other information
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that an Acolyte should know
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slicing the phosphora
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Slicing the bread is a common Alter Server duty in all Liturgical Christian denominations. An Acolyte should access how many loaves there are available, and how many people are attending church on that particular Sunday. With that in mind, he can then cut the bread into enough pieces to feed all. The bread is blessed later in the service by the Priest with the sign of the cross when the two bread baskets are brought to him.
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preparing the incense
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Preparing the incense is a valuable skill to know in the event that a Subdeacon or Deacon is not present. It is also a useful skill to know for personal use at home. Here are the steps to preparing:
Light the Charcoal.
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1. While grasping the charcoal with tweezers, put a candle flame to the bottom side of it until it begins to spark. When it is finished sizzling out, put the candle away.
2. Blow on the Charcoal.
3. Put the old charcoal (if you have one) on top of the new charcoal in the censer to transfer heat from one to the other. Blow gently on the Charcoal until it is mostly orange and hot.
4. Keep in mind that most charcoal has a side that the incense is put on, and it usually has a concave. Put the old charcoal and the flame on this side. If not, it will be difficult to make the incense stay on the charcoal.
Warning: If pieces of the prior charcoal break and even small pieces are left, this could start a fire. When the Priest censes, the small pieces may fly out and land on carpet.
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Put Incense On.
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1. Give the charcoal a few minutes to burn before putting a spoonful of incense or frankincense directly on the charcoal slightly before the Priest or Deacon needs it.
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Give to Priest or Deacon or Other.
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Giving and receiving the censer from the Priest is usually a task for the Subdeacon or Deacon. However, in the event that neither of these Clergy members are available, it can be beneficial for an Acolyte to know how to do it as well.
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1. To give to a Priest, stand close enough for him to easily reach. Hold the chain handle of the censer horizontal with your hands spread apart, and with the cup hanging down by your left hand. This is the easiest way for a Priest to quickly grab it and use it.
The Priest will make the sign of the cross and put his hand out to take the censer. When his hand is on the handle, kiss it, and let go. This process may have to be done quickly as the Priest needs the censer quickly. It is also worth mentioning that most of the times that you give or take something from the Priest during a service, you kiss his hand.
2. When giving the censer to any other Clergy lower than a Priest, follow all of the steps except for kissing their hand.
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Take from Priest or Deacon or Other.
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1. To take the censer from the Priest, he will hold his hand with the censer out. Grasp above and below his hand, and kiss his hand for him to release. In addition, when taking the censer, incense the Clergy member a certain amount of times:
Subdeacon: 1 time.
Deacon: 2 times.
Priest: 2 times.
Archpriest: 3 times.
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serving communion
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Helping to serve Communion is one of the most important jobs if given to an Acolyte. This responsibility is usually given to the older Acolytes. It involves holding the napkin and making sure not one piece of the Holy Eucharist is spilled.
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communion: what to do
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Await the Priest or Deacon outside of the Altar. When he comes, wait for him to take the spoon off of the top, then carefully take the cloth off of the chalice. There will be one person on each of the two sides of the cloth holding the four corners. One side of the cloth is up against the chalice, and the opposite side is open for the Communicants to partake. Hold the cloth under the Communicant’s chin, until they have partaken of Holy Communion.
The Priest may then hold the spoon out to be rubbed clean by one of the servers using the cloth. After, the servers will fold the cloth over on top of the spoon and chalice when the Priest is ready.
technique
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The Priest has a large task. While serving Holy Communion, he also must remember the Patron Saints of the congregation, remember if someone is a Catechumen or not, serve the right amount of Communion, not spill, pray, and navigate a spoon into someone else’s mouth. This at times can be difficult, which is why the two servers must be aware and alert.
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The servers should not hold the cloth out too far because this causes the Priest to have to hold his arm out further, increasing the risk of spilling. If needed, ask the person taking Communion to step closer to the chalice.
accidents
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If a piece of Holy Communion falls, (hopefully on the cloth, but even on the ground), the server should immediately tell the Priest. He will most likely be told to take and eat it.
"receive the body of christ
taste the fountain of immortality."
communion hymn