Lamb (liturgy)

The Lamb (Greek: άμνος, romanized: amnos; Church Slavonic: Агнецъ, romanized: agnets) is the square portion of bread cut from the prosphora in the Liturgy of Preparation at the Divine Liturgy in the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic churches.

The Lamb is cut from a specially prepared loaf of leavened bread and placed in the center of the diskos.

Cutting along each edge, and removing the Lamb, he recites a phrase from Isaiah 53:7–8: In (Acts 8:32–33) St. Philip interprets these as referring to the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross.

A metal frame, the asterisk or star-cover, is placed over the diskos to support the small veil with which it is covered.

The priest will then cense the aër and place it over both the diskos and chalice, where it will remain until just prior to the Great Entrance, when the bread and wine are carried to the Holy Table for the consecration.

When it comes time for Communion, the priest will divide the Lamb into four portions, breaking it along the cuts in the underside made during the Liturgy of Preparation.