www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Vote: Prosphora Loaves or Pre-Cut Pieces?

On the thread re: "true faith" vs "orthodox" Incognitus gave some excellent pastoral suggestions for a restoration of using "orthodox" in the Liturgy.

Would any users here have similar pastoral suggestions that would help clergy and laity in a restoration of prosphora traditions?

Michael, I can't see how. You would effectively be having lay people perform the proskomedia. I would be reasonably certain that would not be allowed, at least in an Orthodox Church.

Andrew

How about a Deacon. May a Deacon cut the Prosphora Loaves?

Let me rephrase this question.

For the parishes that utilize pre-cut pieces, does the person pre-cutting the loaves have any special prayers he/she should recite?

Also, if due to medical necessity, can a deacon "pre-cut" the loaves for the priest prior to the proskomedia?

Thank you.

Michael

No there are no prayers for slicing up the loaf used with the precuts.

The rite is done by the Priest or the Bishop there is no text that has the Deacon doing the prothesis.

There is every chance that if a Priest can't do the Rite of the Prothesis then there is little chance he will be able to celebrate the D. Liturgy either.

ICXC
NIKA

Since the overwhelming majority of lay people who attend the Divine Liturgy are not altogether likely to know how the Prothesis is done, restoring the correct use of prosphora is unlikely to disturb them - except, of course, for whoever is baking the bread.

A sensible thing to do would be to make an excellent videotape-DVD, showing how the prophora is made, how the Prothesis is done, showing how the bishop finishes the Prothesis during the Cherubic Hymn, explaining the commemorations, and encouraging the faithful to give commemorations lists of the living and the dead (separately) - and encouraging pious people to learn to bake the prosphora.

Incognitus

A terrific idea! Any aspiring film directors out there?

And, once it's done...find a place to host it on the internet so that it would be easily disseminated.

A question: I was unaware of the Bishop's role in the prothesis during the Cherubic Hymn. Could someone elaborate? Thanks.

It is already on the sites on the internet. You can watch every move. On other sites it is done via a series of photos. Happy googling! In the meantime try this. Videoing the process would make it possible to show groups of people the process because this is not possible on the current internet sites.
http://www.stgeorgegreenville.org/Services/Proskomede/ProskomideModem.html

ICXC
NIKA

True. Though for catechetical purposes it might be beneficial for a Byzantine Catholic parish to do this.