Throughout history, the Christian Church has used various material means of a symbolic nature to express its truths of faith as concretely as possible. These material means have value not in and of themselves, but only in relation to God; they are not to be confused with Him and are used in worship solely as aids or means of expressing reverence for God.
Bread and wine are used in worship primarily as the elements of the Holy Eucharist. Bread and wine are also used in other sacraments and liturgical rites, such as the Sacrament of Marriage, the Litany service, and services related to the veneration of the departed. Bread and wine reveal the reality of the Savior’s presence, as Body and Blood; they are transformed, following the epiclesis of the Divine Liturgy, into His Body and Blood. The gifts of bread and wine offered by the faithful during the Proskomedia are visible proof of their concrete participation in the Holy Sacrifice offered by the priest during the Divine Liturgy.
The prosphora, made of flour and leavened dough, symbolizes the perfected soul and the Incarnation of Christ, being composed of three elements that represent the three parts of the soul and the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity: flour and dough—the soul; water—baptism; and salt—the thought and teaching of the Word (“You are the salt of the earth…”).
Water symbolizes the lay faithful, and its mixing with wine signifies their incorporation into Christ. Water takes on great significance in worship, particularly during the Divine Liturgy. Mixed with wine in the Holy Chalice, it truly reveals the water that flowed together with the blood from Christ’s side. Blood and water subsequently became the two sources of the life of Grace: the water of Baptism and the Blood of Holy Communion. With the water consecrated during the Great Blessing of Water or the Lesser Blessing of Water, objects of worship and all that is necessary for human life—things, living creatures, and the fruits of the earth—are blessed and consecrated.
Olive oil is the main ingredient in the composition of Holy Chrism. The 42 spices in its composition reflect the richness of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and through consecration, it becomes a bearer of divine energies. In divine worship, the oil is used in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, in the consecration of churches and homes, in the anointing of the faithful, and in the Sacrament of Holy Unction. Through anointing, God’s mercy and help are bestowed upon creation, upon the living, and upon those who have fallen asleep in the hope of the Resurrection.
Coliva comes from the Greek “ta koliva” (offering). It is prepared from boiled wheat, sweetened with honey or sugar and mixed with spices and walnut kernels. Koliva symbolizes the very body of the departed, since wheat is the primary food of the human body. It is the material expression of our faith in immortality and the Resurrection. “Just as a grain of wheat, in order to sprout and bear fruit, must first be buried in the ground to rot, so too the human body is first buried and decays, so that it may then rise again, incorruptible,” says the Apostle Paul.
Frankincense is resin collected and dried from trees native to Africa or India, but it can also be obtained from other woody essences. To give it an even more pleasant scent, it is mixed with other aromatic substances, such as myrrh. In Old Testament worship, frankincense was an indispensable part of the sacrifices offered at the altar. In the early Christian centuries, there are accounts of the use of incense in the order of the Liturgy of Saint James and the Liturgy of Saint Mark, and later also in the Liturgies of Saints Basil and John Chrysostom, where there are also special formulas for blessing the incense used in the censing. Incense is also used in other sacred services and liturgical events, such as processions, vigils, and funerals, a task entrusted to the deacons.
Light is a symbol of the joy of sharing in the divine, uncreated light. The candle, through its light, becomes a means of connection between humanity and God. The light produced by burning is the sacrifice of matter that becomes part of the worship of God. Candlesticks have one or more arms, symbolizing the unity of the Holy Trinity, the two natures of Christ, the Holy Trinity, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, or the twelve Apostles.
Basil is an aromatic plant used in the ritual of the blessing of water, as well as on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14). The name comes from the Greek “basileus” (king), because it grew at the site where Saint Helena discovered the Holy Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Linden or walnut leaves, blessed on Pentecost, symbolize the tongues of fire at the descent of the Holy Spirit. They represent the countless gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Willow branches are blessed and distributed to the faithful on Palm Sunday, in remembrance of the palm and olive branches with which the multitudes welcomed Christ as He entered Jerusalem. The custom is ancient, mentioned as early as the 4th century by the pilgrim Egeria. Hermas the Shepherd refers to the martyrs as the “fruit-bearing willow branches” of the divine tree, which is Christ.