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The "Proskomidia"
The "Proskomidia" or Office of Preparation is what Latin Christians would know as the "Offertory "
During this Office following the Sacred Tradition from the Mystical
Lord's Supper, Bread and Wine is prepared for the Divine Liturgy and
Prayers are offered up for the intentions and commemorations of the faithful,
living and reposed, glorified and yet-to-be-glorified.
The Proskomidia is a Service which now takes place before the Divine Liturgy begins. The Office is served at the Prothesis table, usually at the Northeast corner, within the Altar (the area behind the Iconostas). Originally, it was performed by Deacons in a separate building from the Church proper (the Diakonikon).
It was there that the faithful would bring their gifts of bread and wine etc. Some of the gifts would be prepared for use at Divine Liturgy and others would be distributed to the poor and needy by the deacons.
To this day, in Romanian
Churches, the faithful come to the north deacon door with a candle and
loaf of bread and offer these to the Church. And a deacon or priest who
is appointed this duty and attends at the north Deacon door to receiving
these offerings of the faithful.
The Office of Preparation begins with "Blessed be our God..."
In the Slavic Tradition, 5 loaves of leavened bread (made of unbleached white flour, salt, and yeast {pursuant to the Canons of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicea}) are used for the Divine Liturgy.
These loaves of bread are called "Prosphora" ( literally, the Bread to be Offered up {in Greek}). Each Prosphora has 2 sections, symbolic of the 2 natures of the Christ: divine and human. The Prosphora is sealed on the top, imprinting upon it: "Jesus Christ conquers" in Greek.
In the Proskomidia (the Office of Preparation or Offertory) the Prosphora are cut to prepare it for the Divine Liturgy.
The principal Prosphora
(the main loaf) is signed with the holy Spear (a knife used for this
Office of Preparation, symbolizing the Spear used by the Roman Soldier
on Golgotha to pierce the side of the Christ), with the triple prayer: "In
remembrance of our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ".
The sides of the loaf (Prosphora) are trimmed, whilst the Priest, lead by the Deacon, prays: "As a sheep led to the slaughter"; "Or a blameless lamb before its shearers is silent, so He opens not his mouth"; "In his humiliation His judgement was taken away"; "Who shall declare His generation?" (Isaiah 53:7 and 8).
The central portion is
then taken out from the loaf with the prayer: "And His life was taken
up from the earth" (John 12:32). This central portion is called the "Lamb",
which is the Bread that will be sanctified and consecrated in the Divine
Liturgy for Holy Communion.
The "Lamb" is scored from the bottom in the shape of a cross, with the prayer: "Sacrificed is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, for the life of the world and for its salvation."
The right side of the "Lamb" is pierced under the initials of Jesus,
with the prayer: "One of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear,"
Then the "Lamb" is placed on the Diskos ( the holy Paten).
And wine and water is poured into the Potir (the Holy Cup) continuing the prayer: "...and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness, and his witness is true."
From one of the other
prosphora a "Particle", a small piece of bread, is cut out and placed
on the Diskos on the "Lamb's" right, in memory of the Virgin Mary, she
who gave birth to God incarnate.
From yet another prosphora 9 Particles are cut out and placed on the
Lamb's left side, in commemoration of:
1. the Angels,
2. the Prophets,
3. the Apostles,
4. the Holy Hierarchs,
5. the Martyrs,
6. the Holy Godbearers,
7. the Unmercenaries (Doctors who worked without demanding payment),
8. the Ancestors of Christ,
9. the Saint who authored the specific liturgy that is served that day.
From the fourth prosphora, Particles are taken, in commemorative prayer
for the living, e.g.: the founders of the parish, the people and clergy
of the Church.
From the fifth prosphora, Particles are taken, in commemorative prayer for the dead, those who, as St. Paul said, have "fallen asleep" or "reposed" in the Lord. Here are remembered especially those who are buried in the Church cemetery.
People who have specific prayer requests, for either the living or the
reposed, according to our Tradition, bring or buy in the Church foyer
( if they do not have time to make their own prosphora) a prosphora and
write their prayer requests on a small chit provided.
After the Bread and Wine is prepared, then Incense is blessed with the prayer: "We offer you incense O Christ our God for an odour of spiritual fragrance. Receive it upon your heavenly altar, and send down upon us in return the grace of your All-Holy Spirit."
Then the Star Frame,
Veils, and Coverings are prayed over and blessed with incense, praying: "and
a Star came and stood over the place where the young child was"; "The
Lord has established the universe so that it should not be moved"; "Your
virtue O Christ is covered the heavens and the earth is full of our praise"; "Cover
us with the shelter of your wings, and drive away from us very foe and
adversary. Give peace to our live, O Lord. Have mercy on us and on your
old and save our souls..."
After the incense
prayer and blessing is made over the Holy Gifts [as the Bread and Wine
is now called], the Prayer of Offering is prayed: "O God, our God, who
sent the Bread from heaven, the food of the whole world, our Lord and
God, Jesus Christ, to be our Saviour, Redeemer, and Benefactor, blessing
and sanctifying us: Bless this Offering, and accept it upon your heavenly
altar. Remember those who offered it and those from whom it was offered...."
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