Fire Safety Encyclopedia

Prayer before taking holy water and prosphora. Prayer for the acceptance of prosphora and holy water: text. Can an ordinary person read water with a "conspiracy" to heal himself or his loved ones from various diseases?

Life is impossible without water. Since ancient times, our ancestors used it for washing the body and purifying the soul, they took it from clean sources, springs and wells. It was observed that the different locations water tastes and smells differently. Even in pagan times, it was used in rituals and ceremonies. Settlements were built by people only near springs, rivers, reservoirs with fresh water. Giving life, it has special power during the period of Epiphany. The sacrament of consecration of water is called "rite". So what is holy water?

Great consecration... It always happens on Epiphany Eve (January 18), and on the very feast of the Epiphany (January 19). In this order, the consecrated water is called "Great Agiasma", the most powerful properties are attributed to it. The Church believes that Agiasma is the sacrament of the union of spirit and body, earth and sky. Indeed it is.

Abridged Great Consecration... Before the sacrament of baptism, when the priest, while blessing, “smears” with oil and dips his fingers into it; it can only be used for washing hands and body, it is stored for a long time.

Lesser consecration takes place in the church throughout the year on Orthodox Christian holidays:

  • Life-giving source on Friday of Bright Week
  • on the day of Prepolovleniya
  • in The Origin of the Honest Trees Of the Life-giving Cross Lord's
  • and at the request of the parishioners
  • v hard times disasters, natural disasters and wars.

How does water become holy?

Water taken from any source and having passed a special rite, reading the prayer of consecration, becomes holy and acquires miraculous properties:

  • The grace of the Holy Spirit
  • for the healing of the soul;
  • bodily weaknesses;
  • cleansing the negative of living quarters;
  • household items and clothing.

How to use holy water

Epiphany hagiasma is distinguished by its great healing power. At home, you can wash babies, protecting them from the "evil eye" and human envy. You can take baths with it, even a small fraction can change the properties of ordinary water, turning it into beneficial and healing. In this case, one condition must be observed- do not use the sewage system, but pour it into a clean container and take it out into the street, where a person's foot does not step.

In churches, conducting the rite of casting out demons, God's servants use this shrine to sprinkle the suffering. What is holy water? Great, incomprehensible power, is contained in it. Having been born in the depths of the earth, emerging to the surface, having received the blessing of the powers of heaven, it carries in itself peace, prosperity and great love God to all people inhabiting the earth.

When in Everyday life Will the consecrated water come in handy? And wash, and drink, and treat ailments. There are known cases of complete cure with the imposition of compresses and rubbing for pain in the bones and joints, the pathogenic flora of the intestines disappeared. Hematomas were also smeared, open wounds, bruised places, cleaned internal organs(liver, kidneys), lowered blood pressure, applied a moistened swab to a sore tooth, in case of eye diseases, instilled it up to three times a day, even the tumors disappeared, the blood formula was restored, hemoglobin increased, appetite, sleep improved, immunity was restored.

For unusual use, for example, when a poisonous snake was bitten, it was insisted on verbena buds, such a tincture was used as an antidote. Pets were also treated, only by sprinkling, but they were not allowed to drink.

Since then, little has changed. Modern man following the precepts of his ancestors, he stores and uses holy water, and enjoys bathing in the ice-hole for Epiphany. At the same time, staying healthy, without risking catching a cold and getting sick. Our world is sinful, and the water element has become dangerous since the time of the Great Flood. Consecrated water is an obstacle for wrong thoughts and actions, disease-causing and rejection of God's salvation. Faith is imperative.

Holy water properties

It should be noted that until now the scientific world has not been able to declassify the properties of holy water. However, it is known that it is able to memorize and distribute information, change its structure, giving harmony to the crystal lattice, maintain freshness and strength for a long time, cleanse the energy field of a living being, since it has a special electromagnetic frequency. History knows many cases of healings with its help, before which even modern medicine turned out to be powerless.

How to store

Throughout the history of Christianity, holy water was harvested for future use and placed in the house under the iconostasis, away from food. It should be noted, that it is better to keep holy water in clean glass vessel under the cover, from which all labels, barcodes and other stickers have been removed. Smoking, swearing in this room is also prohibited. It is strictly forbidden to put the vessel on the floor or in an unclean place. Treat with reverence the sacrament of the Lord, the great gift of the Jordan.

During the year, and sometimes until three years, its properties remain the same. It happens that it "blooms" with greens (if the jar of water gets warm sunbeams), has a bad smell or sediment, then it can be poured on a tree on the street or flowers in a pot, poured into the river, but in no case should it be poured into the sewer or sink.

Holy water. How to drink? It is recommended to drink in the morning (using a separate bowl), taking the prosphora, after reading the prayer and the sign of the Cross. Prosphora is leavened bread that is illuminated on Easter night, it is able to heal diseases of the body and soul, as it is filled with the Blessing of God. Their use is useful for creating protection from the tests of an unclean spirit, obsessive thoughts go away, justice and peace come into a person's life. The heart is filled with love and joy, the mind is ready for creation and creativity.

How to Consecrate a House

It may happen that at the right time there is no holy water in the house, what should I do? There is an exit. Take a regular one and use this prayer... She will become sanctified and will have all the properties of a saint. How to do it? Pour water into a large container, let it stand for a while, put your hands in a container of water, and read the prayer three times. At the end, cross the container with water three times. The baptismal ceremony is over.

Use the shrine (haghiasma) with faith in goodness and love, be humble and humble, and attend church. Believe yourself and teach your children not to go out of obedience to God.

Holy water is one of the shrines that must be in the home of all Orthodox Christians. It is customary to drink it on an empty stomach, preferably every morning, after reading a prayer beforehand. It is better to use together with prosphora or part of it - it gives strength to the soul and body of a person, enlightens and purifies the mind. It is not necessary to drink a whole glass, even a few sips is enough.

Also, with its help, the Sacrament of Baptism takes place, the consecration of dwellings, church utensils and other items, sprinkling of parishioners on holidays.

Before drinking holy water, you need to read a special prayer, its text is quite understandable and short, indicated below.

Features of holy water

Consecrated is the water over which a special rite was performed, or the one that was collected on the day of the Epiphany of the Lord (Epiphany) - January 18-19.

Baptism- one of the greatest Christian holidays, the day when Jesus Christ was baptized in the waters of the Jordan River (thereby consecrating it). That is why the water collected on this day is sacred and has all its inherent properties: it does not deteriorate for a long time, has a healing effect on the bodily and mental state of a person, “cleans” and sanctifies the one who has received or sprinkled with it.

The tradition of collecting Epiphany water has been known since the first centuries of Christianity. In the IV century. John Chrysostom himself (a great saint who lived in Antioch) testified to this, saying that at midnight on Epiphany everyone draws from sources and carry them home. It does not deteriorate throughout the entire year or even several years.

There are many misconceptions in atheistic circles regarding this issue, here are the most famous of them and their refutation:

What is prosphora

This is a special leavened bread used in Orthodox worship. He is the Body of Christ in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Used in Proskomedia - this is the initial part of the Liturgy, the preparation of the Eucharist and the commemoration of the living and the departed.

Translated from ancient Greek means "offering." In the first centuries of Christianity, this was the name given to all donations brought by believers to the church. A similar tradition existed back in Old Testament time... Leviticus speaks of the offering of leavened bread during a peaceful, grateful sacrifice.

In the tabernacle of Moses there were unleavened bread, which had two parts, which symbolized the earthly and heavenly bread - human and God's.

The current prosphora also consists of two parts and denotes the human and divine essence of Jesus Christ. Prosphores are made in special conditions with prayer at temples and monasteries. Wheat flour, water, various leavens and salt are used. They depict a cross and an inscription in Greek, meaning: "Jesus Christ conquers" or the image of the Mother of God or one of the saints.

Rules for reading a prayer

Prayer- a person's appeal to God, the Mother of God, saints and angels. She is one of the most important manifestations of spiritual life. It can be internal - oral, and external - verbal, as well as public and personal. Public church prayer is accompanied by incense burning and choral singing.

Orthodox saints talk about the great benefits of int morning prayer... Also, during prayer, bows, knees and the sign of the cross are often performed. In them, people glorify, thank, repent and ask for something from God, the Mother of God, saints and angels.

You need to pray with concentration, with faith and hope. Before that, you need to try to be reconciled with everyone and not hold evil against anyone, as it is said in the prayer "Our Father": "Forgive us our sins, as we also forgive those who have sinned against us, but if we do not forgive those who have sinned against us, then, most likely, we ourselves will not be forgiven."

Things to Remember:

  • Prayer should not be treated as magic conspiracy- this is a sin and blasphemy, it is also sinful to pray for show, to do it inattentively.
  • You can not treat prosphora dishonestly, throw them away, give them to animals. It is necessary that the prosphora crumbs are all eaten, and not thrown into the trash can. If the prosphora was not consumed on time, and it disappeared, then it is necessary to burn it. We must try to prevent the latter.
  • It is unacceptable to treat holy water as a magical substance, pour it out. The missing water must be poured into natural source- a river, a lake or under a tree, and the dishes in which it was stored should no longer be used in everyday life.

Prayer before eating prosphora and holy water

It is especially important to take the prosphora with water, if for some reason does not go to the service on a Sunday or a holiday. Doing so better in the morning, on an empty stomach, with special reverence and prayer.

O Lord my God, may Thy holy gift be: prosphora and Thy holy water for the remission of my sins, for the enlightenment of my mind, for the strengthening of my soul and body, for the health of my soul and body, for the conquest of my passions and weaknesses according to Thy infinite mercy with the prayers of Thy Most Pure Mother and of all Thy saints. Amen.

Every believing Christian should know the prayer for the acceptance of prosphora and holy water. It is laconic and simple, so memorizing it will not be difficult.

Eating prosphora and taking holy water is a process that must be accompanied by the banner of the cross and the recitation of a prayer. The ceremony requires a reverent attitude towards itself.

The prosphora and holy water are taken only on an empty stomach after the morning prayer: a small sip is taken from the water, only a small piece is eaten from the prosphora. To do all this you need to try so that even a single crumb of holy bread does not fall by.

The use of prosphora with holy water, according to the recluse Georgy Zadonsky, protects a person from the intrigues of an unclean spirit, sanctifies his body and soul, illuminates his thoughts and brings him closer to the Lord God.

Prosphora cannot be taken on the morning of Holy Communion. On this day, this restriction applies to any type of food.

Prayer for the acceptance of prosphora and holy water: text

The text of the prayer accompanying the eating of prosphora and about sacred water, next:

Prosphora and its origin

The origins of the prosphora are associated with the first centuries of Christianity. The word "prosphora" with Greek translates as “offering”. Prosphora used to be called a donation that believers brought with them for worship - bread, wine, wax for candles, olive oil(oil). This donation was accepted by the deacons, and the lists of those who came with the offering were mentioned with prayer during the consecration of the food. Moreover, this list could include deceased people, when relatives brought prosphora on their behalf.

Part of the prosphora - bread and wine - was separated by the deacons for the purpose of being transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ, the wax went to the candles, and all that remained was distributed to the faithful. Later, only bread used during the liturgy began to be called prosphora. Over time, the church began to bake prosphora in its modern form instead of ordinary bread.

Prosphora is bread made from 2 separate parts:

  1. The upper part is baked with a special print in the form of a four-pointed equilateral cross. The symbols IC and XC (Christ) are placed on the horizontal crossbar of the cross, along it - HI and KA (translated from Greek - “victory”).
  2. The lower part resembles a regular loaf of bread.

The prosphora is baked from flour, the creation of which took many grains from an infinite number of ears, therefore it symbolizes as the nature of an individual person, created from a multitude natural elements and all of humanity as a whole, consisting of many people. The lower part of it is the personification of the carnal, earthly principle of man and humanity, the upper, with a seal, is the beginning of the spiritual. According to the church, the human nature is permeated with God's presence, so holy water and yeast are added to the prosphora dough: consecrated water- as a symbol of God's grace, and yeast is the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit.

The division of prosphora into 2 parts is not an accidental phenomenon. The parts symbolize the division of man into flesh (water and flour) and into soul (holy water and yeast), which are inextricably linked with each other. Believers can receive a prosphora in their hands after the service - for this, before the start, it is necessary to submit a note "On health" or "On repose" before the start of the liturgy. For each name indicated in the note, a piece of prosphora is taken out.

Antidor(translated from Greek “instead of the gift”) - small parts of the prosphora from which the Holy Lamb was taken out on the proskomedia. Antidor is distributed to believers after the end of the liturgy. It is necessary to eat it within the walls of the temple, on an empty stomach, with reverence in the soul, because it is the holy bread from the Lord's altar.

Artos- whole prosphora. Together with the image of the Resurrection of Christ, it occupies the main place in the church during Bright Week. After Easter celebrations, it is distributed to believers. The particles of artos are carefully preserved by people as a spiritual medicine against ailments and infirmities. It is eaten only on special occasions and always with the words "Christ is Risen!"

Prosphora and artos must also be kept in the red corner, next to the icons. If they deteriorate, then they need to be burned with their own hands or taken for the same purpose to the church, or let it flow along the course of a clean river.

About the origin of holy water

Holy water is next to a believing Christian all his life. This is one of the greatest shrines of Christianity. It is with this word - "shrine" - that it is translated into Russian. Greek name- "agiasma".

Holy water symbolizes God's grace: it cleanses believers from spiritual negativity, strengthens both body and soul. Holy water is practically the main attribute of the sacrament of Baptism. A threefold immersion in it washes a person from sinful impurities, renews him, makes him closer to Jesus Christ. Also, consecrated water is used in all Christian consecration rites, during prayers, processions of the cross.

Every believer orthodox christian collects consecrated water on the day of the Epiphany, carries it to his home and keeps it, as an expensive shrine, throughout the year. Agiasma is used for all diseases, using it together with prayer.

It has long been proven that holy water has extraordinary properties. It remains fresh throughout the year after Epiphany. And Saint Demetrius of Kherson wrote about her healing abilities. The Epiphany water was widely used by the Monk Sarov, giving it to pilgrims. The Monk Ambrose of Optina, with the help of her, raised even terminally ill people to their feet. Seraphim Vyritsky called holy water the strongest medicine, advised it to sprinkle any food, give it every hour a tablespoon to a sick person.

Blessing of water occurs 2 times - on Epiphany Christmas Eve and on the day of Epiphany itself. The Church believes that haghiasma is a spiritual-bodily being that connects heaven and earth. It should be in every home where people believe in God. It is necessary to store holy water in the red corner, next to the icons.

The main prayers for every need. According to the teachings of the saints of God. How and in what cases to pray Olga Glagoleva

Prayer while taking holy water

O Lord my God, may Thy holy gift and Thy holy water be for the remission of my sins, for the enlightenment of my mind, for the strengthening of my soul and body, for the health of my soul and body, for the conquest of my passions and weaknesses, according to Thy infinite mercy by the prayers of the Most Pure Thy Mother and all Thy saints. Amen.

From the book INSTRUCTIONS IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE the author Theophan the Recluse

DAILY CONFESSION OF SINS AND ACCEPTANCE OF HOLY WATER Mentally confessing your sins to the Lord every day is necessary ... and any prayer in general should be made repentant. View the supplicatory litany. It stands there: forgiveness and forgiveness of sins ... we ask. In response, and should be remembered

From the book of O Epiphany water the author author unknown

On the use of holy water "Consecrated water, wrote St. Demetrius of Kherson, has the power to sanctify the souls and bodies of all who use it." She, accepted with faith and prayer, heals our bodily diseases. Holy water extinguishes the flame of passions, drives away evil spirits, that's why

From the book The custom of praying before meals author Shumov V

Prayer for the acceptance of prosphora and St. water, my Lord my God, may Thy holy and holy water be your gift for the remission of my sins, for the enlightenment of my mind, for the strengthening of my soul and body, for the health of my soul and body, for the conquest of my passions and weaknesses according to

From the book Explanatory Bible. Volume 1 the author Lopukhin Alexander

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From the book Explanatory Bible. Volume 5 the author Lopukhin Alexander

9. They will not do evil and harm on all My holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters fill the sea. Will not do evil. Who is it, of course, animals or people? The second half of the 9th verse, which is the rationale for the first (iso / stays

From the book Explanatory Bible. Volume 10 the author Lopukhin Alexander

3. In them lay a great multitude of sick, blind, lame, withered, waiting for the movement of the water; obsessed with disease. Here

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From the book Prayer Book the author Gopachenko Alexander Mikhailovich

Prayer of the saint, whose name you bear Prayers of God for me, holy saint of God (name), as I zealously run to you, an ambulance and prayer book for the soul

From the book of 50 main prayers for money and material well-being the author Berestova Natalia

Prayer to Saint Blessed Xenia of Petersburg Memorial Day January 24 / February 6 After the death of her young husband, pious Xenia, who lived in Petersburg at the beginning of the 18th century, completely renounced earthly life, distributed all her property to the poor and chose the path of foolishness for herself.

From the book On Holy Water the author Plyusnin Andrey I.

On the use of holy water Many people keep containers with holy water at home, but not everyone knows how to store such water and when to use it. Containers with such water should be placed next to other consecrated objects, preferably near the home iconostasis.

From the book Miraculous and Healing Prayers and Icons of the Holy Trinity, the Savior, Mother of God, reverend saints and saints the author Mikhalitsyn Pavel Evgenievich

From the book Veneration of Saints the author Mikhalitsyn Pavel Evgenievich

Troparion and prayer to St. Matrona Troparion, voice 2 God, the wise and blessed old woman Matro, well, earth? Tu? Lsky prosperity and the city of Moscow? glorious decoration, praise this day, faith. This? Bo, the light of the day is not known to lice, the light of Christ is enlightened and yes

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Prayer for the acceptance of prosphora and holy water, O Lord my God, may there be Thy holy gift: prosphora and thy holy water for the remission of my sins, for the enlightenment of my mind, for the strengthening of my soul and body, for the health of my soul and body, for the conquest of passions and infirmities

From the author's book

Prayer for the consecration of water Great God, work miracles, they are countless! Come to the praying Thy servant, Master: send Thy Holy Spirit and sanctify this water, and give it the grace of deliverance and the blessing of Jordan; create a source of incorruption, a gift of sanctification,

From the author's book

Prayer of the saint Saint Sergius Radonezhsky about the gift of water, God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who created heaven and earth, everything visible and invisible, creating man and not wanting the death of a sinner! We pray to Thee, you sinners and unworthy of Thy servant, hear us in this hour and

This rite should be performed by every Orthodox Christian. Prayer for the acceptance of prosphora and holy water should be performed before the ceremony. It is very short and simple, therefore it will not be difficult to memorize it. Full text prayers and a description of the ceremony you will learn by reading the article.

The ceremony of taking holy water requires reverent attitude towards oneself ...

The essence of the ceremony

Holy water and prosphora are taken after reading the morning prayer exclusively on an empty stomach: a small sip is taken from a glass of water, a small piece of the prosphora is bite off. You need to try to perform the ceremony in such a way that not a single crumb of holy bread falls by.

Tasting holy water and prosphora, according to the recluse Georgy Zadonsky, helps to save a person from the intrigues of an unclean spirit, while sanctifying his soul and body, illuminating his thoughts and making him closer to the Lord.

Holy water is used for various diseases and ailments, as well as as a preventive measure for spiritual health. Drinking water by itself will not bring any benefit if you just drink it mechanically, without participating in the ritual with all your heart, therefore prayer is necessary before accepting holy water.

Rules

There are rules for taking consecrated water:

  1. The ceremony is always performed on an empty stomach;
  2. Water should be poured into a separate container, cup, glass, and in no case drink from the bottle or container in which it is stored;
  3. Prosphora cannot be received on the morning of Holy Communion. On such a day, the restriction applies to any food.

Prayer text

Before you take a sip of holy water, you must cross yourself and say the words of the prayer:

Lord my God, may there be Thy holy gift (prosphora) and

Thy holy water for the remission of my sins, for the enlightenment of my mind,

To strengthen my mental and physical strength, to the health of my soul and body,

In the conquest of my passions and infirmities through boundless mercy

Thy prayers Thy Most Pure Mother and all Thy saints. Amen.

Lord, may it be for me a sinner (sinner) to use this water

Sacred not for judgment and condemnation, but for cleansing, healing and eternal life. Amen".

Questions from visitors and answers from experts:

When eating consecrated water and prosphora, you need to say the following prayer:

Lord, my God, may there be Thy holy gift: prosphora and holy

Your water is for the remission of my sins, for the illumination of my mind,

To strengthen my mental and physical strength, to the health of my soul and body,

In the conquest of my passions and weaknesses, according to Thy infinite mercy,

To the prayers of Thy Most Pure Mother and of all Thy saints. Amen.

How to bake prosphora

What it is

The roots of prosphora origin are directly intertwined with the first centuries of Christianity. Earlier, prosphora was the name given to a donation that believers brought with them for worship - wax for making candles, bread, wine, olive oil. This donation was accepted by the deacons, and the list of those who came with the offering was mentioned with prayer during the consecration of the food. At the same time, the list could also include the names of deceased people when relatives brought prosphora on their behalf.

The portion of the prosphora - wine and bread - was left by the deacons for the purpose of applying to the Blood and the Body of Christ, candles were made of wax, and the rest was distributed to the faithful. Later, only bread, which was used during the liturgy, began to be called prosphora. Over time, in the church, instead of ordinary bread, they began to bake prosphora such as we are used to seeing it in the modern world.

The prosphora itself is a bread, which consists of 2 separate parts. The upper part is baked with a special seal, which looks like an equilateral four-pointed cross. The symbols XC and IC (Jesus Christ) are placed on the horizontal bar of the cross, along it - KA and HI (which means "victory" in Greek). The second lower part of the prosphora is like a regular loaf of bread.

The word "prosphora" itself is translated from Greek as "offering"

Prosphora is baked from flour. It took a huge number of grains from a large number of ears to create it, therefore it symbolizes as a truly separate person who was created from a huge number of natural elements, just like the entire human race as a whole, which consists of many people. The personification of the physiological, earthly origin of man and the entire human race is the lower part of the prosphora, and in turn the upper part, with a seal, acts as the beginning of the spiritual. In accordance with the opinion of the church, the human essence is permeated with the presence of God, therefore yeast and holy water are added to the dough for making prosphora: consecrated water is a symbol of God's grace, and yeast speaks of the life-giving help of the Holy Spirit.

The division of prosphora into two parts is not an accidental phenomenon. Both parts bear in themselves the symbol of the division of a person into soul (yeast and holy water) and into flesh (water with flour), which are inseparably united with each other. Believers can get a prosphora in their hands after the ceremony of worship - first of all, it is necessary to order the magpie "On health" or "On repose" before the start of the liturgy. A piece of prosphora is taken out for each name that you indicate in the note.

Antidor

Small parts of the prosphora from which the Holy Lamb was taken out at the proskomedia is called antidore, which in translation from Greek means "instead of giving". After the end of the liturgy, it is distributed to believers. It must be consumed right within the walls of the temple, with reverence in the soul and on an empty stomach, due to the fact that this bread from the Lord's altar is holy.

Artos

Artos- this is a whole prosphora. Together with the prototype of the Resurrection of Christ, it captures the main place in the temple during the period of Bright Week. It is distributed to believers after the end of the Easter celebrations. People carefully cherish the particles of artos as a divine medicine against infirmities and ailments. They eat it only on special occasions, and always accompanying them with the words "Christ is Risen!"

Artos and prosphora must be kept in the red corner, near the icons. If they are destroyed, then they must be burned. with my own hands or for the same purpose, take it to the church, otherwise it can be released into a clean river downstream.

How to bake prosphora?

The recipe used in ancient times includes similar indications:

  1. With the addition of holy water, the dough is kneaded, during baking it is necessary to say prayers, sing psalms, work is done by pious women who were deliberately invited for this. They are called prosphores.
  2. To bake one batch, you will need 1200 gr of flour. Sift it carefully to keep it lush and filled with air.
  3. Add some consecrated water to the container where you intend to knead the dough;
  4. Then pour in about 400 gr. flour and pour boiling water over it. This is done so that the sweetness of wheat is transferred into the dough, since sugar is not added to such bread. Secondly, so that the prosphora does not grow moldy for a long time.
  5. The ingredients must be mixed and allowed to cool slightly;
  6. Then salt is diluted in holy water (literally a couple of tablespoons), the resulting salt water must be poured into the flour mass, add 25 gr. yeast, dissolve them with water and knead well.
  7. Then the container with the dough is covered and the dough is left for thirty to forty minutes to rise;
  8. After this time, add the remaining flour, knead the dough again and let it rise again. After the mass rises well, an excellent prosphora should emerge from it.
  9. When the dough is well rested and has risen, it is necessary to put the dough on work surface sprinkled with a small amount of flour;
  10. Roll out a piece of dough into a layer 3 cm thick, cut circles of smaller and larger diameters with special molds.
  11. To make each future prosphora come out neatly, touch them up with your hands;
  12. Now you need to cover with a damp waffle towel, and once again leave the blanks to rest for half an hour;
  13. Further, putting seals on small circles, you need to connect them with large ones, while first slightly moisten the surfaces with water.
  14. So that voids do not form in the dough during baking, each holy prosphora is necessarily pierced through;
  15. Then transfer them to a baking sheet, which sprinkle with flour and send to a pre-heated oven. The prosphora should be browned and under no circumstances burnt. The baking time is 15-20 minutes.

As soon as the baking is ready, it is necessary to put it on the table, covering it first with dry, then wet and on top with another dry towel and something warm. The prosphora should cool in this form. After cooling, they are placed in special baskets and used for their intended purpose. Finished prosphora are stored in the refrigerator.

About the origin of holy water

All their life, next to believers there is holy water next to them. It belongs to one of the most important shrines of Christianity. Translated from Greek into Russian, the word “agiasma” is translated exactly as “shrine”.

Holy water is a symbol that personifies God's grace: it has sacred properties and helps to cleanse believers from spiritual negativity, strengthens the soul and body. Holy water is practically the most important attribute in the sacrament of Baptism. Three-fold immersion of a person in it washes away sinful impurities, fills him new strength, makes you closer to the Lord God. Also, consecrated water is used during prayer services, in Christian consecration rites, and processions of the cross.

On the day of the Epiphany, all believing Orthodox Christians collect blessed water, take it home and cherish it as a precious shrine for the next year. They partake of hagiasma for various diseases and ailments, which is used together with prayer.

Long ago it was proven that blessed water is endowed with phenomenal properties. Throughout the year after the Epiphany, it remains fresh. At one time, Saint Demetrius of Kherson wrote about the healing powers of sacred water. This water was widely used by the Monk Seraphim of Sarov, he gave it to pilgrims. With the help of holy water, the Monk Ambrose of Optina healed and put on their feet even terminally ill people. Seraphim Vyritsky called the blissful water the strongest medicine, recommended sprinkling it on any food, and in case of illness, give one tablespoon to a sick person every hour.

Water is consecrated twice a year. The first time on Epiphany Christmas Eve and the second time on the day of Epiphany itself. The Church believes that agiasma is a spiritual-bodily being that connects the earth and heaven. Every home should have holy water, where they believe in the Lord God.

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