What is the demand for prosvir. What is prosphora and what is its significance in worship?

The word “prosphora” is Greek and translated means “offering.” In ancient times - offerings of Christians, the best part of which was served for the Eucharist, the rest was used for the supper of love (agape) after the Liturgy. After the separation of the Liturgy from the love supper, the name prosphora was retained only for the bread used to celebrate the Liturgy. This bread usually had a flattened round shape with the image of the Cross imprinted on it. Later, an inscription appeared under the Cross: IC XC + NI KA (IC XC- Jesus Christ / NIKA- Winner), similar to the inscription on the banner of St. Constantine the Great, but more ancient than the latter. Among the Syrians and Egyptians, the seal on the prosphora consisted of several large images of the Cross in the middle and many small Crosses around. Bread with the seal of the person who brought it was also used.

Since the 6th century, some Churches began to issue decrees that the appearance of the prosphora used at the Liturgy in all parishes of a given Church should be the same.

In the Russian Orthodox Church, prosphora is currently used, consisting of two interconnected round parts, upper and lower, “to commemorate the fact that Jesus Christ, in his hypostatic union, has two natures, Divine and human, through this prosphora in the mysterious In the sacred rite of the Eucharist, it is offered to the Eternal Father as a sacrifice for those in Heaven and on earth.

On the prosphora, as the Sacrifice of the Cross, ascended to the Heavenly Altar, the Church has decreed to imprint the Cross with the name of Jesus Christ and the word NIKA, meaning the victory of Christ” (I. Dmitrievsky. Historical, dogmatic and mysterious explanation of the Divine Liturgy). Such a seal on the prosphora of the Russian Church was approved by the Great Moscow Council of 1667.

The seal on the prosphora can be either round or quadrangular. The quadrangular seal and the part called the Lamb mysteriously depict the Divinity and humanity of Christ, the Son of God. For churches of the same faith, a seal with an eight-pointed cross is allowed.

In some churches, especially in monasteries, as an exception, it is allowed to use a seal depicting a holiday, icon or saint that is especially revered in the area. prosphora with such seals are usually intended for distribution to believers; they are not used for the Divine Liturgy. True, there are local customs when a particle in honor of the Mother of God is taken out of the prosphora with Her image at the proskomedia.

Prosphora is prepared from the best wheat flour, mixed with clean water with the addition of salt and yeast starter, and baked with the reading of the Jesus Prayer by prosphora makers - women of pious life (or men).

Prosphora in the Russian Orthodox Church, following the example of the first Christians, is baked from leavened dough. “Leave bread is bread, as if animated through kvass and truly perfect. He shows that the Word of God, completely for our sake, took on our flesh; It became incarnate without changing Its nature, and with a verbal and intellectual soul it took on humanity; was perfect God and perfect Man, and he will recreate me all... There are three substances in leavened bread, because our soul is tripartite and in honor of the Trinity. Flour and leaven mean the soul, water means baptism, and salt signifies the mind and teaching of the Word, Who said to the disciples: “You are the salt of the earth” (Simeon of Thessaloniki).

Flour, water and salt, united by fire, mean that God is completely united with us and gives us His help and assistance, and especially that He is completely united with our entire nature.

You should not eat completely stale or moldy prosphora. For the Lamb, it is more convenient to take a slightly hardened prosphora (baked the day before) than a freshly baked one, since it is easier to cut out the Holy Lamb from the former and, after consecration, it is more convenient to crush it into particles for the communion of the laity.

At the proskomedia, during which the substance for the Eucharist is prepared, five prosphoras are used in the Russian Church: from the first, larger one, the Lamb is taken out, from the remaining four - particles signifying the composition of the Heavenly and earthly Church, namely: from the second - in honor and memory of the Most Holy Theotokos, from the third - in memory of the saints, from the fourth - for living members of the Church, from the fifth - for the deceased. In addition, particles are also taken out for the names that believers submitted in notes. These inThe particles removed from the prosphora at the end of the Liturgy are immersed in the Holy Chalice, while the priest pronounces the words: “Wash away, Lord, the sins of those who were remembered here by Your honest Blood, by the prayers of Your saints.” After this, the prosphora is holy and reverently eaten by believers before eating any food.

ANCIENT METHOD OF BAKING

Take 1200 g of premium flour (cereal flour). Pour a little holy water into the bottom of the bowl in which the dough will be kneaded, pour in 400 g of flour, pour boiling water over it (to add sweetness and resistance to mold) and mix. After cooling, add salt diluted in holy water to the same bowl and add yeast (25 g). Mix everything thoroughly and after rising (after 30 minutes), add the remaining flour (800 g) and knead everything again. After rising (after 30 minutes), the dough is laid out on the table, rubbed well, rolled out with a rolling pin into sheets of the required thickness, cut into circles (for the lower part, a larger shape), straightened with your hands, covered with a damp towel, then dry and kept for 30 minutes. The smaller, upper part is stamped.

The connecting surfaces of the prosphora are moistened with warm water, the upper part is placed on the lower part, and both parts are pierced with a needle to prevent the formation of voids. Then place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until done (small - 15 minutes, service - 20 minutes). The finished prosphora is taken out onto the table, covered with a dry cloth, then a wet one, again dry, and on top of it a clean blanket specially prepared for this purpose. prosphora “rest” for 1 hour; when they become soft and cool, they are put into baskets or other containers, where nothing else except prosphora is placed.

Prayer for accepting prosphora and holy water

Lord my God, may Your holy gift be: prosphora and Your holy water for the forgiveness of my sins, for the enlightenment of my mind, for the strengthening of my mental and physical strength, for the health of my soul and body, to subdue my passions and infirmities according to Your infinite mercy through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and all Your saints. Amen.

From the newspaper "Pokrov"

“Today we will talk about prosphora, since few of us have the correct concept of it. Most of us only know that prosphora is sacred bread and is made from white flour.

Prosphora is certainly baked from the best wheat flour, because for holy bread there must be the best flour. The dough for prosphora is always sour and not unleavened, as indicated by the example of the Savior Jesus Christ Himself when He instituted the Sacrament of Communion. The prosphora is usually two-part, i.e. consisting of two thick circles placed one on top of the other, connected only by their middle and forming a constriction (notch) connected to each other. The two-part nature of the prosphora means that the Divinity and humanity in Jesus Christ are inseparable and not merged with each other, just as the mugs in the prosphora are not finally united with one another and are not separated from each other. On the top of the prosphora there is a seal depicting a cross, and near it the words IC. HR. HI. KA., which means: “Jesus Christ conquers.” This cross and the words around it mean that the prosphora is made in the name of Jesus Christ, Who is the Conqueror of the devil.

The prosphora is round as a sign of the beginninglessness and infinity of Jesus Christ, just as the shape of a circle has no beginning or end.

How and for what reason are prosphora blessed at mass? To celebrate the liturgy (mass) five prosphoras are used. The quadrangular middle is cut out of the first prosphora, and this removed part is called “Lamb.” Consecrated with a priestly blessing, this Lamb, by the power of the Holy Spirit, becomes the Body of Christ, which, together with the Holy Blood, under the guise of wine, we, Christians, partake of.

From the second prosphora, a small particle is taken out from above in honor and memory of the Most Holy Theotokos; This prosphora is called the Mother of God.

From the third prosphora nine particles are taken out in honor and memory of the saints of God, divided into nine ranks or faces; therefore this prosphora is called nine-rites.

Two particles are taken out of the fourth prosphora: when taking out the first, the priest prays for the health and salvation of his Bishop, the entire priestly and deacon rank and all church servants; when removing the second particle, he prays for the health and salvation of the powers that be, as well as all Orthodox Christians.

Taking particles out of the fifth prosphora, the priest prays for the memory and forgiveness of the sins of all Orthodox Christians who died in the hope of resurrection and eternal life.

In addition to these five prosphoras, sometimes several other prosphoras are used at mass, from which particles are also taken out for the living and the dead. This happens when someone asks the priest to especially remember the health and salvation of the living and the repose of the dead. When cutting out particles from such prosphoras, the priest remembers by name (names) those persons for whom they are asked to pray especially. All particles taken from the prosphora are placed near the Lamb on the paten (a sacred gold, silver or glass dish; at the same time symbolizing the manger where Christ was born and the tomb in which His body was laid after being taken down from the cross). At the end of the mass they are united in a chalice with the Holy Gifts - the Body and Blood of Christ. Through such a union, the saints, in whose honor and memory the particles were taken out, receive the closest union with God, and through this greater glory and joy, and the living and the dead, for whom the particles dropped into the chalice were taken out, receive the attenuation of sins and eternal life. But the particles taken out for the saints, as well as for the living and the dead, do not have the sanctifying and cleansing effect that is exclusively attributed to the sacrifice of Christ. These particles are not transformed into the Body of Christ, and therefore should not be given to believers for communion. In this case, why are they removed? But why. According to Blessed Augustine, these “offerings of particles for the very good are thanksgiving to God, for the very evil they serve as a cleanser of sins, for the very evil, although they do not benefit the dead, because of their persistence in evil, they nevertheless serve as a consolation for the living; for those to whom they are useful, they serve either to completely cleanse sins, or to make the condemnation itself easier.”

Through all the listed sacred actions, they receive sanctifying grace and the very prosphora, from which particles are taken out, which is why they become sacred bread. You should eat the prosphora on an empty stomach and in such a way that not even the slightest crumb of the prosphora falls on the floor or is trampled underfoot.”

(from the book “To help shepherds and for the edification of the flock”)

In the life of the Monk Zosima, the Solovetsky wonderworker, there is the following story: once the monk gave a prosphora to some visiting merchants as a blessing from his priestly service; on the way from the church they dropped it. Monk Macarius happens to pass by and sees: a dog is standing over the prosphora and is trying in every possible way to grab it with his teeth, but every time fire comes from the holy bread and scorches the dog.

Macarius comes closer - the fire is no longer visible. Having made the sign of the cross, the monk takes the prosphora and takes it to the holy elder. This is the sacredness of the prosphora received from the altar of the Lord. And thank God: Orthodox Russian people love and reverently honor this shrine; with all their zeal and heartfelt faith they bring prosphora to the proskomedia for the health and repose of their loved ones; with reverence they then partake of these sacred breads for the health of soul and body. But does everyone know what prosphora is? Why are prosphora brought to the Divine Liturgy? And is there any difference between them?

The word prosphora is Greek and means in Russian: offering. In the East, in the Greek Orthodox Church, the liturgy is celebrated for the most part only on one prosphora, which has five seals. Here in Russia, we use five separate prosphoras for this. Actually, to celebrate the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of the Lord, one prosphora is needed, from which during the proskomedia the Holy Lamb is taken out, that is, that holy bread that during the Divine Liturgy is transubstantiated or, by the mysteriously incomprehensible action of the grace of God, transformed into the very Body of our Lord Jesus Christ (so the same as wine - into the Most Pure Blood of the Lord). The remnants or trimmings of this holy bread are called “antidor”, which translated from Greek means: “instead of a gift”, because the antidor after the liturgy is distributed to those who have not received the Holy Mysteries. Of course, the antidoron, in itself, cannot replace Divine Communion, for nothing either in heaven or on earth can replace the Life-giving Mysteries of Christ; however, the holy antidoron serves as a gracious consolation and sanctification for Orthodox Christians, just as they are sanctified by drinking, for example, the holy water of Epiphany. Church rules command that one must eat the holy antidoron on an empty stomach, before eating any food, and it is best to consume it in church, without taking it home. Giving antidor to infidels, as well as those under penance, is strictly prohibited. All this shows that of all the prosphora offered at the Divine Liturgy, the holy antidoron is the most sacred prosphora, because part of it was taken in remembrance of the Lord and God and our Savior Jesus Christ Himself.

The second prosphora is brought in honor and memory of our Most Blessed Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary.

Nine particles are taken out of the third prosphora in honor and memory of all the saints glorified by God (in common parlance it is called the nine-piece).

From the fourth prosphora, particles are taken out about the health and salvation of all living Orthodox Christians, starting with His Holiness the Orthodox Patriarchs, the Holy Synod and the Sovereign Emperor.

From the fifth - about the memory and forgiveness of sins of all our fathers and brothers who have died in the Orthodox faith.

These are the five prosphoras that are needed to celebrate the liturgy according to the rites and rules of our Orthodox Church. All other prosphoras, no matter how many there are (in holy monasteries, on major holidays, several thousand of them are brought), have the same meaning as the last two: particles are taken out of them for living and deceased Orthodox Christians by name. All these particles, starting with the particle taken out from the second prosphora in honor and memory of the Mother of God, and ending with the particle taken out for every Orthodox Christian, during the proskomedia are placed in a special order on the paten next to the Lamb, and at the liturgy, after the consecration of the Holy Mysteries, they descend into the Holy Chalice and immerse themselves in the Most Pure Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, with the words: “Wash away, Lord, the sins of those here remembered by Your honest Blood!” That is why all the prosphoras from which these particles are taken are sacred bread, like the remnants of our feasible offering to the Lord - the One Eternal Bishop, who offered Himself as a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the whole world on the altar of the cross. Our Lord suffered for all of us; none of the people can be saved unless their sins are washed away by the Honest Blood of Christ the Savior; all the saints of God, even His Most Pure Mother Herself, through Him, our Only Savior, entered into the glory of His Heavenly Kingdom. Therefore, all prosphoras, except for the antidoron, essentially have the same meaning: the particles taken out of them represent all people redeemed by the Blood of Christ. Of all the prosphoras, church rules distinguish only the Mother of God, due to its special reverence for the Most Pure Mother of God, more honorable than the Cherubim and Seraphim and venerable above all the saints of God. Church rules prescribe this prosphora to be shared by those present in the church together with the holy antidoron, as if to remind the believers that after the Ascension of the Lord into heaven, the Mother of God remained with the believers for their consolation. Of course, the nine-piece prosphora for the sake of the honor of the saints of God cannot be compared with those from which particles were taken out for us sinners; however, church rules do not say anything special about this prosphora, and therefore it is not appropriate to attribute special power and special meaning to it. Unfortunately, there are unreasonable people who try in every possible way to get exactly this nine-item prosphora; They attribute some special power to it to heal from all sorts of diseases and they think that they will not receive this benefit from another prosphora. Strange reasoning! Do they really think so because nine—precisely nine—particles were taken out of this prosphora? But is God’s grace commensurate with the number of particles taken out?.. To think so means to insult God’s grace. And if they say that this prosphora is important because it is offered for all the saints of God, then why do they forget about the Mother of God, our zealous Intercessor?.. Which of the saints of God can compare with Her in Her love for the human race, in Her Motherly boldness towards Lord? In our ancient chronicles there is the following legend: since childhood, one pious man had the custom of accepting antidor and Holy Bread from the priest. He ate them after mass before dinner. One day he was invited by acquaintances to dinner; At dinner, the priest who was here distributed the Most Pure Bread, part of which the blessed husband now took. This time he did not eat the bread, but tied it in a scarf to eat it the next day at home, where he went. The path was long, and our traveler, before reaching his yard, felt tired and lay down in an empty place. Not far away, however, there were human houses from where he was spotted. He fell asleep soundly; the handkerchief with bread was in the hand of the sleeping man; and behold, by the devil's delusion the priests approached and, feeling the bread, wanted to snatch it out of their hands, but immediately a fire appeared from the bread and scorched them, and this was repeated as many times as they tried to get to the bread. People who were watching the sleeping man from their houses came to drive away the dogs and wake him up, but the awakened man himself had already seen the miracle taking place. The Archbishop of Novgorod was told about this. He ordered to build a church in this place in honor of the Nativity of the Most Pure Mother of God, at which a maiden monastery was then built, and a holy throne was erected in the place from which the fire came out. This is the church on Molotkovo, in Veliky Novgorod, on the Trade Side (Complete Collection of Russian Chronicles, III, p. 218).

Please note that in this legend we are not talking about the prosphora from which a particle is taken out during the liturgy in honor and memory of the Mother of God, but about the Most Pure Bread, which is now shared in the monasteries at a meal in memory of the appearance of the Mother of God to the apostles on the third day after Her. honest Assumption. This bread is eaten after lunch, and the Mother of God prosphora should be eaten on an empty stomach. Taste it, beloved brother, with faith in the great intercession of the Mother of God, and according to your faith this taste will be for the health of your soul and body. Do not philosophize according to your intelligence; Do not think that there is more grace in that prosphora, from which more particles are taken out; The grace of God is not measured by the number of particles, and to think so means to sin the sin of superstition. Every prosphora taken from the altar of the Lord is a shrine; but the prosphora of the Theotokos is a shrine par excellence, as imprinted with the name of She Who is preferred in honor above all the saints of God.

Prosphora or prosvira ( from ancient Greek "offering") - liturgical liturgical bread used in Orthodoxy for the sacrament of the Eucharist and for remembering the living and the dead during Proskomedia. The origin of prosphora goes back to ancient times.
Its prototype was the showbread (unleavened) in the tabernacle of Moses. The showbread consisted of two parts, which symbolized earthly and heavenly bread, that is, two principles, Divine and human. The commandment to offer bread as a sacrifice has come to us from Old Testament times: “he shall bring leavened bread as his offering, with a peace offering of thanksgiving” (Lev.7:13).
Prosphora is that leavened, that is, yeast, bread. The prosphora is made round as a sign of the eternity of Christ and humanity in Christ, in general as a sign that man was created for eternal life.

The history of the appearance of prosphora.

In the first centuries of Christianity, believers themselves brought with them bread, wine, oil (olive oil), wax for candles - everything they needed to perform worship. This offering (prosphora), or donation, was accepted by the deacons; The names of those who brought them were included in a special list, which was prayerfully proclaimed during the consecration of the gifts. Relatives and friends of the deceased made offerings on their behalf, and the names of the deceased were also remembered in prayer. From these voluntary offerings (prosphora), part of the bread and wine was separated for transfusion into the Body and Blood of Christ, candles were made from wax, and other gifts, over which prayers were also said, were distributed to the believers. Subsequently, only bread used for the liturgy began to be called prosphora. Over time, instead of ordinary bread, they began to specially bake prosphora in the church, accepting money as a donation in addition to ordinary offerings.

Liturgical prosphora.	Greek form (seal) for baking prosphora.	Chinese seal for baking prosphora. Hong Kong, parish of St. Peter and Paul.

Agape.

Agape ( from Greek love or friendship) - an evening, joint meal (“love supper”, “Lord’s supper”) of Christians (1st-5th century AD), at which they prayed, ate food, remembered Jesus Christ, and celebrated the Eucharist. In imitation of the Last Supper, people gathered for agapa in the evening. After the sacraments were completed, agape then passed into the usual supper, that is, dinner. Agape reproduced the Last Supper and symbolized the social equality of all members of the community and their unity in Christ. During the agape (“supper of love”) everyone gave each other the kiss of peace.
Thanksgiving and prayers over the gifts were an integral part of the sacred rite during which the Sacrament of Communion was performed. The very Body and Blood of Christ received the name - thanksgiving ( in Greek - Eucharist).
Later, Third Council of Carthage 391 decreed that the faithful prepare for the Eucharist by fasting, and therefore separated the Eucharist from agape. The Councils of Laodicea and Trullo (392) prohibited the performance of agape in the temple and thereby completely deprived them of their church-religious character. When agapa, the “supper of love,” was separated from the Liturgy, only the bread used to celebrate the Eucharist began to be called prosphora.

Preparation of prosphora.

Prosphoras in the Russian Orthodox Church, following the example of the first Christians, are prepared from leavened dough (using various leavens (hops, raisins, yeast) consisting of wheat flour, water and salt. Images of a cross are placed on the top of the prosphora (using carved seals) with inscriptions above the crossbar of the cross IС and ХС ( Jesus Christ), under the crossbar HI KA ( victory in Greek) - Jesus Christ wins. An image of the Virgin Mary or some saint can also be placed. Prosphoras are made in two parts (of two halves) in commemoration of the two natures of Jesus Christ - divine and human.
The lower part of the prosphora corresponds to the earthly (carnal) composition of man and humanity; the upper part with the seal corresponds to the spiritual principle in man and humanity, in which the image of God is imprinted and the Spirit of God is mysteriously present. When making prosphora, holy water is added, which signifies the grace of God. Yeast signifies the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit, giving life to every creature. Flour and water in the prosphora symbolize human flesh, and yeast and holy water symbolize the soul.

Liturgical use of prosphora.

After the reform of Patriarch Nikon (1650s - 1660s) for Proskomedia in the Russian Orthodox Church, five prosphoras began to be used in remembrance of the Gospel miracle of Christ feeding five thousand people with five loaves (John 6:1-15). For Proskomedia, the prosphora is not used completely - particles are removed from it with a copy. One of the prosphoras is used to prepare the Lamb, with which believers receive communion at the Liturgy. From the remaining four prosphoras, the priest removes particles in memory of the Mother of God, saints, including the compilers of the Liturgy, as well as in memory of living and deceased members of the Church.
For the Divine service, in fact, one prosphora is needed - the one from which a portion is taken out for the Lamb, but according to the custom of ancient times, when five prosphoras were used, this amount is the smallest for performing proskomedia. There can be more than a dozen prosphoras, and in large churches there can be hundreds. There can be as many prosphoras as the number of notes “On health” and “On repose” are submitted.
You should not eat completely stale or moldy prosphora. For the Lamb, it is more convenient to take a slightly hardened prosphora (baked the day before) than a freshly baked one, since it is easier to cut out the Holy Lamb from the former and, after consecration, it is more convenient to crush it into particles for the communion of the laity.
The prosphora can be received at the candle box after the liturgy by submitting a note “On health” or “On repose” before the start of the service. The names indicated in the notes are read at the altar, and for each name a particle is taken out of the prosphora, which is why such a prosphora is also called “taken out”.
Together with the prosphora, red grape wine is used to perform the Sacrament, specifically red, as an image of blood.

Antidor.

At the end of the liturgy, the antidor is distributed to the worshipers - small pieces of prosphora, from which the Holy Lamb was taken out at the proskomedia. Antidorus is received reverently, folding his palms crosswise, right over left, and is eaten in the temple, on an empty stomach, because this is holy bread, bread from the altar of God, part of the offerings to the altar of Christ, from which he receives heavenly sanctification.
In the Eastern Church, the first mention of antidoron appears no earlier than the 11th century. The oldest evidence can be considered " Explanations on the liturgy» Herman of Constantinople according to a list from the 11th century. The following should indicate the testimony of Balsamon(XII century) in the 15th response to Patriarch Mark of Alexandria. According to the Nomocanon, if the particles of the prosphora from which the Holy Lamb is taken are insufficient for the antidor, prosphora in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos can be used to prepare it.
According to the instructions of the Helmsman, antidor is not taught to infidels and those under penance.

Artos ( Greek - leavened bread) means consecrated bread common to all members of the Church, otherwise - whole prosphora. Artos, throughout Bright Week, occupies the most prominent place in the church along with the image of the Resurrection of the Lord and is distributed to believers at the conclusion of Easter celebrations. The use of artos dates back to the beginning of Christianity. On the fortieth day after the Resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven. The disciples and followers of Christ gathered for common prayer, in memory of the Last Supper they partook of the Body and Blood of Christ. At the meal, they left the first place at the table to the invisibly present Jesus Christ, placing bread in this place. Imitating the apostles, the first shepherds of the Church established that on the feast of the Resurrection of Christ, bread should be placed in the church as a visible expression of the fact that the Savior who suffered for us became for us the true bread of life.
The artos depicts a cross on which only the crown of thorns is visible, but there is no Crucified One - as a sign of Christ’s victory over death and the Resurrection of Christ.
The artos is consecrated with a special prayer, sprinkling with holy water and censing on the first day of Holy Pascha at the Liturgy after the prayer behind the pulpit. The artos is placed on the prepared table, on the salt, opposite the royal doors. If several artos are prepared, then they are all consecrated at the same time. After censing around the table with the artos installed, the priest reads a special prayer. After reading the prayer, the priest sprinkles the artos with holy water three times, saying: “ This artos is blessed and sanctified by sprinkling sowing sacred water, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen».
The lectern with the consecrated artos is installed on the sole in front of the image of the Savior, where the artos is located all the days of Bright Week. On all these days, at the end of the liturgy with artos, a procession of the cross around the temple is solemnly performed. On Saturday of Bright Week at the end of the liturgy, the priest says a prayer for the fragmentation of the artos. The artos is fragmented and at the end of the Liturgy, during the kissing of the Cross, it is distributed to the people as a shrine.
The prosphora and artos received in the church are reverently kept by believers in the holy corner near the icons, as spiritual healing for illnesses and infirmities. Artos is used in these special cases always with the words " Christ is Risen!».
Spoiled prosphora and artos should be burned yourself (or taken to church for this) or floated down the river with clean water.
The genus artos of the lower degree of consecration represents Easter cake- church ritual food.

Eucharistic Lamb.

Eucharistic Lamb is a quadrangular particle cut out from the first prosphora during proskomedia. The Eucharistic Lamb at the end of the Eucharistic canon is transubstantiated into the Body of Christ.
The lack of ancient evidence about the Eucharistic Lamb and its preparation is due to the fact that the proskomedia on which it is prepared is a relatively recent phenomenon. For a long time, it consisted of a simple selection of the best bread and wine brought by the people. The selected bread was consecrated in its entire, untouched form, in which it was brought and broken into pieces only immediately before communion.
The first mention of the Eucharistic Lamb belongs to the Patriarch of Constantinople Germanus (died in 740). The sequence of sacred rites developed in the 10th - 15th centuries.

The use of other prosphoras during proskomedia.

From the remaining four or more prosphoras, particles are taken out, signifying the composition of the Heavenly and Earthly Church. The priest takes the second prosphora and, remembering the Most Holy Theotokos, takes out a particle from the prosphora, which he places on the Paten on the right side of the Lamb (from himself on the left), close to its middle. This prosphora is called “Theotokos”.
From the third prosphora a particle is taken in memory of the Old Testament and New Testament saints, from the fourth a particle is taken for living members of the Church, and from the fifth - for the deceased. Next, particles are taken out from the prosphoras served by believers for health and repose with the remembrance of names. The particles taken from the prosphora at the end of the Liturgy are immersed in the Holy Chalice, when the priest pronounces the words: “ Wash away, O Lord, the sins of those who were remembered here by Your honest Blood, by the prayers of Your saints».

The spear used to cut out particles from prosphoras is an instrument of God’s Providence.

A copy is used to cut out the Lamb from the first prosphora, and particles from other prosphoras. A spear is a flat iron knife in the form of a spear tip, sharpened on both sides and inserted into a wooden or bone handle. The spear is an image of the spear with which a Roman soldier pierced Christ in the ribs, wanting to make sure of His death on the Cross. At the proskomedia, the Lamb is lightly pierced by a spear on the right side with the words: “ One from the warrior with a copy of His rib pierced" The sharp spear is a symbol of the cruelty of this world. On the other hand, a copy means an instrument of God’s Providence, distinguishing His chosen ones from among humanity. The spear is similar to the sword about which Jesus Christ said in His sermon that He brought not peace, but a sword to earth, a sword that spiritually cuts humanity into those who accept and those who do not accept Christ ( Matt. 10, 34-38; OK. 12, 5 1-53).
The spiritual meaning of the copy is similar to the Cross of Christ, which was previously an instrument of shameful execution, but in Christ became an instrument of salvation and the glory of God. The spear, being an instrument of death, becomes in Christ an instrument of salvation for the faithful for eternal life in the glory of the Kingdom of Heaven. This gives the consecrated church copy a grace-filled power that has a healing effect. The Trebnik contains a brief " Following the passion of illness... with a holy copy", which the priest performs over a sick person, making the sign of a cross over him with a spear.

Transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts.

Transubstantiation- this is the way the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ resides in the bread and wine of the Holy Eucharist. Transubstantiation is a miracle of God's omnipotence, similar to God's creation of the world out of nothing. The very essence of bread and the very essence of wine is transformed into the essence of the true Body and Blood of Christ, by the action of the Holy Spirit, whom the priest calls upon at this time to perform the Sacrament, through prayer and the words: “ Send down Thy Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts that are presented, and make therefore this bread the venerable Body of Thy Christ; and in this Cup, the precious Blood of Thy Christ, transposed by Thy Holy Spirit" After these words, transubstantiation immediately takes place: only the types of bread and wine that appear to the eye remain. The Lord wanted us not to see with our bodily eyes the Body and Blood of Christ, but to believe in our spirit that it was They, based on the words spoken by Christ to his disciples at the Last Supper: " This is My Body and This is My Blood". We must believe more in the Divine word, in His power, and not in our feelings, which reveals the bliss of faith.

Communion of the Holy Gifts.

The clergy first partake of the Body and then the Blood of Christ. After this, the Chalice with the Holy Gifts is brought to the laity for communion. Those wishing to receive communion go one by one. The communicant kisses the Chalice and leaves.
Saint John Chrysostom gave orders to all churches to give communion to the laity using a spoon (liar), with which particles of the Body of Christ, previously immersed in His Blood and soaked with It, are removed from the Chalice. At the same time, it became a custom to immediately wash down Communion with warm water and wine for clear evidence that every layman had actually received the Holy Mysteries.
At the behest of St. John Chrysostom, the entire order of communion was established. On the right in the altar, as in the upper room of Zion, the clergy, who in this case represent the disciples closest to Christ, the Apostles, partake of the Holy Mysteries separately, as they were taught by Christ at the Last Supper. Then, through the open Royal Doors, the Chalice, in which particles of the Body of Christ are already stained with His Blood, is solemnly brought out to the laity, which marks the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The laity partake of the Body and Blood united together. In addition, the communion of the laity through the spoon spiritually means that believers in Christ are united with God through the Church, which feeds them with spiritual food. Therefore, the lie means the mediation of the Church in the spiritual care of people in the broadest sense.

Insertion of particles taken from the prosphora into the Chalice.

Chalice ( from ancient Greek "bowl, goblet") - a metal vessel for Orthodox worship. A chalice used when consecrating wine and taking the sacrament. The chalice has the shape of a bowl with a long stem and a round base. The chalice is made from valuable materials (gold, silver), bronze, and finishing stones.
The first bowls were made of wood; glass chalices appeared around the 3rd century. Since the 4th century, gold and silver chalices became widespread.
After the completion of the communion of the laity, the clergyman puts into the Chalice those particles that were removed about the Most Holy Theotokos, about the saints, about the living and the dead. Particles taken out " About health and peace", are placed in the Chalice and thus come into contact with the Body and Blood of Christ the Savior. This is the power and effectiveness of removing particles from prosphoras. Sins are cleansed by a bloodless Sacrifice. Each particle, imbued with the Blood of the Savior, becomes an intercessor before the Savior for the one whose name it is taken from. That is why the Orthodox Church believes that taking out a particle from the prosphora about the living or dead at the Liturgy is the most saving and fruitful action.

About eating prosphora, antidor and artos.

The prosphora, given at the end of the Liturgy, is eaten by the believers before taking any food and is a shrine. Antidorus is eaten in the temple, on an empty stomach and with reverence, since this is the holy bread of the altar of God, an offering to the altar of Christ, from which Antidorus receives heavenly consecration. Artosa received in the temple is kept by the laity as a spiritual cure for illnesses and infirmities and is used in case of illness with the words “ Christ is Risen!».
The prosphora and artos are kept in the holy corner near the icons. Spoiled prosphora in artos should be burned yourself (or taken to church for this) or floated down the river with clean water.

Prayer for accepting prosphora and holy water.

"Lord my God, may Your holy gift and Your holy water be for the enlightenment of my mind, for the strengthening of my mental and physical strength, for the health of my soul and body, for the subjugation of my passions and infirmities, according to Your boundless mercy through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and all the Saints Yours. Amen".

(64 votes: 4.7 out of 5)

With the blessing of the Most Reverend Simon,
Bishop of Murmansk and Monchegorsk

Secondly, grace refers to the gifts of the Holy Spirit sent down and sent down by the Church of Christ for the sanctification of its members, for their spiritual growth and for their achievement of the Kingdom of Heaven.

In this second meaning of the word, grace is a power sent from above, the power of God abiding in the Church of Christ, reviving, life-giving, perfecting and leading a believer and virtuous Christian to the assimilation of salvation brought by the Lord Jesus Christ.

How does God's saving grace work?

Both spiritual birth and further spiritual growth of a person occur through the mutual assistance of two principles: one of them is the grace of the Holy Spirit; another is a person’s opening of his heart to accept it, a thirst for it, a desire to perceive it, just as thirsty dry land receives the moisture of rain. In other words, it is a personal effort to receive, store, and act in the soul of Divine gifts.

What does the prosphora that every Christian receives after the Liturgy signify, and how does God’s grace work through the prosphora?

How did the prosphora appear?

The origin of prosphora goes back to ancient times.

The commandment to sacrifice bread has come to us from Old Testament times:

let him bring leavened bread as his offering, with a grateful peace offering ().

In the tabernacle of Moses there was showbread, consisting of two parts, which meant earthly and heavenly bread, that is, two natures, Divine and human.

In imitation of this, in Christian churches, breads (or prosphora) are made two-part, and with their two parts they signify the Divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ.

Prosphora is that leavened, that is, yeast, bread.

In ancient times, prosphora was the name given to the offerings of Christians, part of which served for the Liturgy, and the remainder for agape, a custom of the ancient Church, according to which all members of the local community (free and slaves) gathered together for a common meal, during which, apparently, the Eucharist. Agape thus reproduced the Last Supper. The original character of agape was strictly religious: the most important moment of the meeting was the celebration of the Eucharist. At the same time, it symbolized the social equality of all members of the community and their unity in Christ. The wealthier took care of food for the poor, but the poor also contributed their mite, or labor, to the common treasury. At the “supper of love” everyone gave each other the kiss of peace, here messages from other Churches were read and responses to them were written. Here is how agape, a writer who lived at the end of the second and beginning of the third century, describes it: “Our small suppers ... are called by the Greek name agapi, which means love or friendship. No matter how much they cost, spending on them, which is done by believers out of love, is an acquisition. The poor are fed at this meal. The evening begins with a prayer to God. When (after supper) they wash their hands and light the candles, everyone is invited to go out into the middle and sing something to the glory of God, either from the Holy Scriptures or from themselves, as best they can. At the end of the supper, a prayer is also performed, with which the evening ends. They disperse without crowding, pushing or crowding; but with the same strict modesty and chastity with which they came to the meeting; because here they were nourished not so much with food and drink as with good teaching.” For agape, everyone who came brought with him ordinary bread, wine, oil - in a word, everything needed for the table. This offering (in Greek - prosphora), or donation, was accepted by the deacons; The names of those who brought them were included in a special list, which was prayerfully proclaimed during the consecration of the gifts. Relatives and friends of the deceased made offerings on their behalf, and the names of the deceased, included in a special list, were also proclaimed. From these voluntary offerings (prosphora), part of the bread and wine was separated with a prayer of benevolence, consecrated into the Body and Blood of Christ by the word of Christ and the invocation of the Holy Spirit, and other gifts, over which prayers were also said, were used for the public table. Thanksgiving and prayers over gifts were considered an essential part of the sacred rite, which is why the entire sacred rite during which the Sacrament of Communion was performed, the very Body and Blood of Christ, received the name - thanksgiving (in Greek - eucharist). As Christianity spread and communities grew larger, social differences between members of the Church began to make themselves felt, and the agapes changed their character, becoming the feasts of the rich. In Alexandria, psalms, chants and spiritual songs of ancient times (;) were replaced by musicians playing the lyre, harp, and flute, despite protests. In other places, wealthy Christians, on the contrary, began to avoid these meetings, but paid for them, and the agapes gradually turned into a kind of charitable institution. Then they were completely abolished in northern Italy by Saint Ambrose, because they gave rise to various disorders due to the abuse of wine and the unchaste behavior of some of the participants. The Third Council of Carthage in 391 decreed that the faithful prepare for the Eucharist by fasting, and therefore separated the Eucharist from agape. The councils of Laodicea and Trullo (392) prohibited the performance of agape in the temple and thereby completely deprived them of their church-religious character. The attempt made by the participants of the Gangra Council (380) to return the agapes to their former meaning was futile. By the beginning of the 5th century, the agapes began to gradually disappear.

When agapa, the “supper of love,” was separated from the Liturgy, only the bread used to celebrate the Eucharist began to be called prosphora.

How prosphora is used in Divine services

In general terms, modern Divine services retain the characteristics of ancient Divine services. At the proskomedia, after washing their hands, the priest and deacon retire to offer. The offering is that part of the altar where bread and wine were brought or offered for the celebration of the Sacrament. In our churches there is no this separate part, and therefore they go straight to the altar, behind which the name of the proposal remains.

Having made three bows before the proposal, with the words “God, cleanse me, a sinner,” the priest reads the troparion of the Great Heel, “You have redeemed from the legal oath...” and with the blessing of God (“blessed is our God...”) begins the proskomedia.

Proskomedia (in Greek - proskomidi) means bringing, that is, this word expresses the action of a person bringing, donating something to someone. The thing itself, brought, sacrificed, is called prosphora - that is, what is brought, a gift.

As we already know, the first prosphoras were ordinary bread. But over time, this was found inconvenient, and then prosphora began to be baked in the church.

For the Divine service, in fact, one prosphora is needed - the one from which a portion is taken out for the Lamb, but according to the custom of ancient times, when five prosphoras were used, this amount is the smallest for performing proskomedia. There can be more than a dozen prosphoras, and in large churches there can be hundreds - there can be as many of them as there are notes “On health” and “On repose”.

In the Church Charter regarding the bread offered for the Sacrament, the following is prescribed:

it must be “from pure wheat flour, with fresh water, mixed naturally and well baked, leavened, unsalted, fresh and clean. A priest who dares to serve over bread that has bloomed, molded, or gone bitter, or is stale, or has been corrupted, sins gravely and will be thrown out, as the sacrament will not be accomplished on such forms.”

Together with the prosphora, red grape wine is used to perform the Sacrament, specifically red, as an image of blood.

What is the Eucharistic Lamb

The Eucharistic Lamb is a quadrangular particle, cut out during proskomedia from the first prosphora, which at the end of the Eucharistic canon is transformed into the Body of Christ. Proceeding directly to the proskomedia, the priest with his left hand takes the prosphora for the Lamb, and with his right hand the holy copy and, making the sign of the cross three times over the seal of the prosphora, each time pronouncing the words “In remembrance of the Lord and God and our Savior Jesus Christ,” cuts the prosphora on the right side seals (where the letters IC and NI are on the priest’s left side) with the words “Like a sheep led to the slaughter”; cuts on the left side (where the letters XC and KA are on the priest’s right side (with the words “And like a lamb without blemish, the one who shorn it straight is silent, so he does not open his mouth”); then he cuts the upper side of the seal (where the words IC XC) pronouncing with with the words “For His humility his judgment will be taken”; he cuts the lower side of the prosphora (with the words NIKA), saying: “Who will confess His generation?” and places it on the paten.

We need to explain the meaning of these words. The Savior's death on the cross was not an unexpected, unforeseen event - the Lord God revealed it to His chosen ones long ago, and they predicted it in the Holy Scriptures. For example, the king and prophet David in a psalm so accurately predicted the circumstances of the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross, as if he himself was an eyewitness: My God! My God! [listen to me] why have you forsaken me? The words of my cry are far from saving me. My God! I cry during the day, and You do not listen to me, at night, and I have no peace. Everyone who sees me mocks me, saying with their lips, nodding their heads: “He trusted in the Lord; let him deliver him, let him save him, if he pleases him.” My strength has dried up like a shard; my tongue clung to my throat, and You brought me to the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded me, a crowd of evil ones has surrounded me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. One could count all my bones; and they look and make a spectacle out of me; They divide my garments among themselves and cast lots for my clothes ().

The death of the God-man on the cross was also revealed to the prophet Isaiah: He was despised and belittled before men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with illness, and we turned our faces away from Him; He was despised, and we thought nothing of Him. But He took upon Himself our infirmities and bore our illnesses; and we thought that He was smitten, punished and humiliated by God. But He was wounded for our sins and tormented for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we were healed. We have all gone astray, like sheep; we have turned every one to his own way: and the Lord laid on Him the sins of us all. He was tortured, but He suffered voluntarily and did not open His mouth; like a sheep He was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb before its shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth. He was taken from bonds and judgment; but who will explain His generation? for He is cut off from the land of the living; for the crimes of my people I suffered execution. He was assigned a coffin with the villains, but He was buried with the rich, because He committed no sin, and there was no lie in His mouth ().

The Lord prepared people for the terrible purifying death of the God-Man not only with prophecies, but also with some significant events. Thus, the Passover lamb, which the Jews had to eat before leaving Egypt, contained the likeness of the Lamb of God and His death on the cross. This is just one feature of this similarity. Since all the firstborn of Egypt were to be destroyed that night, so that the firstborn of the Jews would not perish at the same time, they were commanded to smear the blood of this lamb on the entrances to their homes. Thus, the blood of the sacrificial Lamb became the means of salvation. Likewise, the blood of the spotless Lamb, our Lord Jesus Christ, is the salvation of people. These special, significant events are called prototypes, that is, preliminary images and similarities of how the promised Savior of the world was supposed to offer Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of people.

By remembering this prophecy, the offering of a bloodless sacrifice begins. Some words from this prophecy are spoken by the priest when he separates part of the prosphora from this sacrifice. And since, on the basis of this prophecy, Saint John the Baptist called the Lord Jesus the Lamb: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” then part of the prosphora, intended to be the body of the Lord Jesus for the cleansing of the sins of the whole world, received the name “Lamb.”

Having placed the separated middle of the prosphora on the Paten with the seal facing down, the priest makes a deep cross-shaped cut on the underside of the Lamb (before the seal) and says: “The Lamb of God is eaten (that is, sacrificed - Ed.), take away the sin of the world for the worldly belly and salvation.”

Then from the prophecy he moves on to the event itself and, touching the right side of the Lamb with a copy, he says: one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out. And he who saw it bore witness, and his testimony is true (34-35). At the same time, wine, slightly dissolved with water, is poured into the Chalice (Chalice in Greek) in memory of the fact that blood and water flowed from the pierced side of Christ.

Historical evidence about the Lamb and its preparation is not very ancient. The absence of ancient evidence about the Eucharistic Lamb is explained by the fact that the proskomedia at which it is prepared is a relatively recent phenomenon. For a long time, it consisted of a simple selection of the best bread and wine brought by the people. The selected bread was consecrated in its entire, untouched form, in which it was brought and broken into pieces only immediately before communion.

Testimonies about the Eucharistic Lamb begin to be found in the 9th-10th centuries, although its preparation is not yet a generally accepted liturgical action. The first mention of the Eucharistic Lamb belongs to the Patriarch of Constantinople Germanus (died 740). In the main part, this sequence of sacred rites developed in this way in the 10th-12th centuries, the remaining additions were made in the 14th-15th centuries.

How other prosphoras are used during proskomedia

From the remaining four prosphoras, particles are taken out that signify the composition of the Heavenly and Earthly Church. The priest takes the second prosphora and, remembering the Blessed Virgin Mary, takes out a particle from the prosphora, which he places on the Paten on the right side of the Lamb (from himself on the left), close to its middle, with the words from the psalm: The Queen appears at Your right hand (). This prosphora is called “Theotokos”.

From the third - in memory of the Old and New Testament saints, from the fourth - for living members of the Church, from the fifth - for the deceased.

In addition, particles are also removed from the prosphoras for health and repose with the remembrance of names served by believers. At the end of the Liturgy, the particles taken from the prosphora are immersed in the Holy Chalice, as the priest pronounces the words: “Wash away, O Lord, the sins of those remembered here by Your honest Blood, by the prayers of Your saints.”

The spear used to cut out particles from prosphoras is an instrument of Divine Providence

To cut out the Lamb from the first liturgical prosphora, as well as to cut out particles from other prosphoras, a copy is used - a flat iron knife in the form of a spear tip, sharpened on both sides, inserted into a wooden or bone handle. He is an image of the spear with which the soldier, wanting to make sure of the death of Christ on the Cross, pierced Him in the ribs. When remembering the suffering of the Savior at the service of the proskomedia, the Lamb is lightly pierced with a copy on the right side with the words: “One of the warriors is pierced with a copy of His rib.” As an image of one of the instruments of execution of the Savior and as a weapon of war and death in general, a sharp iron spear cutting soft prosphora bread is a symbol of the cruelty of this world. The forces of cruelty and death strive to strike and kill everything Divine and heavenly in the earthly. But, according to God’s vision, they turn out to be instruments that highlight, extract from the environment of the human world everything that is not of this world, that, being in the world, needs to be tested, so that it becomes clear or visible to everyone that it belongs to another world, God’s chosenness of the tested one. In other words, the instruments of the cruelty of this world providentially, against the will of the devil and his angels, serve for the glory of God, turn into instruments of God's Providence for the salvation of the human race, into instruments that make it possible to discover and demonstrate the depth of God's love for His creatures and their reciprocal love for God. Therefore, the church copy, on the other hand, means precisely the instrument of God’s Providence, distinguishing His chosen ones from among humanity. In this sense, the copy is similar to the sword, the image of which Jesus Christ uses in His sermon, saying that He brought not peace, but a sword to earth, a sword that spiritually, as it were, cuts humanity into those who accept and those who do not accept Christ (; 1-53).

In its spiritual meaning, the copy is to some extent similar to the Cross of Christ, for just as the Cross was formerly an instrument of shameful execution, and in Christ it became an instrument of salvation and the glory of God, so the copy, being an instrument of death, becomes in Christ an instrument of salvation for the faithful for eternal life in the glory of the Kingdom of Heaven. The latter circumstance imparts to the consecrated church copy the power of grace, capable of exerting a healing effect. The Trebnik contains a brief “Following the passion of an illness... with a holy copy,” which the priest performs over a sick person, making the sign of a cross over him with a copy.

The symbolic meaning of prosphoras

The spiritual meaning of the copy becomes especially clear when considering the symbolic meaning of the prosphoras from which the particles are extracted by the copy. Prosphora consists of two parts, which are made from dough separately from one another and then joined together, sticking to one another. On the upper part there is a seal depicting a four-pointed equilateral cross with the inscriptions above the crossbar IC and XC (Jesus Christ), under the crossbar HI KA (in Greek - victory). Prosphora, made from flour from the grains of countless ears of ears, means both human nature, consisting of many elements of nature, and humanity as a whole, consisting of many people. Moreover, the lower part of the prosphora corresponds to the earthly (carnal) composition of man and humanity; the upper part with the seal corresponds to the spiritual principle in man and humanity, in which the image of God is imprinted and the spirit of God is mysteriously present. God's presence and spirituality permeate the entire nature of man and humanity, which, when making prosphoras, is reflected by adding holy water and yeast to the water. Holy water signifies the grace of God, and yeast signifies the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit, giving life to every creature. This corresponds to the words of the Savior about spiritual life striving for the Kingdom of Heaven, which He likens to leaven put into flour, thanks to which the whole dough gradually rises.

The division of the prosphora into two parts visibly signifies this invisible division of human nature into flesh (flour and water) and soul (yeast and holy water), which are in an inseparable, but also unfused unity, which is why the upper and lower parts of the prosphora are made separately from one another , but then connect so that they become one.

The seal on the top of the prosphora visibly denotes the invisible seal of the image of God, which penetrates the entire nature of man and is the highest principle in him. This arrangement of the prosphora corresponds to the structure of man before the Fall and the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ, who restored in Himself this structure broken by the Fall. The prosphora is therefore also a sign of the Lord Jesus Christ, who united in Himself the Divine and human nature.

The prosphora is made round as a sign of the eternity of Christ and humanity in Christ, in general as a sign that man was created for eternal life. It is not difficult to see that the prosphora also marks the creation of God in the unity of the heavenly and earthly realms of existence and the heavenly and earthly fullness of the Church of Christ.

The prosphora, being a symbol of the deified Creature, can acquire different meanings depending on the course of the service, signifying both an individual person and all of humanity as a whole. When a four-part Lamb is cut out of the first service prosphora, this simultaneously symbolizes the Birth of Jesus Christ from the most pure womb of the Virgin Mary, and the separation of the sinless and divinely purified human nature of Jesus Christ from the environment of sinful humanity, from the environment of this world, from earthly life. This separation was effected through the malice of the people themselves, which persecuted Christ from birth and led Him to death on the cross. In connection with this it is found that the Lamb is carved with a copy.

The wisdom of the design of the prosphora allows it to be both a symbol of the Church and the God-created human nature restored in it through the communion of Christ. Prosphoras are basically a sign of a deified creature, a sign of the Church as the eternal Kingdom of God, of which the person bringing the prosphora strives to become a particle, and what he wishes for those for whom the particles were taken out of it.

The sharp iron spear cutting out these particles correspondingly means the trials of life that are allowed by God on the part of demonic forces hostile to man, so that these trials themselves turn out, despite the hostile will, to be a necessary instrument in the conditions of earthly life for the salvation of man, cutting off his sinful attachments and union with the Church of God's chosen ones. The copy was not created only for the convenience of cutting out particles from prosphoras. If the separation of the Lamb and the particles had a different spiritual meaning, it could have been done either by the hands of a priest by breaking it off, or by an object meaning anything other than an instrument of cruelty and bodily death.

How does the transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts occur?

Transubstantiation (transition) - this term in Orthodox theology defines the way the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ resides in the bread and wine of the Holy Eucharist. In transubstantiation he sees the miracle of God’s omnipotence, similar to God’s creation of the world out of nothing. The very essence of bread and the very essence of wine is transformed into the essence of the true Body and Blood of Christ, by the action of the Holy Spirit, whom the priest calls upon at this time to perform the Sacrament, through prayer and the words: “ Send down Thy Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts that are presented, and make therefore this bread the venerable Body of Thy Christ; and in this Cup, the precious Blood of Thy Christ, transposed by Thy Holy Spirit».

The Lord wanted us not to see with our bodily eyes the Body and Blood of Christ, but to believe in our spirit that it was They, based on the words spoken by Christ to his disciples at the Last Supper: This is My Body and This is My Blood. We must believe more in the Divine word, in His power, and not in our feelings, which reveals the bliss of faith.

How does communion of the Holy Gifts take place?

The clergy partake of the Body and Blood of Christ under both types, separately, that is, first the Body and then the Blood of Christ. Then the Chalice with the Holy Gifts is brought to the laity for communion.

Flour, water and salt, united by fire, mean that God is completely united with us and gives us His help and assistance, and especially that He is completely united with our entire nature.

You should not eat completely stale or moldy prosphora. For the Lamb, it is more convenient to take a slightly hardened prosphora (baked the day before) than a freshly baked one, since it is easier to cut out the Holy Lamb from the former and, after consecration, it is more convenient to crush it into particles for the communion of the laity.

Ancient baking method:

Take 1200 g of premium flour (cereal). Pour a little holy water into the bottom of the bowl in which the dough will be kneaded, pour in 400 g of flour, pour boiling water over it (to give the prosphora sweetness and resistance to mold) and mix. After cooling, add salt diluted in holy water to the same bowl and add yeast (25 g). Mix everything thoroughly and after rising (after 30 minutes) add the remaining flour (800 g) and knead everything again. After rising (after 30 minutes), the dough is laid out on the table, rubbed well, rolled out with a rolling pin into sheets of the required thickness, cut into circles (for the lower part, a larger shape), straightened with your hands, covered with a damp towel, then dry and kept for 30 minutes. The smaller, upper part is stamped. The connecting surfaces of the prosphora are moistened with warm water, the upper part is placed on the lower part, and both parts are pierced with a needle to prevent the formation of voids. Then the prosphoras are placed on a baking sheet and baked in the oven until cooked (small ones - 15 minutes, service ones - 20 minutes). The finished prosphora is taken out onto the table, covered with a dry cloth, then a wet one, again dry, and on top of it a clean blanket specially prepared for this purpose. The prosphora “rest” for an hour. When they become soft and cool, they are put into baskets or other containers, where nothing else except prosphora is placed.

What is antidor

At the end of the Liturgy, the antidor is distributed to the worshipers - small parts of the prosphora from which the Holy Lamb was taken out at the proskomedia. The Greek word antidor comes from the Greek words anti - instead of and di oron - gift, that is, the exact translation of this word is instead of gift.

“Antidorus,” says the saint, “is sacred bread, which was brought in offering and the middle of which was taken out and used for sacred rites; this bread, as sealed with a copy and having received divine words, is taught instead of terrible Gifts, that is, the Mysteries, to those who have not partaken of them.”

The custom of distributing the antidoron apparently arose at a time when the ancient tradition of giving communion to all those present at the Liturgy disappeared. In the ancient Church, everyone present at the Liturgy considered it an obligation to receive communion. Even those who could not attend the Divine Supper considered the deprivation of the Holy Gifts too difficult for themselves. That is why the deacons distributed gifts to the sick, those imprisoned, and those under guard. Those who went on the road took gifts with them.

But subsequently such zeal weakened, as did the love for the Lord Jesus Christ. Many stopped going to the Divine Liturgy altogether, and of those who came, the majority did not take part in the Divine Supper. That is why, instead of the Holy Gifts, they began to distribute those loaves that remained from the bloodless sacrifice. At first it was called a blessing (in Greek - eulogia), because these loaves, although they were not consecrated as Holy Gifts by the invocation of the Holy Spirit, were blessed and sanctified by the fact that they were among the offerings. Since there was a confusion of concepts here (the Divine Supper itself was called a blessing - eulogia), the distribution of bread began to be called antidorea, antidor, which means retribution, reward.

The first evidence of the distribution of antidor particles to those who did not partake of the Holy Mysteries dates back to the 7th century and is contained in the rules of the 9th Council of Kamnet in Gaul.

In the Eastern Church, the first mention of antidoron appears no earlier than the 11th century. The oldest can be considered the testimony of the “Explanation of the Liturgy” according to the list of the 11th century. Next, you should indicate the testimony of Balsamon (XII century) in the 15th response to the Alexandrian Patriarch Mark.

According to the Nomocanon, if the particles of the prosphora from which the Holy Lamb is taken are insufficient for the antidor, prosphora in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos can be used to prepare it. According to the instructions of the Helmsman, antidor is not taught to infidels and those under penance.

What is artos

The word artos (in Greek - leavened bread) is consecrated bread common to all members of the Church, otherwise - whole prosphora.

Throughout Bright Week, Artos occupies the most prominent place in the church, together with the image of the Resurrection of the Lord, and, at the end of Easter celebrations, is distributed to believers.

The use of artos dates back to the very beginning of Christianity. On the fortieth day after the Resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven. The disciples and followers of Christ found consolation in prayerful memories of the Lord - they recalled His every word, every step and every action. When they came together for common prayer, they, remembering the Last Supper, partook of the Body and Blood of Christ. When preparing an ordinary meal, they left the first place at the table to the invisibly present Lord and placed bread in this place. Imitating the Apostles, the first shepherds of the Church established that on the feast of the Resurrection of Christ, bread should be placed in the church, as a visible expression of the fact that the Savior, who suffered for us, became for us the true bread of life. The artos depicts a cross on which only the crown of thorns is visible, but there is no Crucified One - as a sign of Christ’s victory over death, or an image of the Resurrection of Christ. Artos is also connected with the ancient church tradition that the Apostles left a portion of bread at the table - a share of the Most Pure Mother of the Lord as a reminder of constant communication with Her - and after the meal they reverently divided this part among themselves. In monasteries, this custom is called the Rite of Panagia, that is, the remembrance of the Most Holy Mother of the Lord. In parish churches, this bread of the Mother of God is remembered once a year in connection with the fragmentation of the artos.

The artos is consecrated with a special prayer, sprinkling with holy water and censing on the first day of Holy Pascha at the Liturgy after the prayer behind the pulpit. On the solea, opposite the Royal Doors, on a prepared table or lectern, an arthos is placed. If several artos are prepared, then they are all consecrated at the same time. After censing around the table with the installed artos, the priest reads a prayer: “Omnipotent God and Lord Almighty, Who was Your servant Moses in the exodus of Israel from Egypt, and in the liberation of Your people from the bitter work of the Pharaohs, You commanded the lamb to be slaughtered, prefiguring the one slain on the Cross for our sake. Lamb, who takes away the sins of the whole world, Thy beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ! Even now, we humbly pray to You, look upon this bread, and bless and sanctify it. For we too are Thy servants, in honor and glory, and in remembrance of the glorious Resurrection of the same Son of Thy Lord Jesus Christ, who from the eternal work of the enemy and from the insoluble bonds of hell received permission, freedom and promotion, before Thy Majesty now in this all-bright, glorious and the saving day of Easter, this we bring: we who bring this, and kiss it and eat from it, make us partakers of Your heavenly blessing and take away all sickness and illness from us by Your power, giving health to everyone. For You are the source of blessing and the giver of healing, and we send up glory to You, the Beginning Father, with Your Only Begotten Son, and Your Most Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.”

After the prayer, the priest sprinkles the artos with holy water, saying: “This artos is blessed and sanctified by sprinkling sowing sacred water, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen" (three times). The lectern with the artos is placed on the sole in front of the image of the Savior, where the artos lies throughout Holy Week. It is kept in the church throughout Bright Week on a lectern in front of the iconostasis. On all days of Bright Week, at the end of the Liturgy with artos, a procession of the cross around the temple is solemnly performed.

On Saturday, after the prayer behind the pulpit, a prayer is read for the fragmentation of the artos: “Lord Jesus Christ, our God, the Bread of Angels, the Bread of Eternal Life, who came down from Heaven, feeding us on these all-bright days with spiritual food of Your Divine blessings, for the sake of the three-day and saving Resurrection! Look now, we humbly pray to Thee, to our prayers and thanksgivings, and as Thou blessedst the five loaves of bread in the desert, and now bless this bread, that all who eat from it may receive physical and mental blessings and health through the grace and generosity of Thy love for mankind. For You are our sanctification, and We send up glory to You, with Your Originless Father and Your All-Holy, Good, and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.”

The artos is fragmented and at the end of the Liturgy, during the kissing of the Cross, it is distributed to the people as a shrine.

The genus artos at the lower level of consecration represents Easter cake, church ritual food, but not at all worldly luxury.

About eating prosphora, antidor and artos

The prosphora, which is given after the end of the Liturgy, is sacred and is reverently eaten by the believer before taking any food.

According to the rules of the Church, the antidoron must be eaten in church, on an empty stomach and with reverence, because this is holy bread, bread from the altar of God, part of the offerings to the altar of Christ, from which it receives heavenly sanctification.

Particles of artos received in the temple are reverently kept by believers as a spiritual cure for illnesses and infirmities. Artos is used in special cases, for example, in illness, and always with the words “Christ is risen!”

The prosphora and artos are kept in the holy corner near the icons. Spoiled prosphora and artos should be burned yourself (or taken to a place for this) or floated down the river with clean water.

Prayer for accepting prosphora and holy water

Lord my God, may Your holy gift and Your holy water be for the enlightenment of my mind, for the strengthening of my mental and physical strength, for the health of my soul and body, for the subjugation of my passions and infirmities, according to Your boundless mercy through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and all the Saints Yours. Amen.

Why does the Church sanctify Easter cakes and Easter cakes?

Christian Easter is Christ Himself with His Body and Blood. “Easter Christ the Deliverer,” as the Church sings and the Apostle Paul says (). Therefore, one should especially receive communion on Easter day. But since many Orthodox Christians have the custom of receiving the Holy Mysteries during Great Lent and on the bright day of the Resurrection of Christ, only a few receive communion, then, after the Liturgy is celebrated, on this day special offerings of believers, usually called Easter and Easter cakes, are blessed and consecrated in the church, so that they can eat from them it reminded of the communion of the true Pascha of Christ and united all the faithful in Jesus Christ.

The consumption of blessed Easter cakes and Easter cakes on Holy Week among Orthodox Christians can be likened to the eating of the Old Testament Easter, which on the first day of Easter week God's chosen people ate as a family (3-4). Also, after the blessing and consecration of Christian Easter cakes and Easter cakes, believers on the first day of the holiday, having come home from churches and having completed the feat of fasting, as a sign of joyful unity, the whole family begins bodily reinforcement - stopping the fast, everyone eats the blessed Easter cakes and Easter, using them in throughout Bright Week.