Holyblog
The liturgical stoles are a vestment worn by deacons, priests and bishops just under the chasuble. In particular, the deacons wear the liturgical stoles on the shoulders, passing on the left shoulder and tying them under the right arm; priests and bishops wear them simply…
Processional crosses are mounted on long beams, which allow you to carry them in procession; are carried by an altar boy or a minor priest and usually lead the procession. In most cases, once you enter the church and reach the presbytery, processional crosses are set…
The host is the unleavened bread that symbolizes the body of Christ during the celebration of the Eucharist, the celebration which started by Jesus during the Last Supper. In fact, the host is not just a vehicle between us and Jesus, but, after the consecration…
The feast of Corpus Christi (“Body of Christ”) ends the festival that follows after Easter. It is celebrated on Thursday after the celebration of the Holy Trinity, although in many countries it falls on the following Sunday. The feast of Corpus Christi celebrates the real…
The Christ-Light axiom is one of the most recurring in the Catholic religion. From the origins of the Liturgy, light from lamps and candles was used as symbol of light of the Resurrection of Jesus: a light, which can dissipate the darkness of the darkest…
The Via Crucis or Way of the Cross, traces the Passion of Christ and his path towards Mount Golgotha to be crucified. Pilgrims visiting Jerusalem since ancient times celebrated this ritual: they covered the route from Pilate Palace to the mountain and to the Holy…
The smell of incense has always been tied to the field of spirituality and ritual, not only in the Catholic Christian religion, but in all religions. The act of burning incense, precious material, reserved for altars of the gods and for the table of the…
Baptism is the first sacrament that the young faithful approaches. It is a time of great celebration for the whole family, with which it celebrates its entrance into a fuller life, accompanying him in his first steps to the discovery of spirituality. Like any celebration,…
The use of oil lamps is very old. It dates back to Greek civilisation, and is also documented in the Mediterranean regions by the Phoenicians or the Romans, already many centuries before the birth of Christ. In ancient times, oil lamps were simple flat containers…
The liturgical vestments of Catholic priests during religious celebrations and the many sacred vestments used by them, differs according to a range of colours that have a precise symbolic meaning. The colours of liturgical vestments, such as the cope, chasuble, dalmatic and the stole, refer…
The tabernacle is the place of the church that holds the ciborium containing the Eucharist. This makes the tabernacle the heart and the cornerstone of each church; it is the reference of those who come to pray and worship the body of Christ even outside…
The act of washing has always played a very important role in religious ceremonies. Judaism has spread real baths, which go back to the baptism of John the Baptist, while the Koran prescribes the washing of the face, arms and feet before prayer. As part…
The pastoral staff is a symbol of ecclesiastical power, which usually designates the role of the bishop or abbot. It is a long rod with one curved or spiral end, fixed to the support by a collar and by a node. The staff symbolises a…
The tradition of giving consecrated bread a flat, round shape harks back to the end of the fourth century, in the Orient. After the fifth century, such customs also arrived in the West. We should not think, however, that the hosts made then are similar…
The use of liturgical bells in religious celebrations has very old origins. The bells were certainly known and used by all people in the antiquity, and have even been found in prehistoric tombs. The origins of the liturgical bells, which are still used in religious…
PVC candles are comfortable and functional alternatives to real candles; can also be cheaper and safer than traditional candles made of beeswax, vegetable wax, or paraffin, and their effect in terms of atmosphere and solemnity is not envious of traditional ones. They use glass or plexiglass…
The liturgical cope is a vestment worn by priests in celebrations that take place outside of Mass or outside of the church itself. In fact, during Mass the celebrant only wears the chasuble. The liturgical cope is instead used in processions, Eucharist benedictions, vespers and…
With the term clergy we generally define the religious suits consisting of trousers, shirt and black or gray jacket, worn by priests outside of the celebrations. More in particular, however, the definition is referred to the typical clergy shirt, which characterizes unequivocally this attire. The…