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The Liturgy of Preparation of the Divine Liturgy in the Orthodox Church

When His Eminence Metropolitian Nikitas, professor of the "Liturgy III" showed the Prosphoron Seal to the class, it attracted me very much. After His Eminence had explained the symbolic meanings of the letters and the signs in it, the meaningful signs arose my interest to know more about the offertory service. I understood that there is profound meaning in the offertory. Therefore, I write this paper for the sake of increasing my knowledge in the liturgical theology of the Orthodox Church.

When we enter the House of God, that we also called the Temple, we will see there are icons, lamps and censors. Behind the icons, there is the Sanctuary. In the center of the Sanctuary, there is the Holy Altar where the Divine Liturgy is held over there every Sunday and or weekdays and feast days. On the left-hand side, there is a table called Prothesis (The Table of Oblation), where the prosfora (the offered leavened bread), wine and water in two separate bottles are well prepared and placed on it before the Divine Liturgy commenced. Despite of the above mentioned offertory, the Holy chalice, paten, asterisk, lance, sponge, spoon, note book, two small covers and on large covers are also put on the table (Figure 1). The above mentioned articles and offertory almost have their symbolic meanings.

Figure 1

The very material and symbolic one is prosfora. The parishioner baked it at home and offered to the Church. The offering represents for all, Christ, who was offered for our salvation and redemption. The prosfora is stamped some letters and symbolic signs on it by using a Prosphoron Seal (Figure 2) before baked. It is obvious that there is a Cross in which Greek letters "IC XC" and "NIKA" in nine rows from the ceiling to the bottom, two letters AV combines in one triangle on the left wing, and nine distinct triangles in three rows on the right wing are shown. The abbreviation letters ICXC in Greek mean Jesus Christ, (I, C stand for the first letter and the last letter of Iesouj and X, C stand for the first and the last letters of Cristoj ), and "NIKA", the Greek word Nika means victory. Therefore, IC XC, and NIKA mean "Jesus Christ triumphs or conquers (over death). AV symbols Theotokos, the bearer and the Mother of Christ. The nine triangles represent the Apostles, Saints and Martyrs of the Church.

Figure 2

Wine and water symbolize the water and blood that effuse from our Lord's body when Roman soldier pierced him when he was hung on the cross.

The Holy chalice stands for the cup, which our Lord drank, in the mystical supper. It is used to hold wine and mixed with water. The wine and water will be transubstantiated and become the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The paten is a round dish representing the manger where Christ was born. When the celebrant cut portions of the prosfora and placed them on the paten.

The asterisk stands for the star which led the three Wise Men to the Christ in the manger. The function of the asterisk is to serves as an arch over the 'manger' or the best explanation is serves to cover the prosfora that will be the Body of our Lord in the Eucharist.

The lance is used to cut portions of prosfora. The action to cut the prosfora is to reminds the congregation that Roman soldier used a spear to pierce the side of our Lord Jesus Christ.¹

The celebrant to clean the Holy chalice uses the sponge. The action is to recall the congregation to the scene when our Lord Jesus Christ was nailed, one of the Roman soldiers used sponge dipped in vinegar and to give it him to drink when our Lord Jesus Christ said that he was thirsty.²

The two small covers symbolizing the swaddling cloth when Jesus was born and the shroud when he died. The 'swaddling cloth' is placed over the paten and the 'shroud' is placed over the chalice.

Over the two clothes, a large cover 'Aer' is placed. It is representing Jesus was wrapped shroud during the time of his burial.³

When we understand the symbolic meanings of the articles that are placed on the prothesis, our minds are transported beyond time--to the past where the scene that mentioned in above took place.

We now come to the Liturgy of Preparation.⁴ When it begins, the celebrant is well dressed5 and approaches to the Prothesis.

The celebrant holds the prosfora with his left hand and lance with his right hand. Meanwhile, he elevates the articles with reciting prayers, and making a sign of cross. Then he does the same action over the Prothesis.

The celebrant then puts down the articles on the table and to prepare to cut out the prosfora. After he has recited the prayers⁶ with making a sign of cross three times over the prosfora, he begins to use the lance to cut the prosfora in cubes. Nevertheless, only the central cube that is impressed with IC XC and NIKA, is used for the Sacrament of Holy Communion in the Liturgy later. It is because at this moment, it symbolizes the Lamb of God, and, after the consecration, in the Liturgy of the Faithful, the prosfora becomes the real body of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We note that when the celebrant pierces the prosfora particularly in the central portion, firstly he uses the lance to stab the 'Lamb of God' in the right side and then to the left side.⁷ After he has cut out the cube--the 'Lamb of God', he takes it up and put it on the paten in a downward position.⁸ Having done it, celebrant will carve a cross on it.⁹ The cutting has not yet finished, the celebrant turns the bread in an upward position and uses the lance to stub on the right side of it, this is a symbolic action that representing one of the soldiers speared our Lord side and immediately there came out blood and water.¹⁰

The next step is that the celebrant pours the wine and water into the chalice and mixes them up. The action means that, the wine and the water signifying the blood and water effuse from our Lord Jesus Christ when the soldier using lance to pierce his side. The mixed elements will be transubstantiated and become the real blood of Christ through the prayer of "metousiousis" in the Liturgy of the Faithful.

Afterward, the celebrant removes the other parts of the prosfora. Firstly, he cuts and puts the triangular cube (the combination of two letters AV) that representing and memorizing Theotokos, the mother of Christ at the right side of the 'Lamb'.¹¹ Secondly, to remove the nine distinct triangular cubes that representing the Apostles, Saints and Martyrs of the Church at the left side of the 'Lamb'. Thirdly, to arrange two rows of triangular cubic bread, stand for the living¹² and the dead¹³ that should be commemorated in the Liturgy, in front of the 'Lamb'. Lastly, the celebrant also cut out a triangular piece for himself. We must clear and understand that only the 'Lamb of God' is the portion used for the communion of the faithful. The other portions in the paten will be put to the chalice after the communion of the faithful, and the rest of the prosfora will be distributed to the congregation after the Liturgy as 'Antidoron'.¹⁴

¹ See John 19:34.

² See Matthew 27:48.

³ See Luke 23:50-54.

⁴ The Liturgy of the Preparation is the part of The Divine Liturgy.

⁵ The celebrant should be Bishop or priest but should not be a deacon. The celebrant dresses his formal liturgical vestments to celebrate the Eucharist.

⁶ Celebrant recites "In remembrance of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ".

⁷ When the celebrant pierces the right and the left side of the 'Lamb of God', he does recite the "Book of Isaiah" chapter 53 verses 7 and 8 respectively.

⁸ At this moment, the celebrant will recite John 1:29.

⁹ Not crave on the crust of bread.

¹⁰ See John 19:34.

¹¹ The celebrant will recite Psalm 44:10 when he moves the 'AV' cube to the paten.

¹² Living is those who are honorable Archbishop, Bishop, Priests, Deacons and Parishioners.

¹³ Dead is those who are memorable past Archbishop, Bishops, Priests, Deacons and Parishioners.

¹⁴ Antidoron is a Greek word meaning 'Instead of the gift'.

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