Among the symbolic objects used in worship, prosphora takes a special place. It is associated with the body of the Lord and is a communion to the sacrament of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which He brought for the salvation of people. Having a huge cult value, the prosphora, however, became ritual bread long before the crucifixion. The history of rites with its use goes back centuries.
Meaning of the word
First, let's find out more precisely, what is this? The word itself has ancient Greek roots and is translated as an "offering." Its second name is bread for the liturgy, liturgical. The main purpose is used during the Eucharist for consecration and eating with wine as a particle of the body and blood of Christ. It is also widely used for the rite of the Proscomidia prosphora. What does it mean: during the special liturgy, the birth and death of Christ are recalled, all Christians, alive and dead, are commemorated. In the basis of the rite, in addition to the words of Jesus uttered at the Last Supper, a miracle is laid when He fed a few loaves of bread to thousands of hungry. But long before the birth of Christ in the Old Testament texts mentioned sacrificial prosphora. What it should have been for bread is indicated directly: kvass, that is, yeast. This is written in the "Book of Leviticus". In the Mosaic tabernacles (marching church), too, sacred bread was used, only fresh, cooked in a special way. Its two parts signify the human, the earthly principle and the higher, the heavenly.
Ancient cult
At the time of the first Christians, believers brought food, olive oil, candle wax, which were necessary for liturgies and other rituals or simply ministries in church or prayer houses. Obligatory was and prosphora. That this was not ordinary bread, but special, symbolic, is confirmed by such facts as, for example, the description of common meals - agapas. At the dawn of Christianity, in the era of slavery, it was accepted by all members of local churches to gather for joint food-eating. At one table were free citizens and slaves. Agapas played the role of the Last Supper, during their time the Eucharist were celebrated, therefore the meals were strictly religious in nature. At the same time, they stressed that in the face of Christ all are equal, regardless of social status. The participants kissed the world, prayed, sent messages to other such churches and communities. Later, when such "parties" began to be made separately from the Liturgy, the prosphora was called not food in general, but only the bread needed for the Eucharist.
Taste of bread
How are prosphors prepared? The recipe may be different, but the technology is the same for everyone. It is necessarily wheat flour, salt, water, alum or yeast. No fat additives - milk, whey, oil - do not require prosphora. And the taste of it should just be slightly salty. On the top crust of bread, special symbolic images on religious themes are painted. There are prosphors from two parts - halves, as described above. Their sacred meaning indicates the connection between the world of man and the Lord. Flour, bread and salt are associated with the Holy Trinity, and alums - with the life of the spirit. Saint Simeon of Thessaloniki also holds such an analogy: flour and leaven (opara) is the soul, water is its baptism, and salt is the great word of God. Jesus called his disciples "salt." And the baking process is compared with the union of the Lord with us, people, "human nature". Because the bread is blossom, moldy for the role of prosphora is not good.
Recipe and recommendations
How can you bake prosphora? The recipe used in the old days contains such instructions: kneading the dough is done with the addition of holy water, baking is accompanied by prayers, singing of psalms, the work is performed by pious women specially invited for this. They are called prosponsaries. The process is the following. For one batch of baking, you need 1200 g flour, grind it thoroughly so that it is lush, filled with air. In the basin, where you are going to knead the dough, pour in a little consecrated water. Then pour about 400 g of flour and pour it over with boiling water. For what they do: first, that the wheat gave the test the sweetness in it, because sugar is not put in such bread. Secondly, that the prosphora for a long time did not grow moldy. The mixture needs to be mixed and left to cool slightly. Further in the same holy water, salt is dissolved (several tablespoons), this is poured into flour flour, 25 g of yeast is added, they are dissolved and thoroughly mixed. Now put the pelvis on and leave the spoon for half an hour to rise. Pour the remaining flour, knead again and let the dough come up again. After the specified time, if the mass has risen well, a perfect prosphora should turn out from it. What to do with it - read on.
Baking products
Dough lay on the desktop, well sprinkled with flour. Roll out a layer 3 cm thick. Cut from it with special mugs of a circle of larger and smaller diameter. Correct them with your hands, so that every future prosphora turns out to be accurate. What to do with it now, or rather, with them? Cover with a wet waffle towel, on top - dry, and again for half an hour leave for "rest." Then overlay the seals on smaller mugs, connect them to large ones, after dampening slightly the surface with water. So that during the baking in the test there are no voids, every holy prosphora must be pierced through. Then put them on a baking sheet and put in a preheated oven. How to bake prosphora? They should brown, but not burn. Time is from 15 to 20 minutes. Cook the pastry on the table, cover with dry, damp and dry towels and something warm. In this form, the prosphora should cool down. They are put in special baskets and used for their intended purpose. Store in the refrigerator.
A Living Prayer Word
As already noted, the whole process of working with the test is accompanied by prayer. Prospera is holy bread, but with God all matters are controversial. The first prayer, traditional for every cause: "Lord, help!" It precedes the beginning of the work. During the batch it is necessary to read the fifth prayers, appeals to the holy Spiridon, Nicodemus and Prokhor, and also to the Lord. When the prosphora pierce, the action is accompanied by the traditional: "In the name of the Father, the Son ..." As long as the baking goes, one should read: "The Virgin of the Virgin ..." The work ends with a thank-you appeal to God. There is also a prayer for the adoption of prosphora.
Holy seal
On the top of the holy bread is applied a special drawing - "seal." How does she look? The outline of the cross - four-pointed, equilateral - is drawn. Above the crossbar are carved the initials of Christ - IC XC, and under it - the word "victory" in the ancient Greek: nick. Naturally, it's too long to do it by hand, especially if you need a large number of products to bake. A good help will serve you a seal for prosphora. You can buy this in church benches. The impressions made by her are clearly visible on the test. And when the prosphora is already baked, the picture looks beautiful on the toasty crust.
Lamb of sacrifice
It should be noted that during the divine service bread is used not entirely, but its particles. The "spear" (in memory of how the Christ's heart was pierced on the cross with this tool) is divided into pieces, which mark the Lamb of God, the sacrifice made by Jesus for the sake of people. Usually 5 breads are baked for Proskomedia. One is used as a Lamb, and during the Liturgy they are communicated to believers. The rest are shared by the father in memory of the Mother of God. Particles of these prosphoras eat, recalling her, about holy martyrs, about the compilers of the liturgy. But this amount is focused on the official part of the ministry. For the needs of the church, the parish is baked as much prosphora as the parishioners give a note "Health" and "For rest".
Proper use of sacred bread
As a rule, parishioners try to bring home from the church pieces of prosphora, so that everyone in the family can receive communion. But its use is regulated by several rules. First, they eat such bread before the main food, not mixing them in any way. Secondly, you must pray before you put a piece in your mouth. So, after returning from the liturgy, lay a clean tablecloth on the table. Put the prosphora on the plate. In glasses or cups, pour a little of the holy water - about 3 gulps. Then the elder in the family should read the same prayer, which is intended to receive the bread of the saint. It begins like this: "My God, your holy gift, your holy water is an obstacle to my sins, enlightening my mind, strengthening the strength of spirit and flesh ..." Having read these cherished words, every household has to bring a plate. He must be careful not to drop a tiny bit on the floor, put a particle in his mouth, slowly chew, and wash it with consecrated water. To think at this moment, of course, it is desirable not about worldly vanity, but about the Lord, Jesus, the Holy Church, feeling itself its member. After all, prosphora is heavenly bread, it must be accepted humbly and in fear of God. Even George Zadonsky preached that eating her and drinking with holy water has good deeds, protects a person from bad thoughts and deeds, from temptations of impure and other filth.
Here is an interesting story in the prosphora - Orthodox and Catholic.