Common Terms in Historic Christian Devotion Lectionary: A pre-selected collection of Scripture readings that follows the liturgical year in a three-year cycle. Readings in this prayer guide are taken from the Revised Common Lectionary. Visit here (http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/) to see readings from the Revised Common Lectionary in the context of the three-year reading cycle. Compline: The final service of the day in the Christian tradition of fixed-hour prayer. Commits the completed workday and approaching nighttime to God. Collect: A short written prayer extolling a member of the Trinity for a divine attribute. It usually includes a petition based on that attribute and the mediation of Jesus Christ. Gloria Patri: The “Glory Be” is an ancient Trinitarian hymn of praise often said after the recitation of a Psalm. The repetition of this hymn consistently reminds us that our lives are lived within the context of eternity, and that God’s presence and providence undergirds everything that happens. Canticle: A hymn or song of praise taken from a passage of Scripture, not from the Psalms. Antiphon: A short response from a congregation (said or sung) in the context of a Psalm or other Scripture reading. Proper: Part of the Christian liturgy that varies according to the date, in accordance with the Liturgical Year. Helps organize the Christian orientation towards time around the weekly gatherings of the Church. Matins: Originally referred to the concluding morning service of the monastic prayer cycle. It is now often used by Protestant denominations to refer to any morning service.
8