The American Church Dictionary and CyclopediaMiller, William James
Philosophy
The American Church Dictionary and Cyclopedia
Miller, William James
Episcopal Church -- Dictionaries; Theology -- Dictionaries
Mitre.--The official covering for the head worn by the order of
Bishops. It represents mystically the cloven tongues of fire which
lighted on the heads of the Apostles on the Day of Pentecost. The
mitre is worn by many Bishops of the American Church, and the General
Convention, by its Committee on Vestments, declared, "The first
Bishop of the American Succession (Bishop Seabury) was accustomed to
wear the mitre in certain offices; and the first of our Bishops ever
consecrated in America (Bishop Claggett of Maryland) continued its
use. It has not been generally followed, but in the opinion of this
Committee this historic fact justifies any Bishop in resuming it."
Mixed Chalice.--The symbolical mixing of water with wine in the Holy
Communion to represent the union of the human with the Divine nature
in the Incarnation. It is also a lively memorial of Him who for our
Redemption did shed out of His most precious side both Water and
Blood. This mixing of Water with Wine for this purpose seems to have
been an Apostolical use and very probably was practiced by our Lord
Himself. This ancient practice remained universal for the first
1,500 years after Christ in all Churches, and is now quite common.
Morning Prayer.--The name given to the Church's Daily Office of
prayer offered in the morning. In the {191} first Prayer Book of 1549
both the Morning Service and that for evening began with the Lord's
Prayer and ended with the third Collect. In 1552, the Sentences,
Exhortation, Confession and Absolution were prefixed to Morning
Prayer, but not to the Order for Evening Prayer. In 1661, they were
prefixed to Evening Prayer also; and both Morning and Evening Prayer
were then lengthened at the end by the addition of all that follows
the third Collect. (See DAILY PRAYER; also MATINS.)
Morse.--The clasp used to fasten the cope in front is so called. It
is frequently made of precious metal and set with jewels. From the
Latin _morsus_, meaning a _bite_, hence a clasp.
Mothering Sunday.--A popular name used in England for the Fourth
Sunday in Lent. It is supposed to have derived this name from the
Epistle for the Day in which occur the words "Jerusalem which is
above is free, which is the Mother of us all." This no doubt gave
rise to the custom in England of making pilgrimages to the Mother
Church of the Diocese, _i.e._, the Cathedral. This Sunday also
became a holiday on which young persons in service were permitted
to visit their mothers in their homes. (See FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT;
also LENT, SUNDAYS IN.)
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