Lying Awake

Lying Awake Glossary

scapular

In this context, it's ecclesiastical and refers to a short cloak over the shoulders worn by some religious orders.

salvation

In a religious context, it refers to being delivered from the effects of one’s wrongdoing through belief and faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

rose window

Usually a stained glass circular window with sections radiating outwards like the petals of a rose.

Great Silence

In the context of the book, it refers to a silence so profound that it seems at once full of nothingness and sound.

clapper

Device that makes a sound like clapping.

genuflect

Latin for 'to bend the knee', or 'bow'.

antiphon

Part of the liturgy, it is a sentence sung or recited before or after a psalm or canticle.

breviary

In Roman Catholic orders, the book containing the daily services.

canonization

The process by which someone is made into a saint in the Catholic Church.

rostrum

A stage, or raised platform people stand on to make a presentation.

postulant

Someone wanting to enter religious orders.

vocation

A spiritually felt calling to a certain job.

novena

A 9-day cycle of special prayers or services.

liturgy

A scripted form of Christian public worship.

scourging

Whipping.

mensa

The top of an altar.

tintinnabulum

A set of bells.

Service of the Hours

Services done at set times during the day. These consist of Matins (before dawn), Lauds (dawn), Terce (9 AM), Sext (noon), None (3 PM), Vespers (sunset), and Compline (after sunset, before bed).

Eucharist

The Lord's Supper.

the discipline

The tool used by Carmelites for voluntary self-flagellation.