Church Word Search

• celebrant: Celebrant (from Latin celebrare meaning to celebrate) is the term for a priest who serves Mass. After the Second Vatican Council, it became possible in the Roman Catholic Church for several priests to serve (concelebrate) the same Mass together (which was previously reserved for exceptional occasions)—these priests are then referred to as concelebrants, with one of them being the main celebrant of the collective concelebration. In the Christian East, concelebration has long been a common practice.
• confirmation: Confirmation (from German firmen, Latin firmare – to strengthen) is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic, Orthodox, and Czechoslovak Hussite Churches. Along with baptism and the Eucharist, it is one of the sacraments of initiation. According to the doctrine of these churches, confirmation is a sacrament instituted by Jesus Christ, through which the Christian receives from God the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Together with baptism and holy orders, confirmation, according to Catholic teaching, imprints an indelible mark (character) on the soul, and therefore these sacraments can only be received once in a lifetime.
• blessing: Blessing (also known as benediction) is a religious ceremony through which God's blessing is solemnly invoked upon certain things for their benefit to people.
• 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…“.
• sedes: Sedes is a chair permanently installed in the presbytery, from which the main celebrant leads the service. It began to be used after the liturgical reform following the Second Vatican Council, and unlike sedilia, it is placed facing the congregation. From the sedes, the priest conducts the opening and closing rites, leads the Liturgy of the Word and intercessions, and may also deliver the homily from there. Deacons and other assistants have their places near the sedes.
• communion: Holy Communion (Latin communio, meaning sharing in common) is the part of the Mass in the Catholic Church during which the consecrated bread and wine are consumed (received) in the celebration of the Eucharist.
• censer: The censer (Latin turibulum or thuribulum) is a Christian thurible, a portable metal vessel with openings and a lid, usually suspended on three chains with a handle. It is a ceremonial object used since the early Middle Ages, first documented in the second half of the 2nd century in the catacombs during burials. It has appeared in liturgy since about the 6th century. It is used by a priest or his assistant (altar server) during services and other church rituals for the sacred purification—incensation of persons and the consecration of churches, their altars, statues, and other objects. A metal bowl with hot charcoal or self-lighting briquettes is placed in the vessel. Incense—a fragrant resin—is then sprinkled on the charcoal and is stored in the so-called boat.
• host: The host (from Latin hostia meaning sacrifice, sacrificial animal) refers to the bread prepared for the celebration of the Eucharist in Christian tradition. In most liturgies, the host is referred to as the 'Body of Christ' after consecration, though there is no consensus among different Christian churches regarding the manner of Christ's presence during the Eucharist.
• 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.
• 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.
• worship service: A worship service is a religiously motivated gathering of people for the purpose of communicating with God, meeting with Him, or offering a sacrifice to Him.
• baptism: Baptism is one of the sacraments and represents the cleansing from sins and the unification of the believer with Christ. The origins of the Christian practice of baptism trace back to John the Baptist, who, according to the New Testament, baptized Jesus in the River Jordan. The word for baptism in Greek is βάπτισμα [baptisma], which means immersion. The Bible defines baptism as immersion in water. Different Christian churches baptize by either pouring water over the head or full immersion, depending on tradition.
• tabernacle: The Eucharistic tabernacle (referred to in different periods and according to its location as the sanctuary or sacristy, pastoforium, or tabernacle derived from the Latin tabernaculum) is the most sacred place in Catholic churches, designated for storing liturgical vessels containing the Eucharist. Access to the sanctuary is restricted to the priest or someone authorized by the priest; no one else (altar servers, sacristans, visitors to the church, etc.) is allowed to place anything inside, remove anything, or otherwise handle it.
• 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.
• 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.