The Things we use in our Worship The Very Rev d Fr. Nicholas R. Alford St. Gregory Orodox Church, Washington, DC Part II The next ing for us to examine is e vestments, e distinct dress worn by e clergy and eir assistants. In Exodus ch. 28 we read God s instructions to Moses concerning his broer Aaron, who was to be priest for e people: And ou shalt make holy garments for Aaron y broer for glory and for beauty. And ou shalt speak unto all at are wise hearted, whom I have filled wi e spirit of wisdom, at ey may make Aaron s garments to consecrate him, at he may minister unto me in e priest s office. And ese are e garments which ey shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and ey shall make holy garments for Aaron y broer, and his sons, at he may minister unto me in e priest s office. And ey shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen. And e instructions go on at great leng... The use of vestments in Christian worship, like at of eir Jewish prototypes, is based in e belief at e ministers of holy ings should be vested in fine garments. The form and shape of e vestments as we know em, however, developed primarily from secular Roman garb. At first ere was no distinctive dress for e clergy, but as Roman fashion changed, e generally conservative clergy retained what ey had always worn. For example, e basic garment is e cassock, which was e old ankleleng Roman tunic. When e Romans, under barbarian influence, began to wear knee-leng tunics in e six century, e clergy retained e older fashion. It is not so much a vestment as ordinary street-dress for clergy, worn as a suit might be worn. It is typically black, signifying separation from e world, ough it may be grey, blue, tan, or rarely white (for popes and priests living in e tropics). The basic liturgical garment worn over e cassock (by clergy at e Daily Office and when not celebrating e Mass, and by acolytes at all services) is e surplice. From e Latin superpelliceum meaning over a fur garment it was worn by clergy in cold churches over eir fur coats. Today it is e basic white liturgical garment. The nave, or main body of e church is spoken of as symbolic of e church in is world; e chancel around e -10-
altar is said to be symbolic of e church in heaven and it is us fitting at ose who serve e Church, e Bride of Christ, should be garbed as St. John declares in e Book of Revelation (19:8) And to her was granted at she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for e fine linen is e righteousness of saints. If e surplice is cut shorter it may be called a cotta. Then we have e biretta. It is not of ancient origin, but is clerical hat is spoken of by e 12 century. It may be worn on e way to and from e sacristy and worn outside when a hat is called for. It is customary for a clergyman to raise his biretta at e Name of Jesus, e name of Mary and e name of e saint whose feast day it is. It is typically black, wi four corners and ree fins (ough a Doctor of Divinity in e exercise of his office may have a four fin) and it is surmounted by a pom-pom. It has fallen out of favor in many places and e pastor of St. Gregory s only wears his biretta when e acolytes remember to hand it to him. The final non-eucharistic garment we have to discuss is e cope. The Cope is worn by e priest at Solemn Vespers and Matins and in processions. It is a large cloak, semi-circular, open in e front and fastened wi a clasp in e front, which derived from e ancient Roman cloak. It developed from e same source as e chasuble (which we will discuss in just a moment). The cope, strictly speaking, is not a Eucharistic garment, like e chasuble. This is why you will see e celebrant change from e cope to e chasuble after e Asperges and before e Mass begins. The cope was a common ceremonial garment by e 6 and 7 centuries and it symbolizes rule and auority, so it is worn by ose who officiate, and in some cases by eir chief assistants. It is typically made of e finest material. The color scheme for vestments has been fixed for centuries in e West, but it is not ancient. The earliest written mention of e color of vestments comes from e 6 century and simply calls for White at Pascha and a darker red or brown at oer times. By e 12 century we find at e Churches of Rome were using a scheme of white, red, violet, green and black - essentially e same pattern we use now, but ere were local variations in e West well into e 19 century (for example, e use of blue in Advent or for Marian feasts). White proclaims life and joy and innocence, e glory of e angels and e triumph of e saints. We use it on e great feasts of our Lord and His blessed Moer (Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension, Annunciation...). We also use white on e feasts of ose saints who were not martyrs. -11-
Red speaks of e fire of e Holy Spirit and blood shed in witness, us we use it for e Feast of Pentecost and on e feasts of martyrs. Green, e color of life and grow, symbolizes hope - specifically e hope which accompanies our pilgrimage toward heaven - and we use it in e season after Epiphany and after Pentecost. Violet, or purple, from ancient time symbolized royalty and power. As Christ has taught us e true meaning of ese ings, purple for us declares humility, sorrow for our sins, and fervent prayer - so we use purple in Advent, Pre- Lent, Lent, Vigils of some major feasts and on Ember Days (The Ember Days are a Wednesday, Friday and Saturday of fasting and prayer, and may be times for ordinations, which have been kept from ancient times four times each year). We also use purple for hearing confessions and for times of blessing (such as e blessing of candles at Presentation, e blessing of ashes on Ash Wednesday, and e blessing of Palms on Palm Sunday). Purple is also used for e blessing of e font at Baptisms. Black, e opposite of white, expresses dea and e absence of life, it is e color of mourning and used for funerals and oer services for e dead. While ese are e basic five colors used, ere are also two variations to mention. -12-
Rose is properly ought of as a lighter shade of purple, and not pink. It is used on e four Sunday of Lent and e ird Sunday of Advent - on bo occasions e eme is joy and rejoicing and e tone of e fast is momentarily lightened. Gold may take e place of white or red and is typically e finest set of vestments at a church possesses, reserved for e greatest celebrations. This particular chasuble is in e shape commonly referred to as a fiddleback or Roman style and I will say more about at in a few minutes. Now, on to e vestments emselves. When a priest begins to vest for mass he already has his cassock on. As I mentioned earlier, e cassock is not a vestment, but ordinary street dress. The priest is to wash his hands in preparation as he prays: Give grace, O Lord, unto my hands and cleanse em from all stain, at I may serve ee wi a clean mind and body... He en places e amice on his head. From e Latin word amicire, to cover; it is a square piece of linen, worn since e eigh century, at will help protect e vestments from any oil or sweat at might be on e priest s neck or hair. But of course it also has a symbolic meanings as well, as e voice is located in e neck and e amice symbolizes moderation of speech. There is a reference to is in e Western form for e ordination of a subdeacon, e first order at would wear a amice. The amice, according to some sources, symbolizes e blindfold which e Jews placed on Jesus as ey mocked him before e crucifixion, but chiefly it symbolizes e helmet of salvation which St. Paul refers to in Ephesians, chapter 6. As he puts on e amice e minister prays: Place, O Lord, e helmet of salvation upon my head, at I may repel e assaults of e enemy. -13-
He next puts on e alb, from e Latin alba - as it is a white vestment or robe symbolizing purity. The alb evolved from e old Roman under-tunic and has always been worn by e church s ministers. The prayer asks: Purify me, O Lord, and cleanse my heart, at being made white in e blood of e lamb, I may enjoy everlasting bliss. The cincture or girdle is next, tied around e waist to keep everying (especially e stole) in place. The minister recalls its symbolism as he prays: Gird me, O Lord, wi e girdle of purity and quench wiin me all lustful desires, at I may be strengened in chastity and self-control. This completes e basic underwear, worn by priests, deacons and subdeacons, and now we move on to e more elaborate vestments. The stole is put on next. It evolved from e oraria, a neck clo used for wiping e face and commonly waved at public events. This garment, carried by a servant over his left shoulder, became e distinctive garment of e deacon who continued to wear a folded clo over his left shoulder as a sign at he was appointed to serve. Bishops and priests also wore e stole in later centuries (perhaps by e 8 or 9), ough e priest wears his crossed in front of his chest and e bishop or archimandrite wears his around his neck wi bo ends hanging straight down (his pectoral cross serving as e cross). The word stole comes from e Gallican stola. The stole is also worn when giving blessings and when hearing confessions. It symbolizes e yoke of Christ and serving in Christ s Name. It should have a cross in e center at is kissed before putting it on. The priest prays: Give to me, O Lord, e robe of immortality which I lost by e transgression of my first parents, and alough I am unwory to enter into y holy of holies, grant at I may attain everlasting blessedness. If e priest, deacon or subdeacon is vesting immediately before Mass he puts e maniple on next (but waits to put it on if Matins or Vespers or a procession comes first - because it gets in e way). The word maniple comes from e Latin mappa or mappula - a small handkerchief or napkin. It is worn over e left arm, but was originally carried in e left hand, as shown in early Christian and pagan monuments. Some also ink of it resembling a towel over a waiter s arm, as he is ready to serve. The maniple became a distinctively liturgical vestment and symbolizes sorrow for sin. The -14-
prayer asks: Make me wory, O Lord, to bear e burden of tears and sorrow, at wi joy I may receive e fruit of my works. The Roman Caolic Church abolished e maniple in 1969 but we retain its use. The chasuble is derived from e old Roman outer cloak, or casula in Latin, meaning little house, as it is raer tent-shaped in appearance. In II Timoy 4, St. Paul mentioned leaving one behind in Troas and asks at it be brought to him. It was a common garment worn by all people similar to e Spanish poncho. In time ose in auority wore larger and more decorated versions and is evolved into e chasuble as we know it. The chasuble is symbolic of e seamless robe at was put on Christ before he was crucified and we note at it often has a plain stripe on e front representing e pillar where Christ was scourged and a cross on e back, representing e Cross of Christ and e cross at we are to bear (e arms of is cross are bent upward in imitation of Christ s arms on e cross). While e chasuble had been a tent-like garment, as more costly and stiff fabrics were used, over e centuries e clo at e arms was cut away and eventually we find e so-called fiddle-back shape at was common by e baroque period in e West. As he puts e chasuble on e priest prays: O Lord, who hast said, My yoke is easy and my burden is light, grant me so to bear it at I may attain y heavenly grace. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Then after e chasuble is in place e amice is pushed back to form a collar. Now at we have seen each of e vestments as ey are put on, we should mention at ey are prepared for e priest by being laid out in reverse order. The chasuble is laid out first... Then e maniple is placed upon it forming an I... Then e stole is laid out in e shape of an H... Then e cincture is laid out in e form of an S, giving us e IHS, used from ancient times as a contraction of Jesus Christos, and calling to mind e In hoc signo we know from e life of St. Constantine. -15-
The alb is laid on top of is... And finally e amice. Instead of e chasuble, e deacon puts on his dalmatic. This fuller version of e tunic wi shorter sleeves originated in Dalmatia and was introduced to Rome in e second century. Pope St. Sylvester declared at it would be e garment for deacons in e 4 century. The tunicle, worn by e subdeacon, while originally derived from e older tunic, became virtually identical to e dalmatic, except at e tunicle has one or no clavi or stripes across e garment, while e dalmatic has two. The Roman Caolic Church abolished e order of subdeacon in 1972, and wi it e tunicle, but again, we continue to maintain e older usage. The final garment to mention here is e humeral veil, a long rectangle of fabric used by e priest to hold e Blessed Sacrament in blessing or procession (as on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday). It is also used by e Subdeacon as he holds e paten at High Mass from e Offertory until after e Our Faer. Its use dates from e 8 century or before and shows our reverence in holding holy ings. Continued in part III. -16-