Liturgy – Lesson 4 Questions for Study

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Liturgy – Lesson 4 Questions for Study • What action does the priest do before putting on each vestment? Why? • What is the parable of the wedding feast in Matthew 22? • Who was the first priest anointed by God to serve the people of Israel? Hint: He was referenced during one of the prayers. • Abraham encounters a priest in Genesis, what is his name? Are there connections to this priest and the priests of the Orthodox Church today? • What does “epitrachelion” mean? • What is the big Greek word for cuffs? • Why does the priest need to wear such ornate vestments? Questions for Discussion: • What is the most interesting piece of vestment to you? Why? • What colors are worn for Lent, Advent, Dormition, Pentecost, Pascha, Feasts of the Cross, and Holy Week? Liturgy – Lesson 4 Answers • Before putting on each vestment, the priest will pray a specific prayer which usually references scripture which affirms the meaning and symbol of that particular piece. He also makes the sign of the cross over the vestment and kisses the cross on each piece. • Through the parable of the wedding feast in Matthew 22, Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a wedding banquet for which we must accept the invitation and be prepared with the proper “garments”. For us, this can mean our baptismal garments and also our own spiritual preparation for the hopeful entrance into God’s Kingdom. The priest will also remember this parable as he puts on the sticharion. • The first priest anointed by God to serve the people of Israel was Aaron. Aaron was the first high priest of the Israelites, as recorded in the Old Testament. He was born in Egypt and served in the Tabernacle throughout most of the 40 years that the Israelites traveled through the desert. Aaron was the brother of Moses and Miriam, and the ancestor of all future Jewish priests. • Melchizedek is the priest that Abraham encountered in Genesis 14:17-20. He’s also mentioned in Psalm 109 and Hebrews 5 and 7. The Righteous Melchizedek was the first priest mentioned in the scriptures and was the King of Salem. His title translates to King of Peace which shows him as a Christ figure. Christ Himself is the High Priest or Archpriest of the new priesthood we have today in the order of Melchizedek as opposed to the Levitical priesthood of the Old Testament. • The epitrachelion is the vestment that is worn around the neck and down the front of the priest as a symbol of their priesthood. It literally translates to “around the neck” and is also often called the stole. • The Greek word for the cuffs is Epimanikia. These are the pieces of vestment that are worn around the wrists of the priest. • The important thing to remember is that it is not about the priest himself. The vestments are meant to beautify the role of Christ the priest plays and hopefully help point beyond the priest to things more transcendent. .

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