The Orthodox Church teaches us that God's Grace is poured out on people in different ways. Sometimes this happens through material and very real objects, for example, icons or items of church utensils. Sometimes through the blessing of a priest. Sometimes believers receive blessed energy through prosphora and holy water, it is the believers, since only by faith can God's help be sent down. Therefore, prosphora and holy water are inseparable from prayer.
What is prosphora
Those who were in the church saw these small round bread rolls decorated with a cross or other sacred symbolism on top. They are received in a candle shop and taken home for themselves and their loved ones. The ingestion of such bread is preceded by a prayer for the adoption of prosphora and holy water. They came to us from the first centuries of Christianity. Translated from Greek, “prosphora” means “offering”. Once, believers, gathering for a common prayer service, brought bread with them as a donation. The deacons received him and entered the names of the donors on special lists. Then special prayers were offered about them. From these depths of history came a prayer before the adoption of the prosphora.
Blessing water
To bless the water, a special rite is performed. The priest lowers the cross three times into the water, accompanying his actions with a special prayer. This is not a prayer before the reception of holy water, but a prayer for its illumination. As a result, water becomes a carrier of divine energy. With its help, diseases are healed and evil power is driven away. In dwellings sprinkled with holy water, the spiritual atmosphere improves.
Prayer for the adoption of prosphora and holy water
According to tradition, prosphora and holy water are taken in the morning on an empty stomach. The reason lies not in the physiology of our body, because we are not talking about conventional medicines. The meaning here is purely symbolic: the day begins with a shrine. In addition, once in the stomach, holiness holders should not mix with ordinary food.
However, the most important component of such a morning rite is prayer for the adoption of prosphora and holy water. But it should not be a formal, not mechanical reading of the text, but an appeal to God with sincere faith and love. Without this, all efforts are futile. The Lord sends grace to all people, but only a believer can perceive it.
Prayer content
Prayer begins with the request of the Almighty for the enlightenment of the mind. This is understandable, because in worldly life, and even more so in spiritual life, clarity and sobriety of thought is necessary. A person with a sleeping mind is equally far from material and spiritual values.
Further, the prayer for the adoption of prosphora and holy water includes a very important point, this is a prayer for the sending of spiritual and physical forces. In religious terms, there is no contradiction between them - both for ordinary earthly life and for serving the Lord, both will be required.
Following the request for strength for soul and body, health is sought for them. Here, health should be understood not only as the absence of ailments, but also as deliverance from sins, because according to the teachings of the church, diseases are sent to us precisely for sins. The Lord keeps us from them, but, mired in sins, we ourselves turn away from His help.
The prayer ends with a request to remove from us destructive passions, as well as bodily and spiritual weaknesses. In the sending of the requested, hope is expressed in the prayers of the Most Holy Virgin Mary and all the saints.
Prayer for happiness
Prayer for the adoption of prosphora and holy water is small in volume of text, but unusually deep in content. Reason, spiritual and physical strength, health and freedom from harmful passions and weaknesses - these are what are necessary for human happiness. They are asking the Lord to give all this when they pray.
Today, prosphora is cooked in small bakeries created at the temples. They are called so - prosforni. The rules for baking them and the composition of the ingredients are very strictly established. This is a responsible matter, and therefore it is entrusted only to pious people. The prosforas are also needed at the liturgy for the preparation of holy firewood, which are then used during the sacrament of Communion.