My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ,
Christ is in our midst!
One of the most significant Orthodox Christian traditions is the preparation and baking of the holy bread, prosphoron, or the bread oblation, by devout and pious Orthodox Christians within the local church. It is not only a privilege but also, a blessing for the Orthodox Christian believer.
Please permit me to offer you a glimpse of the procedure that the Orthodox priest must take before he proceeds to conduct the proskomide.
When the priest is about to celebrate the Divine Liturgy, awed by the sublimity of the Great Mystery (Sacrament), he stands in front of the Royal Gate of the Iconostasion and there he strengthens himself by a series of prayers. Then he kisses the holy Icons of Christ, Ever-Virgin Mary, Saint John the Baptist, and the patron Saint of the Church (i.e., St. Andrew the holy Apostle). He then ends with this prayer:
"O Lord, stretch forth Thy hand from Thy dwelling-place on High and strengthen me for this Thine appointed Service, that, standing without condemnation in front of Thy Holy Altar, I may perform the Bloodless Sacrifice, For Thine is the power and the glory unto all ages. Amen."
Entering the Sanctuary he makes three reverences (metanoies) before the Altar Table and kisses both the Gospel book and the consecrated Altar table. Then the priest vests himself with his full vestments, blessing and kissing each one of them and reciting Scriptural verses. After vesting himself he goes to the wash-stand and washes his hands, thus expressing his desire of being more and more cleansed of his sins as he is about to start the Divine Liturgy.
Thus cleansed and enlightened, he approaches the Prothesis in order to perform the Offertory Service. At first he makes three reverences, saying: "O God, cleanse me, a sinner, and have mercy on me" (St. Luke 18:13).
Then the priest takes one of the bread of oblation or prosphoron in his left hand and the lance in his right hand, and touching the lance on the seal of the prosphoron, he elevates them both to the level of his head and says: "Thou hast redeemed us from the curse of the law by Thy Precious Blood. Nailed on the Cross and pierced with a spear, Thou hast bestowed immortality upon mankind. O our Savior, glory to Thee."
Then the priest makes the sign of the Cross over the Credence with the prosphoron and the lance, reciting: "Blessed is our God, always, now and forever and from all ages to all ages."
Then he makes the sign of the Cross with the lance three times over the seal of prosphoron, saying each time: "In remembrance of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ" (I Cor. 11:24, St. Luke 22:19).
Next the priest cuts out a portion of bread from the central part of the prosphoron/a's Seal in the shape of a cube, called "Amnos" ("Lamb"), which at first represents the Body of Christ and into which it later changes. The stamped design says "IC, XC, NIKA" (Jesus Christ Conquers). As the Offertory service is a commemoration of the early life of Christ, which was a time of preparation for His Public Ministry, the priest goes back to the prophecy of Isaiah who foresaw long beforehand the Sacrifice of the Messiah (Isaiah 53:7-8).
Then the priest inserts the lance beneath the Seal and lifts up the cubic portion of the bread, the "Amnos" or "Lamb". Turning the "Lamb" downwards, makes with the lance a deep crosswise cut as a sign of His death on the Cross and says: "The Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world, is sacrificed for the life and the salvation of the world" (St. John 1:29; I John 2:2).
Then the priest turns the "Lamb" upwards and pierces it with the lance on the right side, marked "NI", saying: "One of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately there came out blood and water. And he who saw it bore witness and his witness is true" (St. John 19:34-35).
The priest, thereupon, pours wine and water in to the Chalice; then he blesses them, saying: "Blessed is the union of Thy Holy Gifts, always, now and forever and from all ages to all ages."
The wine and water represent the blood and water than ran out of the Christ's side, which later will be changed into His Blood.
Then the large triangle piece on the left is cut in honor of the Ever-Virgin Mary. The nine small triangles on the right side are cut to commemorate the Angels, Prophets, Apostles, the Prophets, the Apostles, the Holy Fathers and prelates, the holy Martyrs, the holy Ascetics, the holy Unmercenaries, the Ancestors of our Lord Joachim and Anna, the Saint of the day and All the Saints, and the Saint whose Liturgy is celebrated (St. John Chrysostom, Saint Basil the Great, St. James the Apostle, etc.). The last cuts are tiny pieces to remember specific names of the living and dead.
In the ancient Tradition of the Orthodox Church, Holy Mystery of Communion is carried out through the mediums of wine and leavened bread. The bread is specially baked for the purpose of Communion, and it is called "Prosphora" (meaning "that which is offered" in Greek.)
Prosphora or Prosphoron is made from only four ingredients, wheat flour (white), yeast, salt, and water. Salt was not used in early times.
Any Orthodox Christian who is in good standing spiritually and whose conscience is clean may bake prosphora. Often in a parish church women and men will take turns baking the prosphora.
It is common but not necessary to go to confession before baking prosphora, and it is often done in the morning while fasting. There may be special prayers said before commencing, and a baker tries to maintain a religious state of mind throughout, often saying the Jesus Prayer ( "O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God and Savior, have mercy upon me, a sinner."). Usually enough prosphora for a number of services are baked at the same time.
A prosphoron is made up of two separate round pieces of leavened dough which are placed one on top of another and baked together to form a single loaf. This double-loaf represents the two natures of Christ: human and divine. Before baking, each prosphoron is stamped with Seal usually bearing the image of a cross with the Greek letters IC XC NIKA around the arms of the cross. This impression is baked into the bread and serves as a guide for the priest who will be cutting it.
It is extremely important that the seal is a proper and an accurate seal. It should look like the one below. No other seal will be accepted!
PRAYERS FOR PREPARATION OF PROSPHORA
Prayer of Repentance:
O Lord our God, good and merciful, I acknowledge all my sins which I have committed every day of my life, in thought, word and deed, in body and soul alike. I am heartily sorry that I have ever offended Thee, O Lord: of Thy mercy forgive me all my past transgressions and absolve me from them. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to amend my way of life and to sin no more, that I may walk in the way of the name of righteousness and offer praise and glory in the Name of Father and of the Son of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer before making the Prosphora:
Almighty God, our Help and Refuge, Fountain of Wisdom and Tower of Strength, Who knows that I can do nothing without Thy guidance and help; assist me, I pray Thee, and direct me to divine wisdom and power, that I may prepare the prosphora, faithfully and diligently, according to Thy will, so that it may be profitable to myself and others, and to the glory of Thy Holy Name. For Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer after the Prosphora are baked:
Dear Lord, the bread that I have baked represent each one in my family and in my congregation. I am offering myself to Thee, my very life, in humble obedience and total commitment to Thee. I place myself on Thy holy Altar through this bread to be used by Thee in any way that Thou will help enlarge Thy Kingdom. Accept my gift and make me worthy to receive the greater gift that Thou will give me when Thou will consecrate this bread and give it back to me as Your Precious Body. Amen.
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God's blessings to all of you who participate in this most wonderful and special ministry of our Holy Church.
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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!"
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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+Father George