Chapter 15

Why Orthodox Christians Bring Loaves to the Divine Liturgy

In the Orthodox Church there is a religious and salutary custom, which we, unfortunately, seldom see practiced in this country. When you go to Holy Liturgy, for instance, in the churches throughout the broad land of Russia, you cannot help observing how the faithful eagerly enter, and there, by the church doors, buy a church loaf, or two, and have it sanctified.

(or them), brought into the sanctuary, together with a paper (or a small blank-book) upon which some names are written then, after; particles have been cut out from these breads, they take them again, and on leaving the church, they bring the loaves home with them.

During the great holy days, and on the days when the dead are remembered, also during Lent when a great many people receive the holy sacraments of Christ, a large number of these church breads are brought into the sanctuary. An especially large quantity of loaves are brought during the year by the faithful in those temples to which thousands of pilgrims flock in order to offer their devotion to the holy relics, to the holy icons of the Lord, the Mother of God, and to the saints of God. Having received back their prosphora, or loaf, after a particle had been taken from it in the sanctuary, the faithful carefully handle it, and, crossing themselves, kiss it; then, after the Liturgy, they carry it to their homes, and here, with all the members of the household, they eat it before they partake of their regular meal, i.e. upon an empty stomach. This custom is hardly ever practiced in this country among our Orthodox Christians, and yet this ceremony is an ancient and religious act; it is very important and salutary. That it is really such, we will now consider. Let us, first of all, mention the fact that five bread loaves are used in offering the Divine Liturgy in the Orthodox Church. From the first one a conveniently large piece is cut and put on the paten, which at first is a representation of the Lord Jesus Christ; and after, during the hymn “Thee we sing, Thee we bless,” it is transubstantiated (i.e. mystically changed) into the true Body of Christ. Even so does the wine with water which was poured into the chalice during the offertory or first part of the Liturgy, become at the same time the real and life-giving Blood of the Lord. This larger particle is therefore called the Holy Lamb. From the second prosphora a particle is taken and put on the paten to the right side of the Holy Lamb, “in honor and in remembrance of the Most Blessed Lady and Mother of God.” From out the third loaf nine particles are cut and put to the left of the Holy Lamb on the paten, in honor and in remembrance of the nine orders of saints. From the fourth one (i.e., prosphora, which is a Greek word, and means offering) several particles are taken and put before the Holy Lamb, for the health and salvation of the living. First of all, the priest makes mention of the Orthodox Patriarchs, the Most Holy Synod, the bishop of his diocese, with all the clergy, and then lays down upon the paten a particle; after this another, when he mentions the name of his sovereign, the whole of the royal house, and finally he names others and all the living, and those by name who asked to be remembered.

At each name, the priest takes a small particle and puts it down before the Lamb. From the fifth loaf particles are cut out and put on the paten in remembrance and for the forgiveness of the sins of all the departed, commencing with the patriarchs and kings. The priest makes mention of each departed one whom he wishes or whom he has been requested to mention by name, and for each he places a bit of the loaf before the Holy Lamb. In this manner parts are taken from the five breads, which are necessary in offering the Divine Liturgy. What is done with those loaves which the faithful bring, and why are they brought? From these also particles are taken for the living and the dead. Their names are read (from each family’s book or list), and the priest cuts out a particle for the health and salvation each one, if the name be of those of among the living, or for the remembrance and forgiveness of the sins of one, if the name be of those among the departed. All these particles must be put on the paten together with those taken from the fourth and fifth loaves. In this manner in the beginning of the Liturgy a great many particles lie upon the paten around the principal part or bread, i.e. the Holy Lamb. These particles represent the souls of the saints and all the Orthodox, in whose name they were put there. When during the singing Thee we hymn, Thee we bless — the principal part, which was taken from the first bread, becomes transmuted into the Real Body of Christ, and the wine in the cup becomes the Very Blood of Christ; then it is plainly understood, that from that moment the particles lying upon the paten, and the souls of the people whom they represent, do stand before the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, invisibly and mystically present upon the holy table in the holy sacrament. Finally, after the clergy and laity partake of the Holy Communion, all the particles are put from off the paten into the chalice, and they absorb of the Life-giving Blood of Christ; consequently the souls of the living and the dead are brought into a mutual, gracious communion with the Lord Jesus Christ. To the spiritual view of all standing and praying in the temple at that time, the following should be pictured: Upon the heavenly throne He, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, is seated, our Redeemer and Saviour, and before Him stand: the Most Holy Mother of God, “ever constant in prayer” before Her Son and God for the whole race of mankind then all; the saints, also our intercessors and mediators; and all the living and the departed of the faithful, in whose names parts have been set aside, who are expecting from the Lord for themselves, through the prayers of the Mother of God, all the saints, and all the believing, mercy, forgiveness of sins, and eternal salvation.

At that moment to all before the Lamb the saving grace of God is communicated from the throne. When the particles absorb of the Life-giving Blood, at the time the priest prays Wash, Lord, the sins of all those mentioned here by Thy precious Blood, and the prayers of Thy saints, the souls, which are represented by the particles, are brought into a mutual communion with the Lord Redeemer, and thereby the saints of God obtain a greater glory and happiness in heaven, while the living and the dead, washed in the most Precious Blood of the Son of God, receive the forgiveness of sins and inherit life eternal.

The significance of the particle taken out by the priest for some one of our relatives or acquaintance is such. The soul of the one mentioned appears before the throne of God and prays to the Lord in devout fear, and its prayer, strengthened by the intercessions of the prayers of all the blessed in heaven, and the earnest prayer of all the faithful present, especially of those who brought the loaf and asked for the prayers of a priest, and also by the prayers of him who offers the sacrament, i.e. the priest, such a prayer of the soul becomes efficient and powerful. The Lord mercifully accepts such a prayer of the soul. Sinners themselves have appeared from the other world, and revealed to their relatives how great a relief they have experienced in their condition beyond the grave after the Divine Liturgy has been offered upon earth, in which a particle was set aside in remembrance and for the forgiveness of their sins. And the living? The living also receive forgiveness of sins, and by this all that which is necessary for life and piety.

Our offering of loaves in the temple of the Lord, so that particles may be cut from them, is of much importance for ourselves likewise. And for ourselves we must pray and put before the Lamb a particle of the bread. The priest at the offertory must put upon the paten a particle for himself also, at the same time praying in these words: Be mindful, Lord, of me an unworthy one, and forgive me all sins, voluntary and involuntary. We should each one of us put our own names in the “book of remembrance,” so that the priest may take out a particle for us also, and thereby move in prayer for us the whole Church, so that, when we stand before the face of the Lord, we may enter into a gracious communion with Him at the time our particle, together with the others, becomes immersed during the Liturgy in the Life-giving Blood of the Son of God. Besides this, a prosphora is brought into the temple as an offering to God. Any gift of ours, any sacrifice of ours is pleasing to God when it expresses our gratefulness, our love to God, from whom we ourselves receive every good and perfect gift. On coming into the Church we buy and light before a holy icon a candle. This is our offering to God, and it shows that we came into the temple—the place of God’s habitation, to pray as constantly and fervently, as brightly and warmly as our candle burns before the holy icon. The prosphora, which we buy and give into the sanctuary that particles be taken from it, though it is returned to us, yet it is our gift to God also, which testifies to our desire to pray with greater zeal for ourselves and for those who are dear to our hearts. This little gift of ours reminds us of Christian custom in the early days of Christ’s Church. At that time all the faithful, when they came to church for Holy Liturgy, brought bread and wine. From all that was brought, the priest selected what was necessary for the sacrament, and the remaining bread and wine was divided after the Liturgy among all those present. A brotherly table was spread, which showed that the faithful lived in love and close communion. Now we offer only a small loaf in the Church; yet this bread is our gift to God, our offering to the Divine Liturgy, wherefore the very name of it is prosphora, which in the Greek language means offering. From it is taken but a small, necessary particle for our communication with the Grace of God, while nearly the entire loaf is returned to us from the altar, which we for our sanctification eat with thanksgiving. As a gift of God, brought to the holy table, which was used in taking the particles which have such an important signification, then given to us as a blessing and for our sanctification by partaking of it,—the prosphora should be received as a bread blessed, with appropriate religious consideration. Hereby is explained the custom for taking back again the loaf from the sanctuary, making the sign of the cross upon one’s self, and kissing it, after the service carefully bringing it home, and dividing it among the members of the family, to be eaten before other food. Below is an incident told in the life of St. Zosima the wonder-worker. St. Zosima once gave to a merchant a prosphora as a blessing, but the merchant on his way home carelessly dropped it. A dog running up was about to eat the bread, but each time, when it was about to take it, a flame came forth from out the prosphora and kept it back. A monk of the Solovetsky Monastery saw this (his name was Makarius); he drove away the dog; devoutly crossing himself, he took the loaf and brought it to St. Zosima, who recognized the prosphora given by him to the merchant. And so the church loaf is holy bread, and we should handle it carefully and devoutly. Such, then, is the significance of the prosphora, which we offer in church. Therefore, who desires for self, or one’s relatives, and for acquaintance, health and salvation, and for the departed forgiveness of sins and the kingdom of heaven; let such a one earnestly pray to God, especially during the Liturgy, and not neglect, on account of carelessness, to bring into the church a prosphora, let such a one not begrudge a few cents for the loaf. When the priest takes from the loaf particles, for the one who brought it, and for those who are mentioned in the book of remembrance brought with it, and puts the particles on the paten before the face of the Lord, so that they may after absorb the Life-giving Blood of the Lord, such a prayer then must be more real and profitable, as for the one who brought the offering, likewise also for those in whose name or memory prayers may be asked for. When this loaf is brought home and eaten, thereby such a person with his or her family partake of the blessing of God.