Before the Divine Liturgy begins, the clergy prepares the substance for the sacrament of the Eucharist. In the temple, the follow-up of the proskomedia is carried out, during which special bread is used.
In the tradition of the church, it is customary to call a prosphora a specially prepared bread that is used at proskomidia to prepare a future shrine - the Body of Christ. Bread for the future Eucharist has a certain composition: salt, water and wheat flour; and is made of a certain form: of two components, which symbolically reflects the connection of the heavenly and earthly Churches, and also points to the most important Orthodox doctrine of truth about the two natures of the embodied Mission (divine and human).
Now, according to the tradition of the Russian Orthodox Church, it is customary to perform a liturgy at five prosphora. In Greece, one large prosphora is often used.
The main prosphora is the agnostic prosphora - the one from which the particle is taken out, used directly in the sacrament of the Eucharist. It is removed from the center of the prosphora, while the remaining parts are called an antidor. The remaining prosphora are used to remove particles in the prayer memory of the Mother of God (the prosphora is called the Mother of God), saints, angels, as well as in the prayer memory of people, both living and dead.
The cross with special abbreviated inscriptions “IS XC” and “NIKA” is traditionally depicted on the agnostic prosphora, which means the Lord’s triumph in overcoming death (the same images and designations can be used on prosphora, from which particles are removed about the deceased and living, as well as ranks of saints). On the Mother of God prosphora, the image of the Virgin Mary or letters indicating the personality of the Virgin is depicted from above.
Nine particles are removed from the prosphora in remembrance of people who acquired a special divine grace that led to holiness - John the Baptist, prophets, saints, reverends, martyrs, the righteous, etc. Such a prosphora is called nine-part (nine-part).
Special prosphora is used to commemorate living Orthodox Christians, as well as those who have already completed their earthly journey.
In addition to large prosphora, small breads are also used in proskimids. From this kind of prosphora, small particles get on the sides with the commemoration of the living and the dead. This little prosphora is distributed to the parishioners after the service.
