The Catalog of Good Deeds

A prosphora in the Church is the symbol of Christ. Each ingredient has its own meaning.

A prosphora consists of two parts, which symbolize two natures of Jesus Christ – the human one and the Divine one. At first, each part is prepared separately and then they are joined together. The round form of the prosphora is the sign of eternity and is a reminder that a human is created for eternity.

Flour, water and salt joined by fire symbolize that God united with us, He gives us assistance and support. What is more, it means that he fully accepted our nature.

The secrets begin…

The best sorts of flour are used for making dough. Then leaven and salt are added in it and are mixed in with clean water.

However, not all flour is suited for this. If you hope to go to your local store and buy some, then you can condemn the whole process. This is why prosphora bakers work only with reliable suppliers, who understand the importance of flour quality.

Secret 1 – where to find suitable flour? If you do not have any suppliers, you can certainly buy it in any store. But how can we determine its quality while it is packed? The main principle is not to buy flour in a plastic package. Flour must be packed in a paper package because it should “breathe” so that no processes of self-warming can occur, which can cause a musty flavor.

Check the expiration date on the package. Old flour loses its friability and can contain little bugs. You should buy only fresh flour. Bring it home, open the package, smell and taste it. It should not be sour or bitter or have any foreign flavors. If you chew the flour it should not cause the feeling of sand on your teeth.

Secret 2 is water. The quality of the finished product depends much on the purity and taste of water. As we know, the taste of water differs in different places, which leads to the fact that the taste of prosphoras differs as well.

Secret 3 is the professionalism and coherence of prosphora bakers. A prosphora should look nice and have a golden crust, which saves moisture and protects the prosphora from drying.

The equipment for mixing and rolling dough can be used in a regular baking room. Besides, you can do everything by hand. It all depends on you necessities and opportunities.

An ancient recipe of prosphoras

We need to take 1.2kg of premium flour. Usually it is finely grounded powder, which has been passed through the smallest possible sieve.

Pour on the bottom of the vessel (earlier it was a wooden barrel, today it can be a steel saucepan) a bit of holy water and pour 400g of flour, adding boiling water and mixing everything until we get a smooth mass similiar to cooked semolina. Steaming makes the dough sweet and resistant to the effect of efflorescence.

When the dough is cooled off, we need to add salt diluted with holy water and put 25g of leaven in the dough. In 30 minutes, when the dough grows, we can add the rest 800g of powder and mix everything thoroughly again.

In about 30 minutes, the dough can be placed on a table and rolled until it become as thick as necessary. Rolling can be made either by hand using a heavy pin or with the help of special equipment. As a result, the dough should be smooth and should not be crumbly. The dough for the lower parts should by 18-20mm thick, while for the upper parts it should be 11-12mm. Of course, the dough for prosphoras used in church services will be much thicker.

After the dough is rolled, it should “rest” for a while. For this, it would be better to cover the dough with a buckram.

Backing using wax

The next step is cutting into round pieces. The lower parts are made bigger then the upper ones. The shape of the lower part is corrected by hand. Then it is covered with a thick cloth and a buckram and left like this for 30 minutes. Here, we should be attentive and see that the dough does not dry out. Otherwise, the prosphoras will lose their shape and taste.

The prepared lower parts of the prosphoras are laid on the backing pan, greased with natural wax. Wax has less fat then butter and it does not leave any marks on prosphoras. What is more, using butter is impossible according to the Church canons.

If there is no wax, it is possible to use backing pans made of food aluminium since they should not be greased win anything. However, in this case the prosphoras will lose their sunny color and honey flavor. The same can be mentioned about various non-stick backing pans.

The upper parts are sealed with a stamp of the necessary size. As a rule, different monasteries have different stamps, which makes them the signs of this or that prosphora bakery.

When both parts are ready, they are joined together. The place where they are joined is moistened with water and the upper part is pushed on the lower part. It should be done carefully so that the seal is not harmed.

After that, both parts of the prosphora should be pierced with a needle to let the air out. This will help to avoid formation of cavities inside and will ensure maximum consistence of the prosphora.

The metal backing pan with prosphoras is put into the oven heated at 200-250 degrees and then they are baked at this temperature until they are ready (up to 15 minutes for small prosphoras and for about 20 minutes for service prosphoras). They should become gold by color. It is necessary to check all the time whether they are burnt or not.

Rest under four blankets

After the prosphoras are taken out of the oven, they are laid on trays and covered with several coats: with a dry cloth, then with a wet cloth, then with a dry one again and finally with a blanket on the top. In such state they should “rest” for about an hour. When you become soft and cold, they are put in special baskets or boxes, in which nothing excerpt from prosphoras can be put.

Service prosphoras are prepared in the same way, but there are still certain peculiarities. The backing process should be under constant control. It is better to stop the process, needle prosphoras and push them once again to let the air out. If they begin to burn, it is needed to change the temperature.

However, even if we care about every little detail, every time the process will be slightly different. There can be no similar interaction of natural components in the nature and the outer forces influence the result as well. Be creative, and may the Lord help you!

An excerpt translated from: http://www.pravmir.ru/sekretyi-prosfornika-ili-hlebushek-s-zapahom-solntsa/

In the year 325, Emperor Constantine convened the Council of Nicaea, the very first ecumenical council. More than 300 bishops came from all over the Christian world to debate the nature of the Holy Trinity.

Arius, from Egypt, was teaching that Jesus the Son was not equal to God the Father. Arius forcefully argued his position at length.

As Arius vigorously continued, Nicholas became more and more agitated. Finally, he could no longer bear what he believed was essential being attacked. The outraged Nicholas got up, crossed the room, and slapped Arius across the face!

The bishops were shocked. It was unbelievable that a bishop would lose control and be so hotheaded in such a solemn assembly. They brought Nicholas to Constantine. Constantine said even though it was illegal for anyone to strike another in his presence, in this case, the bishops themselves must determine the punishment.

The bishops stripped Nicholas of his bishop’s garments, chained him, and threw him into jail. That would keep Nicholas away from the meeting. When the Council ended a final decision would be made about his future.

During the night, Jesus and Mary his Mother, appeared, asking, “Why are you in jail?” “Because of my love for you,” Nicholas replied. Jesus then gave the Book of the Gospels to Nicholas. Mary gave him an omophorion, so Nicholas would again be dressed as a bishop. Now at peace, Nicholas studied the Scriptures for the rest of the night.

When the jailer came in the morning, he found the chains loose on the floor and Nicholas dressed in bishop’s robes, quietly reading the Scriptures. When Constantine was told of this, the emperor asked that Nicholas be freed. Nicholas was then fully reinstated as the Bishop of Myra.

The Council of Nicaea agreed with Nicholas’ views, deciding the question against Arius.

The work of the Council produced the Nicene Creed.

Source: http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/bishop-nicholas-loses-his-cool/

The People of God have long been accustomed to the titles, ascriptions, and even historical settings that preface various of the Psalms. Sometimes, in fact, these "Psalm Inscriptions" are the object of properly theological interest, not only in commentaries on the Psalter, but also in separate works. The most famous among the latter, arguably, are two treatises of St. Gregory of Nyssa, who found in the Psalm titles a coherent, systematic treatment of ascetical theology.

Because these inscriptions are not normally considered integral to the inspired text, their study pertains to exegetical — not canonical — history.

The dating of them has not been convincingly fixed, but generally they are described as "late," meaning anytime between the Exile and the Septuagint — the early fifth through the late fourth centuries. It is difficult to demonstrate, on the other hand, that all this material necessarily came from the same period and provenance. Indeed, I am persuaded that it did not.

David's name appears more often than any other in the Psalm inscriptions — 73 times. Of these, fourteen instances ascribe individual psalms to specific episodes in David's life.

The most notable of these, surely is Psalm 51 (50), the Miserere, which is ascribed to the occasion when David received a word or two from the prophet Nathan — some business about adultery and murder, if memory serves.

Of the fourteen inscriptions that assign individual psalms to specific occasions in David's life, nine are related to the period of his exile as a fugitive from the insane wrath of Saul.

These assignments, which are rather imaginative, can be strung together, related step-by-step to episodes during David's time of desert exile. They are worth listing in the historical sequence in which they appear in 1 Samuel 19-31.

In this arrangement, the first assignment is Psalm 59 (58), which its inscription relates the very beginning of David's exile: Saul's officers watching through the night, planning to arrest him in the morning (1 Samuel 19:11-12).

The second is Psalm 56 (55), assigned to David's seizure and temporary detainment by the Philistines (21:10-15).

This incident is also the assigned setting of the third example, Psalm 34 (33), but here there is a historical problem: Whereas David plays an idiot before Achish in the scene in First Samuel, this psalm title speaks of "Ahimelech," an obvious confusion. The mistake prompts me to think a different — less careful — scribe was responsible for this inscription.

The fourth example, Psalm 142 (141), places David "in the cave." This appears to be the cave of Adullam in 1 Samuel 22:1.

The fifth example relates Psalm 52 (51) to the treachery of Doeg the Edomite (22:9-19), who is thus identified as the boastful man with the vicious tongue. This assignment is probably the most persuasive.

The sixth example is Psalm 54 (53), the inscription of which relates it to David's betrayal to Saul by the Ziphites (23:14-23).

The seventh example, Psalm 57 (56), is tied to David's "close call" with Saul in the cave near Engedi (24:3-8).

The eighth example, which places David "in the wilderness of Judah," is Psalm 63 (62). The assignment is apparently a general reference to this whole period of David's life.

The final example, Psalm 18 (17), celebrates the end of David's exile, when Saul is slain in the Battle of Mount Gilboah. The text of this psalm is virtually identical to 2 Samuel 22.

One is impressed that nine of these fourteen biographical references are assigned to a relatively short period in David's life: the time of his desert exile. One is also struck that six of them are found in the "second book" of the Psalter, clustered between Psalms 52 and 63 (51 and 62). Five of those are assigned to discrete incidents within 1 Samuel 19-24. At least five of them, and perhaps six, appear to come from the same hand, which means that they appeared at the same time in a particular manuscript of the second book of the Psalter.

The impulse prompting that early copyist to make these biographical references is a matter of speculation, but surely the proper path in this speculation is to consider what those references did, in fact, achieve. There are two things, I believe.

First, by assigning these particular psalms — I have in mind those clustered in the second book of the Psalter — to the period of David’s persecution and distress, our scribe effectively identified the suffering just man, a very prominent a figure in the Psalter, with the Anointed One. In other words, the Lord’s Suffering Servant was made identical to the Lord’s Messiah.

Except for the incident of Absalom's rebellion (the assignment of Psalm 3), the period of David's desert exile offered that ancient copyist the most persuasive opportunities to make that identification.

Second, our scribe’s interest in the period of David’s wandering in the desert evokes a comparison with Israel’s corresponding experience during the years following the Exodus. In the Psalter, this latter period receives extensive consideration (cf. Psalms 78 ([77], 95 [94], 105 [104], 106 [105], etc.).

Such a comparison, however, serves mainly to highlight a contrast: Whereas Israel, during its forty years in the desert, was repeatedly unfaithful to the Lord, David was entirely faithful during his desert sojourn. Tempted, in several instances, to assert his own will and take the future into his own hands, the Suffering Servant consistently surrendered his destiny and placed his soul in the hands of God.

This contrast will later appear in those Gospel scenes where Jesus, the true Messiah and Suffering Servant, is tempted, as Israel in the desert was tempted of old. Like David, He remains faithful. We also know Jesus’ fondness for that period of David’s life (cf. Luke 6:1-5).

By Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon

Source: http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/OT/view/reardon-psalm-inscriptions

Israel Archaeologists have announced the discovery of a 1,400-year-old Christian devotional aid (dubbed a “Prayer Box”) made of bone, with two paintings believed to portray the Virgin Mary and Jesus. The size of the box (a tiny 0.8 x 0.6in, or 2 x 1.5cm), led experts to think the object was designed to be worn round the neck, possibly by a pilgrim.

Small icons of Christ and the Theotokos, hinged as a diptych (here is an example) are well-known to Orthodox Christians today, being useful portable, personal devotional aids. What is fascinating about this discovery is that it shows such items were around even in the first millennium. There are plenty of examples of icons being found and used in churches and monasteries from their earliest histories, but this is the first discovery of an early icon not made for adorning a church, but for personal use. Whether the owner used it for personal devotion, protection, or both, is a mystery, as throughout the Church’s history Icons have served Christians in many ways.

As reported by the Associated Press:

JERUSALEM (AP) — A tiny, exquisitely made box found on an excavated street in Jerusalem is a token of Christian faith from 1,400 years ago, Israeli archaeologists said Sunday.

The box, carved from the bone of a cow, horse or camel, decorated with a cross on the lid and measuring only 0.8 inches by 0.6 inches (2 centimeter by 1.5 centimeter), was likely carried by a Christian believer around the end of the 6th century A.D, according to Yana Tchekhanovets of the Israel Antiquities Authority, one of the directors of the dig where the box was found.

When the lid is removed, the remains of two portraits are still visible in paint and gold leaf. The figures, a man and a woman, are probably Christian saints and possibly Jesus and the Virgin Mary.

The box was found in an excavation outside the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City in the remains of a Byzantine-era thoroughfare, she said. Uncovered two years ago, it was treated by preservation experts and extensively researched before it was unveiled at an archaeological conference last week.

The box is important in part because it offers the first archaeological evidence that the use of icons in the Byzantine period was not limited to church ceremonies, she said.

Part of a similar box was found three decades ago in Jordan, but this is the only well-preserved example to be found so far, she said. Similar icons are still carried today by some Christian believers, especially from the eastern Orthodox churches.

The relic was found in the City of David excavation, a Jerusalem dig named for the biblical monarch believed to have ruled a Jewish kingdom from the site.

The politically sensitive dig is located in what is today the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan, just outside the Old City walls in east Jerusalem, the section of the holy city captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war and claimed by the Palestinians as their capital.

Source: https://iconreader.wordpress.com/2011/10/31/tiny-6th-century-icons-found-in-jerusalem/

The Cathedral in honour of the Nativity of Christ was consecrated on Sunday, November 26. The workshops of St Elisabeth Convent made a significant contribution to the decoration of the cathedral. Brothers and sisters from the Icon Painting Studio, Mural Painting workshop, and embroidery workshop have participated in decorating this church.

The image of Christ the Pantocrator in the central apse's conch is the first thing the faithful see as they walk into the cathedral. The side apses feature paintings with icons of the Mother of God the Orans and Prophet John the Forerunner, the so-called Deësis (praying to the Saviour), which is a popular theme in traditional fresco painting art.

The icons in the two-tier iconostasis are coloristically and compositionally united with the fresco paintings on the wall of the Holy Nativity Cathedral. The upper-tier icons, which are often referred to as festive icons, portray Gospel events. Their location is not accidental, either. The icons of the Marian feasts are located in the side apse with an image of the Mother of God; the icons of Lord's feasts are located in the central apse under the image of the Holy Saviour; and the icons that describe the life of St John the Baptist are located under the image of St John the Baptist.

The lower tier is interrupted by the central door and the side (deacon's) doors. There is an image of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Royal Door, with Archangel Gabriel to the left and Virgin Mary to the right. The side doors are decorated with icons of Old Testament prophets: Moses and his older brother Aaron the High Priest. The authors implemented the idea to hang curtains with embroidered Seraphim and Cherubim above these doors. Embroidered images like these can be traced back to the decorations of the Old Testament Tabernacle. The Royal Door curtain has an embroidery of the Crucifixion with the Theotokos and St John the Theologian on both sides. The icon of the Crucified Lord must remind us of his great sacrifice for the sake of our salvation. The Cross is the Tree of Life, the fruit of which we all are called to eat during the Holy Eucharist.

The believers will see full-figure icons of the Holy Saviour and the Mother of God with Baby Jesus in her arms on both sides of the Royal Door. An icon of the Nativity of Christ, which is the main icon of this cathedral, is to the right of the icon of the Holy Saviour, and an icon of the Resurrection of Christ, which shows his descent into hell, is to the left of the icon of Theotokos.

The lower-tier icons in the side apses include full-figure images of Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, St Nicholas the Wonderworker, St Cyril of Turaŭ, the holy patronesses of Belarus — St Euphrosyne of Polotsk and St Sophia of Slutsk, as well as the saints who are especially venerated by the residents of Salihorsk: St Gabriel of Bialystok, Great Martyr Barbara, and New Martyr John of Čyževičy.

Our icon painters painted the Calvary cross, too. A Calvary cross is a standing crucifix with figures, which the faithful can kiss in prayer.

The Most Reverend Pavel, Metropolitan of Minsk and Zaslavl, the Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, who performed the rite of Great Consecration of the Cathedral and celebrated the Divine Liturgy together with other hierarchs, also noted in his sermon how beautiful this cathedral is. Metropolitan Pavel thanked the Rt Rev Anthony, bp. of Slutsk and Salihorsk, for finishing the construction of the Cathedral.

Many pilgrims from all over Belarus prayed in the Cathedral during the Liturgy. There were representatives of the local authorities, directors of industrial enterprises based in Salihorsk, and the benefactors of the Cathedral among the honorary guests.

The parish of the Holy Nativity Cathedral includes several churches: a baptismal church in honour of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos; a lower church in honour of the Nativity of St John the Baptist; and the Cathedral in honour of the Nativity of Christ. There will be a two-storied building for the Sunday School, a Sisterhood and a Youth Fellowship, near the Cathedral. The Holy Nativity Cathedral is intended to become a spiritual education centre for the Diocese of Slutsk and Salihorsk.

November 28, 2017

St. Elisabeth Convent

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Sermon: It is Up to Us to Accept God

The Secrets of Step by Step Prosphora Making

Catalog of Good Thoughts for December 7th, 2017

Justifying The Holy Anger of St. Nicholas

Analyzing the Inscriptions of Psalms

A Brief Overview of Liturgical Colors in the Orthodox Church

Catalog of Good Thoughts for December 6th, 2017

About the Small 1,400-year-old Icons Uncovered in Jerusalem

The Work of the Workshops of St. Elisabeth Convent in New Church in Salihorsk, Belarus

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