"Blessed Bread" in the Eastern Catholic Church?

[FabiusMaximus]

Just a curiosity: I know that in some Eastern Orthodox parishes there is the custom to distribute bread that is blessed by the priest during Holy Communion. It’s not consecrated and therefore does not contain the real presence. I’ve seen this custom at an Orthodox parish I attended years ago. Does this occur in any of the Eastern Catholic rites as well?

 

[Casilda]

Not in the Maronite Church, as they use the unleavened bread/wafer like the Latins do. A Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Church I have attended uses leavened bread and does provide ‘blessed’ bread after communion or antidoron.

 

[JurisPrudens]

Just a curiosity: I know that in some Eastern Orthodox parishes there is the custom to distribute bread that is blessed by the priest during Holy Communion. It’s not consecrated and therefore does not contain the real presence. I’ve seen this custom at an Orthodox parish I attended years ago. Does this occur in any of the Eastern Catholic rites as well?

They do the same in the Ukranian Church.

 

[MT1926]

I remember something similar when I was growing up. The Church I grew up in was on the Italian side of town and being full blooded Italian that is where you went to mass back then. No ifs ands or buts. I remember every Easter mom would make Easter Bread with the symbolic Easter egg cooked in the center. She would place a huge basket full of loaves in front of the altar for a blessing during mass. I don’t remember it being done at the same time as consecration though. Anyway, after mass I would have to grab the basket, I was always an altar boy at mass, and take a loaf to Father before leaving church. Then home for breakfast and down an entire loaf myself. Yummmmmmm.

I haven’t seen it done in years though, I think the tradition went away when the older Italian priests passed away.

 

[5Loaves]

Just a curiosity: I know that in some Eastern Orthodox parishes there is the custom to distribute bread that is blessed by the priest during Holy Communion. It’s not consecrated and therefore does not contain the real presence. I’ve seen this custom at an Orthodox parish I attended years ago. Does this occur in any of the Eastern Catholic rites as well?

We have antidoron in my Russian Greek Catholic Church. Traditionally one is expected to have prepared with fasting and prayers if eating it. It’s put out along with blessed wine during the clergy communion and people help themselves after receiving the Holy Eucharist. Then the antidoron and wine are taken back into the Holy Place until the end of Liturgy when everyone goes forward to kiss the hand cross and the priest’s hand and he gives each a piece, as is done in the other Byzantine Rite Churches. The antidoron is eaten right away, shared with others then and there, and or taken home to eat during the week, and share, maybe a with family member who wasn’t at that Liturgy.

 

[5Loaves]

I remember something similar when I was growing up. The Church I grew up in was on the Italian side of town and being full blooded Italian that is where you went to mass back then. No ifs ands or buts. I remember every Easter mom would make Easter Bread with the symbolic Easter egg cooked in the center. She would place a huge basket full of loaves in front of the altar for a blessing during mass. I don’t remember it being done at the same time as consecration though. Anyway, after mass I would have to grab the basket, I was always an altar boy at mass, and take a loaf to Father before leaving church. Then home for breakfast and down an entire loaf myself. Yummmmmmm.

I haven’t seen it done in years though, I think the tradition went away when the older Italian priests passed away.

At Pascha we also do have our Pascha bread blessed, along with other foods in our Pascha basket, dairy and meat we’ve fasted from during Great Lent. Antidoron is bread that comes from the prosphora baked for our Eucharist. It’s what is left after the Lamb section has been cut out during proskomedia. There is an explanation here .

 

[MT1926]

At Pascha we also do have our Pascha bread blessed, along with other foods in our Pascha basket, dairy and meat we’ve fasted from during Great Lent. Antidoron is bread that comes from the prosphora baked for our Eucharist. It’s what is left after the Lamb section has been cut out during proskomedia. There is an explanation here .

Thanks for the links. I enjoyed reading them.

 

[FabiusMaximus]

Thank you all for your replies!

We have antidoron in my Russian Greek Catholic Church. Traditionally one is expected to have prepared with fasting and prayers if eating it. It’s put out along with blessed wine during the clergy communion and people help themselves after receiving the Holy Eucharist. Then the antidoron and wine are taken back into the Holy Place until the end of Liturgy when everyone goes forward to kiss the hand cross and the priest’s hand and he gives each a piece, as is done in the other Byzantine Rite Churches. The antidoron is eaten right away, shared with others then and there, and or taken home to eat during the week, and share, maybe a with family member who wasn’t at that Liturgy.

Yep, this is exactly the same tradition. I was attending an Orthodox Church in America parish, which I think was initially associated with the Russian Orthodox Church, so it makes sense. In my case, I was sitting down because I had assumed it was the Eucharist, and when someone came to give it to me, I tried refusing because I told them I wasn’t Orthodox, and that gentleman encouraged me to take it because he had informed me it wasn’t consecrated. At that point all the little old Russian and Ukrainian ladies surrounding me went up and bombarded me with bread. I had no idea one was expected to purposely fast. I never did eat before that liturgy so maybe at least that was a good thing.

Side question I suppose: although the priest there is a wonderful man and welcomed me into his church, I never did attempt to kiss the crucifix he held, because I was worried that I might offend seeing that I was an outsider. Would that have been appropriate?

I remember something similar when I was growing up. The Church I grew up in was on the Italian side of town and being full blooded Italian that is where you went to mass back then. No ifs ands or buts. I remember every Easter mom would make Easter Bread with the symbolic Easter egg cooked in the center. She would place a huge basket full of loaves in front of the altar for a blessing during mass. I don’t remember it being done at the same time as consecration though. Anyway, after mass I would have to grab the basket, I was always an altar boy at mass, and take a loaf to Father before leaving church. Then home for breakfast and down an entire loaf myself. Yummmmmmm.

Are you referring maybe to a colomba?
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The latter one is what my family consumes every Easter.

 

[adamhovey1988]

Just a curiosity: I know that in some Eastern Orthodox parishes there is the custom to distribute bread that is blessed by the priest during Holy Communion. It’s not consecrated and therefore does not contain the real presence. I’ve seen this custom at an Orthodox parish I attended years ago. Does this occur in any of the Eastern Catholic rites as well?

Melkites DEFINITELY do.

 

[Wildgraywolf]

My parish blesses bread on St. Joseph’s feast day.

 

[malphono]

FWLIW there was also a custom of blessed bread in the Western Church, particularly in France, where it was known as pain bénit. One reference may be found here.

 

[FabiusMaximus]

FWLIW there was also a custom of blessed bread in the Western Church, particularly in France, where it was known as pain bénit. One reference may be found here.

What a nice custom! Thank you very much!

 

[5Loaves]

Thank you all for your replies!

Yep, this is exactly the same tradition. I was attending an Orthodox Church in America parish, which I think was initially associated with the Russian Orthodox Church, so it makes sense.

The OCA was originally made up of Ruthenian Carpatho Rusan Eastern Catholics…

In my case, I was sitting down because I had assumed it was the Eucharist, and when someone came to give it to me, I tried refusing because I told them I wasn’t Orthodox, and that gentleman encouraged me to take it because he had informed me it wasn’t consecrated. At that point all the little old Russian and Ukrainian ladies surrounding me went up and bombarded me with bread. I had no idea one was expected to purposely fast. I never did eat before that liturgy so maybe at least that was a good thing.

The fasting is I suspect rather seldom known or observed. When I’m at an OCA parish usually someone or ones bring me antidoron when they come from Communion.

In Greek Orthodox Churches an altar server holds a bowl of antidoron by the line of communicants. After they receive Eucharist they take antidoron. It’s common for someone to bring me a piece then, but this would be in a weekday Liturgy when few attend and I’m known to most. I’m never there on a Sunday so don’t think I’d necessarily be given antidoron then. Also, since Greeks have pews the process of getting to someone is complicated by the pews when lots of people are present. And then after Liturgy you kiss the priest’s hand as he hands you antidoron, no blessing cross to kiss in my experience with Greeks.

Side question I suppose: although the priest there is a wonderful man and welcomed me into his church, I never did attempt to kiss the crucifix he held, because I was worried that I might offend seeing that I was an outsider. Would that have been appropriate?

In an OCA church and in most Orthodox Churches in the US you are likely to be quite welcomed coming up and receiving his blessing, and kissing the cross and his hand.

Are you referring maybe to a colomba?

Traditional Greek tsoureki is about the same.

The latter one is what my family consumes every Easter.

Hard to see in that photo but isn’t this shaped like a dove?

Mine this year.

 

[Augustine]

Not in the Maronite Church, as they use the unleavened bread/wafer like the Latins do.

AFAIK, the norm in the Maronite Church is leavened bread, but unleavened bread is also allowed, depending on the bishop, especially outside its original territory.

 

[malphono]

AFAIK, the norm in the Maronite Church is leavened bread, but unleavened bread is also allowed, depending on the bishop, especially outside its original territory.

Well, no, not exactly. Surviving manuscripts from ancient times indicate that both leavened bread (in the Syriac style) and unleavened bread (more in the Armenian style than the Latin) were both used. With the Crusades, the latter morphed into Latin-style hosts and since at least the 16th Century, the official norm among the Maronites has been unleavened Latin-style hosts. This is still true both inside and outside the Patriarchal Territories.

 

[Dmitri77]

What you are talking about is called “antidoron.” It is made from the leftover prosphora. Here is a picture of a prosphora.

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Prosphora is bread that is meant to be used for the Eucharist. The priest takes a knife and cuts a large square piece that is to be used in the Eucharist. The square piece, called the Lamb is later consecrated. Here is a picture.

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After the Lamb is removed the leftover prosphora is cut up into smaller pieces. Depending on local tradition the antidoron in handed out immediately after Communion and in others they wait until after the dismissal.

Online final thing. In some Byzantine parishes the priest uses pre-cut pieces that are ordered from somewhere. So since there is no prosphora up you can’t have antidoron prepared in the usual way.

 

[5Loaves]

What you are talking about is called “antidoron.” It is made from the leftover prosphora. Here is a picture of a prosphora.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/21-prosphore.jpg

That photo is of a prosphora stamp, Greek style, used to stamp the impression on bread dough prior to baking. It’s not of the bread. The letters and shapes and locations, are mirror image of what they will be when transferred onto the bread.

We have a little photo album on our parish Facebook about prosphora.

 

[babochka]

That photo is of a prosphora stamp, Greek style, used to stamp the impression on bread dough prior to baking. It’s not of the bread. The letters and shapes and locations, are mirror image of what they will be when transferred onto the bread.

We have a little photo album on our parish Facebook about prosphora.

Thank you! I was wondering what the secret is to get my prosphora to turn out so well. It didn’t click that I was looking at the stamp, not the bread itself.

 

[Dmitri77]

That photo is of a prosphora stamp, Greek style, used to stamp the impression on bread dough prior to baking. It’s not of the bread. The letters and shapes and locations, are mirror image of what they will be when transferred onto the bread.

We have a little photo album on our parish Facebook about prosphora.

Good eye.

 

[5Loaves]

Good eye.

Like babochka, I’m one of those who bakes prosphora for our parish.

babochka I have seen pictures of some prosphora that had a really clear impression. I’ve received antidoron at the Greek Cathedral here with a clear impression. I keep meaning to find out who bakes for them and ask how he/she gets that. I stamp firmly and leave minimal time after that before it goes in the oven, and still the amount more it rises in the oven causes the impression to soften.