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Explanation of the Proskomedia of the Divine Liturgy

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Explanation of the Proskomedia of the Divine Liturgy Explanation of the Proskomedia of the Divine Liturgy Praise be Jesus Christ! Let’s begin our class by praying to the Holy Spirit for inspiration and understanding. Today we are going to give an explanation of the Proskomedia which is the service of preparation before the actual beginning of the Divine Liturgy. Origin of the Proskomedia The name Proskomedia comes from the Greek word” proskomidzo,” which means “to bring” or” to offer.” In the Roman rite, the Proskomedia is known as the Offertory. The Proskomedia is the cere- mony of offering and bringing the bread and wine to the table of oblation or preparation table called the Prothesiis. Later on, at the consecration of the Liturgy particles of bread will be changed into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. The origin of the Proskomedia goes back to apostolic times. It was part of the very ancient form of the Divine liturgy, although not in the same arrangement as we know it today. It developed from an old Christian custom of bringing offerings for the celebration of the Liturgy. The oldest liturgical manuscripts about the Proskomedia relates that this was a simple ceremony of bringing bread and wine for offering at the altar. In the eleven century, this simple ceremony grew into an enriched rite of preparation where prayers and symbolic actions were added to commemorate the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Holy Mother of God, the saints, the living and the dead. The origin of the commemoration of the living and the dead goes back to the early centuries of Christianity where the Christians of the first century prayed for each other and held their dead brethren, especially their martyrs, in great honor and respect. It was customary on the anniversary of their death to pray and offer the Eucharistic Sacrifice. The faithful brought for their offering bread from which the celebrant cut out small particles in memory of the departed and living for offering at the Divine Liturgy. Today in the rite of the Proskomedia, small particles are cut to commemorate the Holy Theotokos, Mother of God, the angels, saints, the living and the dead. The Ceremony of the Proskomedia The ceremony of the Proskomedia is considered very holy, and is treated with great respect and ho- ly manner since the acts of Christ crucifixion are vividly and profoundly recalled. Because of the august Holy Mystery of Christ Sacrifice, before the actual beginning of the Divine Liturgy, the priest is required to make a careful preparation of his soul and body so that he can be pure and rec- onciled with God and everyone. He is required to abstain from food and drink in accordance with Church legislation before celebrating the Divine Liturgy. After this private preparation, the priest enters the Church goes and stands before the royal doors to recite the prescribed preparatory prayers. These prayers consist of Introductory Prayers, three peni- tential Troparia, three prayers before the icons and the Entrance Prayers. The aim of these prayers is principally to remind the priest that the Divine Mystery of the Eucharist he is about to celebrate must be treated and approach in a most holy manner. These prayers remind the priest of his sinful- ness, and imperfections and to approach the Divine Mystery with a pure heart, enlighten mind, faith and devotion so that he may be properly disposed to offer the Holy Sacrifice in a most holy manner. Vesting of Priest After reciting the preparatory prayers, the priest enters the Holy of Holies, the sanctuary, and makes three small bows before the altar and then kisses the Gospel book, the altar and the hand cross that is placed on the altar. He proceeds to the sacristy vesting room where he puts on special vestments for the celebration of the Liturgy. All vestments for the Divine Liturgy are blessed before being used. The Church ascribes a symbolic and mystical meaning to each vestment as the Jewish priests did when worshipping in the Temple of Jerusalem. Since the Eucharistic Sacrifice is the living rep- resentation and mystical renewal of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, the priest who acts in the name of Jesus Christ, High priest, vests himself with different garments with which Christ was mystically clothed in His passion. When the priest vest himself in the sacristy, he makes three small bows towards the East where Je- sus was born, died, resurrected and ascended to heaven. Each time the priest blesses himself, he re- peats the words of the repentant publican: “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.” The Sticharion The priest then puts on the Sticharion which is a full length white tunic. While putting on the Sticharion, the priest recites verse 10 from Is: 61: “My soul shall rejoice in the Lord, for he has cloth me with the garment of salvation and with the robe of joy. He has covered me, as on the bride- groom he has placed on me a crown, and as a bride He has adorned me with beauty.” The Epitrachelion The next article of clothing he put on is the Epitrachelion which is a long and narrow scarf that de- scends in two parallel bands sewn together from the neck to below the knees and is adorned with 7 crosses. 7 crosses symbolize 7 Holy Mysteries. As he puts on the Epitrachelion the priest says a prayer taken from Psalm 132: “Blessed is God who pours out His grace upon His priests, like a pre- cious ointment on the head, which runs down the head of Aaron, upon the beard, running down to the hem of his garment.” The Zone or Cincture The Sticharion and the Epitrachelion are secured by a Cincture. This is a narrow sash or belt made of the same material as the Epitrachelion. While the priest girdles himself with the cincture he re- cites the words of Psalm 17: 33-34: “Blessed is God who girds me with strength, and made my way blameless, making my feet like the feet of a male deer and setting me upon high places.” The Epimanikia or Cuffs The priest then fastens the sleeves of the Sticharion with Cuffs which are narrow bands of liturgical color and ornamented with a cross. While putting the cuff on his right hand the priest recites a short passage from the Book of Exodus 15:6-7: “Your right hand, O Lord, was made glorious in power; Your right hand, O Lord, has crushed the enemies; and with the greatness of Your glory you have wiped out the adversaries.” For the left hand, he recites the verse from Psalm 118: 73: “Your hands created me, and formed me; give me the understanding that I may learn your commandments.” The Phelonion The outer and chief liturgical vestment of a priest is called Phelonion. It’s a great, sleeveless vest- ment, shorter in front then in back, with openings for the hands and is marked by a large cross on the back. When putting on this vestment, the priest kisses it and recites the verse from Psalm 131: 9: “Your priests, O Lord, shall be clothed with justice, and Your saints shall exult with joy always, now and ever and forever. Amen.” Vesting Prayers The vesting prayers remind the priest of the Holy Act he is about to perform and also of his dignity and spiritual power. The vesting prayers speak eloquently of the unique distinction of the person who wears them. The time and introduction of these vesting prayers coincides with the introduction of the liturgical vestments which dates back to about the third and fourth century. The Prothesis or Table of Oblation After the priest has vested, he proceeds to the Prothesis or table of Oblation to prepare the bread and wine for Holy Communion. This part of the Divine Liturgy is called the Proskomedia which means preparation. The Prothesis or table of Oblation or preparation is located to the left of the Al- tar. Symbolically the table of Oblation represents the cave of Bethlehem where our Lord and Sav- ior was born. The Washing of Hands The priest washes his hands before celebrating the Holy Sacrifice. Washing of hands is a symbol of purification. It is one of the oldest ceremonies that was practiced and prescribed in the Old Testa- ment before offering sacrifices or approaching the altar. The Apostolic Constitutions presents this washing of hands as a symbol of the purity of souls dedicated to God. While washing his hands the priest prays with the Psalmist: “I will wash my hands among the innocent, and I will go around your altar, O Lord, that I may hear the voice of Your praise and recount all Your wonders.” This clearly expresses the profound meaning of the Holy Sacrifice the priest is about to celebrate which requires utmost purity of heart and soul. The washing of hands has a rich symbolic and mystical meaning. Washing was always understood as a symbol of cleaning the soul, and of keeping it clean and disposing the soul to make it acceptable to God. In the mystical sense the washing of the hands symbolizes the interior purification and cleansing of the whole man from all that sullies the soul and the body. Implements of the Proskomedia The implements used in the ceremony of the Proskomedia consist of a spe- cial liturgical knife, symbolically called the spear that is used for cutting the Eucharistic bread call the Prosphora and a spoon for administering holy com- munion to the faithful. On the Prothesis, the Table of Oblation, is also the ho- ly chalice for mixing the wine and water, a diskos for holding the particles of bread, special covers for the chalice, and a cruciform piece of metal called the asterisk or star that holds the covers over the Eucharistic bread and diskos.
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