on some liturgical implement. Let’s take IHS first. Many people have been taught that they represent the first letters of three Latin words: Iesus Hominum Salvator (Jesus, Savior of Men or Mankind). However, it’s called a Christogram and is the first three letters of the Greek name of Jesus: iota-eta-sigma.

INRI are the initial letters of the Latin phrase, “Iesus Nazarenes Rex Judaeorium” (Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews). This was on the plaque or titulus placed over Jesus head by Pilate.

Introit

And we end with a word associated with beginnings. In its full glory it is “antiphona ad introtium” (antiphon on the entry). An introit thus, is a song or chant sung by the choir to signal the entry of the clergy into the nave or in some cases into the chancel. Historically, it was long enough (or the clergy walk was short enough) that it was the “opening hymn.” Once the walk got longer or the introits got shorter, a congregational hymn followed it to allow for the walk. Or as a very dear friend of mine calls the “entering processional,” the “parade!” As a convert from a non-liturgical church she said this in the context of “how could not like a church that starts worship with a parade!”  I agree.

So there you have it. We like to use Greek and Latin to keep the whole thing feeling mysterious. That, and “that’s the way we’ve always done it.”

Dominus vobiscum, Jerry