Question about the antidoran

[Protoevangel]

Sunday night, I attended Great Vespers w/Prophecies & Litia & Artoklasia. Absolutely beautiful service. Anyway, at the end, we venerated the ikon of the Nativity, and Pastor Alban offered a blessing and gave me two huge pieces of the antidoron.

I waited until I got home to begin eating the antidoron. I wanted my family to eat the blessed bread with me. None of them would, though... It was kind of dry, and had a strange taste to it. I ended up eating it with dinner. I just want to know if this was inappropriate. Or now, upon more investigation, I suppose my question should be, how inappropriate was it?

I have read the warnings about such websites as orthodoxinfo.com, but it still seems a good source, or at least starting point. According to orthodoxinfo.com (quoting Orthodox Tradition, Vol. V and Vol. IX, The Shepherd, and a parish newsletter of Holy Cross Antiochian Orthodox Church, Yakima, WA.), antidoron should be reserved for only the faithful. Even if this is simply pious opinion, I suppose I should have saved the antidoron for daily morning prayer, instead of eating it with dinner.

If my actions were offensive, please forgive me. I plead ignorance, and accept whatever correction you as my brothers and sisters offer. And yes, I will ask my Priest about it, but I want your opinions as well.

 

[eoe]

That was not antidoron - that was the artos. Kinda like a sweet bread. It came from those loaves used in the artoklasia. I do not think it was inappropriate at all. I think it was perfectly fine. I often bring home the artos and share it as well.

αναβας δε και κλασας αρτον και γευσαμενος εφ ικανον τε ομιλησας αχρις αυγης ουτως εξηλθεν
When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.

εσθιοντων δε αυτων λαβων ο ιησους τον αρτον και ευλογησας εκλασεν και εδιδου τοις μαθηταις και ειπεν λαβετε φαγετε τουτο εστιν το σωμα μου
And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.

Artos = bread
klasia = break.

Artoklasia - break bread.

 

[icxn]

What eoe said. It wasn't antidoron, it was liti (also known as artoklasia) bread and it is ok to share.

 

[Protoevangel]

Thanks guys. I understand that in some Orthodox Churches, the antidoron is distributed to non-Orthodox. I simply assumed that this was the same... But since you mentioned it, there was no Communion, so there was no "instead of". I was just concerned that perhaps I had treated it less-than-properly.

Thanks for the correction!

 

[eoe]

As they normally will give out big ol honkin chunks of the artos I like to save some in a baggie in the freezer for a rainy day. It is nice to be able to have some on hand if someone gets sick etc...

 

[Protoevangel]

So is the artos dedicated or blessed?

Is it appropriate to use to eat with roast (as I did Sunday night), or should it be treated in any special manner? Eoe, you mention saving it in your freezer for a sick day. I suppose I could extend my question to ask, would it be ok to spread butter and jam on it?

And what about the crumbs? There were crumbs all over the floor of the narthex as I left, and so I thought nothing of the crumbs on the seat of my car and left in the pan of the roast when I mopped up the juices.

Thanks for your patience!

 

[eoe]

Ah.. well.erm.. I would probably not use artos as "moppin bread" really. I eat it all by itself. I would not slather anything on it either. (even though that would probably taste good... might have to make some unblessed artos to try it...)

As far as in a baggie - break a couple of 1-2in peices off and throw them in a baggie and freeze them.

It is blessed bread so you really do not want to have crubs all over the place but do not get all wierd about it either.

Do not wory about the past. In the future - try to eat the artos all by itself and be as neat and tidy with it as you can without getting obsessive.

 

[Greg the byzantine]

Usually you can taste the difference between Antidoron and Artos from a lytia because the artos is usually sweeter and often has eggwash on top and/or sesame seeds.

Here's an interesting article from the Greek Orthodox Archdiosese of Australia. http://home.it.net.au/~jgrapsas/pages/Artoklasia.html

 

[Protoevangel]

Thanks y'all! Your advice and information is much appreciated!

 

[choirfiend]

My opinion (and this is only my opinion) is that you should eat what you are given. In my parish, antidoron AND Litya bread are simply placed in a large bowl and parishioners take some after receiving Communion or after the end of the Litya/Vigil. Many take some to share with guests or those who did not partake of the Eucharist. Whatever the priest physically places into your hands, though, you should consume.

It is blessed bread. One should take great care not to spread crumbs about. Unless you are "saving" antidoron to consume a little every day (a pious custom I have only heard about online---I dont think it's practiced very often), you should consume it there. I also think (just on gut instinct based in practice) it should not be used as a side dish to a meal or be spread with anything. That kind of thing completely sends up flares in my "tradition" meter. It would be disrespectful and treating it as common bread.

 

[Oblio]

There are some hyper-Orthodox who believe that none of the bread blessed during the Divine Liturgy should be served to non-EO, some believe that the pieces cut from the loaf used for the Lamb in the Slavic tradition (this differs from the Greek where one loaf is used) should only be given to the faithful. IMO, the former is over the top.

BTW, use caution when reading from orthodoxinfo.com, there is some good stuff there, other borders on schismatic nonsense.

 

[NyssaTheHobbit]

Everybody who mentions it (including the priest) at my church says that it's okay for me, and even hubby and my little boy, to eat the antidoron. The priest didn't say anything about other rules when he explained the antidoron to me last catechism session....

 

[Orthosdoxa]

There are some hyper-Orthodox who believe that none of the bread blessed during the Divine Liturgy should be served to non-EO

I've never seen this - I've only seen the blessed bread given to non-EO as a way to say, Welcome. I think the above opinion is pretty jerky, actually.

LK