Orthodox Glossary · Term

Prosphora

The leavened bread offered at the Proskomedia, stamped with the seal IC XC NIKA, from which the Lamb and particles are taken for the Eucharist.

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Defined Term
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Prosphora
LexiconOrthodox Christianity 101
§ 01 - How to Study This Term

From definition into prayer.

The Orthodox tradition does not separate vocabulary from worship. Pair this term with Scripture, the Liturgy, and the lived life of the Church.

  1. 01
    Look for the word in worship

    Listen for it inside the Divine Liturgy, the daily prayers, or the hymns of the feast it belongs to.

  2. 02
    Trace it through the Fathers

    The same word usually echoes across centuries - Athanasius, the Cappadocians, Maximus, Gregory Palamas.

  3. 03
    Pair it with a prayer

    Vocabulary becomes piety when it lives inside a single, repeated prayer of the Church.

Where the term lives
§ 02 - Related Terms

Words that travel together.

Entries from the lexicon that share the same corner of Orthodox worship and thought as Prosphora.

GlossaryOblation TableAlso called the prothesis, the side table where the bread and wine are prepared before being offered at the altar during the Proskomedia.GlossaryAntidoronBlessed bread distributed after the Divine Liturgy, not the Eucharist itself, but a sign of fellowship and love extended to all who attend the service.GlossaryPatensThe sacred plates that hold the bread to be consecrated in the Eucharist, treated with reverence as they bear the Body of Christ.
✦   Where to next?

One word, then another.

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