Prayer before taking water and prosphora. About Epiphany water. Conspiracy against the evil eye on holy water and ritual

All our lives there is a great shrine next to us - holy water (in Greek “agiasma” - “shrine”).

Blessed water is an image of God's grace: it cleanses believers from spiritual impurities, sanctifies and strengthens them for the feat of salvation in God.

We first plunge into it at Baptism, when, upon receiving this sacrament, we are immersed three times in a font filled with holy water. Holy water in the sacrament of Baptism washes away the sinful impurities of a person, renews and revives him in new life in Christ.

On the day of Epiphany every Orthodox Christian carries home a vessel with holy water, carefully preserves it as the greatest shrine, prayerfully communing with holy water in illnesses and any infirmity.

“Consecrated water,” as St. Demetrius of Kherson wrote, “has the power to sanctify the souls and bodies of all who use it.” She, accepted with faith and prayer, heals our bodily illnesses. The Monk Seraphim of Sarov, after the confession of the pilgrims, always gave them to drink from the cup of holy Epiphany water.

The Monk Ambrose of Optina sent a bottle of holy water to a terminally ill patient - and to the amazement of the doctors, the incurable disease went away.

Elder Hieroschemamonk Seraphim Vyritsky always advised sprinkling food and the food itself with Jordanian (baptismal) water, which, in his words, “itself sanctifies everything.” When someone was very sick, Elder Seraphim gave his blessing to take a tablespoon of sacred water every hour. The elder said that there is no stronger medicine than holy water and blessed oil.

The rite of water blessing, which is performed on the feast of Epiphany, is called great because of the special solemnity of the rite, imbued with the remembrance of the Baptism of the Lord, in which the Church sees not only the mysterious washing of sins, but also the actual sanctification of the very nature of water through the immersion of God in the flesh.

The Great Blessing of Water is performed twice - on the very day of Epiphany, and also the day before, on the eve of Epiphany (Epiphany Eve). Some believers mistakenly believe that the water blessed these days is different. But in fact, on Christmas Eve and on the very day of the feast of Epiphany, one rite is used for the blessing of water.

St. John Chrysostom also said that the holy Epiphany water remains incorruptible for many years, is fresh, pure and pleasant, as if it had just been drawn from a living source just that minute. This is the miracle of God’s grace, which everyone sees now!

According to the belief of the Church, agiasma is not plain water spiritual significance, but a new being, spiritual-physical being, the interconnectedness of Heaven and earth, grace and substance, and, moreover, very close.

That is why the great agiasma, according to the canons of the Church, is considered as a kind of lower degree of Holy Communion: in those cases when, due to sins committed, a member of the Church is subject to penance and a ban on approaching the Holy Body and Blood of Christ, the usual canon clause is made: “Let him drink the agiasma.” .

Epiphany water is a shrine that should be in every home of an Orthodox Christian. It is carefully kept in the holy corner near the icons.

In addition to Epiphany water, Orthodox Christians often use water blessed at prayer services (small blessing of water) performed throughout the year. It is obligatory that the minor consecration of water is performed by the Church on the day of the Origin (destruction) of the Honest Trees Life-giving Cross of the Lord and on the day of Midsummer, when we remember the words of the Savior, full of the deepest mystery, spoken by Him to the Samaritan woman: “Whoever drinks the water that I will give him will never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into eternal life” (Gospel of John, chapter 4, verse 14).

It is customary to drink Holy Epiphany water on an empty stomach along with prosphora after the morning meal. prayer rule with special reverence as a shrine. “When a person consumes prosphora and holy water,” said the reclusive Georgy Zadonsky, “then the unclean spirit does not approach him, the soul and body are sanctified, thoughts are illuminated to please God, and the person is inclined to fasting, prayer and all virtues.”

Prosphora's origins go back to ancient times. Its prototype was the showbread in the tabernacle of Moses. In the first centuries of Christianity, believers themselves brought with them bread, wine, oil (that is, olive oil), wax for candles - everything you need to perform a divine service. This offering (in Greek prosphora), or donation, was accepted by the deacons; The names of those who brought them were included in a special list, which was prayerfully proclaimed during the consecration of the gifts. Relatives and friends of the deceased made offerings on their behalf, and the names of the deceased were also remembered in prayer. From these voluntary offerings (prosphora), part of the bread and wine was separated for transfusion into the Body and Blood of Christ, candles were made from wax, and other gifts, over which prayers were also said, were distributed to the believers. Subsequently, only bread used for the liturgy began to be called prosphora. Over time, instead of ordinary bread, they began to specially bake prosphora in the church, accepting money as a donation in addition to ordinary offerings.

The prosphora consists of two parts, which are made from dough separately from one another and then joined together. On the upper part there is a seal depicting a four-pointed equilateral cross with the inscriptions above the crossbar IC and XC (Jesus Christ), under the crossbar HI KA (victory in Greek). Prosphora, made from flour from the grains of countless ears of ears, means both human nature, consisting of many elements of nature, and humanity as a whole, consisting of many people. Moreover, the lower part of the prosphora corresponds to the earthly (carnal) composition of man and humanity; the upper part with the seal corresponds to the spiritual principle in man and humanity, in which the image of God is imprinted and the Spirit of God is mysteriously present. God's presence and spirituality permeate the entire nature of man and humanity, which, when making prosphoras, is reflected by adding holy water and yeast to the water. Holy water signifies the grace of God, and yeast signifies the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit, which gives life to every creature. This corresponds to the words of the Savior about spiritual life striving for the Kingdom of Heaven, which He likens to leaven put into flour, thanks to which the whole dough gradually rises.

The division of the prosphora into two parts visibly signifies this invisible division of human nature into flesh (flour and water) and soul (yeast and holy water), which are in an inseparable, but also unfused unity, which is why the upper and lower parts of the prosphora are made separately from one another , but then connect so that they become one. The seal on the top of the prosphora visibly denotes the invisible seal of the image of God, which penetrates the entire nature of man and is the highest principle in him. This arrangement of the prosphora corresponds to the structure of man before the Fall and the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ, who restored in Himself this structure broken by the Fall.

The prosphora can be received at the candle box after the liturgy by submitting a note “On health” or “On repose” before the start of the service. The names indicated in the notes are read at the altar, and for each name a particle is taken out of the prosphora, which is why such a prosphora is also called “taken out.”

At the end of the liturgy, the antidor is distributed to the worshipers - small parts of the prosphora from which the Holy Lamb was taken out at the proskomedia. The Greek word antidor comes from the words anti - instead of and di oron - gift, that is, the exact translation of this word is instead of gift.

“Antidorus,” says Saint Simeon of Thessalonica, “is sacred bread that was offered as an offering and the middle of which was taken out and used for sacred rites; this bread, as sealed with a copy and having received the Divine words, is taught instead of the Terrible Gifts, that is, the Mysteries, to those who have not partaken of them.”

The antidorus should be received reverently, folding your palms crosswise, right over left, and kissing the hand of the priest giving this gift. According to the rules of the Church, the antidoron must be eaten in church, on an empty stomach and with reverence, because this is holy bread, bread from the altar of God, part of the offerings to the altar of Christ, from which it receives heavenly sanctification.

The word artos (in Greek leavened bread) means consecrated bread common to all members of the Church, otherwise it means whole prosphora.

Artos, throughout Bright Week, occupies the most prominent place in the church along with the image of the Resurrection of the Lord and is distributed to believers at the conclusion of Easter celebrations.

The use of artos dates back to the very beginning of Christianity. On the fortieth day after the Resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven. The disciples and followers of Christ found consolation in prayerful memories of the Lord - they recalled His every word, every step and every action. As they gathered for common prayer, they remembered Last Supper and partook of the Body and Blood of Christ. When preparing an ordinary meal, they left the first place at the table to the invisibly present Lord and placed bread in this place. Imitating the apostles, the first shepherds of the Church established that on the feast of the Resurrection of Christ, bread should be placed in the church as a visible expression of the fact that the Savior who suffered for us became for us the true bread of life.

The artos depicts the Resurrection of Christ or a cross on which only the crown of thorns is visible, but not the crucified Christ, as a sign of Christ’s victory over death.

The artos is consecrated with a special prayer, sprinkling with holy water and censing on the first day of Holy Easter at the liturgy after the prayer behind the pulpit. On the sole opposite the royal doors, an artos is placed on a prepared table. After censing around the table with the artos, the priest reads a special prayer, after which he sprinkles the artos three times with holy water with the words “This artos is blessed and sanctified by sprinkling sowing sacred water in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen".

The consecrated artos is placed on the sole in front of the image of the Savior, where it lies throughout Holy Week. On all days of Bright Week, at the end of the liturgy with artos, a procession of the cross around the temple is solemnly performed. On Saturday of Bright Week, at the end of the liturgy, the priest says a special prayer, during the reading of which the artos is crushed, and when kissing the cross, it is distributed to the people as a shrine.

Particles of artos received in the temple are reverently kept by believers as a spiritual cure for illnesses and infirmities. Artos is used in special cases, for example, in illness, and always with the words “Christ is Risen!”

The prosphora and artos are kept in the holy corner near the icons. Spoiled prosphora and artos should be burned yourself (or taken to church for this) or floated down the river with clean water.

Lord my God, may Your holy gift and Your holy water be for the remission of my sins, for the enlightenment of my mind, for the strengthening of my mental and physical strength, for the health of my soul and body, for the subjugation of my passions and infirmities, according to Your boundless mercy through the prayers of the Most Pure One Your Mother and all Your saints. Amen.

Every Christian believer is supposed to know the prayer for accepting prosphora and holy water. It is concise and simple, so it will not be difficult to learn it by heart. a lot of work.

Eating prosphora and taking holy water is a process that must be accompanied by the sign of the cross and saying a prayer. The ritual requires a reverent attitude towards itself.

Prosphora and holy water are taken only on an empty stomach after performing morning prayer: A small sip is taken from the water, and only a small piece is tasted from the prosphora. You need to try to do all this so that even a single crumb of holy bread does not fall by.

The use of prosphora with holy water, according to the recluse George of Zadonsky, protects a person from the machinations of the unclean spirit, sanctifies his body and soul, illuminates his thoughts and brings him closer to the Lord God.

Prosphora cannot be taken on the morning before Holy Communion. On this day, this restriction applies to any type of food.

Prayer for accepting prosphora and holy water: text

The text of the prayer accompanying the eating of prosphora and blessed water is as follows:

Prosphora and its origin

The origins of the prosphora are associated with the first centuries of Christianity. The word “prosphora” with Greek language translated as “offering.” Prosphora used to be called a donation that believers brought with them for worship - bread, wine, wax for candles, olive oil (oil). This donation was accepted by the deacons, and the lists of those who came with the offering were mentioned in prayer during the blessing of the food. Moreover, this list could also include dead people when relatives brought prosphora on their behalf.

The deacons separated part of the prosphora - bread and wine - for the purpose of transmutation into the Body and Blood of Christ, the wax was used for candles, and everything that remained was distributed to the believers. Later, only bread used during the liturgy began to be called prosphora. Over time, the church began to bake prosphora in its modern form instead of ordinary bread.

Prosphora is bread assembled from 2 separate parts:

The upper part is baked with a special seal in the form of a four-pointed equilateral cross. The symbols IC and XC (Christ) are placed on the horizontal crossbar of the cross, followed by HI and KA (translated from Greek as “victory”).
The lower part resembles a regular loaf of bread.

Prosphora is baked from flour, the creation of which took many grains from countless ears of ears, therefore it symbolizes both the nature of an individual person, created from many natural elements, and all of humanity as a whole, consisting of many people. Its lower part personifies the carnal, earthly principle of man and humanity, the upper part, with the seal, represents the spiritual principle. According to the church, human nature is permeated with God’s presence, therefore holy water and yeast are added to the dough for prosphora: blessed water- as a symbol of God's grace, and yeast is the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit.

The division of the prosphora into 2 parts is not accidental. The parts symbolize the division of man into flesh (water and flour) and soul (holy water and yeast), which are inextricably linked with each other. Believers can receive the prosphora in their hands after the service - to do this, they must submit a note “On health” or “On repose” before the start of the liturgy. For each name indicated in the note, a piece of prosphora is taken out.

Antidor(translated from Greek as “instead of a gift”) - small parts of the prosphora from which the Holy Lamb was taken out at the proskomedia. The Antidoron is distributed to the faithful after the completion of the liturgy. You must eat it within the walls of the temple, on an empty stomach, with reverence in your soul, because this is holy bread, from the Lord’s altar.

Artos- whole prosphora. Together with the image of the Resurrection of Christ, it occupies the main place in the temple during Holy Week. After Easter celebrations it is distributed to believers. People carefully store particles of artos as a spiritual cure for illnesses and infirmities. It is eaten only on special occasions and always with the words “Christ is Risen!”

Prosphora and artos should also be stored in the red corner, next to the icons. If they deteriorate, then they must be burned with one’s own hands or taken to church for the same purpose, or set adrift in a clean river.

About the origin of holy water

Holy water is next to a Christian believer all his life. This is one of the greatest shrines of Christianity. It is this word - “shrine” - that is translated into Russian Greek name- “agiasma”.

Holy water symbolizes God's grace: it cleanses believers from spiritual negativity, strengthens both body and soul. Holy water is practically the main attribute of the sacrament of Baptism. Immersion in it three times washes a person from sinful impurities, renews him, and makes him closer to Jesus Christ. Blessed water is also used in all Christian rites of consecration, during prayers, and religious processions.

Every Orthodox Christian believer collects consecrated water on the day of Epiphany, takes it to his home and keeps it as an expensive shrine throughout the year. People take communion with Agiasma for all sorts of illnesses, using it together with prayer.

It has long been proven that holy water has extraordinary properties. It remains fresh throughout the year after Epiphany. And Saint Demetrius of Kherson wrote about her healing abilities. The Monk of Sarov used Epiphany water widely, giving it to pilgrims. With her help, St. Ambrose of Optina raised even terminally ill people to their feet. Seraphim Vyritsky called holy water the strongest medicine, advised to sprinkle any food with it, and give it every hour to a sick person, a tablespoon.

The blessing of water occurs 2 times - in Epiphany Christmas Eve and on the day of Baptism itself. The Church believes that agiasma is a spiritual-physical being that connects heaven and earth. It should be in every home where they believe in God. Holy water must be stored in the red corner, next to the icons.

The Orthodox have a custom of receiving sacred water and bread in the temple. This is a very important rite for Christians, which every believer must go through. However, in order to achieve the desired result, you should first read a prayer for accepting holy water and prosphora. The petition will allow you to cleanse your soul, drive away negative thoughts and energy, and incline towards doing good deeds and deeds.

Reception of bread in the temple

“Lord, my God, may Your holy gift be: prosphora and Your holy water for the remission of my sins, for the enlightenment of my mind, for the strengthening of my soul and body, for the health of my soul and body, for the subjugation of my passions and infirmities in the infinite Thy mercy, the prayers of Thy Most Pure Mother and all Thy saints. Amen".

When to take holy water and prosphora

Prosphora - consecrated bread - and agiasma - holy water - are among the most important shrines in Orthodox Church. Thanks to their use, the body is quickly cleansed and spirituality is exalted.

The grains of bread symbolize Church unity under large quantities divisions, and water - the purity and will of God.

The grains of bread symbolize Church unity

When should you accept shrines? They perform the ritual and read a prayer for accepting the holy prosphora and water in the morning on an empty stomach. It is important that they are not mixed with other food or drinks.

About the use of holy water

Holy water carries powerful energy. She is capable of working miracles - healing the sick, cleansing the soul, getting rid of bad thoughts.

You can take holy water daily. Required condition– empty stomach and morning time. This healing liquid helps solve many problems. However, it should be remembered that it would be wrong to consider it a panacea for all diseases.

Holy water carries powerful energy

Holy water is not drunk from one vessel. It needs to be poured into a separate container and drunk completely. Before this, you should read a prayer for accepting holy water. It is necessary to pronounce the words of petition with pure soul and an open heart.

“Lord, my God, may Your holy gift and Your holy water be for the remission of my sins, for the enlightenment of my mind, for the strengthening of my mental and physical strength, for the health of my soul and body, for the subjugation of my passions and infirmities according to Your infinite mercy through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and all Your saints. Amen".

After taking the sacred water, you should read a prayer for healing. Reading.

“O all-holy Nicholas, exceedingly saintly saint of the Lord, our warm intercessor, and everywhere in sorrow a quick helper, help me, a sinner and saddened one, in this life, beg the Lord God to grant me forgiveness of all my sins, which I have sinned greatly from my youth, in everything my life, deed, word, thought and all my feelings; and at the end of my soul, help me the accursed, beg the Lord God of all creation, the Creator, to deliver me from airy ordeals and eternal
torment, so that I always glorify the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and yours
merciful intercession, now and ever, and forever and ever. Amen".

Holy water can be used to treat wounds and use it as a compress on the sore spot. In case of the evil eye, they wash their face with it, then wipe it with the wrong side of their clothes.

Water can be stored forever. It does not deteriorate, it remains pure, incorruptible, as if it had just been scooped up from a holy source.

Water can be stored forever

Why does the Church bless water?

Water is one of the most important components of our life. It has healing powers, as has been repeatedly stated in the Bible.

To receive holy water, you need to perform a special church ceremony. It takes place on January 18 (in the evening) and 19. Only after this can water be considered a sacred drink.

To receive holy water, you need to perform a special church ceremony

In the times of the New Testament, water was considered a shrine that revived life and turned it into righteous, gracious, pure, freed from sins.

Jesus Christ himself, in the process of communicating with Nicodemus, said:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

At the beginning of his ministry, He accepted the rite of Baptism from John the Baptist, which was carried out in the Jordan River.

Water is mentioned in songs dedicated to the feast of Epiphany. It says:

“The Lord “grants purification with water to the human race”;

“Thou hast sanctified the streams of the Jordan, thou hast crushed the sinful power, O Christ our God...”

Thanks to sanctification, water returns to its original holiness and purity. And prayer gives her strength, the power of the Word of God, the blessing of the Holy Spirit.

Why is water blessed in special vessels?

Everything that happens in the church has some meaning. So is the vessel in which water is sanctified. He has enormous symbolic meaning. The container represents God's grace, and its rounded base represents the heavenly Church.

The cup in which the main action takes place is similar to a chalice - a container used during the liturgy. On one side of the vessel there are small recesses for candles. In total, 3 of them will be needed during the ritual.

Huge ecclesiastical significance It also has a baptismal font. This vessel is much larger than the holy one and is equipped with a high stand.

Baptismal font

Conditions for receiving prosphora and holy water

Prosphora is served after the end of the Christian service, during which the rite of the Eucharist is performed. Before this, a prayer is read for accepting the prosphora. Next, antidors (small pieces of bread) are brought into the hall.

During reception, the person’s hands should be positioned so that the palms are on the shoulders. Right hand it should be on top of the left one.

Antidors (small pieces of bread).

When biting, you need to place a clean napkin, plate or handkerchief so that the pieces of bread do not end up on the floor. After alms, you need to kiss the hand of the monk who served the sacred food. After eating the prosphora, wash it down with blessed water.

After alms, you need to kiss the hand of the monk who served the sacred food.

Prosphora and sacred water should not be accepted by people who do not believe in God. It is not allowed to serve bread to unbaptized people.

Church bread is prepared only from wheat flour with the addition of blessed water. Church bread also contains yeast.

The prosphora consists of two parts

The prosphora consists of two parts. The first symbolizes the earth, and the second symbolizes the sky. Each part is prepared separately, then they are combined. At the top is the face of the Mother of God or a four-pointed cross, and next to it is the inscription “XC” (Jesus Christ).

All our lives we have a great shrine next to us - holy water. Blessed water is an image of God's grace: it cleanses believers from spiritual impurities, sanctifies and strengthens them for the feat of salvation in God.

We first plunge into it in baptism, when, upon receiving this sacrament, we are immersed three times in a font filled with holy water. Holy water in the sacrament of baptism washes away the sinful impurities of a person, renews and revives him into a new life in Christ.

Holy water is necessarily present during the consecration of churches and all objects used in worship, during the consecration of residential buildings, buildings, and any household item. We are sprinkled with holy water during religious processions and prayer services. On the day of Epiphany, every Orthodox Christian carries home a vessel with holy water, carefully preserves it as the greatest shrine, prayerfully communing with holy water in illnesses and all infirmities.

Epiphany water, like Holy Communion, is received by believers only on an empty stomach. “Consecrated water,” as St. Demetrius of Kherson wrote, “has the power to sanctify the souls and bodies of all who use it.” She, accepted with faith and prayer, heals our bodily illnesses. Holy water extinguishes the flames of passions, drives away evil spirits - that is why they sprinkle holy water on their homes and every thing that is consecrated. After the confession of the pilgrims, St. Seraphim always gave them to drink from the cup of holy Epiphany water. The Monk Ambrose sent a bottle of holy water to a terminally ill patient - and to the amazement of the doctors, the incurable disease went away.

Elder Hieroschemamonk Seraphim Vyritsky always advised sprinkling food and the food itself with Jordanian (Epiphany) water, which, in his words, “itself sanctifies everything.” When someone was very sick, Elder Seraphim gave his blessing to take a tablespoon of consecrated water every hour. The elder said that there is no stronger medicine than holy water and blessed oil.

It can be argued that there is not a single stream of water in the world, not a single drop that has not been sanctified, spiritually fertilized by prayer, blessed and, consequently, which would not be life-giving and saving for people, animals, birds and the earth itself. If we always acted as the Church and the Word of God teach us, then the gracious gifts of the Holy Spirit would constantly pour out on us, then every spring would be for us a source of healing from bodily and mental ailments, every cup of water would serve as purification and enlightenment, “water of healing and peace”, holy water. But that doesn't happen. Water makes people sick, water becomes a dangerous, deadly and destructive element. Well, what about tap water - and holy water doesn’t help us! Are the prayers of the Church powerless?

When God intended to punish the first world with water, then He said to Noah: “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with evil deeds from them; and behold, I will destroy them from the earth... I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the spirit of life under the heavens; everything that is on earth will lose life” (Gen. 6, 13. 17). These words can be applied to our days. You shouldn’t be surprised that water doesn’t heal or bring benefits. What is surprising here, when the most important sacrament - the Eucharist, the reception of the Body and Blood of the Lord - serves many not for salvation, but for condemnation... “Whoever eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks condemnation for himself, without considering the Body of the Lord” ( 1 Cor. 11:29).

Miracles and healings still occur today. But only those who accept it with living faith in the promises of God and the power of the prayer of the Holy Church, those who have pure and sincere desire life changes, repentance, salvation. God does not create miracles where people want to see them only out of curiosity, without a sincere intention to use them for their salvation. An evil and adulterous race, the Savior said about his unbelieving contemporaries, seeks a sign; and no sign will be given to him.

In order for holy water to be beneficial, we will take care of the purity of the soul, the lightness of thoughts and deeds. And every time we touch holy water, we will offer this prayer in our minds and hearts.

Prayer for accepting prosphora and holy water

Lord my God, may Thy holy gift and Thy holy water be for the remission of my sins, for the enlightenment of my mind, for the strengthening of my mental and physical strength, for the health of my soul and body, for the subjugation of my passions and infirmities, according to Thy infinite mercy through the prayers of the Holy One Your Mother and all Your saints. Amen.

From the book "What you need to know about holy water"

Question to the priest:

This ritual should be performed by every Orthodox Christian. Prayer for accepting prosphora and holy water must be performed before the ceremony. It is very short and simple, so it won’t be too difficult to learn it by heart. Full text You will learn the prayers and description of the ritual by reading the article.

The ritual of receiving holy water requires a reverent attitude...

The essence of the ritual

Holy water and prosphora are taken after reading the morning prayer exclusively on an empty stomach: a small sip is taken from a glass of water, a small piece is bitten off from the prosphora. You must try to perform the ritual in such a way that not a single crumb of the holy bread falls by.

Eating holy water and prosphora, according to the reclusive Georgy Zadonsky, helps protect a person from the machinations of the unclean spirit, while sanctifying his soul and body, illuminating his thoughts and making him closer to the Lord.

Holy water is used for various diseases and ailments, as well as as a preventive measure for spiritual health. Drinking water in itself will not bring any benefit if you simply drink it mechanically without participating in the ritual with all your heart, therefore prayer is necessary before taking holy water.

Rules

There are rules for accepting blessed water:

The ritual is always performed on an empty stomach;
Water should be poured into a separate container, cup, glass, and under no circumstances should it be drunk from the bottle or container in which it is stored;
On the morning before Holy Communion, prosphora cannot be taken. On such a day, the restriction applies to any food.

Prayer text

Before taking a sip of holy water, you must cross yourself and say the words of prayer:

Lord my God, may Your holy gift (prosphora) be

Your holy water for the remission of my sins, for the enlightenment of my mind,

To strengthen my mental and physical strength, to the health of my soul and body,

To conquer my passions and infirmities by infinite mercy

Through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and all Your saints. Amen.

Lord, may it be for me, a sinner, to drink this water

Sacred, not for judgment and condemnation, but for cleansing, healing and eternal life. Amen".

Questions from visitors and answers from experts:

When eating consecrated water and prosphora, you need to say the following prayer:

Lord my God, let your holy gift be: prosphora and holy

Your water is for the remission of my sins, for the enlightenment of my mind,

To strengthen my mental and physical strength, to the health of my soul and body,

In the subjugation of my passions and infirmities according to Your infinite mercy,

To the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and all Your saints. Amen.

How to bake prosphora

What it is

The roots of the origin of prosphora are directly intertwined with the first centuries of Christianity. Previously, prosphora was the name given to the donation that believers brought with them for worship - wax for making candles, bread, wine, olive oil. This donation was accepted by the deacons, and the list of those people who came with the offering was mentioned with prayer during the blessing of the food. At the same time, the list could also include the names of deceased people, when relatives brought prosphora on their behalf.

The deacons left a portion of the prosphora - wine and bread - for the purpose of adding to the Blood and Body of Christ, made candles from wax, and distributed everything that remained to the believers. Later, only bread that was used during the liturgy began to be called prosphora. Over time, instead of ordinary bread, the church began to bake prosphora the way we are used to seeing it in the modern world.

The prosphora itself is bread, which consists of 2 separate parts. The top part is baked with a special seal, which looks like an equilateral four-pointed cross. The symbols XC and IC (Jesus Christ) are placed on the horizontal crossbar, followed by KA and HI (which means “victory” in Greek). The second lower part of the prosphora resembles an ordinary loaf of bread.

The word “prosphora” itself is translated from Greek as “offering”

Prosphora is baked from flour. Its creation took a huge number of grains from a large number of ears, therefore it symbolizes both a truly individual person who was created from a huge number of natural elements, just like the entire human race as a whole, which consists of many people. The personification of the physiological, earthly origin of man and the entire human race is the lower part of the prosphora, and in turn the upper part, with the seal, acts as the beginning of the spiritual. In accordance with the opinion of the church, the human essence is permeated by the presence of God, therefore yeast and holy water are added to the dough to prepare prosphora: consecrated water is a symbol of the grace of God, and yeast speaks of the life-giving help of the Holy Spirit.

The division of the prosphora into two parts is not a random phenomenon. Both parts carry a symbol of the division of a person into the soul (yeast and holy water) and the flesh (water and flour), which are inseparably united with each other. Believers can receive the prosphora in their hands after performing the rite of worship - first of all, they must order the magpie “On Health” or “On Repose” before the start of the liturgy. A piece of prosphora is taken out for each name that you indicate in the note.

Antidor

Small parts of the prosphora from which the Holy Lamb was taken out at the proskomedia are called antidor, which translated from Greek means “instead of a gift.” After the end of the liturgy, it is distributed to believers. It must be consumed right within the walls of the temple, with reverence in the soul and on an empty stomach, due to the fact that this bread from the Lord’s altar is holy.

Artos

Artos- this is a complete prosphora. Together with the prototype of the Resurrection of Christ, it captures the main place in the temple during the period of Bright Week. Distributed to believers after the end of Easter celebrations. People carefully preserve particles of artos as a divine cure for infirmities and illnesses. They eat it only on special occasions, and always accompanied by the words “Christ is Risen!”

Artos and prosphora must be stored in the red corner, close to the icons. If they are ruined, then they must be burned with their own hands or taken to church for the same purpose, otherwise they can be released to prison. clean river with the flow.

How to bake prosphora?

A recipe used in ancient times includes instructions like this:

With the addition of holy water, the dough is kneaded, while baking it is necessary to say prayers, sing psalms, the work is done by pious women deliberately invited for this. They are called prosphora makers.
To bake one batch you will need 1200 grams of flour. Sift it thoroughly so that it is fluffy and filled with air.
Add a little consecrated water to the container where you intend to knead the dough;
Next, pour in approximately 400 grams. flour and pour boiling water over it. This is done so that the sweetness of the wheat is transferred into the dough, since sugar is not added to such bread. Secondly, so that the prosphora does not mold for a long time.
The ingredients must be mixed and allowed to cool slightly;
Then salt is diluted in holy water (literally a couple of tablespoons), the resulting salted water should be poured into the flour mixture, add 25 grams. yeast, dissolve it with water and mix well.
Then the container with the dough is covered and the dough is left for thirty to forty minutes to rise;
After this time, add the remaining flour, knead the dough again and let it rise again. After the mass has risen well, an excellent prosphora should come out of it.
When the dough has rested well and risen, you need to place the dough on the work surface, sprinkling with a small amount of flour;
Roll out a piece of dough to 3 cm thick, and use special cutters to cut circles of smaller and larger diameters.
To ensure that each future prosphora comes out neat, adjust them with your hands;
Now you need to cover with a damp waffle towel, and again leave the workpieces to rest for half an hour;
Next, when applying seals to small circles, you need to connect them with large ones, and first lightly moisten the surfaces with water.
To prevent voids from forming in the dough during baking, each holy prosphora must be pierced through and through;
Then transfer them to a baking sheet, sprinkle with flour and place in a pre-heated oven. The prosphora should be browned and under no circumstances burnt. Baking time is 15-20 minutes.

As soon as the baked goods are ready, you need to put it on the table, covering it first with a dry towel, then a damp one, and then another dry towel and something warm on top. The prosphora should cool in this form. After cooling, they are placed in special baskets and used for their intended purpose. Ready prosphora is stored in the refrigerator.

About the origin of holy water

All their lives, believers have holy water nearby. It belongs to one of the most important shrines of Christianity. Translated from Greek into Russian, the word “agiasma” is translated precisely as “shrine”.

Holy water is a symbol personifying God's grace: it has sacred properties and helps cleanse believers from spiritual negativity, strengthens the soul and body. Holy water is practically the most important attribute when performing the sacrament of Baptism. Immersing a person in it three times washes away sinful impurities, fills him with new strength, and makes him closer to the Lord God. Blessed water is also used during prayers, in Christian rites of consecration, and religious processions.

All believing Orthodox Christians on the day of Epiphany collect blessed water, take it to their home and cherish it as a precious shrine throughout the entire next year. They take communion with agiasma for various diseases and ailments, which is used together with prayer.

It was proven a long time ago that consecrated water is endowed with phenomenal properties. It remains fresh throughout the year after Epiphany. At one time, Saint Demetrius of Kherson wrote about the healing abilities of sacred water. I used this water extensively Venerable Seraphim Sarovsky, he gave it to pilgrims. With the help of holy water, the Monk Ambrose of Optina cured and put even terminally ill people back on their feet. Seraphim Vyritsky called the reverent water the strongest medicine, recommended sprinkling any food with it, and in case of illness, giving one tablespoon every hour to the sick person.

During the year, the water is blessed twice. The first time on Epiphany Eve and the second time on the day of Epiphany itself. The Church believes that agiasma is a spiritual-physical being that connects earth and heaven. Every home should have holy water where they believe in the Lord God.