epiclesis
- noun
- /ˌɛpɪˈklisɪs/
- Formal
- The Church implores the Spirit of Christ in the prayer of epiclesis, and in gratitude, the Church voices its praise and thanksgiving to God through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit.
Examples
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Next, the Holy Spirit is invoked (the Epiclesis) to transform the gifts into the Body and Blood of Christ.
Blog text (27) -
During the Mass, the priest recited the epiclesis to call upon the Holy Spirit to bless the bread and wine.
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We ring the church bells at the start of Mass, and the hand bells at the Epiclesis and Consecration.
Blog text (24) -
The Eucharistic epiclesis manifests the nature of the church.
Academic text (2008) -
Liturgical renewal, for example, has given new prominence to the eucharistic epiclesis invoking the power of the Spirit upon the gifts of bread and wine.
Academic text (2008) -
In Eucharistic celebrations, the epiclesis is a vital moment when the community seeks the Holy Spirit's presence.
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The epiclesis occurs when the priest invokes the Holy Spirit to consecrate the elements during Communion.
Surface Forms
Etymology
Epiclesis comes from an old Greek word made of epi- ('upon') and klesis ('calling'), so it literally means a 'calling upon'. In the Eucharist this fits well because the priest calls the Holy Spirit to come 'upon' the bread and wine.
