Welcome to the Clubhouse

My Episcopal Dictionary arrived today. With this book, I begin my own (public) demystification process. Behold, the clubhouse leaks its secret code into cyberspace through this tiny sieve.

Ready? Go.

1. Host (Eucharistic): The consecrated bread of the eucharist. The term is from the Latin hostia, "victim." Use of the term reflects an undertanding of the eucharist in the sacrificial terms relative to Christ's death on the cross. The term is also extended to mean the bread or wafers to be consecrated at the eucharist. The individual wafers of the eucharist may be referred to as "hosts." Many parishes use a large host that is broken by the celebrant at the fraction. This "Priest's Host" may be decorated with Christian symbols that are pressed into the large wafer. It is typically placed on the paten prior to the service when the chalice is vested. The smaller "hosts" that will be distributed to the people are placed in a ciborium and placed on the paten with the "Priest's Host" when the altar is prepared before the Great Thanksgiving at the eucharist.

From that definition alone, I must include some follow-up definitions:
2. fraction --> Fraction Anthem: The anthem at the fraction, sometimes called the confractorium, a term borrowed from the Ambrosian rite. The BCP prints two anthem but permits others. Rite 1 prints both Pascha nostrum (Christ our Passover) (adapted from a similar anthem in the 1549 Prayer Book) and Agnus Dei (O Lamb of God). It allows either of both or another suitable tanthem. Rite 2 prints only "Christ our Passover" (BCP p364). Another suitable anthem may be used in place of or in addition to the printed one. The Book of Occasional Services gives fifteen anthems for various seasons and occasions. Several fo these anthems are set to tmusic in responsiviely or in unison. In many places the choir or a cantor sings the anthem, sometimes responsively with the people, while the presider breaks the bread.

3. ciborium: (1) a container or box with a lid for eucharistic wafer bread. It is usually of silver or another precious metal. THe ciborium, which may resemble a chalice or cup, has been used instead of the plate-like paten for the administration of the consecrated bread at the eucharist. Unfortunately, the chalice-like ciborium was lacking in symbolic relation to the bread, and the character of teh eucharist as meal was obscured. The ciborium is not more typically used as a container for bread wafers that will be consecrated at the eucharist. It may be one of the vessels placed on teh credence table for use in the service. A ciborium may be used when teh people's offerings of bread and wine are presented and placed on the altar prior ot the Great Thanksgiving. A ciborium may also be used as a container for consecrated bread and placed in the tabernacle for the reservation of the Blessed Sacrament. (2)Also, a ciborium is a canopy of stone, wood, metal or fabric that is suspended over the altar. This canopy, also known as a baldachino, rests on four pillars or columns.

Passover was coming up, and his followers came up to him and asked, "What do you want us to do to get ready for it?" He said, "Go into town and tell one of the guys there that the Teacher said he's coming to your house with his friends for Passover. His time is near." So they did, and they fixed the dinner up.
When it was time to eat, they all sat down together...and while they were eating, Jesus grabbed the loaf of bread, and after blessing it, he passed it around, "Take this and take a bite. This is my body."
Then he got some wine and thanked God that they had it, and he said, "Everybody take a drink. This wine is my blood and it makes a new agreement between God and everyone. Everyone can have some so that they can be forgiven of their sins. I'm telling you, I'm not going to drink this wine anymore until we can all be together again to drink it, when things are right again."