www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Antidoron Confusion

I've been to Orthodox and Melkite Catholic churches, and they have antidoron during or after liturgy, even after the Pre-sanctified liturgy. Why doesn't the Ruthenian Catholic Church have antidoron during or after liturgy? Is this another latinization or something unique to my local parish?

The antidoron is distributed at the end of every Divine Liturgy @ St. Basil the Great parish in Irving (Dallas area); and we're a parish of the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh.

Failing to distribute it might indicate a latinization - maybe.

What does "antidoron" mean in Greek? Let's get a good translation.

Ray

Literally:

anti: against, instead of. link [perseus.tufts.edu]
dōron: gift. link [perseus.tufts.edu] i.e here meaning the eucharist

Classical usage: return-gift link [perseus.tufts.edu]

It is not in the RDL liturgicon ( link [patronagechurch.com], and link [patronagechurch.com] see pdf) but can be done after the liturgy I would presume. It is in the Recension Služebnik, p 281 [patronagechurch.com], after the ambon prayer, and is there "covered" by the singing of Psalm 33. It is in the 1965-now-banned liturgicon, p 45 [patronagechurch.com]. The Ordo instructs that the distribution may take place after the Dismissal where this is the custom: Latin [patronagechurch.com], English [patronagechurch.com], §144-145.

So in Greek "antidoron" means 'something taken instead of the gift'. Given for those who cannot participate in communion for some reason.

In Arabic, we call it "qurbaan" or a piece of it in your hand is called "qurbaanah" (pronounced in the colloquial: [urba:na]. This means 'offering'; because the bread comes from that which was offered.

I don't know how many Ruthenian parishes have fallen prey to the pre-cut phenomenon, but that would obviously contribute to the absence of antidoron after the liturgy.

We also distribute the antidoron after every Liturgy at St. Philip the Apostle in Sacramento, and have for as long as I can remember. I believe it is also distributed at St. Basil the Great Church in Los Gatos.

Maybe someone can correct me me if I'm wrong, but isn't Mirovanje our Ruthenian tradition, rather than antidoron. If we were to distribute antidoron weekly it seems to me it would destroy our tradition of mirovanje and dilute the celebration of major Feastdays.

Should we surrender our authentic Ruthenian tradition to copy another Church's tradition? If we do so, aren't we helenizing in place of latinizing?

Fr Deacon Paul

I always loved the Mirovanje of our Ruthenian tradition, it is such a blessing. Yet at the same time I love the Antidoron of the Melkite tradition. The reason being is it serves several purposes.

#1 is most important, the remaining bread after the Lamb is taken out, is then cut up for this purpose. After venerating the cross at the end of the Divine Liturgy, it is given. By consuming the blessed bread, it takes any particles of the Eucharist remaining in the mouth into the body. So it more than protects the Eucharist.

It seems to me, that some do this with wine (don't know the name of it) after veneration of the cross or icon at the end of the Divine Liturgy.

#2 it allows everyone present that is Christian to share bread with the community.

Y'all can tell I was raised Southern Baptist. I don't think I will ever get all these words straightened out in my vocabulary.

Mikita mentions antidoron in his Typikon (1901). In a footnote on Proskomedia, he describes the older use of five prosfori, then says that only one loaf is now used for the Lamb and the particles, "and the remains are distributed as 'Antidor.'" He also mentions the distribution of the antidoron at "Blessed be the name of the Lord" (Psalm 33 is not mentioned), and even says that antidoron is in remembrance of the Agape meal.

So it does seem that antidoron was known in Subcarpathian Rus, at least at the turn of the 20th century.

Dn. David

The distribution of antidoron is in the Ruthenian Recension (Rome, 1941) as I have referenced in a prior post and to the extent that one accepts those rites as Ruthenian then it is within "our authentic Ruthenian tradition." There antidoron is a practical way of using up the bread from the proskomedia that is not used for the eucharist.

Mirovanje seems more related to the artoklasia service of vespers (major feasts) that is then affixed to the subsequent celebration of the Divine Liturgy. Isn't the same blessing said as at vespers?

As to:

There is such irony in this observation, but it belongs in the RDL forum and I may post it there for discussion.

For what it is worth, I have never been to Liturgy at the Russian Greek Catholic parish in Denver, Colorado and not seen the practice of the antidoron (with warm wine) tradition.

Rybak, my brother,

Just for clarity (as I read this three times before I caught your point) - you are saying that the antidoron has been distributed with the warm wine on every occasion that you have worshipped at Ss Cyril & Methodius Russian Mission in Denver. Am I right?

Many years,

Neil

Fr. Deacon Paul, Please help me, if it's not part of the Ruthenian tradition, what is to be done with the remaining prosphora?

Since, in most Ruthenian parishes, when the deacon intones, "Approach", it's come one, come all, there usually aren't many prosphora left-assuming that the celebrant actually bothered to go through the full Proskomide. Also, not every parish that does celebrate the full Proskomide uses five small loaves. Some follow the Greek practice, and use a single large loaf, the symbolic value of which ought to be obvious.