Orthodox faith has so many nuances and specialsacred actions, that knowing them all is simply impossible, and it is extremely difficult for an ordinary person to understand them. So, proskomedia: what is it and what is this action - this is what I want to talk about in the article.
Notation
It is worth saying that the most important churchthe service is the mass, or liturgy, where the sacrament of communion takes place. For this ceremony, it is necessary to have a red grape wine, as well as bread, or prosphora. They are prepared before the start of the liturgy in a special way. For this, the priest, together with the deacon, dressed in elegant sacred clothes, perform special actions on the altar, the altar, and read special prayers. It can be concluded: before the liturgy, certain preparations are necessary, which by their nature are very important. Exactly they are called proskomide. It should be said that there is a proskomedia about repose, as well as about health.
About word
Также необходимо разобраться в понятиях.So, proskomide: what is it? Translated from Greek, this word means an offering. However, based on this, it is very difficult to draw any conclusions. Indeed, in the first part of the mass no mysterious offering was made to God, but special preparations were made, thanks to which bread and wine became not ordinary, but sacred. Already at the stage of the proskomedia they could not be mixed with ordinary products and used together.
About cooking for proskomedia
Having dealt with the concept of "proskomedia" - what is itsuch, and from which language it came - also worth considering the very preparation of wine and prosphora. As it became clear, these are the products that Jesus himself used when establishing the sacrament. It is worth talking about prosphore. In translation, its name means "gift of the gift." Where did this word come from? In antiquity, for the preparation of sacred bread, people brought to the church various kinds and kinds of it, so that the best for church action could be chosen. The part was used in the selection, while the rest was consumed at the friendly meal, which necessarily happened after the liturgy, and where all the lay people present were invited. At the same time other products were brought to the church, such as wine, oil, incense, etc. All this was united in one word - prosphora. Today, things are a little different. It is not customary to bring all kinds of dishes to the church, therefore, only bread is considered to be prophorus, which believers no longer bring, but baked at churches in special rooms of prosphorini (women from among the wives of priests or honest widows).
About bread
So, proskomide (what is it, we alreadyfigured out) - the most important stage of preparation for the liturgy. It is worth saying that the bread itself is necessarily made from wheat flour (this is what the Jews consumed during the times of Christ's life). His meaning was very important: he represented the atoning death of Jesus Christ. According to beliefs, everything can be known in comparison: after all, only by dying and becoming bread, can wheat bring many benefits. However, if it just showered on the field, it will not fulfill its most important mission. The same applies to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The very preparation of prosphora is considered a sacred act: the bread must be white, unoiled at the preparation stage (with milk, eggs), moderately salty. It is served only fresh, not moldy, not solid. Another interesting fact is that bread consists of two halves, which symbolize the human and divine likeness of Christ.
About wine
Together with the bread for the sacrament of the Eucharist shouldbe cooked wine. It will necessarily be red (represents the blood of Christ) and grape (because the Provider Himself consumed such wine, as stated in the Holy Scriptures).
Prospor
It is worth saying that particles in honor of allsaints, priests, as well as people living and dead, are withdrawn from four prosphora: the Mother of God, the nine-root, the zazdravnoy and the requiem. If we take into account the obligatory prosphora of the Lamb, then the service will be held on five units. Other prosfory may also be brought, but in total they should not be less than five today. Having worshiped three times, the priest takes the first prosphora, which is usually larger than the others, and cuts a quadrangular Lamb from it, uttering special words and putting it on the diskos. From the second prosphora, the priest takes out a particle of the Virgin. The third prosphora - nine-story, is intended for the memory of nine saints: John the Baptist, the prophets, apostles, martyrs, as well as saints who are venerated in a given church or city. It is worth saying that during the entire liturgy the names of the living and deceased are commemorated quite often. And for the first time this happens on the proskomide. First comes proskomediya about health, then - about repose. After the commemoration of the living and departed has ended, the priest almost always takes out the particle for himself, reading special prayers.
Note
В церковной терминологии существует такое concept as a note on the proskomide. What is it? Before the liturgy, everyone can submit a specific petition written on paper about the people for whom the priest will pray. More than once everybody saw that a piece of bread, which the father gives on the sacrament of the Eucharist, as if a piece had been removed. There will be as many such holes throughout the prosphore as there are names in the note. All these crumbs are gathered on the diskos, during the liturgy they are next to the Lamb (a large prosphora), and after such symbolic "souls" are immersed in a wine cup. In this case, the priest must read a special prayer. It will be important that the note can only include the names of Orthodox baptized people. There are also simple and customized notes. Information about this must be clarified directly in the church itself. However, in general, according to a simple note, the name of a person will simply be taken out on the proskomide, according to a custom one, it will also be heard in prayer.
Types of notes
It is worth saying that there are two kinds of notes.The first is the proskomedia for health. Before serving, you need to write on the special sheet, which will most often be located near the candle stand, the names of the people for whose health you need to pray. According to the same document, proskomedia is performed for the rest. Writing down the names of people, it is important to carefully read the inscriptions above and not to confuse the leaves. If it is necessary to order a commemoration on proskomidii, you can submit a note in the evening, simply by specifying the desired number.
About the living and the dead
Commemoration on the proskomedia for the living and the deadIt is performed by virtue of a bloodless sacrifice prepared for the proskomedia. It is worth saying that it is of paramount importance not only for the people living on earth, but also for the dead. There is a story about a brother who, for certain sins before the church, was deprived of burial and prayers for 30 days after dying. At the end of this time, when everything was done according to Christian laws, the spirit appeared to a living brother and said that only now he had found peace only after a bloodless sacrifice was made.
Preparations for proskomedia
The priest and the deacon must thoroughly prepare for such a rite as proskomedia. There must be made several important nuances.
- Prayers are required before entering the altar and in front of the altar itself.
- Priests should be dressed in special clothes.
- Mandatory procedure of washing hands with the reading of verses from the 25th psalm.
Proskomide itself
In various ways you can find out how it goes.Proskomide: photos will help you with this. However, it is better to still know in advance what will happen at this time. The main part of the proskomide consists of a short-term action. The priest and the deacon stand in front of the altar, where the sacred vessels are placed: chalice, diskos, spear, star, veil. Rituals with prosphoras (sacred bread) are performed for reading prayers.
End of proskomedia
After the end of the proskomedia clergy prepare for a more solemn part - the liturgy. However, all this must take place according to certain rules.
- The intake of the holy meal and the whole church by the deacon.
- Read special prayers.
- The deacon's petition from the priest for permission to begin the next part of the liturgy.
