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Instead of a sermon, Father did an entire Proskomedia in the middle of the parish to explain how it's done. He also explained the role of the Antimension. When I visited Saints Cyril and Methodius Parish in Cary, NC, I was surprised to find the entire Proskomide done in the nave, rather than behind the iconostasis. It was later explained that, because the church was actually a converted house, there was insufficient room inside the sanctuary for a Table of Preparation, therefore the Rite of Preparation was done in the nave. This also had beneficial catechetical value, and to some extent captured the flavor of the original rite, when the Gifts were brought into the church from the detached Skeuophylakion. ---- This was done in all the parishes of the Eparchy of Parma as part of the excellent Heaven on Earth catechesis program. The demonstration of the proskomedia was well received by parishioners and spurred many questions and lively discussions.
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This was done in all the parishes of the Eparchy of Parma as part of the excellent Heaven on Earth catechesis program. The demonstration of the proskomedia was well received by parishioners and spurred many questions and lively discussions. This wasn't a demonstration, but the normal celebration of the Divine Liturgy in Cary. As a result, the people not only understood the meaning of the Proskomide, they knew large chunks of it by heart. I found that extremely impressive, as most altar boys, who are present and standing in proximity to the priest when the Proskomide is being celebrated, do not really pay much attention to what is going on, besides when to hand Father the kadilo.
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s that Fr. Rick (Richard). If it is who I am thinking of, that was probably a glorious DL. I remember when he was studying and living at the Russicum. I had the great pleasure of driving out from PA to MI with him some years back. He is a wonderful man. Yes, that's Father Richard (Rohrer), one of the most remarkable priests and brightest lights in the Metropolia. It would probably drive someone like Bishop Andrew nuts, but I wish all our priests and all our parishes were like that. I often wonder if they bothered to implement the Teal Terror, because when I was there nobody used even the old red books, but they took all the Antiphon verses and most of the Little Litanies. They even sang Our Father in the tone of the day. To subject such a parish to the strictures of the Revised Divine Liturgy would be a scandal.
Last edited by StuartK; 09/13/09 02:04 PM.
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Again, this thread is not discussing the Revised Divine Liturgy.
Getting back on topic:
Very interesting to read of the catechesis that was done as part of the Heaven on Earth program. Does anyone know if they used prosphora loaves or were pre-cuts used?
Last edited by DTBrown; 09/13/09 06:19 PM.
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Came across this announcement from an Orthodox parish in Arizona [ prescottorthodox.org] which will be having a celebration of the Proskomedia this Sunday as their homily: This September 20th, Fr. John will be celebrating the Liturgy of Preparation, or Proskomedia, as an instructional homily following the Gospel. It comprises the Entrance prayers of the clergy, and the preparation of the wine and bread, getting them ready with prayer for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.
This part of the Divine Liturgy, which comprises a full one-third of the Sunday worship services, is celebrated before most parishioners arrive at Church. As a result, few have seen or heard these important and Scriptural prayers and the significance they play in the full celebration of Divine Liturgy. It is a service rich in Scriptural allusion and quotation, from both the Old and New Testaments.
Fr. John does this once every year, giving parishioners, and especially children, an opportunity to see, up close and personal, what normally only takes place behind the altar early on Sunday morning, or any feast where Liturgy is celebrated.
The Proskomedia service, in its current, mostly fully developed form, is about 500 years old.
The Proskomedia (sometimes referred to as prothesis or proskomide) is the Office of Oblation celebrated by the priest prior to the Divine Liturgy during which the bread and wine are prepared for the Eucharist. The Proskomedia is a prerequisite for the Divine Liturgy. The priest conducts the Office of Oblation behind the Iconostasis at the Table of oblation or Table of Preparation (also Prothesis, or sometime Proskomide) that is located to the left of the Altar Table. Proskomedia, when translated to English, means “preparation.”
The Prothesis (Table of Oblation) represents the cave of Bethlehem where our Lord and Savior was born. Originally, the Prothesis was located in the same room as the altar table, being simply a smaller table placed against the eastern wall to the north of the altar table. During the reign of the Emperor Justin II, the Prothesis came to occupy its own separate chamber to the north of the altar, in a separate apse, and joined to the altar by a door way. Another apse was added on the south side for the Diaconicon. From this time on many large Orthodox churches were built with three apses on the eastern end of the church building. However, most smaller churches continued to be built having only one aspe containing the altar, the Prothesis and the Diaconicon.
You can learn more about the Liturgy of Preparation by attending this informative sermon. Children, visitors, or anyone wishing to observe closely should arrive early enough to get a good seat close to the front. Is this something like what others described as part of the Heaven on Earth catechesis?
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I think this is a great idea  Have to say I did enjoy the last sentence from the link posted above which Dave didn't actually include For more information, contact Fr. John or arrive before the Gospel on Sunday, September 20th!
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This was done in all the parishes of the Eparchy of Parma as part of the excellent Heaven on Earth catechesis program. The demonstration of the proskomedia was well received by parishioners and spurred many questions and lively discussions. Can you point me to a URL for information about the Heaven on Earth catechesis program?
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The GOA parish in Prescott, Arizona published the text of the Proskomedia in its bulletin today: Bulletin with Proskomedia information [ prescottorthodox.org] Text is on pages 4-9. Since its pastor, Prester John, is a member of the Forum -- perhaps he'll share how it went today?
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Well, first of all, let me say that I'm flabbergasted. I had no idea you had found my bulletin.
The service was well attended by visitors and members, and appeared to be very well received. I do this every year, mostly for newcomers and children in the parish, but find that members seem to enjoy it even more than the kids and visitors.
I'm not sure what else to say about it, but I'll answer questions.
Also, my parish photographer made a video (gulp), and should have it on our website sometime this week. I probably shouldn't have mentioned that, but in the hopes of crushing my ego underfoot like a serpent, you will all have the chance to see how lacking my work is.
Forgive, please.
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Please let us know and post a link once the video is up! I'm anxious to see it! Since you offered to answer questions...The Administrator asked a question on this awhile ago: As a possible additional to this discussion (maybe to help with both history and perspective) it might be good to add in a description of the custom of the prosphora commemoration (how the people offer the prosphora, how the priest receives it and prays, what the people do with the blessed prosphora once it is returned). I imagine this may vary from parish to parish or in different jurisdictions. I'd be interested in any thoughts you'd have on this. Thanks!
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Well, first of all, let me say that I'm flabbergasted. I had no idea you had found my bulletin. Bless, Father, LOL - once we get hold of a link around here, we sink our teeth into it and mine it for all it's worth  Many years, Neil (hmm, what a mish-mash of metaphors that was  )
"One day all our ethnic traits ... will have disappeared. Time itself is seeing to this. And so we can not think of our communities as ethnic parishes, ... unless we wish to assure the death of our community."
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Father , Bless How else do you think some of us get our education Many years back here I often , on a topic like this or where I had posted a question to which I did not know the answer , would end my post with and it's still appropriate
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Administrator John:
Just remember that the priest doing proskomide need not be the celebrant of the DL, and in hierarchical liturgies is unlikely to be; he must merely be one of the concelebrants. So quite literaly, it may have been the majority of "his work".
Now, back on page 2, someone asked about local traditions...
We use loaves baked by a parishioner, and aside from the big feasts, frozen. Each is marked with a seal. The lamb is always the sealed portion. The particles are normally cut from the rest of that loaf; the seal is not overly close.
If it is a small liturgy, the remainder is apparently cut up and bagged for later use either with mirovanie or for Sunday morning DL, later that week. On Sundays, the particles are cut large, and additional taken from the bag (apparently having been cut from other prosphorae during the week). Weekdays, they appear cut small.
I will note that, during communion, Father often seems to be breaking the body further in the chalice with the spoon.
One visiting priest communed me with the entire IC particle; about 3/4"x3/4"x3/4". (I saw it as he lifted it out of the chalice, and I was the last in line. It was QUITE a surprise. I was cantoring... and had to cue another parishioner to start the We Have Seen...) This priest, also, seems to divide the Body of the Lord further within the chalice, if the commemoration particles are insufficient in number, plus they appear to break the NI and KA particles into between 4 and 8 pieces each, by hand. He did cut additional particles for antdorion,served after dismissal; those were small,and all I saw were crust-bearing.
It was noted on several occasions by a former pastor that the remainder of the prosphora was stored for use with mirovanie or additional Sunday particles as needed.
We hear father vigorously cutting during proskomide.... and the final incense is when we rise for the opening hymn.
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Please let us know and post a link once the video is up! I'm anxious to see it! Since you offered to answer questions...The Administrator asked a question on this awhile ago: As a possible additional to this discussion (maybe to help with both history and perspective) it might be good to add in a description of the custom of the prosphora commemoration (how the people offer the prosphora, how the priest receives it and prays, what the people do with the blessed prosphora once it is returned). I imagine this may vary from parish to parish or in different jurisdictions. I'd be interested in any thoughts you'd have on this. Thanks! Thank you for re-posting this. If and when that discussion starts I'll break it into a different thread. Aramis: Thanks for that good information. But I am really looking for a good discussion about the custom of Prosphora, not the prosphora used as Eucharist but the little loaves offered by the people, prayed with by the priest, and then returned to the people. In Russian parishes you can see them offered at the back table, and those who offer them regularly generally do so along with a little book containing the names of those they wish the priest to pray for. They are then returned to the faithful to take home.
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Melkites bring them, too, but they are offered for sale only occasionally.
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