On Pascha, a special loaf of leavened bread is blessed with holy water and remains in the church throughout Bright Week, recalling Christ, the Bread of Life, among His Apostles. In many Orthodox churches this bread is eaten at the end of Bright Week, but it is the custom of the Russian Church from which the Orthodox Church in America once derived, to save the Artos throughout the year, partaking in times of illness or other need for spiritual sustenance.
Father Christopher took these photos of the Artos in the church during Bright Week. Larger images are available by clicking on the images below:
At the end of the Divine Liturgy on Thomas Sunday, the Artos is blessed, then cut into small pieces to be distributed to the faithful:
