Word of the Day
Alb (alb)
Common clue: Church robe
Definition: A linen robe reaching to the feet with long tapered sleeves worn chiefly by a priests - almost always white in the Western Church but any color in the Eastern Church.
The Alb -- Having put on the amice, the priest next vests in the alb (from Latin albus, white). The alb is a long tunic of white linen that reaches nearly to the ground, its sleeves fitting reasonably snugly over the sleeves of the cassock. It is frequently ornamented with lace or embroidery and often is pleated. The neck of the alb may either be closed (traditionally, with strings) or formed into a square yoke (very common in Rome) that is left open. Some modern albs are designed to cover the neck completely, in which case an amice becomes optional.
The alb represents the whiteness of soul and cleanliness of heart that characterizes the newly-baptized Christian (hence the use of a white garment in the baptismal rite) and the assembly of the just who have been whitened by washing in the Blood of the Lamb of God:
And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, “What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?” And I said unto him, “Sir, thou knowest.” And he said to me, “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.” -- Apocalypse 7:13-15.
As the priest puts on the alb, he says the following prayer:
Dealba me, Domine, et munda cor meum, ut in Sanguine Agni dealbatus gaudiis perfruar sempiternis.
(Whiten me, O Lord, and cleanse my heart, that made white by the Blood of the Lamb I may enjoy eternal delights.)
The Catholic Encyclopedia has an article on the alb and is especially good from the historical point of view. Again, much of the legislation cited has fallen out of force.
[Source: Dappled Things – Jim Tucker]
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