Church Word Search

• Exsultet: Exsultet (Latin for rejoice) is the name of the Easter hymn in the Roman liturgy, sung by the deacon at the beginning of the Easter Vigil. It is a hymn of praise for the Easter candle, also known as the Paschal candle, which is a sign of the risen Christ.
• incense: Incense (Latin olibanum, English frankincense, German Weihrauch, Hebrew לבונה, levona; Arabic لبٌان, lubbān; in Orthodoxy, in addition to the general term кадило (kadidlo), the term ла́дан (ladan) is more commonly used; Greek λήδανον or λάδανον) is an aromatic resin that is prepared from so-called gum resin. It is obtained from the trunk of the frankincense tree (Boswellia); used in combination with myrrh and balsam, it releases a spicy aroma when burned.
• small jugs: During a Catholic Mass, a pair of small liturgical cruets are used on a tray, one of which is for water (it may be marked with the letter A according to the Latin aqua, or it may be unmarked) and the other for wine (with the letter V for vinum). The priest pours wine and water into the chalice from them during the service. Then he would pray Psalm 26:6, which begins with the word lavabo, and rinse his fingers with water from a larger cruet, poured onto his hands by the altar server. A small towel, which was used to cover the cruets, serves for drying his hands. The entire act was called lavabo in Latin, and this term was metaphorically transferred to this towel as well. Since 1968, the ritual has been simplified, and the priest prays Psalm 51:4, asking for forgiveness of his sins before the sacrifice. Liturgical cruets are usually made of glass, but they could also be made of precious metal, such as gilded silver, or of pewter or brass. The larger cruet for hand rinsing is typically made of metal.
• aspersorium: Aspersorium (from the Latin aspergere, to sprinkle) is a portable container for holy water, into which the aspergillum is dipped during the blessing with holy water in the Roman Catholic Church. In a broader sense, it can also refer to a holy water stoup. The person carrying the aspersorium is called an asperferary.
• abacus: An abacus, or Abak, is part of the liturgical equipment of a church. It is a table used for preparing items for Holy Mass, usually placed in the sanctuary near the altar. It is most often located against the wall on the epistle side of the church. It may be covered with a linen cloth and is usually attended to by acolytes or altar servers. On it may be placed the bread and wine before consecration, a bowl, patens, cruets, and a towel for the lavabo, etc. During the service, hosts for the congregation may be kept here in a ciborium or pyx.
• navicular: The navicular or less commonly naviculary (Latin navicularius) is an altar server who carries the boat with incense during services. In the entrance procession, the navicular walks to the right of the thurifer, who carries the censer, and behind them is the crucifer with the processional cross.
• altar: The New Testament uses the word altar to express the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross in Acts 14:13 and Hebrews 13:10. Because in Christianity there is no other sacrifice than that of the one priest, Jesus Christ, Christian altars are not perceived in the same way as in other religions. For the altar, Christians did not use the common Latin word ara, but instead introduced a new term, altare (meaning elevated place). In Christianity, the altar is used as the place where the gifts of bread and wine are offered during the celebration of the Eucharist.
• paschal candle: The Paschal candle, also known as the Paschal (from the Latin candela paschalis cerea), is a tall candle lit during the Easter Vigil in churches of the Western liturgical tradition, symbolizing the risen Christ.
• deacon: A deacon or diacon (from Greek διάκονος diakonos, meaning servant, or also waiter) is a term used in Christian churches for an appointed person who performs charitable and administrative duties, actively participates in worship services, reads sacred texts, teaches religion, and similar tasks. They must be ordained for their office. In the Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Old Catholic, and Hussite churches, the diaconate is the first degree of the sacrament of holy orders.
• presbytery: The chancel or presbytery (from the Latin presbyterium), sometimes also called the choir, is the part of a Christian church or cathedral that is reserved for the clergy.
• purificator: The purificator (from Latin purificatio, meaning purification) is a white rectangular cloth used in Catholic worship. It is folded into six parts to form a narrow strip, which is placed between the chalice and the pall. It typically has a small cross embroidered in the center, and the narrower sides may be adorned with embroidery. For most of the service, it rests on the chalice; during the Offertory, it is placed on the corporal.
• chalice: The chalice (Latin calix) has two archetypes: the crater—a two-handled ancient vessel of various sizes used for mixing wine with water and for drinking it—and the wine cup on an articulated stem. In Christianity, it is the established term for a liturgical vessel, meaning an object used during worship. According to the Gospels, Jesus Christ gave a chalice filled with wine to His disciples at the Last Supper with the words of the future prayer, „Take and drink from it, all of you…“.
• pall: The pall (sometimes also called pala) is a decorated linen square reinforced with cardboard, used to cover the chalice with the sacramental wine (the Blood of Christ) during Mass to prevent any impurities or insects from falling into it. It developed from the back part of the corporal and is used in the Roman Catholic and Lutheran churches.
• boat: The boat (Latin navicula) is a liturgical vessel used to store incense, which the priest adds to the censer. Traditionally, boats had the shape of a ship's hull, but now their shape is often circular. During services, the boat with a spoon is carried by an altar server known as the navicular.
• pyx: The pyx (also known as a repository or custodia) is a liturgical vessel used in the Catholic Church to store the consecrated large host until it is displayed in the monstrance. In the pyx, the host is placed in a lunula, which is a clip made of precious material (often gold and ornamented) in the shape of a horizontally laid crescent and serves to hold the host in the monstrance. The pyx is made of precious material, usually shaped like a circular box standing on a foot, and it typically has a cross on its top. The interior of the box is gilded, and at the bottom, there are rails where the lunula with the consecrated host is inserted. The pyx with the consecrated host is kept in the tabernacle in the church. To emphasize reverence for the Eucharist, only a priest, deacon, or acolyte may handle the container when it is not empty.