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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center

Ceremony of Preparation of the Oblations or Prothesis before the Divine Liturgy - Particles for the Dead

The first part of the Divine Liturgy is the Prothesis or Ceremony of Preparation of the Oblations. During the Ceremony, the priest/abouna prays and cuts the Qurban based on the nine squares on the large side of the Holy Seal or (IC|XC NIKA Stamp) impression.
The Prothesis is performed by the priest and deacon without the direct participation of the people on the "proskomide" or "table of oblation" or "Altar of Preparation" which stands in the altar area to left of the altar table.

During the Ceremony of Preparation , the priest prays and cuts the Qurban (bread) based on the nine squares on the large side of the Holy Seal or (IC|XC NIKA Stamp) impression.

Small IC|XC NIKA Impression in the square below the Center Square with the IC|XC NIKA impression. Particles for the dead are cut from this square.

The small IC|XC NIKA impression is in the square below the Center Square with the IC|XC NIKA impression on the Holy Seal and on the Qurban.

Ceremony of Preparation of the Oblations or Prothesis

The priest removes a particle while he says:

"In memory and for the remission of sins of the blessed founders of this holy church (or monastery)."

The priest places this particle beneath the first particle of the first row beneath "The Lamb". This particle is the first particle in the second row of two rows of a varying number of particles to the bottom of "The Lamb".

The priest commemorates specific people who have fallen asleep in the Lord by name.
The priest first says the name of the bishop who ordained him, if he has fallen asleep in the Lord. The priest removes a particle while he says:

"Remember, Lord, N."

The priest places this particle to the left of the first particle of the second bottow row.

For each person, the priest removes a particle while he says:

"Remember, Lord, Name."

The priest places this particle to the left of the preceding particle of the bottow row.

The priest repeats this process until he has prayed for all whose have fallen asleep in the Lord to be remembered at that Divine Liturgy.

The priest removes a particle while he says:

"Remember all our Orthodox Fathers and brethren who have fallen asleep in the hope of resurrection to eternal life and in communion with You, O Lord who love mankind."

The priest places this particle to the left of the preceding particle of the bottow row.

The priest removes the final particle while he says:

"Remember also, Lord, my unworthiness and pardon my transgressions, deliberate and indeliberate."

The priest places the final particle at the left of the preceding particle of the bottow row. This particle completes the final row.

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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center is dedicated to my cousins: Bucky (Richard C. Liles) and Shirley (Shirley Jean Liles Buck). Bucky fell asleep in the Lord on Dec. 12, 2000 and Shirley fell asleep in the Lord on Nov. 8, 2001.
O God of all spirits and of all flesh, who have destroyed death, overcome the devil, and given life to the world: grant, O Lord, to the souls of your servants Bucky and Shirley, who has departed from this life, that it may rest in a place of light, in a place of happiness, in a place of peace, where there is no pain, no grief, no sighing. And since You are a gracious God and the Lover of Mankind, forgive him/her every sin he/she has committed by thought, or word, or deed, for there is not a man who lives and does not sin : You alone are without sin, your righteousness is everlasting, and your word is true. You are the Resurrection and the Life, and the repose of your departed servants Bucky and Shirley. O Christ our God, and we send up glory to You, together with your eternal Father and your all-holy, good and life-givng Spirit, now and always and for ages upon ages. Amen.

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Last Updated: Thursday, September 08, 2005, 00:00:06, PDT
The current date and time is: Monday, September 08, 2008, 11:57:15, PDT or Monday, September 08, 2008, 18:57:15, GMT