Proskomidia basic structural elements and symbolic interpretation. When proskomedia is not performed. Prosphora on proskomedia

What to order to maintain the health of loved ones, a prayer service or a proskomedia? The best way to get the answer is from your spiritual father.

The order of the proskomedia

The priests prepare in a special way for the liturgy, after which the Orthodox can take the sacrament, one of the seven sacraments of the Church.

For the first part of the Liturgy, parishioners bring bread and other offerings, the clergy prepare wine and special bread for communion.

The priests put on the attire corresponding to the Liturgy in order to perform a special rite in the altar - the presentation of people before the Lord, for whom relatives and friends ask.

The sacred action takes place with the gates closed, in the altar, emphasizing the mystery of the coming of the Savior, invisible to many. The priest announces each name aloud, while saying "Remember, Lord (name)."

After reading the entrance prayers, the priest puts on festive clothes and performs washing of his hands.

From the first lamb prosphora, the priest carves the middle part in the form of a quadrangle - the Lamb.

Before the birth of Jesus Christ by Old Testament to atone for sins could only be the sacrifice of a slain animal. A man sinned, but an innocent creature was killed. God no longer wanted the blood of innocent animals, sent His Son to earth, who became the last Lamb sacrificed for the sins of the world. Only the believer in Jesus Christ, who accepted his sacrifice for his sins, will be saved.

Taking out the middle reminds at the same time of the birth and death of Christ.

Discos, chalice, star, spear, liar

The meaning of objects in the Liturgy

Each thing used in the first part of the Liturgy has a special meaning. The diskos, on which the carved middle of the first bread is placed, symbolizes the manger in which the Savior was born, and the thunder, where He was buried.

The spear piercing the right side of the middle of the removed piece is done in memory of how the guard pierced the right rib of Jesus, and Blood and water poured out of it.

For pouring wine diluted with water, a special bowl is used - chalice.

From the second, the Mother of God prosphora, the middle is taken out in the form of a triangle, while the Mother of God is commemorated. The triangular part is placed to the right of the quadrangular part - the symbol of the Lamb.

On the left side of the Lamb, 9 parts of the “nine-fold”, the third sacred bread, symbolizing the saints, are poured.

Under the “feet of the Lamb” are placed 2 parts taken from the fourth prosphora. She is part of the living clergy, the second is all the laity Orthodox Church.

A piece of the fifth bread is a symbol of the memory of the departed.

For reference! From the loaves served by the laity, the priest takes out as many particles as the names are written in the memorial lists. Further, a prayer for health is read.

Remember, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, Thy mercy and compassion from everlasting existence, for their sake you also became human, and crucifixion and death, for the sake of salvation for the right of Thy believers, Thou hast delighted to endure; and you rose from the dead, you ascended into heaven and sit at the right hand of God the Father, and look at the humble supplications with all your heart of those who call on you: incline your ear, and hear the humble prayer of me, your obscene servant, who smells like a spiritual fragrance, offering you for all your people ... And in the first, remember Thy Holy Church, Catholic and Apostolic, Thou hast supplied Thy honest Blood to the south, and strengthen, and strengthen, and expand, multiply, die, and preserve the gates of hell for ever invincible; Calm the rending of the Churches, quench the pagan swaying, and soon destroy and eradicate the heresies of the uprising, and turn them into nothingness by the power of Your Holy Spirit. ( Bow)

Save, Lord, and have mercy on our God-protected country, its power and army, protect their power with peace, and subdue every enemy and adversary under the noses of the Orthodox, and say peaceable and good in their hearts about Your Holy Church, and about all Your people: yes Let us live a quiet and silent life in orthodoxy and in all piety and purity. ( Bow)

Save, Lord, and have mercy on the Great Lord and Father of our Most Holy Patriarch Alexy, the Most Reverend Metropolitans, Archbishops and Orthodox bishops, but the priests and deacons, and all the Church's lamentation, you also set Thou to shepherd your flock of words, and with their prayers you have mercy on me. ( Bow)

Save, Lord, and have mercy on my spiritual father (his name), and forgive my sins with his holy prayers. ( Bow)

Save, Lord, and have mercy on my parents (their names), brothers and sisters, and my relatives in the flesh, and all my neighbors of my kind, and friends, and grant them Thy peace and good grace. ( Bow)

Save, Lord, and have mercy on the multitude of Thy compassions, all holy women, monks and nuns, and all in virginity and reverence and fasting living in the monastery, in the deserts, in caves, mountains, pillars, seals, stone clefts, islands of the sea, and in every place of Thy dominion, living faithfully and piously serving Ty, and praying to Thee: ease their burden, and comfort their grief, and give them strength and strength to their feat for You, and grant me forgiveness of sins with their prayers. ( Bow)

Save, Lord, and have mercy on the elders and the youth, the beggar and the orphans and the widows, and those who are in sickness and in sorrows, troubles and sorrows, situations and captivity, in dungeons and imprisonments, more fair in persecution, for You and the Orthodox faith, from the language of the ungodly, from apostates and from heretics, who are Thy servants, and remember, visit, strengthen, comfort, and soon, through Thy strength, I will give them freedom and deliver them. ( Bow)

Save, Lord, and have mercy on him who does us good, has mercy and nourishes us, who has given us alms, and who has commanded us unworthy to pray for them, and who restores us, and do Thy mercy with them, granting them all, even for the salvation of petition, and eternal blessings perception ... ( Bow)

Save, Lord, and have mercy on those sent to the service, travelers, our fathers and brethren, and all Orthodox Christians. ( Bow)

Save, O Lord, and have mercy on them with my madness of temptations, and have turned away from the path of salvation, to an evil and unseemly deed; By Your Divine Providence, return the packs to the path of salvation. ( Bow)

Save, Lord, and have mercy on those who hate and offend me, and those who create misfortunes with me, and do not leave them to perish for me, a sinner. ( Bow)

Those who have deviated from the Orthodox faith and blinded by the destructive heresy, enlighten with the light of Your knowledge and count Your Holy Apostles in the Catholic Church. ( Bow)

After the prayer, all the particles symbolizing the people given in the notes are laid out on the diskos. The created image symbolizes the unity of the Church, both earthly and heavenly, whose heart is Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

As in the world, the discos depicts the living, the departed, the sick, the lost - the people of the world who are so loved by God.

After the end of the Liturgy, all the pieces symbolizing the people for whom they prayed are dipped into a chalice of wine. This is a type of a unique action - everyone who is near Jesus will be cleansed from all sins by His Blood, and will receive forgiveness.

How does proskomedia end

The sacred rite ends with the removal of the star, the symbol of the Star of Bethlehem.

The star covers the Lamb and does not allow touching Him with the linens covering the chalice and the diskos with loaves at the end of the proskomedia. Three canvases remind the laity of both the baby's swaddling clothes and the burial swaddling clothes that Jesus was wrapped with after death.

Watch the video about proskomedia

The Orthodox faith has so many nuances and special sacred rites that it is simply impossible to know all of them, and it is extremely difficult for an ordinary person to understand them. So, proskomidia: what it is and what this action is - this is what I want to talk about in the article.

Designation

It should be said that the most important church service is Mass, or liturgy, where the sacrament of communion is performed. For this ceremony, red grape wine is required, as well as bread, or prosphora. They must be prepared in a special way before the start of the Liturgy. For this, the priest, together with the deacon, dressed in elegant sacred clothes, perform special actions on the altar, altar, and read special prayers. It can be concluded that certain preparations are necessary before the Liturgy, which by their nature are very important. That's exactly what they are called proskomedia. It is worth saying that there is a proskomedia about repose, as well as about health.

About the word

You also need to understand the concepts. So, proskomidia: what is it? Translated from Greek, this word means an offering. However, it is very difficult to draw any conclusions based on this. Indeed, in the first part of the mass, no mysterious offering to God was made, but special preparations were made, thanks to which bread and wine became not ordinary, but sacred. Already at the stage of proskomedia, they could not be mixed with conventional products and consumed together.

About preparing for proskomedia

Having dealt with the concept of "proskomedia" - what it is, and what language it came from - it is also worth considering the very preparation of wine and prosphora. As it has already become clear, these are the products that Jesus himself used when establishing the sacrament. Prosphora is also worth talking about. Translated, its name means "brought gift". Where did this word come from? In ancient times, for the preparation of sacred bread, people brought various varieties and types of bread to the church, so that the best one could be chosen for church action. Some were used in the selection, the rest was consumed at a friendly meal, which necessarily happened after the liturgy, and where all the laity present at the mass were invited. At the same time, other products were brought to the church, such as wine, etc. All this was united in one word - prosphora. Today, things are a little different. It is not customary to bring any food to the church, therefore, prosphora is called exclusively bread, which is no longer brought by believers, but is baked at churches in special premises of prosphora (women from among the wives of priests or honest widows).

About bread

So, proskomedia (what it is, we have already figured it out) is the most important stage in preparing for the Liturgy. It is worth saying that the bread itself for this is necessarily made from wheat flour (this is exactly what the Jews consumed during the time of Christ's life). Its significance was very important: it represented the atoning death of Jesus Christ. According to beliefs, everything can be learned by comparison: after all, only by dying and becoming bread, wheat can bring many benefits. However, if it simply falls on the field, then it will not fulfill its most important purpose. The same applies to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The very preparation of prosphora is considered a sacred act: the bread should be white, not anointed with anything at the stage of preparation (milk, eggs), moderately salty. It is served only fresh, not moldy, not hard. It is also interesting that the bread consists of two halves, which symbolize the human and divine likeness of Christ.

About wine

Wine is to be prepared along with the bread for the sacrament of the Eucharist. It will necessarily be red (represents the blood of Christ) and grape (because such wine was consumed by the Installer Himself, as stated in

Prosphora

It is worth saying that particles in honor of all saints, clergymen, as well as people living and dead, are withdrawn from four prosphora: Mother of God, nine-tier, healthy and funeral. If we take into account the obligatory prosphora of the Lamb, then worship will be performed in five units. Other prosphora can also be brought, but in total today there should be no less than five of them. Having bowed three times, the priest takes the first prosphora in his hands, which is usually larger than the others, and carves out of it a Lamb in a quadrangular shape, pronouncing special words and placing it on the diskos. From the second prosphora, the priest takes out a particle of the Mother of God. The third prosphora - nine-fold, is intended for the memory of nine saints: prophets, apostles, martyrs, as well as saints who are venerated in a given church or city. It should be said that during the entire liturgy, the names of the living and quite often. And for the first time this happens on a proskomedia. First there is a proskomedia about health, then - about repose. After the commemoration of the living and the dead has ended, the priest almost always takes out the particle for himself, while reading special prayers.

A note

In church terminology, there is such a thing as a note on a proskomedia. What is it? Before the Liturgy, everyone can submit a specific petition, written down on paper, about those people for whom the priest will pray. More than once everyone saw that from a piece of bread given by the priest at the sacrament of the Eucharist, it was as if a piece had been removed. There will be exactly as many such holes throughout the prosphora, as many names are entered in the note. All these crumbs are collected on the diskos, during the liturgy they are next to the Lamb (a large prosphora), and after that such symbolic "souls" are immersed in a bowl of wine. In this case, the clergyman must read a special prayer. It will be important that only the names of Orthodox baptized people can be entered into the note. There are also plain and customized scraps. Information about this must be clarified directly with the church itself. However, in general, according to a simple note, the name of the person will simply be taken out on the proskomedia, according to the ordered one - it will also sound at the prayer service.

Types of notes

It is worth saying that there are two types of notes. First, a health proskomedia can be ordered. Before the start of the service, it is necessary to write down the names of the people for whose health you need to pray on a special piece of paper, which will most often be located near the candle counter. According to the same document, a proskomedia is made for the repose. When writing down the names of people, it is important to carefully read the inscriptions above and not to confuse the leaves. If you need to order a commemoration at the proskomedia, you can submit a note in the evening, simply by specifying the required number.

About the living and the dead

Commemoration at the proskomedia for the living and the dead is performed by virtue of a bloodless sacrifice prepared for the proskomedia. It should also be said that it is of paramount importance not only for those living on earth, but also for dead people. There is a legend about a brother who, for certain sins before the church, was deprived of burial and reading prayers for 30 days after death. At the end of this time, when everything was done according to Christian laws, the spirit appeared to the living brother and said that only now he found peace, only after the bloodless sacrifice was brought.

Preparations for proskomedia

The priest and deacon must carefully prepare for such a rite as a proskomidia. Several important nuances must be fulfilled here.

1. Prayers are required before entering the altar and in front of the altar itself.
2. Priests should be dressed in special clothes.
3. The procedure for washing hands with the recitation of verses from the 25th psalm is mandatory.

Proskomedia itself

In various ways, you can find out how the proskomedia goes: photos will help you with this. However, it is better to know in advance what will happen at this time. The main part of the proskomidia consists of a short-lived action. The priest and deacon stand in front of the altar, where the sacred vessels are placed: chalice, diskos, spear, star, patrons. While reading prayers, rituals with prosphora (sacred bread) are performed.

End of proskomedia

After the end of the proskomedia, the clergy prepare for a more solemn part - the liturgy. However, all this must take place according to certain rules.

1. The censing of the holy meal and of the whole church by a deacon.
2. Reading special prayers.
3. The deacon asked the priest for permission to begin the next part of the liturgy.

It can be difficult for people who have recently started to go to church to understand the meaning of church services. One of the rites that raises many questions is proskomidia... How it goes, how this ceremony differs from a simple prayer for loved ones, we will consider below.

Proskomidia - what is it?

Proskomidia call the first part Divine Liturgy(or mass). Poor is a common word. So in Russia they called the morning church service, which ended before lunch.

At the proskomedia, priests prepare bread and wine for the sacrament eucharist ()... Bread symbolizes Flesh, and wine is the Blood of the Savior, shed for us. The sacrament is performed in memory of the Last Supper, at which Jesus Christ first conducted the rite of communion for his disciples. It reminds us that the Savior, for the sake of our salvation, left us not only teachings and covenants, but also gave all of himself. When we partake, we unite with God, we receive his grace.

Also the Eucharist symbolizes unity of all Christians... It was not for nothing that Jesus Christ, while treating the disciples, broke off pieces from one bread. When the Church was founded, parishioners themselves brought various types of bread, red wine, as well as butter, sugar and other products to the service. The best of them were used during the liturgy, the rest were eaten at a general dinner after its end. This emphasized the community of all who were present in the temple.

That is why, translated from Greek, "proskomedia" means "to bring." The bread used during the ceremony is called "prosphora" - from the Greek "gift".

Today the tradition of bringing foodstuffs necessary for the liturgy to the church has been lost. Bread is usually baked by the wives of priests or widows from among the parishioners. The requirements for it are as follows:

As wheat gives life only after its death, ground and turned into bread, so the Savior gave humanity a chance for eternal life by dying on the cross.

Wine for proskomidia is taken from red, made from grapes. This is the kind of wine that Jesus Christ drank, which is mentioned in the Bible. Since the 19th century, Cahors have been used in churches for this purpose. In those days, the wine of this brand was the best. It is customary to dilute it with water. This is a reminder of the moment when the warrior pierced the rib of the Savior hanging on the cross with a spear. Blood and water flowed from the wound.

During the proskomedia, both living Christians and the dead are commemorated. The tradition of remembering loved ones and praying for them is very ancient. For the priest to read the names of people close to you in the altar, you can write notes in advance. They are usually served in the evening or early morning before the start of the liturgy. In the notes, it is permissible to indicate only those people who were baptized during their lifetime. It is also prohibited to submit notes with the names of the suicides.

In some temples, there is a division of notes into ordinary and customized... When we serve regular note, on the proskomedia, particles are removed from the prosphora according to the number of specified names, which are then dipped into the wine. This symbolizes the cleansing of remembered souls through the blood of the Savior.

Names from registered notes additionally sounded during litanies, the priest pronounces them in front of the altar. After the liturgy, the prayer for the health of the living continues during the prayer service, the commemoration of the dead - during the requiem.

Church prayer is very powerful. Therefore, it is customary to order the commemoration during the proskomedia of those people who are sick or in need of God's support, guidance on the true path. In Orthodoxy, "health" means not only physical and mental health, but also human well-being, material wealth, and spiritual aspirations.

In the notes on health, it is recommended to be the first to write the names of the Patriarch, Archpastor, Right Reverend Bishop, on which the well-being of the entire flock depends. Then the name of the spiritual father who instructs the person is indicated. The names of relatives and close people follow. At the end of the note, you can enter the names of enemies, envious people, ill-wishers. Praying for their health, we ask God to bring harmony to the souls of our enemies, to reconcile them with those around them.

Notes of the deceased

Remembrance of the departed, who left a mark on our souls, allows us to feel unity with them. Orthodoxy teaches that there is no death. The souls of people are eternal, and with our prayer we can help those who have departed in their heavenly life. Just as they help us from there.

Notes about the deceased should be submitted regularly, especially on the birth and death days of the deceased, on the day of baptism, on the name day.

There are several rules to help you write a church note correctly. Let's list them:

Notes for the proskomedia are served separately from the notes for the prayer service and memorial service.

The order of the proskomedia

The proskomedia takes place in the altar, hidden from the parishioners, behind the closed Royal Doors. Jesus Christ also came secretly into our world. At this time, the Hours are read. Before the ceremony, the entrance prayers are read, the priest dresses in special clothes and washes his hands.

Cooking the Lamb

Five prosphora are baked for, which should remind Orthodox Christians of the five loaves with which Jesus Christ fed five thousand people. This is a symbol of spiritual fulfillment, which can only be obtained through the Savior. Only one of the prosphora, the Lamb, is used directly for the sacrament of the Eucharist. As Jesus broke one bread for all the disciples, so the Lamb should be enough for all those who partake.

The priest goes to the altar and carves out of the lamb prosphora a quadrangular part, which is called the Lamb (lamb). In Old Testament times, the lamb was sacrificed to God to atone for committed sin. A pure, innocent, meek creature suffered for the sins of others. John the Baptist called Jesus Christ the Lamb of God, because He came into our world not to live, but to die for us.

This part of the ceremony symbolizes both the birth and death of the Savior. The cut out part of the prosphora is placed on the diskos, which is both the manger and the tomb of the Lord. The priest pierces the right side of the lamb with a spear, like a soldier pierced the rib of Jesus Christ with a spear. After that, wine diluted with water is poured into the chalice (a special bowl), as a symbol of the blood spilled on the cross.

Removing particles from other prosphora

The rest of the prosphora on the proskomedia also have their own meaning..

• The second prosphora is called the Mother of God. A triangular piece is taken out of it as a sign of commemoration of the Mother of God and placed on the diskos to the right of the Lamb.
• The third is "nine-fold". Nine parts, symbolizing all the saints, are removed from it and placed to the left of the Lamb.
• Two parts are taken out of the fourth prosphora: one for all living priests, the second for the health of all living Orthodox laity. They are placed below the Lamb.
• The last priest puts on the diskos the part taken from the fifth prosphora. It symbolizes the remembrance of all the departed.

Now comes the turn of small prosphora served by parishioners. The number of particles is taken out of them, corresponding to the number of names in the attached note. Names are read, a prayer is read for the health of the living and the repose of the dead. The particles are placed on the diskos.

All the particles taken out of the prosphora symbolize the One Church, earthly and heavenly, in the center of which is Jesus Christ. Here are the saints, and the lost, and the living, and the dead, who are healthy and sick, who have even forgotten about God, who have abandoned Him - all those who are not indifferent to God, for whom we pray.

At the end of the Liturgy, the particles are dipped into the wine. This is a sign that everyone who is near the Savior will be washed by his blood from sin and forgiven.

At the end of the rite, a star is placed on the diskos, reminding believers of the Star of Bethlehem. The diskos and chalice with wine are covered with three canvases, which symbolize both the swaddling clothes of the baby Jesus and the burial shroud. The end of the proskomedia means the death of Jesus Christ, the end of his earthly life.

The priest censes the altar, thus depicting the scent of incense brought by the Magi as a gift to the baby. He prays to God to accept gifts in the form of prosphora dipped in wine, to remember those who brought them and those for whom they were presented.

Then he opens the Royal Doors, which symbolizes the Resurrection of the Lord, his entry into the Kingdom of Heaven and at the same time - our salvation. This is how the solemn part of the liturgy begins.

In Orthodoxy, it is believed that the commemoration of loved ones at the proskomedia has tremendous power. Thanks to this rite, the terminally ill are healed, the departed find salvation. However, it differs from the simple one and beyond.

During the proskomedia, the whole Church gathers at the diskos, through the blood of Jesus Christ, the boundaries between life and death, the Heavenly Kingdom and the earthly ones are erased. Taking out a particle of prosphora and calling a name, we sacrifice our loved ones to God, just as Jesus Christ sacrificed himself. Together with him, they symbolically die for a sinful life and are resurrected for eternal, healed, spiritual life. It was for such a life that man was originally created, even before the original sin was committed. Thanks to the Savior, we have a chance to re-enter it.

"Proskomidia"- the word is Greek and means bringing. This is the name of the first part of the Liturgy from the custom of the ancient Christians to bring bread, wine and everything needed to celebrate the Liturgy; therefore, the very bread used on it is called prosphora, What means offering. Bread (prosphora) should be leavened (raised), clean, wheat. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself took leavened, not unleavened bread for the celebration of the Sacrament of Holy Communion. The prosphora should be round and consist of two parts in the image of the two natures of Jesus Christ - the Divine and the human; on the upper part of the prosphora there is a seal depicting a cross and in the corners of it - initial letters name of Christ the Savior: IC-XC and the Greek word NI-KA; this means: Jesus Christ overcomes. Wine for the Sacrament requires grape, red, because the red color resembles the color of blood; the wine is mixed with water in remembrance of the flow of blood and water from the perforated rib of the Savior on the cross. For proskomedia, five prosphora are used in remembrance of the miraculous saturation of more than five thousand people by Christ with five loaves, which circumstance gave Jesus Christ a reason to teach the people about spiritual saturation and about incorruptible, spiritual food served in the Sacrament of Holy Communion (John 6, 22-58) ... But actually one prosphora (Lamb) is used for communion, according to the word of the apostle: "There is one bread, and we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread"(1 Cor. 10:17), and therefore in its size this prosphora should correspond to the number of the partakers.

PERFORMANCE OF THE PROSCOMIDY

Having prepared, according to the church charter, for the celebration of the Liturgy, the priest and deacon read the so-called "entrance" prayers in front of the closed royal doors and put on sacred garments in the altar. Approaching, then, to the altar, the priest, having blessed the beginning of the proskomedia, takes the first(lamb) prosphora and makes a copy of the cross on it three times, saying: "In remembrance of the Lord and God and our Savior Jesus Christ"... This means proskomedia is performed according to the commandment of Jesus Christ. From this prosphora, the priest, with a copy, carves out the middle in the shape of a cube, pronouncing the words prop. Isaiah: "Yako(how) Sheep is led to slaughter, and as the Lamb is blameless, straight shearing him is mute, so he does not open his mouth; in His humility, His judgment will be taken; but his generation is a confession; like the belly will take off from the ground(life) His"(Is. 53: 7-8). This cubic part of the prosphora is called the Lamb (John 1:29) and relies on the diskos. Then, the priest cuts the Lamb crosswise from the bottom with the pronunciation of the words: "Eats(sacrificed) Lamb of God, take(took over) sin of the world, for the worldly belly(life) and salvation ", and pierces the right side of the Lamb with a spear, pronouncing the words of the evangelist: "one from the warrior is a copy of the ribs.(immediately) out of blood and water; and the witness of the sight and truly is the testimony of it "(John 19, 34); in accordance with these words, wine mixed with water is poured into the chalice (chalice).

From second prosphora, called "theotokos", the priest takes out one particle in honor Mother of God and puts it on the right side of the Lamb on the diskos. From third prosphora, called "nine-fold", nine particles are taken out in honor of the saints: John the Baptist, the prophets, apostles, saints, martyrs, saints, unmercenaries, the Godfather Joachim and Anna, the saints whose memory is celebrated on the present day, and the saint whose name the Liturgy is celebrated; these pieces rest on the left side of the Lamb on the disk, three pieces in a row. From fourth prosphora particles are removed for the living and put their trust below the Lamb on the diskos; from fifth - for the dead and rely below the particles taken out for the living. Finally, particles are removed from the prosphora served by the believers; at the same time, the corresponding "remembrances" about the health and salvation of the living and about the repose of the departed servants of God are read; the particles from these prosphora are placed together with the particles taken from the fourth and fifth prosphora.

At the end of the proskomedia, the priest blesses the censer with incense and, having dropped the star, places it on the diskos over the Lamb and the particles in order to keep them in proper order, covers the diskos and chalice with two small covers and on top of them another, somewhat large size, called "by air" censes before the Gifts and prays to the Lord to bless the offered Gifts, to remember those who brought these Gifts and those for whom they were brought, and to make him worthy for the divine sacraments.

The sacred objects used on the proskomedia and the actions performed have a symbolic meaning: the diskos also marks the Bethlehem cave and Golgotha; star - Bethlehem star and cross; covers - Christmas shroud, shroud and shroud that were in the tomb of the Savior; chalice - the Chalice in which Jesus Christ officiated; the preparation of the Lamb is the judgment, suffering and death of Jesus Christ, and the perforation with a copy of it is the perforation made by one of the soldiers on the Body of the Savior. The combination of all particles in a certain order on the diskos means the entire Church of God, whose members are the Mother of God, angels, all the holy saints of God, all believing Christians - living and dead, and our Lord our Savior Himself is its Head. Censing signifies the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit, whose grace is communicated in the sacrament of Holy Communion.

The proskomedia is performed by the priest on the altar, with the altar closed, in an undertone. It ends when the 3rd and 6th (and sometimes 9th) hours according to the Book of Hours are read on the kliros.

Arriving at an Orthodox church, one may come across the fact that we are often not familiar with the terminology. This situation occurred due to the fact that many terms come from the Greek or Old Church Slavonic language. For example, they offer to submit a note for a proskomedia, and the person who first entered the church wonders: proskomedia, what is it and for whom can a request for remembrance be submitted? It is necessary to ask those who accept them to explain a little the essence of this rite.

The word "proskomidia" from the Greek language can be translated as an offering. In the first centuries, Christians brought bread for worship.

The priest prayed over it, took away a piece for health or for the repose of souls, and the rest of the bread was returned to the one who brought it, or was distributed to the sick, beggars, orphans or widows. From this came the name - the offering.

But this is not the main task of the proskomedia. This is the service performed before the Divine Liturgy (Mass), at which wine and bread for the Eucharist are prepared. On it, bread, remaining material bread, is offered into the real body of Jesus Christ, and wine into His real blood.

Required attributes:

• Altar. Altar belonging. A small table for making a proskomedia. It symbolizes the nativity scene where Jesus Christ was born, as well as Golgotha, where He was crucified.
• Chalice (Chalice) - like a cup of wine during the Last Supper.
• Diskos is a nativity scene.
• Zvezditsa - symbolizes the Star of Bethlehem.
• Spear - a spear that pierced the side of the Lord Jesus.
• Pokrovtsy - the shroud with which the Divine Infant was wrapped.
• Prosphora on proskomedia (5 pieces).

Rite of committing a proskomedia

Before the service, the priest, dressed in clothes, stands in front of the altar, saying a prayer, during which he kisses the paraphernalia necessary for the service.

Having proclaimed: "Blessed be our God ...", begins the proskomedia. The first (lamb) prosphora is taken and the Lamb is removed from it by cutting off its edges.

Part of the prosphora remains in the form of a cube or pyramid. This Lamb will be transubstantiated into the body of Christ; they will also receive communion with them. The Lamb symbolizes Jesus Christ himself, sacrificed as a lamb (lamb) for the life of the world. For this reason, the first prosphora is called the lamb prosphora.

Wine mixed with water is poured into the chalice. Since blood and water flowed from the rib of Jesus crucified. During the Eucharist, wine is baked into the Blood of Christ.

The second prosphora is called the Mother of God. She symbolically depicts the Mother of God. A particle is taken out of it, and then placed on the diskos to the right of the Lamb.

The third prosphora is called "nine-fold". It received this name due to the fact that nine particles are removed from it for:

• John the Baptist,
• prophets,
• apostles,
• saints,
• martyrs,
• reverend,
• unmercenaries,
• those who have a holiday of the day, and what a holy temple,
• compiler of the Liturgy (John Chrysostom or Basil the Great).

Nine particles are deposited on the diskos in three rows to the right of the Lamb.

The fourth prosphora is about health. Particles are taken out of it for the living. First, one large piece is taken out for the health of all the clergy, then the second particle for the country and its inhabitants.

The third particle is taken out by the priest for himself. Particles are also removed for those for whom the notes on the proskomedia were submitted. This is what proskomedia is about health.

The fifth prosphora is a proskomidia for the repose. A particle is taken out about the deceased builders, sacrificers, as well as the servants of the temple. The second particle is taken out for all deceased Orthodox Christians. Then, small particles are also taken out for those for whom they are filed.

The discos is covered with a star and a cover, then the bowl is covered with a cover, and together the discos and the bowl are covered with air (large cover). Then the priest with a prayer censes the offering, after which he pronounces a release.

Interesting! In the Greek Orthodox Church (Greek), the proskomedia is performed on one large prosphora. The lamb is taken out of its central part, and the rest of the particles from different sides of this prosphora.

After the dismissal, the gifts are considered prepared for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. Wine and water are poured in a bowl, all particles are laid out on a diskos. The discos symbolizes the fullness of the church. In the center stands the Lamb Jesus Christ, next to Him the Mother of God and all the saints. All members of the church surround Him.

Particles about health are the earthly church, and parts about the departed are heavenly (triumphant). Lunch, here the Lord begins to perform the sacred rites. Now is the time to create the Lord, i.e. the priest has prepared, and the time has come for the Lord to create. This is how the first part ends and the Liturgy begins. Now all believers are participating, because the Liturgy means a common cause. Here the transubstantiation of the Gifts prepared earlier takes place.

Helpful Video: Notes of Health and Rest

Types of notes

The temple may offer different kinds notes. Besides the fact that they differ about health or about repose, there are many more varieties:

1. A note on proskomedia. It is also sometimes called customized. Here, for each name that is written, the priest takes out a particle from the prosphora and places it on the diskos. It is important that everyone for whom the commemoration is served at the proskomedia must be baptized. After all, the particles are placed on the diskos, which symbolizes the church, and only a baptized person can be a member of the church.
2. To the litany. Littenia means "drawn out petition." After the reading of the Gospel, a petition is made for the health of the living and for the repose of the dead. During these petitions, requests for remembrance submitted to the litany are read.
3. To the prayer service. Molebens are often performed after the Liturgy or independently of it. This service is different from the proskomedia and mass, dedicated to the Lord, the Mother of God, angels or some of the saints. At prayer services, they do not pray for repose, therefore, notes are submitted only for health.
4. To the requiem. A service performed for the dead, therefore, notes are submitted only for the repose. Such a service is performed after the Liturgy or as needed.
5. Simple. If the parish is large, then the priest physically does not have time to pray for everyone, he only prays for those who submitted a registered note. The simple ones are usually read by the altar attendants.
6. To the psalter. Such notes are accepted mainly in monasteries, where the Psalter is read daily, and during the reading those whose names are in the submitted notes are remembered.
7. Sorokoust. The note is submitted for 40 days. If the service is not performed daily, then forty services are read. Magpies are also semi-annual, annual, lifelong.

Interesting! Often people resent the fact that they submitted a note, but did not read it. This is explained by the fact that if more than one priest serves, then the notes are distributed to all. One reads aloud, and the rest pray silently or quietly.

Also, the cause may be a human factor. But one should not worry, the guilty person will answer before God, and the petition, if submitted, it has already been accepted in Heaven. Even if for some reason it was not read by the priest during the service, it must be read by God.

Who can you file notes for?

When a person comes to church for the first time, he should go to the church shop, where candles, icons, books are sold, where you can also submit notes.

Many churches have pre-made letterheads. Leaflets where it says "about health" or "about repose" with fields for names.

You can take the form and write the names. It is important not to confuse them here. Then give to be issued. It is good to have a sample note on how to fill it out.

Only full names are written in the note. Not Alyoshenka, Masha, Zhorik, but Alexei, Maria, Georgy, and in the genitive case. Only the names of baptized people should be written. If a person was baptized with a different name, not the one that he bears, then it is necessary to give exactly the name with which he was baptized. If the name can belong to both a man and a woman, then a note should be made in the form of the letters "m" or "g" opposite the name, for clarification.

You can often see marks in front of the name, what it is and what they mean:

Important! If there is no special form, then you can take a leaf (usually they are already prepared), write "On health" or "On repose" on top, underline, and below the names of those for whom you need to pray.

Useful video: is it possible to apply for a proskomedia for people who are far from the Church?

Output

Submitting notes for proskomedia is very important. Indeed, at the end of the service, the priest immerses all the particles for whom he prayed in a cup with the Blood of Christ with a request to wash away all sins. The Lord washes those who are remembered at the proskomedia with His martyr's blood. But do not think that a piece of paper handed to the priest frees you from your own prayer.