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When you should not bow to the ground. How to prostrate according to the rules



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Bows are symbolic actions that express feelings of respect to the Supreme Being - God. They have been used in the Christian Church since ancient times. Bows must be made slowly, in accordance with certain words of the prayer.

What is bow, types

Bowing is a symbolic action characterized by bowing the body and head, which shows humility and submission before the Lord.

There are several types of bows:

  • Great or earthly. With them, the worshiper kneels and touches his head to the ground.
  • Small or waist. When performing it, only the head and body bend.

Eat certain cases when bows are not provided. Many also confuse concepts such as bowing and the non-Orthodox custom of kneeling. When we bow to the ground, we show our humility and reverence before the Creator of the universe. After bowing, we stand up, thereby showing that the Lord has given us everything we need for salvation.

What do the scriptures say?

The custom of making prostrations appeared in ancient biblical times. This is how Solomon prayed at the consecration of the Jerusalem Temple (see: 1 Kings 8:54), Daniel in Babylonian captivity (see: Dan. 6:10) and other Old Testament righteous people. This custom was sanctified by our Lord Jesus Christ (see: Luke 22:41) and entered into the practice of the Christian Church (see: Acts 12:60; Eph. 3:14). Here it is useful to recall the verses of the psalms...

31:9:“Do not be like a horse, like a foolish mule, whose jaws must be bridled with a bridle and bit so that they obey you.”

108:24:“My knees have grown weak from fasting, and my body has lost fat.”

We see that the holy prophet and king David, to the point of exhaustion, bowed to the ground in order to be cleansed of sins and fast with a fast that was pleasant and pleasing to God.

Our Lord Jesus Christ also prayed on his knees: “And He Himself went away from them a stone’s throw, and kneeled down and prayed...”(Luke 22:41).

Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) wrote about prostrations: “The Lord knelt down during His prayer - and you should not neglect kneeling if you have enough strength to perform it. By worship to the face of the earth, according to the explanation of the fathers, our fall is depicted, and by uprising from the earth our redemption ... "

One should be baptized with a bow to the ground:

  1. During the fast, when entering the temple and when leaving it - three times.
  2. During Lent at Matins, after each chorus to the song to the Theotokos “My soul magnifies the Lord” after the words “We magnify you.”
  3. At the beginning of the liturgy, singing “It is worthy and righteous to eat...”.
  4. At the end of singing “We will sing to you...”.
  5. After “It is worthy to eat...” or worthy.
  6. With the cry of “Holy to Holies.”
  7. When shouting “And grant us, O Master...” before singing “Our Father.”
  8. When carrying out the Holy Gifts, with the words “Approach with the fear of God and faith,” and the second time - with the words “Always, now and ever...”.
  9. In Great Lent, at Great Compline, while singing “To the Most Holy Lady...” - on every verse; while singing “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice...” and so on. At Lenten Vespers three bows are made.
  10. During Lent, when reading the prayer “Lord and Master of my life...”.
  11. During Great Lent, during the final singing of “Remember us, Lord, when You come into Your Kingdom,” three prostrations are required.

Important Notes

Prostration on Sunday causes a lot of controversy. First of all, this lies in the fact that according to the Church Charter, bowing to the ground on Sundays and holidays is prohibited. But many liturgists say that prostrations must always be made before the throne, regardless of the day of the week or holiday. In addition, there is a certain practice when prostrations are replaced with bows from the waist. There is such a thing as Liturgy. John of Kronstadt also spoke about bowing to the ground during the Liturgy. He said that it is necessary to bow regardless of the time of the Liturgy. It is worth making three bows during it:

  1. At the entrance in front of the Throne.
  2. In the position of the Gifts.
  3. Immediately before communion.

But again, if you don’t know when to prostrate at the Liturgy, you can consult with the clergy or simply observe their behavior. Since it is quite difficult to comprehend all the intricacies of performing all the rituals and ceremonies, you should not hesitate to ask for help, and also consult with knowledgeable people. This will allow you to avoid unpleasant and awkward situations in the temple. Remember that any action should not be performed out of necessity or coercion. All actions must come from pure heart and only for good reasons. After all, our appeal to the Lord will be heard and given grace only if we have pure thoughts and sincere faith.

Everything depends only on you, because what desires we come to God with are what we will receive in return. It is necessary not only to ask, but also to thank. Best suited for this thanksgiving prayers. And be very careful that the proverb “Make a fool pray, he will bruise his forehead” cannot be applied to you.

When not to prostrate

You cannot make great bows:

  • in the days from Christmas to Epiphany,
  • on Sundays,
  • on the days of great holidays,
  • from Easter to Pentecost,
  • on the Feast of the Transfiguration, · prohibited for communicants on the day of first communion and subsequent ones.

There is also such a thing as great fasting bows. These are called threefold prostrations to the ground, which are accompanied by the imposition of the Orthodox sign of the cross and the reading of the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian, which is divided into three verses.

How to bow to the ground correctly?

The priests say that the Church Charter speaks of unhurried, timely, orderly, unhurried and earnest fulfillment. Bowing and kneeling should be done after each multiple petition of a litany or prayer. Do not do this while reading or singing. It is also not allowed to bow together with the sign of the cross.

How to bow to the ground correctly? Before performing it, you must make the sign of the cross on yourself. After this, kneel down and bow, hands and head should touch the floor. Before venerating an icon or crucifix, you must cross yourself again, bow twice, venerate, and then cross yourself and bow again.

Prostration in Islam

Sajdah (prostration) is one of the mandatory elements prayer. A person performing namaz, after straightening up from the waist bow, bows to the ground, touching the ground with his forehead and nose, thereby expressing his respect to Allah. In each rak'ah of prayer, two sajdahs are performed, one after the other. If, during sajdah, one touches the ground only with the forehead, without touching the nose, then such sajdah is permitted, but in the absence of a valid reason, such sajdah is makrooh.

If during sajdah a person touches the ground only with his nose and does not touch his forehead, then, according to Imam Abu Hanifa, such sajdah is permissible, whereas, according to Imam Muhammad and Abu Yusuf, such sajdah is not permitted without a good reason. You cannot touch the ground with your chin or cheek during sajdah.

If a person cannot touch the ground with his forehead and nose, then he performs sajdah by nodding his head. According to the scholars of the Hanafi madhhab, touching the ground with the palms and knees during sajdah is sunnah, while according to Imam Zufar, Shafi'i and Ahmad, it is fard. It is not permissible to perform sajdah without touching the ground with your toes.

If the place of sajdah is half an arshin (twelve fingers) above the place where the feet are, then sajdah will be permitted, but if this place is much higher, then making sajdah will not be permissible.

Because of large quantity people, you can make sajdah on your knees or on your back in front of the person praying. If sajda is performed on something soft, on wool, hay or snow, if there is a hard surface underneath it, then in this case sajda will be permissible.

If the face is buried in this and there is no feeling of firmness, then sajdah will be unlawful. Sajdah can be performed on anything that is laid on the ground, provided that it is clean. The presence of sewage in this place will not cause harm, provided that the sewage has no odor and volume.

Sajda is the most important element prayer and the most vivid expression of humility before Allah and His exaltation. It is reported that the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “A person is closest to his Lord during sajdah. During sajdah, make a lot of dua” (Muslim, Salat, 215).

This question, despite its apparent simplicity and formality, in my opinion, is quite complex, since most people (and there is nothing reprehensible in this!) come to church only on Sundays and twelve or greater holidays (except for the services of Lent).

This, of course, due to work and family commitments, is understandable and normal. Thank God that a modern Christian, with the speed and technology of the modern world, fulfills this basic necessary minimum.

It is known that on Sundays, the time from Easter to Vespers of Pentecost, from the Nativity of Christ to the Epiphany of the Lord (Yuletide) and on the twelve feasts, bowing to the ground is prohibited by the Charter. Saint Basil the Great testifies to this in his letter to Blessed Amphilochius. He writes that the holy apostles completely forbade kneeling and prostration on the above-mentioned days. The same was approved by the rules of the First and Sixth Ecumenical Councils. That is, we see that the highest church authority - the apostolic decrees and conciliar reason - bows to the ground are not accepted on these days.

Why is this?

The holy supreme apostle Paul answers this question: “Carry the slave already. But a son” (Gal. 4:7). That is, bowing to the ground symbolizes a slave - a person who committed the fall and is on his knees begging forgiveness for himself, repenting of his sins in deep humble and repentant feelings.

And the Resurrection of Christ, the entire period of the Colored Triodion, the small Easters of ordinary Sundays, Christmastide and the Twelfth Feasts - this is the time when “Already bear the slave. But the son,” that is, our Lord Jesus Christ restores and heals in Himself the image of fallen man and restores him to filial dignity, again introducing him into the Kingdom of Heaven, establishing the New Testament-union between God and man. Therefore, prostrations to the ground during the periods of the above-mentioned holidays are an insult to God and seem to be a person’s rejection of this restoration in sonship. A person making a prostration on a holiday seems to be saying to God the words opposite to the verses of the Divine Paul: “I don’t want to be a son. I want to remain a slave." In addition, such a person directly violates the canons of the Church, established by the grace of the Holy Spirit by the apostolic canons and Ecumenical Councils.

I personally heard the opinion that, they say, if a layman often does not go to church for weekday services, then let him bow to the ground even on Sunday. I can't agree with this. Since the apostolic decrees and Ecumenical Councils they forbid it, and the Church, with God’s help, remains obedient. In addition, the custom of kneeling in the temple of one’s own free will is also strictly prohibited.

For people who do not go to church for daily services (I repeat, this is not a sin. A busy person can be understood), I would recommend taking upon themselves the feat of prostration in cell prayer at home on weekdays. How much will anyone bear so that over time this also does not become an unbearable burden: five, ten, twenty, thirty. And who can - and more. Set a standard for yourself with God's help. Bowing to the ground with the prayer, especially the Jesus prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” is very useful thing. But, as they say, everything has its time.

At the Sunday Liturgy, prostration is made in two places of worship. The priest also places them approximately and meaningfully in the altar in front of the Throne. The first point: at the end of singing “We sing to You,” when the culmination of the Eucharistic canon and the entire Divine Liturgy occurs, the Holy Gifts are transubstantiated on the Throne; bread, wine and water become the Body and Blood of Christ. The second point: when bringing out the Chalice for the communion of believers, since the priest also bows to the ground before communion at the altar. During the period from Easter to Pentecost, these prostrations are replaced by bows. At the Sunday Divine Liturgy or Liturgy during another period indicated above, prostrations are no longer made.

If you, dear brothers and sisters, are at the Liturgy of a weekday, then prostrations are permitted by the Rule in the two cases already mentioned, as well as at the beginning of the singing “Worthy and Righteous”; the end of the prayer “It is worthy to eat,” or the worthy; at the end of the Liturgy, when the priest proclaims “Always, now and ever,” when the priest appears for the last time at the Liturgy with the Chalice with the Body and Blood of Christ in his hands in the Royal Doors and transfers it from the throne to the altar (symbol of the Ascension of the Lord). At the evening service, prostration is allowed (at matins), when the priest or deacon comes out of the altar with a censer after the eighth song of the ordinary canon and exclaims in front of the icon of the Virgin Mary on the iconostasis, “Let us exalt the Theotokos and Mother of Light in song.” Next, the song of the Monk Cosmas of Maium is sung, “The Most Honest Cherub,” during which it is also customary to stand on one’s knees out of love and reverence for the Most Holy Theotokos, since it is believed that She is in the temple at this time and visits all those praying in it.

Let us, dear brothers and sisters, try to observe the Church Rules. He is our golden fairway in troubled waters outside world and the inner heart with its emotions and sensuality. On the one hand, he does not allow us to deviate into laziness and negligence, on the other hand, into delusion and spiritual delusion of “lifetime holiness.” And along this fairway the church ship sails to the Kingdom of Heaven. Our task on board it is grace-filled obedience. After all, all the holy fathers valued him and valued him very highly. After all, through disobedience the first people fell away from God, but through obedience we are united with Him, seeing the example, of course, of the God-man Jesus, who was obedient to death and even death on the cross.

Priest Andrey Chizhenko

Brief instructions.

There is uniformity in prayer the main objective drawing up this charter. Uniformity is necessary mainly so that we do not exalt ourselves with our zeal and zeal, and do not condemn others, but are all united, as members of one Body - the Church, the head of which is Christ. Therefore, it is more appropriate to leave special feats of piety in prayer, expressed in an increase in the number of bows, both from the waist and to the ground, secret, and perform them privately (at home), because God who sees in secret will reward in reality (Matthew 6:18). And in church one should bow and be marked with a cross according to the rules of the church charter. When expressing his prayerful mood, everyone should always remember the instructions of St. Apostle Paul about the behavior of those praying in the church: “Let everything happen in order and in order” (1 Cor. 14:40), as well as the words of the Holy Gospel (Matthew 6:5) “And when you pray, do not be as hypocrites who love to stop and pray in synagogues and on street corners in order to appear before people” and the example of the prayer of the publican (Luke 18:13), who stood in the distance and did not even dare to raise his eyes to heaven.

I. It is necessary to be baptized without bowing:

1. At the beginning and end of reading Holy Scripture.
2. In the middle of the Six Psalms with the words “Alleluia”.
3. When reading and singing the Creed with the words: “I believe...”, “And in one Lord Jesus Christ...”, “And in the Holy Spirit...”. Now it has become a custom to make the sign of the cross and the words “In one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church”
4. At dismissal with the words: “Christ our true God...”, at the commemoration of the celebrated saints.
5. It is allowed to perform the sign of the cross without bowing at the Trisagion at the beginning of Matins, during the Great Doxology and at the Liturgy, as well as with the words “By the Power of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross” and during the commemoration of the saints, at the first petition of the lithium and in the prayer of the lithium “God save... ".
6. On the days of Easter, when a priest with a cross in his hands (three-candlestick) greets us with the words “Christ is Risen.”

II. Cross yourself with a bow:

1. When entering the temple and when leaving it 3 times.
2. At each request, a litany.
3. With the exclamation of the priest or reader, giving glory to the Holy Trinity, and other exclamations of the priest, at the end of the litany and special ones, such as: “Glory to Thee, who showed us the light.”
4. At the liturgy, with exclamations: “Let us become kind, let us become fearful...”, “Singing the song of victory...”, “Take, eat...”, “Drink from it all...”, “Yours from Yours..."
5. At the end of the Creed at the word: “Amen.”
6. When reading and singing the words “Come, let us worship...”, “Holy God...”, “Alleluia.”
7. At the end of the singing of a stichera, troparion or psalm.
8. When pronouncing a name Holy Mother of God, on the petition and in the prayer “Save, God...”.
9. On the canon on every chorus.
10. When singing the Song of the Theotokos at Matins with the words “Most honorable...” and “...we magnify.”
11. When pronouncing the exclamation “Glory to Thee, Christ God...” and the last one before dismissal.
12. At the end of vacation.
13. When shouting: “Let us pray to the Lord” or “To the saint... let us pray.”
14. With the blessing of the priest, if it is conferred with the Cross, Chalice, icon, Gospel, relics or other shrine.
15. When passing through the church, you should always stop in front of the Royal Doors and make the sign of the cross and bow.

III. Be baptized with a bow to the ground always, except for special days indicated in section X:

1. When entering and leaving the altar three times.
2. At the liturgy, at the exclamation “We thank the Lord,” at the end of the song “We sing to you...”, after the exclamation “And grant us, O Master...”.
3. At the first and second manifestation of the Holy Gifts.
4. In addition, the charter does not prohibit bowing with the exclamation “Holy of Holies.”

During the days of Great Lent, many bows from the waist are replaced by bows to the ground:

1. When entering and leaving the temple.
2. On slavas when reading kathisma - three bows.
3. At each chorus of the Song of the Virgin.
4. On “It is worthy to eat...”.
5. At Great Compline with exclamations of “Holy Lady Theotokos...” and others.
6. At Vespers and the Hours while singing the troparion.
7. At the Fine, when singing “Remember us, Master...” - three bows.
8. When singing the Great penitential canon Andrei Kritsky on every chorus.
9. At the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian 3 earthly (one at each petition), 12 waist with the prayer “God, cleanse me, a sinner” (not always read) and 1 earthly after re-reading the prayer in full.

IV. When kissing the shrine
it is necessary to make the sign of the cross with a bow twice, venerate the lips (there is a custom of touching the shrine with the forehead), after which another sign of the cross with a bow is made. Kissing the icon's face is prohibited. We kiss the icon of Christ on the right hand, or feet, or hair. We kiss the icon of the beheading of the Forerunner on the hair. Icons of saints either at the right hand or at the feet.

V. It is not necessary to be baptized
while reading or singing psalms and stichera or troparions; in general during any singing.

VI. Head Worship:

1. During the reading of the Holy Gospel during the service.
2. At the Great Entrance.
3. After a special petition “Bow our heads to the Lord” or others similar to it.

VII. Half bow without the sign of the cross:

1. At the words “Peace to all.”
2. At the words “The blessing of the Lord is upon you...”
3. At the words “The grace of our Lord... be with you all.”
4. With the words “And may the mercies of the Great God... be with you all.”
5. At the words of the deacon “and forever and ever” (after “For holy art thou...”).
6. At the words of the priest, “May the Lord God remember you and all Orthodox Christians in His Kingdom...” we bow and answer: “May your priesthood (or archpriesthood, hieromonasticism, holy archimandriteship, aristry) remember you...”.
7. With other blessings of the priest, if it is performed by hand, censer, or candle.

VIII. Bowing to the ground without the sign of the cross:

1. During Great Lent, with shouts of “Light of Christ...”.
2. When transferring the Holy Gifts while singing “Now the Powers of Heaven.”

IX. Kneeling

1. It is only required when reading special prayers, preceded by the exclamation “on bended knee... let us pray.”
2. During Great Lent, while singing “Let it be corrected...”.
3. Those present at the altar at the liturgy are on their knees, from the words of the priest “Take, eat...” and to the words “Fairly about the Most Holy...”.
It should be noted here that kneeling is not typical of Orthodox Christians and is performed only in specified cases. Having made a bow to the ground, one is supposed to immediately stand up, but due to weakness, it is allowed in those cases then several bows to the ground are followed in a row, having made the first one, do not rise from your knees until the end of the last one in the series, and stand up after it.

X. According to the charter, it is not necessary to bow (but it is allowed to perform them as an expression of the prayerful mood of the person praying during solitary prayer or reverence for the shrine)

1. On Sundays, from the pre-celebration of the Nativity of Christ to Epiphany.
2. From Thursday Matins Holy Week until Vespers of Pentecost (excluding prostrations before the Shroud).
3. On the twelve holidays (except for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, when general veneration of the Holy Cross is performed).
4. On the days of communion of the Holy Mysteries.
5. Bowing stops at evening entrance all-night vigil on the occasion of the holiday until “Grant, O Lord,” at Vespers on the very day of the holiday.

Church custom does not forbid laity and clergy, unless this violates the uniformity of behavior of those praying in the church, to make the sign of the cross and bows to express their prayerful zeal when pronouncing special prayer appeals in stichera, troparions, psalms, prayers, readings of Scripture and teachings.

Man is a spiritual and physical being at the same time, therefore both spirit and body participate in prayer.

Body prayer is the postures and movements that accompany the reading of the text of the prayer:

  • prayer pose
  • kneeling
  • raising hands
  • bows
  • sign of the cross

In Orthodoxy there is a charter on how to do it correctly and at what moments.

The Importance of Participating the Body in Prayer

For the correctness of prayer the position in which one prays is important. Not because God will punish for inaccuracy, but because body position affects the state of mind, determines the emotional mood.

A relaxed posture leads to mental relaxation and absent-mindedness. Prayer without the participation of the body is incomplete and not intense enough. A body that is at rest distracts from prayer and provokes a desire to stretch and move around.

Work in prayer

Prayer does not happen without labor for the body. By forcing the body to make efforts (standing, bowing, kneeling), a Christian curbs his flesh and does not give freedom to passions.

The Holy Fathers believed difficult prayer, which tires the body, is the first step to true prayer.

Without bodily fatigue it is impossible to ascend to God!

Orthodox prayer accompanied by the sign of the cross and bows.

The prone position is practiced only once a year - during the reading of prayers at Vespers.

How to read prayers at home - standing or sitting?

In the Russian Orthodox Church, prayers both in church and at home it is customary to read while standing. If it is difficult to stand (for example, if you are very tired or ill), then prayer while sitting is allowed. Even if you are lying at home and cannot get out of bed and sit down, this is not an obstacle to prayer

The main condition for performing prayer is reverence and concentration.

Prayer while standing

During prayer, you need to remember that you are standing before God. There is no place for frivolity in this situation. You need to stand in prayer

  • directly,
  • reverently
  • without shifting from foot to foot,
  • without making fussy movements.

During worship in the temple, you are allowed to sit at some points. This is possible while reading kathismas (excerpts from the Psalter) and proverbs (excerpts from Old Testament) at the evening service.

It is not customary to sit during the Liturgy, but an exception is made for people who physically cannot stand for a long time.

However, at the service everyone needs to stand on time

  • Gospel readings
  • in the interval between the singing of the Creed and the Lord's Prayer
  • during the priest’s cries of “Blessed is the kingdom...”

Prayer on your knees at home

Kneeling prayer is performed at home, according to the special zeal of the believer. She expresses special humility and respect.

You can pray on your knees at home at any time,

except Sunday and the period from Easter to Pentecost.

You cannot kneel on the day after Holy Communion either.

The person who has partaken is sanctified; he must not make signs of repentance and thereby humiliate the Holy Gifts he has received.

Kneeling at the liturgy in Orthodoxy

In an Orthodox church prolonged kneeling during worship services are performed only

  • on the feast of Pentecost,
  • on Great Vespers, which is served immediately after the Liturgy.

At this time, the priest reads several long prayers and himself, along with all the people, kneels.

The rest of the time on church services prostrations may be made.

There is no genuflection at the Liturgy. IN Orthodox churches in Belarus, Ukraine and Lithuania under the influence catholic church A local tradition of kneeling prayers arose. In essence, these are prostrations to the ground, for which believers kneel.

Bowing during prayer. What does prostration and bow to the waist mean in Orthodoxy?

During prayers, it is customary to bow to the ground and bow from the waist. This sign of reverence for God.

Usually the bow is made after the sign of the cross when pronouncing especially significant ones, important words prayers.

The prayer book always indicates when to bow.

How to bow to the ground correctly?

Prostration is a bow during which the believer kneels, touches the floor with his forehead and immediately rises.

IN Orthodox Church prostrations should be made by kissing shrines (icons, relics, sacred relics):

  • two prostrations before applying and
  • one prostration after application.

Some days church cancels prostrations, since they do not correspond to the meaning of the revered event. In these cases, prostrations are replaced by belt ones.

These are Sundays and polyeleos days, and bowing to the ground is especially strictly prohibited during the period from Easter to the Day of the Holy Spirit (Monday after Pentecost).

During the Sunday Liturgy in Orthodoxy, prostrations to the ground, according to the rule of Basil the Great, should not be made. Sometimes this rule is broken, and at the cry of the choir “One is Holy, One is Lord Jesus Christ...” one bow is made.

How to properly bow from the waist?

A bow from the waist is bow to the waist when a believer strives reach your hand to the floor without bending your knees.

  • Usually done right away after the sign of the cross
  • Bow from the waist must be done before entering the temple.

Prayer gestures

The main prayer gesture in Orthodoxy, as in all Christianity, is sign of the cross.

Besides him, in church service priests use blessing gesture.

About the sign of the cross in Orthodoxy: power, meaning and essence

Since apostolic times, it has been customary in the Church to sign oneself with the sign of the cross, or, as they also say, be baptized.

The sign of the cross is reminder of the Cross on which he was crucified. By placing such a symbolic cross on ourselves, we invoke the grace of the Holy Spirit.

The Church teaches that the sign of the cross protects a Christian, because the power of the Cross of Christ conquers all evil.

How to make the sign of the cross?

The sign of the cross is performed slowly and always with the right hand.

At first fold their fingers:

  • thumb, index and middle fingers put together
  • the ring and little fingers remain bent.

Folded this way fingers need to touch

  • first forehead, sanctifying your thoughts,
  • then the belly - for the sanctification of the heart and feelings,
  • then the right shoulder
  • and, finally, the left shoulder - for the sanctification of bodily health and actions.

After that should be followed by a bow of the head or bow.

You cannot bow before completing the sign of the cross.

Finger formations: two-fingered and three-fingered in Orthodoxy

For the sign of the cross Modern Orthodoxy uses three fingers.

For this gesture

  • thumb, index and middle fingers right hand put together
  • The little and ring fingers are pressed against the palm.

Folded three fingers symbolize the Holy Trinity- , ring and little fingers remind of the dual nature of our Lord Jesus Christ - divine and human.

In ancient times, they used two fingers: the sign of the cross was made with the index and middle fingers extended, while the thumb, ring and little fingers were folded together.

The index and middle fingers symbolized the two natures of Christ, the thumb, ring and little fingers - the three Persons of the Holy Trinity.

After the reforms of Patriarch Nikon, three fingers began to be used in Orthodoxy. Because of this, an Old Believer split occurred. Only in the 19th century did the Church again allow baptism with two fingers and the use of other elements of the old rite, and some Old Believers were able to reunite with the Church. Their communities are called Edinoverie.

Nominal finger addition

There is another prayer gesture - the making of names.

It used by a priest to bless the faithful during and outside of service.

Nominal finger addition means the initials of the Lord's name our Jesus Christ ICXC:

  • index finger extended
  • the middle one is slightly bent, forming the letter C,
  • the thumb and ring fingers are crossed with the letter X,
  • The little finger is also bent in the shape of the letter C.

When a person enters the temple of God, he immediately feels that he has found himself in some special majestic and at the same time very peaceful environment - in heaven, which, however, is on earth. Everything here carries harmony, deep meaning and great spiritual beauty. Each church paraphernalia and utensils maintains its own order and order. Sacred rites and prayer before the altar are performed according to strict ancient canons. All this is quite logical and understandable, but there is also something that requires careful explanation.

For example, many clergy often face the following question: bow to the ground - how to do it? It is impossible to answer it simply and unambiguously, but it is not that complicated if you study it carefully.

Prostration - how to do it?

It must be said right away that bowing is a symbolic action that has been performed since the most ancient biblical times and expresses great respect for the Creator of everything earthly and heavenly - the Lord God. Therefore, any bows should be done very slowly and with the words of prayer. To find out for yourself how to bow to the ground correctly, you need to decide what types of bows there are. It turns out that there are great ones - bows to the ground, and there are small ones - bows from the waist. And there is also a simple bow of the head.

When bowing to the ground, you must fall on your knees and touch your forehead to the floor. When bowing from the waist, the head is tilted down so that the fingers touch the floor. So at the consecration of the Temple of the Lord, Daniel, when he was in captivity in Babylon, and other righteous people of the Old Testament. This custom was sanctified by Christ Himself and entered into the practice of the Holy Church of Christ.

Kneeling

The most most of kneeling is done during Lent. According to the explanation of St. Basil the Great, kneeling symbolizes the fall of a person in sin, and then the uprising - his forgiveness by the great mercy of the Lord.

And again the question arises: 40 prostrations to the ground - how to do it correctly? Bows are made at any time except special days, we'll talk about them below. The rest of the time there is no need to be lazy, but it is better to voluntarily plunge yourself into prostration, which means your own fall into the abyss of repentance in the hope that God will accept and bless these modest labors.

Nothing depends on the number of bows and fasting if the heart and soul are not cleansed of bad thoughts and change in better side. And if a person repents even a little sincerely, then loving Father He will certainly extend His holy right hand to him.

The experience of Bishop Afanasy Sakharov

It is not always possible to find the correct answer to how to prostrate in Orthodoxy. But let’s try to turn to the famous zealot of the Church Rule, confessor Athanasius (Sakharov).

First of all, let's figure out when you can't bow to the ground and when you can. During worship, prostrations to the ground, like bow bows in principle, are not done at will. They are made on weekdays and on fasting days of repentance. On Sundays and, of course, on great holidays, according to the decree of the Holy Fathers, they are canceled.

During the period of Easter and before Trinity, as well as from Christmas and before Epiphany, bowing to the ground is also not required. In the 90th rule VI it is written that on Sundays one should not kneel for the honor of Christ’s Resurrection. But small bows must be done at certain moments in accordance with the meaning of the prayers.

Bows and bows to the ground

So, at any worship service it is necessary:


Church Charter

Bows at services (vespers, matins, all-night vigil):

Special rules for bowing

So, we look at what prostration is. How to do it correctly? It is worth considering that sister nuns may be present at the services. Many parishioners, not knowing the rules, begin to imitate them and bow down just like them. Or, on the contrary, they look at them and feel embarrassed.

The whole point is that the monks obey their special charter, and the parishioners need to adhere to the charter of the Holy Fathers, intended for the entire Church, so that the whole meaning of worship is gradually revealed and learned.

Everyday

There is already an established tradition when, during censing by the rector of the church, parishioners are distracted from the liturgical prayer, begin to move from one side to the other, focusing all their attention on the approaching priest, creating noise, and stand with their backs to the altar, which is unacceptable. During censing, parishioners must step aside and let the priest pass, after which they should quietly stand in place and return to prayer.

If the priest begins to burn people with incense, then it is necessary to bow and return to the service, and not look for the priest with the eyes of the priest during this entire sacred rite. It may seem that this entire list is too complicated and tedious to remember, but it can help every believer get comfortable with the actions of worship.

Is it possible to bow to the ground during the Liturgy?

Liturgy is a special service that consists of three parts: Proskomedia, Liturgy of the Catechumens and Liturgy of the Faithful. In the first two parts, bows are performed according to the rules of the usual services described above, but we will describe the third part - the most important one - in more detail. When and how are small and great bows performed? Let's figure out when to bow to the ground at the Liturgy, and when to bow to the ground.

During the Great Procession, the priest comes out to the pulpit holding the Chalice and Paten in his hands, and the choir at this time sings the “Cherubic Song”:

  • Small bow during the end of the first half of the “Cherubimskaya”, at this time the priest is on the pulpit.
  • Stand with your head bowed during the commemoration of priests.
  • Three small bows with three times “Hallelujah.”
  • A great bow every day (if not on a holiday) with the exclamation of the priest “We thank the Lord.”

When the Eucharistic Canon is celebrated, Most Holy Sacrament You must maintain complete silence and keep your mind attentive.

  • A small bow is made while shouting “Take, eat, drink from Her, all of you.”
  • A small bow for the day is performed at the end of “We sing to You” and “And I pray to Tis, our God.” This is a very important moment for a praying person.
  • A small bow for the day is performed after “It is worthy to eat.”
  • A small bow at the words “And everyone, and everything.”
  • A small bow every day at the beginning of the national prayer “Our Father.”
  • A great bow (if not a celebration) when the priest shouts “Holy to Holies.”
  • A small bow to the gifts of the day before communion with the words “Approach with the fear of God and faith.”
  • Prostrate to the ground and fold your arms crosswise on your chest after the priest’s prayer before communion. (Do not cross yourself or bow in front of the cup, so as not to knock it over under any circumstances).
  • Participants do not have to bow to the ground until the evening. A bow for the communicants at the appearance of the Holy Gifts with the exclamation “Always, now and ever.”
  • The head is bowed when the prayer behind the pulpit sounds, and the priest, finishing the liturgy, leaves the altar and stands in front of the pulpit.

Many believers are interested in the question of whether it is possible to bow to the ground after communion. The priests warn that there is no need to kneel after it is done for the sake of the shrine, which is inside the person who accepted Holy Communion, and so that you don’t accidentally throw up.

Conclusion

I would really like for believers to understand that bowing is not the most important thing in life Orthodox Christian, but they help strengthen faith, enlighten the heart, set one in the right spiritual mood and understand the whole meaning of the service, being a participant in it. By starting small, you can achieve more. The Charters were not created out of idleness. Perhaps now it has become at least a little clear what prostration is. How to do it and when is also described above quite clearly and in detail. But in order to better understand all these rules, you need to go to church more often.