what does epiclesis mean

What is the meaning of epiclesis in the Bible?

Definition of epiclesis : a liturgical invocation of the Holy Spirit for the purpose of consecrating the eucharistic elements found particularly in Eastern liturgies where it follows the words of institution and is regarded as the point at which the eucharistic bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ

What is the difference between an epiclesis and words of institution?

In the Orthodox churches, the epiclesis completes the consecration. In Catholic theology, the Words of Institution (or anamnesis, for those of you starved for Greek terms) are consecratory.

Is the Epiclesis consecratory?

In the Orthodox churches, the epiclesis completes the consecration. In Catholic theology, the Words of Institution (or anamnesis, for those of you starved for Greek terms) are consecratory. In our (Roman Catholic) Eucharistic Prayers, the epiclesis is “split,” occurring both before and after the consecration.

What is the meaning of Epicrisis in medical terms?

Medical definition of epicrisis: a critical or analytical summing up especially of a medical case history.

What does epiclesis mean in religion?

Definition of epiclesis : a liturgical invocation of the Holy Spirit for the purpose of consecrating the eucharistic elements found particularly in Eastern liturgies where it follows the words of institution and is regarded as the point at which the eucharistic bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ.

What is epiclesis Greek?

epiclesis, (Greek: “invocation”), in the Christian eucharistic prayer (anaphora), the special invocation of the Holy Spirit; in most Eastern Christian liturgies it follows the words of institution—the words used, according to the New Testament, by Jesus himself at the Last Supper—“This is my body . . .

What are the words of the epiclesis?

"And we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, O Lord of All, presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine. We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts. that they may be + the Sacrament of the Body of Christ and his Blood of the new Covenant.

What is the function of epiclesis?

Plasmids have been key to the development of molecular biotechnology. They act as delivery vehicles, or vectors, to introduce foreign DNA into bacteria. Using plasmids for DNA delivery began in the 1970s when DNA from other organisms was first 'cut and pasted' into specific sites within the plasmid DNA.

What is anamnesis and epiclesis?

Anamnesis: recalling the past to transform the present. Epiclesis: asking the Holy Spirit to change (the gifts, the assembly, the world).

What words does the priest say to consecrate the bread?

"Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when he was betrayed, took the bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples and said: Take; eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.

What happens in the consecration?

In a prayer of entire consecration, a Christian surrenders himself/herself to God in order to allow Him to entirely sanctify his/her soul. A believer offers to God "his time, his plans, his possessions, himself, his all" in consecration.

How does the priest invoke the Holy Spirit?

Epiclesis is a Greek word that means “to invoke upon”. In the Eucharistic Prayer, during the epiclesis the priest asks God to send his “Holy Spirit upon the gifts of bread and wine so that they may become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord.”

What is an act of communion?

This involves expressing our faith in Christ and in His Presence in the Eucharist, and asking Him to unite Himself with us. The basic elements of an Act of Spiritual Communion are an Act of Faith, an Act of Love, a desire to receive Christ, and an invitation to Him to come into your heart.

What is the epiclesis of the present day liturgy?

The epiclesis of the present-day liturgy in many Methodist connexions draws from both the Anglican tradition, such as the 1549 Prayer Book, and the liturgical renewal movement of the 20th century that focused upon liturgies of the ancient church , such as the early rite of Hippolytus.

What is the epiclesis of the Sunday service?

The Sunday Service of the Methodists, the first Methodistic liturgical text, saw the "words of institution as the main consecratory act". The Wesleys "introduced the epiclesis in their eucharistic hymns"; as such, early Methodists sung a hymnic epiclesis from Hymns of the Lord's Supper ( HLS) after the Words of Institution. According to a 2003 report of the British Methodist Church, His Presence Makes The Feast: Holy Communion in the Methodist Church: "The one Spirit by whom we are all baptised into the one body ( 1 Corinthians 12:13) is the same Spirit who unites us in and with the body of Christ in Holy Communion. The Holy Spirit at work in the Church of the Acts of the Apostles brings into effect a witnessing and preaching community in which there is apostolic teaching, fellowship, prayer and the breaking of the bread ( Acts 2:42 )." The epiclesis of the present-day liturgy in many Methodist connexions draws from both the Anglican tradition, such as the 1549 Prayer Book, and the liturgical renewal movement of the 20th century that focused upon liturgies of the ancient church, such as the early rite of Hippolytus. From these traditions, John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, inherited the notion that the Holy Spirit was to be invoked to make real and true all that God had promised to bestow on the faithful through Holy Communion. This theology of epiclesis is evidenced in several Methodist hymns written by Charles Wesley, the brother of John Wesley.

What is the Greek name for calling upon?

Ancient Greece. The Ancient Greek term epíklēsis (ἐπίκλησις; literally 'calling upon') can be translated as 'surname, additional name', or as 'invocation, appeal'. In ancient Greek religion, the epiclesis was used as the surname that was associated with a deity during religious invocations, in contrast to the more general term 'epithet' (ἐπίθετον), ...

What is the Greek name for the invocation of a god?

The epiclesis (also spelled epiklesis; from Ancient Greek: ἐπίκλησις "surname" or "invocation") refers to the invocation of one or several gods. In ancient Greek religion, the epiclesis was the epithet used as the surname given to a deity in religious contexts.

Does the 1989 hymnal have epiclesis?

The traditional rite of Holy Communion used before the publication of the 1989 hymnal did not include an explicit epiclesis. The traditional text, with slight revisions, is Word and Table IV, and it contains a 16 word, two line epiclesis, as follows: these thy gifts of bread and wine" ( UMH, page 29.)

Does the Church of the East have epiclesis?

Church of the East (East Syriac) In its pure form, the ancient anaphora of the Divine Liturgy of Addai and Mari does include an epiclesis. It does not use the Words of Institution, although they appear directly and indirectly in other parts of the rite (and is therefore considered to be implicit).

Is epiclesis necessary for marriage?

The Eastern Orthodox Church holds that such an epiclesis is necessary for the validity of the Holy Mystery (sacrament) of marriage; the Roman Catholic Church holds that it is not, since for them the bride and groom are the ministers of that sacrament. An epiclesis also appears in the Orthodox rite of Baptism.

What is the epikles used for?

In Egypt especially, Epikleses were used to bless wine, oil, milk, etc. In all these cases (including that of the Holy Eucharist) the idea of invoking the Holy Ghost to sanctify is a natural one derived from Scripture ( Joel, ii, 32; Acts, ii, 21: ho an epikalesetai to onoma kuriou . . .; cf. Rom., x, 13; I Cor., i, 2).

What is the name of the prayer that occurs in all Eastern liturgies after the words of institution?

Name of a prayer that occurs in all Eastern liturgies after the words of Institution. Epiklesis (Gr. epiklesis; Lat. invocatio) is the name of a prayer that occurs in all Eastern liturgies (and originally in Western liturgies also) after the words of Institution, in which the celebrant prays that God may send down His Holy Spirit ...

Is the Epiklesis the essential complement of the Sacrament?

This form has given rise to one of the chief controversies between the Eastern and Western Churches, inasmuch as all Eastern schismatics now believe that the Epiklesis, and not the words of Institution, is the essential form (or at least the essential complement) of the sacrament. Form of the Epiklesis.—.

Are we missing a good definition for epiclesis? Don't keep it to yourself..

The ASL fingerspelling provided here is most commonly used for proper names of people and places; it is also used in some languages for concepts for which no sign is available at that moment.

Definitions & Translations

Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

What is the form of the epiklesis?

Form of the epiklesis. It is certain that all the old liturgies contained such a prayer. For instance, the Liturgy of the Apostolic Constitutions, immediately after the recital of the words of Institution, goes on to the Anamnesis — "Remembering therefore His Passion ...". — in which occur the words: "thou, the God who lackest nothing, ...

What is the Epiklesis for the Eucharist?

In other sacraments and blessings similar prayers were used, to ask God to send His Holy Spirit to sanctify the matter. There was an Epiklesis for the water of baptism. Tertullian ( On Baptism 4 ), Optatus of Mileve ("De schism. Don., III, ii, VI, iii, in "Corp. Script. eccl. Latin.", vol. XXVI, 69, 148, 149), St. Jerome (Contra Lucif., vi, vii), St. Augustine ( On Baptism V.20 and V.27 ), in the West; and St. Basil ( On the Holy Spirit 15.35 ), St. Gregory of Nyssa (Orat. cat. magn. xxxiii), and St. Cyril of Jerusalem (Cat. iii, 3), in the East, refer to it. In Egypt especially, Epiklesis were used to bless wine, oil, milk, etc. In all these cases (including that of the Holy Eucharist) the idea of invoking the Holy Ghost to sanctify is a natural one derived from Scripture ( Joel 3:5; Acts 2:21: ho an epikalesetai to onoma kyriou . . .; cf. Romans 10:13; 1 Corinthians 1:2 ). That in the Liturgy the Invocation should occur after the words of Institution is only one more case of many which show that people were not much concerned about the exact instant at which all the essence of the sacrament was complete. They looked upon the whole Consecration-prayer as one simple thing. In it the words of Institution always occur (with the doubtful exception of the Nestorian Rite); they believed that Christ would, according to His promise, do the rest. But they did not ask at which exact moment the change takes place. Besides the words of Institution there are many other blessings, prayers, and signs of the cross, some of which came before and some after the words, and all, including the words themselves, combine to make up the one Canon of which the effect is Transubstantiation. So also in our baptism and ordination services, part of the forms and prayers whose effect is the sacramental grace comes, in order of time, after the essential words. It was not till Scholastic times that theologians began to discuss the minimum of form required for the essence of each sacrament.

What does "bless the holy chalice" mean?

Bless, Sir, the holy chalice "): "and that which is in this chalice, the Precious Blood of Thy Christ" ( Deacon: "Amen. Bless, Sir, both"), "changing [ metabalon] them by Thy Holy Spirit" ( Deacon: "Amen, Amen, Amen ."). (Brightman, op. cit.,

Is the Epiklesis the essential complement of the Sacrament?

This form has given rise to one of the chief controversies between the Eastern and Western Churches, inasmuch as all Eastern schismatics now believe that the Epiklesis, and not the words of Institution, is the essential form (or at least the essential complement) of the sacrament.

Overview

Ancient Greece

Christianity

Further reading

External links