Apolysis

Apolysis

(Gr., apolysis, dismissal)

The dismissal blessing said by the Greek priest at the end of the Mass, Matins, or Vespers. It corresponds fairly well to the Latin Ite, Missa est, and is in use in the Greek Church since the days of St. Athanasius. At the end of the Mass the priest turns to the people and says, if it be Sunday, "He that rose again from the dead, Christ our true God, at the intercession of His immaculate and all-blameless holy Mother, by the power of the precious and life-giving cross, by the protection of the bodiless powers (i. e. angels) of Heaven, at the supplications of the glorious prophet John the Forerunner and Baptist, the holy, glorious, and all-famous Apostles, the holy, glorious, and victorious martyrs (and then he mentions the other saints), have mercy on us and save us; for He is good and loveth man". If the Mass be on a Week day the apolysis omits the opening words of the blessing, "He that rose again from the dead", as those particular words are used to commemorate Sunday as being the day of the Resurrection; There is also a shorter form in use after different parts of the Divine Office, e. g. Prime, Sext, None, etc.

PÉTRIDÈS in Dict. d'arch. chrét., I. 2601; CLUGNET, Dict. des noms liturgiques, 18.

ANDREW J. SHIPMAN