Lance

THOMAS KITSON

Blade (also known as “Spear”) with which the priest cuts the Lamb (the actual square of bread that will be consecrated in the Eucharist) from the loaves of offering (the prosphora) according to the preliminary ritual of the Proskomedie. It is a flat iron knife in the form of a spearhead, sharpened along both edges, and with a wooden (or other) handle. The priest lightly pierces the Lamb that will be offered during the liturgy to recall the lance used to pierce Christ’s side. Like the cross, the lance symbolizes the powers of cruelty and death that seek to overcome the divine in this world, but providentially carve out and manifest what God has chosen for his kingdom. Thus, its symbolic significance transcends its practical use.