n.
- The act, process, or ceremony of consecrating.
- The state of being consecrated.
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consecration
American Heritage Dictionary:
con·se·cra·tion |
n.
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Encyclopedia of Judaism:
Consecration |
The act of making something or someone holy. Consecration may be performed by God, or it may require man's action; it may involve a time, a space, a person, or an object. The biblical account of Creation states that "God blessed the seventh day, and declared it holy" (Gen.2:3), indicating that the consecration of the Sabbath was a Divine act. As a copartner with God in creation, however, it is man who, by fixing the date of the New Moon, consecrates each of the Festivals.
Various people or groups of people were also consecrated, notably the Firstborn of Israel (Ex. 13:2). Later, following the Golden Calf transgression, the sanctity of the firstborn was transferred to the Levites. When installed as High Priest of Israel, Aaron was anointed with oil (Ex. 28:41), a form of consecration that marked the appointment of all subsequent High Priests until the destruction of the First Temple. Anointing was also used for the appointment of kings.
The different utensils in the Sanctuary (Heb. Mikdash, a word derived from the term meaning "holy") were anointed with oil in order to consecrate them (Ex. 40). The Sanctuary itself and all its utensils (40:9), the altar of the burnt offerings and its utensils (v. 10), and the laver and its stand (v. 11) were all anointed with oil. Subsequently, the Temple would also be consecrated, as were the animals used for sacrifice (see Hekdesh).
Once the Temple had been destroyed, however, only three forms of consecration became applicable in Jewish life: the consecration of a new Synagogue, of a new Cemetery, and of a new home. For none of these three acts of consecration is any specific ceremony laid down by Jewish law. Whatever practices are followed today stem from evolving religious Custom the Consecration of a Synagogue, for Example, Frequently Involves the Arranging of a Festive Procession Whereby the At the consecration of a new cemetery, penitential prayers are added to the Morning Service on that particular day. Members of the ḥevrah kaddisha (Burial Society) also observe a fast. Various psalms are recited, and all present walk around the cemetery. As this circuit is made, "Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us" (Ps. 90:17) is often recited. The ceremony then concludes with a prayer that no evil may befall anyone and that death will cease. The consecration (or dedication) of a new home is known in Hebrew as ḥanukkat Ha-Bayit, this custom being already indicated in the Pentateuch (Deut.20:5). It always includes---and usually begins with---the affixing of the Mezuzah on the front doorpost of the house, together with the prescribed benedictions (which include She-heḥeyanu). Among Ashkenazim, it is customary for various Psalms to be read on this occasion, e.g., Ps.30 ("A Song for the Dedication of the House"), Ps.15, and Ps. 127:1; prayers may also be recited for the welfare of the household and for the rebuilding of the Temple. Refreshments or a meal usually conclude the dedication ceremony. If one moves into a new home in the Land of Israel, the meal is considered to be an obligatory se'udat mitsvah after fulfilling a commandment; elsewhere, it is an optional se'udat reshut. During the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed that evil spirits inhabited a new house before the owners took possession. To guard against their malevolent influence, people would slaughter a rooster and a hen prior to moving into their new home, as if to show that they were not the first inhabitants. Such folk practices were denounced by rabbis of the time, who considered them un-Jewish and idolatrous.
Random House Word Menu:
categories related to 'consecration' |
- Practice and Doctrine - consecration: dedication of person or object to sacred use
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
Consecration |
For other uses, see Consecration (disambiguation).
"Consecrate" redirects here. For the 1995 hardcore album, see Consecrate (album).
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Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups. A synonym for to consecrate is to sanctify; an antonym is to desecrate.
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Roman Catholic Church
"Consecration" is used in the Catholic Church as the setting apart for the service of God of both persons and objects.
Ordination of bishops
The ordination of a new bishop is also called a consecration. While the term "episcopal ordination" is now more common,[citation needed] "consecration" was the preferred term in the centuries immediately preceding the Second Vatican Council (11 October 1962—8 December 1965).
The Vatican II document Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy n. 76 states,
- "Both the ceremonies and texts of the ordination rites are to be revised. The address given by the bishop at the beginning of each ordination or consecration may be in the mother tongue.
- "When a bishop is consecrated, the laying of hands may be done by all the bishops present."
The English text of Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition, 1997, under the heading "Episcopal ordination—fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders", uses "episcopal consecration" as a synonymous term, using "episcopal ordination" and "episcopal consecration" interchangeably. (CCC nn. 1556-1558)
The Code of Canon Law Latin-English Edition, (1983), under "Title VI—Orders" uses the term sacrae ordinationis minister "minister of sacred ordination" and the term consecratione episcopali "episcopal consecration". (CCL cc. 1012, 1014)
Religious orders and institutes
The life of those who enter religious orders and similar institutes is also described as Consecrated Life.
A rite of consecration of virgins can be traced back at least to the fourth century.[1] By the time of the Second Vatican Council, use of this rite was limited to cloistered nuns.[2] The Council directed that the then existing rite should be revised.[3] Two similar versions were prepared, one for women living in monastic orders, another for consecrated virgins living in the world. An English translation of the rite for those living in the world is available on the web site of the United States Association of Consecrated Virgins.
Churches, altars, and other ritual objects
Chrism, used as anointing oil, is (usually scented) olive oil consecrated by a bishop.
Objects such as patens and chalices, used for the Sacrament of the Eucharist, also used to be consecrated by a bishop, using chrism.
A more solemn rite exists for the consecration of an altar, either of the altar alone or as the central part of the rite of consecration of a church. Since it would be contradictory to consecrate to the service of God a mortgage-burdened building, the rite of consecration or dedication of a church is carried out only if the building is debt-free. Otherwise, it is only blessed.
Eucharist
A very special act of consecration is that of the bread and wine used in the Eucharist, which according to Catholic belief involves their change into the Body and Blood of Christ, a change referred to as transubstantiation. To consecrate the bread and wine, the priest speaks the Words of Institution.
Eastern churches
Main article: Consecrations in Eastern Christianity
In the Eastern Orthodox Churches and the Eastern Catholic Churches, the term "consecration" can refer to either the Sacred Mystery (Sacrament) of Cheirotonea (Ordination through laying on of hands) of a Bishop, or the sanctification and solemn dedication of a church building. It can also (more rarely) be used to describe the change of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ at the Divine Liturgy. The Chrism used at Chrismation and the Antimension placed on the Holy Table are also said to be consecrated.
Various Christian churches
Church buildings, chapels and altars are consecrated to the purpose of religious worship, baptismal fonts and vessels are consecrated for the purpose of containing the Eucharistic elements, the bread and wine/the body and blood of Christ.
A person may be consecrated for a specific role within a religious hierarchy, or a person may consecrate his or her life in an act of devotion. In particular, the ordination of a bishop is often called a consecration. In churches that follow the doctrine of Apostolic Succession (the historical episcopate), the bishops who consecrate a new bishop are known as the consecrators and form an unbroken line of succession back to the Apostles. Those who take the vows of religious life are said to be living a consecrated life.
Among some religious groups there is a service of "deconsecration", to return a formerly consecrated place to secular purpose (for instance, if the building is to be sold or demolished). In the Church of England, an order closing a church may remove the legal effects of consecration.
See also
Notes
- ^ The Sacraments (Liturgical Press, 1987, ISBN 0-8146-1365-9, 9780814613658), p. 211
- ^ Apostolic Constitution Sponsa Christi - AAS 43 (1951), 16
- ^ Sacrosanctum Concilium, 80
Bibliography
- Service Book of the Holy Orthodox-Catholic Apostolic Church, Isabel F. Hapgood (Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, New York) 1975.
- Orthodox Dogmatic Theology: A Concise Exposition, Protopresbyter Michael Pomazansky (Tr. Hieromonk Seraphim Rose, Saint Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, Platina CA) 1984.
- The Law of God, Archpriest Seraphim Slobodskoy (Tr. Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville NY) 1996.
External links
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Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Consecration |
- Consecration article in Catholic Encyclopedia
- Consecration of an Orthodox Church 6 pages of photos, Serbian Orthodox Church
- Photos of Consecration of Altar and Antimens in the Russian Orthodox Church
- The Sanctification of Holy Chrism by the Ecumenical Patriarchate
- Virginity article in Catholic Encyclopedia discussing Consecration of a Virgin
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