epiclesis

Noun.  The part of the Catholic Mass and Eastern Orthodox Divine Liturgy in which the celebrant invokes the Holy Spirit to change the bread and wine on the altar into the body and blood of Jesus. Said at the beginning of the offeratory prayers in the Catholic Mass and at the end of the aforementioned in the Eastern Orthodox Divine Liturgy.

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This entry was last updated on RefTopia from its source on 3/20/2012.