The Aër is the largest and outermost of the veil

Veil

A veil is an article of clothing, worn almost exclusively by women, that is intended to cover some part of the head or face.One view is that as a religious item, it is intended to show honor to an object or space...

s covering the Chalice

Chalice (cup)

A chalice is a goblet or footed cup intended to hold a drink. In general religious terms, it is intended for drinking during a ceremony.-Christian:...

 and Diskos (paten) in the Eastern Orthodox Church

Eastern Orthodox Church

The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...

 and the Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite

Byzantine Rite

The Byzantine Rite, sometimes called the Rite of Constantinople or Constantinopolitan Rite is the liturgical rite used currently by all the Eastern Orthodox Churches, by the Greek Catholic Churches , and by the Protestant Ukrainian Lutheran Church...

. It is rectangular in shape and corresponds to the veil used to cover the chalice and paten in the Latin Rite, but is larger. It is often made of the same material and color as the vestments of the officiating priest, and often has a fringe going all the way around its edge. Tassels may also be sewn at each of the corners.

It takes its name either from the lightness of the material of which it is made, or from the fact that during the Nicene Creed

Nicene Creed

The Nicene Creed is the creed or profession of faith that is most widely used in Christian liturgy. It is called Nicene because, in its original form, it was adopted in the city of Nicaea by the first ecumenical council, which met there in the year 325.The Nicene Creed has been normative to the...

 in the Divine Liturgy

Divine Liturgy

Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. As such, it is used in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches. Armenian Christians, both of the Armenian Apostolic Church and of the Armenian Catholic Church, use the same term...

, the priest holds it high in the air and waves it slowly over the Chalice and Diskos. Its original use was to cover the Chalice and prevent anything from falling into it before the consecration

Consecration

Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...

. It symbolizes the swaddling clothes with which Christ was wrapped at his Nativity

Nativity of Jesus

The Nativity of Jesus, or simply The Nativity, refers to the accounts of the birth of Jesus in two of the Canonical gospels and in various apocryphal texts....

, and also the grave clothes in which he was wrapped at his burial (both themes are found in the text of the Liturgy of Preparation

Liturgy of Preparation

The Liturgy of Preparation, also Prothesis or Proskomedia , is the name given in the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Byzantine-rite Eastern Catholic Churches to the act of preparing the bread and wine for the Eucharist...

).

The Aër is first mentioned by name in an explanation of the Divine Liturgy by a writer of the sixth century, and is also alluded to as "the so-called Aër" in the Acts of the Council of Constantinople

Ecumenical council

An ecumenical council is a conference of ecclesiastical dignitaries and theological experts convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice....

.

Divine Liturgy

At the Divine Liturgy

Divine Liturgy

Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. As such, it is used in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches. Armenian Christians, both of the Armenian Apostolic Church and of the Armenian Catholic Church, use the same term...

, during the Liturgy of Preparation

Liturgy of Preparation

The Liturgy of Preparation, also Prothesis or Proskomedia , is the name given in the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Byzantine-rite Eastern Catholic Churches to the act of preparing the bread and wine for the Eucharist...

, when the Aër is to be placed over the Gifts (the Bread and Wine for the Eucharist), it is first wrapped around the censer

Thurible

A thurible is a metal censer suspended from chains, in which incense is burned during worship services. It is used in the Catholic Church as well as in Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, some Lutheran, Old Catholic, and in various Gnostic Churches. It is also used...

 and then laid over the Chalice and Diskos, so that the front edge of the Aër just touches the surface of the table. When not covering the Gifts, the Aër is folded (usually folded 3 x 3, so that when it is laid out flat the creases will form a cross). The Aër normally has a cross embroidered in its exact center, so that when it is folded the cross is visible.

At the Great Entrance, when the sacred vessels are brought in procession to the Holy Table (altar), the priest will place the Aër over the deacon's left shoulder before he hands him the Diskos (the priest himself will carry the Chalice). For this reason, the Aër will often have ribbons sewn onto it, so it can be tied securely in place. If there is no deacon serving, the priest will place the Aër around his own shoulders like a cape, which will leave his hands free to take both the Diskos and the Chalice.

Just before the chanting of the Symbol of the Faith (Nicene Creed), the Priest will kiss the Diskos and Chalice (by kissing the Aër in the place where it touches each vessel) and the front edge of the Holy Table. During the Creed, the priest will hold the Aër above the Gifts and waive it slowly, indicating the activity of the Holy Spirit. When a bishop is serving the Liturgy, the concelebrating priests will hold the Aër during the Creed as the bishop kneels (or bows his head) underneath it. After the Creed, the Aër is folded and placed on the Holy Table. In some practices, the priest will turn and bless the people with the Aër during the Sursum corda

Sursum corda

The Sursum Corda is the opening dialogue to the Preface of the Eucharistic Prayer or Anaphora in the liturgies of the Christian Church, dating back to at least the third century and the Anaphora of the Apostolic Tradition. The dialogue is recorded in the earliest liturgies of the Christian...

.

Following Communion, the Aër is placed, still folded, on the Diskos, together with the Spear

Spear (liturgy)

The Spear or Lance is a liturgical implement used during the Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches....

, Spoon

Spoon (liturgy)

The Spoon is a liturgical implement used to distribute Holy Communion to the laity during the Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite...

 and Asterisk

Asterisk (liturgy)

The Asterisk , or Star-cover , is one of the holy vessels used in the Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches...

 and little veils, and all are taken back to the Prothesis

Prothesis (altar)

The Prothesis is the place in the sanctuary in which the Liturgy of Preparation takes place in the Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches....

 by the deacon.

Other uses

During a Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts, the priest wears the Aër on his head for the Great Entrance.

Whenever a bishop first arrives at a church or monastery, he will be greeted by the senior priest holding a tray covered by an Aër, on which is placed a blessing cross

Blessing cross

A Blessing Cross is a hand cross held by a priest or bishop in Eastern Christianity when he gives a benediction. It is often made of precious metal and may be adorned with enamelwork, and precious or semi-precious gemstones...

 for him to kiss.

At the Ordination

Ordination

In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...

 of a priest, when it is time for the Great Entrance, the Bishop will drape the Aër over the candidate's head and shoulders, and in this manner he will carry it in the procession. The candidate will not enter the Sanctuary with the rest of the clergy, but will remain standing at the Holy Doors

Royal Doors

The royal doors, holy doors, or beautiful gates are the central doors of the iconostasis in an Eastern Orthodox or Greek-Catholic Church....

. The Bishop will remove the Aër from his head and place it over the Gifts and cense them, after which the Ordination takes place.

During Feasts of the Cross

Feast of the Cross

In the Christian liturgical calendar, there are several different Feasts of the Cross, all of which commemorate the cross used in the crucifixion of Jesus....

 a cross is laid on a tray covered by an Aër and decorated with basil leaves and flowers. This is carried by the priest from the Prothesis to the Holy Table, where it will remain until the Great Doxology

Great Doxology

The Great Doxology is an ancient hymn of praise to the Trinity which is chanted or read daily in the Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches.At each of these hymns, the words “Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin,” will be altered to correspond with the time of day:*At Matins:...

 near the end of Matins

Matins

Matins is the early morning or night prayer service in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran and Eastern Orthodox liturgies of the canonical hours. The term is also used in some Protestant denominations to describe morning services.The name "Matins" originally referred to the morning office also...

. At that point the priest will take it in procession to the center of the church where all the faithful will come forward to venerate the cross.

At the death of a priest or bishop, when his body is vested for burial

Christian burial

A Christian burial is the burial of a deceased person with specifically Christian ecclesiastical rites; typically, in consecrated ground. Until recent times Christians generally objected to cremation, and practised inhumation almost exclusively, but this opposition has weakened, and now vanished...

, his face will be covered with an Aër to show his closeness to the Sacred Mysteries.

In some of the monasteries on the Holy Mountain

Mount Athos

Mount Athos is a mountain and peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. A World Heritage Site, it is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and forms a self-governed monastic state within the sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic. Spiritually, Mount Athos comes under the direct jurisdiction of the...

, when the Ecclesiarch (Sacristan

Sacristan

A sacristan is an officer who is charged with the care of the sacristy, the church, and their contents.In ancient times many duties of the sacristan were performed by the doorkeepers , later by the treasurers and mansionarii...

) and Paraecclesiarch (his assistant) cense, each will wear an Aër on his left shoulder.

External links

Articles

• OrthodoxWiki - Aer
• Aër Article from Catholic Encyclopedia

Photos

• At the Prothesis—the Aër is in the foreground with the Asterisk resting on top of it
• Before the Symbol of the Faith—priest kissing the Chalice and Diskos through the Aër
• Lifting the Aër during the Symbol of the Faith (concelebration with three priests)
• Hierarchical Liturgy—two bishops bowing under the Aër as it is held by priests
• Ordination of a priest—bearing the Aër at the Great Entrance