Among the symbolic objects used in worship, prosphora occupies a special place.It is associated with the body of the Lord is the sacrament of communion to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, brought by Him for the salvation of people.With a huge cult value, unleavened bread, but the bread has become a ritual long before the crucifixion.History rites with its use goes back centuries.
meaning of
First, figure out exactly prosphora - what is it?The word has Greek roots and means "offering".Her second name - the bread for the liturgy, liturgical.The main purpose - is used during the Eucharist for the consecration and eating with the wine of the particles of the body and blood of Christ.Widely used for ritual Proskomedia unleavened bread.What it means: During a special liturgy recall the birth and death of Christ are remembered all Christians, living and dead.The basis of the rite, in addition to the words of Jesus, uttered at the Last Supper, and put a miracle when He fed thousands with a few loaves hungry.But long before the birth of Christ in the Old Testament texts mentioned sacrificial unleavened bread.What is it supposed to be for bread, stated bluntly: leavened, t. E. Yeast.This is written in the "Book of Leviticus."The tabernacles of Moses (marching temple) also used the sacred bread, just fresh, cooked in a special way.The two parts of the human mark, the beginning and the supreme earthly, celestial.
ancient cult
During the first Christian believers bringing in churches or houses of worship food, olive oil, wax candles, which were necessary for the liturgy and other rites or simply ministries.There was always, and unleavened bread.That it was not the usual bread and a special symbolic confirm such facts, such as the description of the common meals - Agapov.In the early days of Christianity, in the era of slavery, it was agreed by all members of the local churches gather for joint partaking of food.At one table sat freemen and slaves.Agape played the role of the Last Supper, when they celebrate the Eucharist, so meals were strictly religious in nature.At the same time, they stressed that the face of Christ, all are equal, regardless of social status.Gathered kissed the world prayed, sent messages to others in the same churches and communities.Later, when such "evening" began to do apart from the liturgy, called prosphora not brought by food in general, but only bread, the right to the Eucharist.
taste of bread
How does preparing communion bread?The recipe may be different, but the technology is the same for all.Wade is necessarily wheat flour, salt, water, yeast or alum.No fat additives - milk, whey, butter - prosphora requires.And the taste of it should be just a little salty.On the upper crust of bread applied special symbolic images on religious themes.Prosphora consist of two parts - halves of what was written above.Their sacred meaning shows the connection of the human world and the Lord.Flour, bread and salt are associated with the Holy Trinity, and alum - the life of the spirit.St. Simeon of Thessalonica and the following analogy holds: flour and yeast (Opara) - is the soul of water - the baptism of her, and salt - great word of God.Jesus called his disciples to "salt".A baking process is compared with the conjunction of the Lord with us, the people, "human nature."Because bread blossomed, moldy on the role of communion bread will not do.
recipe and recommendations
How can bake communion bread?The recipe, which was used in ancient times, contains the following information: The kneading is done with the addition of holy water, pastries accompanied by prayers, the singing of psalms, the work done by women pious, especially for the delegates.They are called prosfornitsami.The process is as follows.For one party is required baking flour, semolina 1200 it thoroughly Perez that was lush, filled with air.In the pelvis, which are going to knead the dough, pour a little holy water.Then pour about 400 grams of flour and pour over boiling water over it.For what it's doing: first, to test the wheat given the information at its sweetness, t. To. The sugar is put not this bread.Secondly, to prosphora long moldy.The mass needed to mix and leave to cool slightly.Further, in the holy water diluted salt (a few tablespoons), is poured into the flour mush, add 25 g of yeast, they are dissolved and thoroughly kneaded.Now basin cover and leave for half an hour to brew lift.Dosypte remaining flour, knead again and again let the dough come.After a specified time, if the mass of a well-raised, it should turn out great unleavened bread.What to do with it - read on.
Baking products
lay out the dough on the desktop, good sprinkle it with flour.Roll layer thickness of 3 cm. Cut out a special molds circles of larger and smaller diameter.Tweak their hands to get accurate each future unleavened bread.What to do with it now rather, with them?Cover with a damp waffle towel on top - dry, and again half an hour left to "rest".Then Apply a print on smaller clubs, connect with large, pre-moistened with a little surface water.To while baking in the test is not the void, each holy prosphora necessarily pierced through.Then they pass on floured baking sheet and place in preheated oven.As the communion bread oven?They have browned, but not burn.Time - 15 to 20 minutes.The finished cakes put on the table, cover the dry, wet and dry towels and something warm.In this form of communion bread be cool.They were put in special baskets and use as directed.Store in the refrigerator.
Living Word Prayer
As already noted, the whole process of working with test followed by a prayer.Prosphora - holy bread, but with God all business disputes.The first prayer, traditional for any business: "Lord, help!" She precedes the start of work.During kneading should pyatochislennye prayers, referring to Saint Spyridon, Nicodemus and Prokhorov, as well as to the Lord.When prosphora punctured, the action is accompanied by the traditional "In the Name of the Father, the Son ..." While there is a bakery, should read: "Hail Mary ..." ends with an appeal to the labor of gratitude to God.There is also a prayer to accept communion bread.
Sacred printing
on top of holy bread is applied to a special drawing - "print".What does she look like?Drawn outlines of the cross - chetyrёhkonechnogo, equilateral.Above the bar carved the initials of Christ - IC XC, and under it - the word "victory" in Greek: nick.Naturally, from the hand of all this do for too long, especially if you need to bake a large number of products.Good help serve you print for the holy bread.Buy this can be in the church benches.Reprints made it, clearly visible on the test.And when unleavened bread already baked, drawing looks nice on the browning.
sacrificial lamb
should be noted that during the service used the bread is not a whole, but its particles."Spear" (in memory of how this instrument on the cross was pierced heart of Christ) is divided into pieces of unleavened bread, which marks the Lamb of God, the sacrifice, brought by Jesus for the people.Usually baked proskomedia 5 Khlebtsov.One is used as the Lamb, and during the liturgy they administer communion of the faithful.The rest are divided priest in honor of the Mother of God.The particles of holy bread to eat, thinking about it, the martyrs, the drafters of the liturgy.But this number is focused on the formal part of the service.For the needs of the church, the parish cares so much prosphoras many parishioners served zapisochek "in health" and "in repose."
Proper use of the sacred bread
Usually, parishioners are trying to bring home from church communion bread slices to everyone in the family could partake.But its use is governed by few rules.First, eat this bread before the main meal, did not mixing them.Second, be sure to pray before you put a piece in his mouth.So, returning to the liturgy, lay on the table a clean cloth.On a plate lay communion bread.In a glass or cup, pour a little holy water - about 3 sips.Then the eldest in the family must have read that same prayer, which is designed for making bread saint.It begins like this: "O Lord my God, let it be your holy gift, Your holy water obstacle for my sins, enlightening my mind, strengthening the powers of the spirit and the flesh ..." Read these treasured words, every household need to bring a plate.He must carefully to not fall to the floor or tithe, to put a particle into the mouth, chew slowly, drink sanctified water.To think at this point, of course, it is desirable not to worldliness, and the Lord, Jesus, the Holy Church, feeling its member.After all, unleavened bread - the bread of heaven, it must accept with humility and in the fear of God.More George Zadonsk taught that eating it and zapivanie holy water has to maintain good works, to protect people from evil thoughts and deeds, from the temptations unclean and other contamination.
Here's an interesting story from the communion bread - Orthodox and Catholic.
