Invocations
-
calling upon higher power: a calling upon a greater power
such as God or a spirit for help
-
RELIGION prayer: a short prayer forming part of a religious
service
-
quoting of something as a reason: the act of calling upon
or quoting something such as a law as a reason or justification
-
incantation supposedly summoning demon
(see 'the Invocation of Lilith'):
a casting of a spell in an attempt to make an evil spirit
appear, or the spell itself
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Encarta® World English Dictionary [North American Edition]
© & (P) 2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
Benediction
Benediction,
formal invocation of the divine blessing upon people
or things. Benedictions are mentioned frequently in the
Old Testament—as in the blessing of Isaac (see Genesis 27),
of the Israelites by Aaron and his sons (see Numbers 6:22-26),
and of objects like food (see 1 Samuel 9:13)—and have been
used by the Jews in public worship since biblical times.
Benedictions are also important parts of services in Christian
churches. In the Roman Catholic church, the most solemn
form of benediction is the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.
This Eucharistic rite, during which a priest or bishop makes
the sign of the cross over the congregation with a monstrance
or ciborium containing the consecrated Host, grew out of
a 14th-century custom of exposing the Host for public adoration.
Less
solemn benedictions, usually called blessings, are given
by making the sign of the cross with the right hand, while
invoking the blessing of the Trinity. The Roman rite contains
blessings for many objects, ranging from devotional aids,
such as rosaries, to homes and automobiles. Most Protestant
churches have abandoned the practice of blessing objects,
and the benediction of the congregation is generally pronounced
simply with the hands extended.
"Benediction,"
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