Bows are earthly - when the worshiper kneels and touches the ground with his head, and the waist bows, bend so that the head is at the level of the belt.
Archbishop Averky (Taushev) writes about the types of bows:
“The charter and primordial customs of our Eastern Orthodox Church do not know such “kneeling” at all, as they are now practiced in most cases with us, but only bows, great and small, or in other words, earthly and waist. Bowing to the ground is not kneeling with your head up, but “falling down” with your head touching the ground. Such prostrations to the earth are completely abolished by the canonical rules of our Holy Orthodox Church on Sundays, Lord's feasts, in the period between the Nativity of Christ and Theophany and from the feast of Easter to Pentecost, and when entering the temple and venerating holy things, they are also canceled on all other holidays, when there is an all-night vigil, polyeleos or at least one great doxology at matins, on the days of pre-feasts, and are replaced by belt ones.
Bows to the earth at the Divine Liturgy, when they are allowed according to the charter, are laid: at the end of the singing “We sing to You” (at the moment of the transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts), at the end of the singing “It is worthy to eat”, at the very beginning of the singing of “Our Father”, during the appearance of St. Gifts at the exclamation "Come with the fear of God and faith" and during the secondary appearance of the Holy Gifts before taking them to the altar at the exclamation "Always, now and forever and forever and ever."
There is also a custom (which is not accepted by everyone) to bow to the ground at the beginning of the Eucharistic canon - immediately after the exclamation "We thank the Lord" and with the exclamation "Holy to the Holy."
All other bows, and even more so, kneeling during the Divine Liturgy, which is not characteristic of the spirit of Holy Orthodoxy, is an arbitrariness that has no basis for itself in the tradition and sacred institutions of our Holy Church. Churches".
The church service is performed with many great and small prostrations. Bows should be made with inner reverence and with outward pomp, slowly and slowly, and, if you are in the temple, at the same time as other worshipers. Before making a bow, you need to overshadow yourself with the sign of the cross, and then bow.
Bows in the temple should be performed when it is indicated by the Church Charter. Unauthorized and untimely prostrations in church denounce our spiritual inexperience, interfere with those praying near us, and serve our vanity. And on the contrary, bows, created by us according to the rules wisely established by the Church, inspire our prayer.
St. Philaret, Met. Moscow on this he says:
“If, standing in church, you bow when the Church Charter commands it, then you try to restrain yourself from bowing when it is not required by the charter, so as not to attract the attention of those who pray, or you hold back sighs that are ready to burst from your heart, or tears ready to pour out of your eyes - in such a disposition, and among a large congregation, you secretly stand before your Father in Heaven, Who in secret, fulfilling the commandment of the Savior (Matt. 6, 6).
The Charter of the Church does not require prostration on Sundays, on the days of the great twelve feasts, from the Nativity of Christ to Epiphany, from Pascha to Pentecost.
Archbishop Averky (Taushev) writes that Christians should observe the Rules of the Holy Church:
“Unfortunately, in our time, very few people really know about the church rules regarding kneeling, as well as the fact that on Sundays (as well as on the days of the great Lord’s feasts and throughout Pentecost - from the feast of St. Pascha to the day Holy Trinity) - kneeling is cancelled. A number of ecclesiastical canonical rules speak of this abolition of kneeling. So Canon 20 of the First Ecumenical Council reads:
“Because there are some who bow their knees on the day of the Lord (i.e., Sunday), and on the days of Pentecost, then so that everything is the same in all the dioceses, it is pleasing to the Holy Council, but it is worthwhile to offer prayers to God.”
The Sixth Ecumenical Council in its 90th Canon I found it necessary to once again resolutely confirm this prohibition to kneel on Sundays, and justified this prohibition by the fact that this is required by the “honor of the resurrection of Christ”, that is, that bows, as an expression of a feeling of repentant sorrow, are incompatible with the festive celebration in honor of such a joyful event like the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. Here is the rule:
“From the God-bearing Fathers, our Fathers are canonically devoted to us, do not bow your knees on Sundays, for the sake of the honor of the Resurrection of Christ. Therefore, let us not remain in ignorance of how to observe this, we will clearly show the faithful, as on Saturday, at the evening entrance of the clergy to the altar, according to the accepted custom, no one kneels until the next evening on Sunday, in which, after entering the luminary time, kneeling down again, in this way we send up prayers to the Lord. For on Saturday night, accepting the forerunner of the Resurrection of our Savior, from here we spiritually begin songs, and bring the feast from darkness into light, so that from now on we celebrate the Resurrection all night and day.
This rule is especially characteristic of the expression: "Let us not be ignorant." Obviously, our God-bearing Fathers did not consider the question of bowing or non-bending the knee on Sunday to be insignificant or unimportant, as many, unfortunately, now consider, ignoring this rule: they considered it necessary to indicate exactly from what moment of worship it is unacceptable kneeling and from what it is again allowed. According to this rule, kneeling is canceled from the so-called "evening entrance" at Vespers on Saturday until the evening entrance at Vespers on Sunday. That is why there is nothing surprising in the fact that at Vespers on the first day of the Holy Trinity, although it always happens on Sunday, the three prayers of St. Basil the Great are read with kneeling. These prayers are read just after the evening entry at Vespers, which is in full accordance with the requirement of the above 90th canon of the VI Ecumenical Council.
St. Peter, Archbishop of Alexandria and a martyr who suffered for Christ in 311 AD, whose rules are included in the church canon, which is obligatory for all believers, and is contained in the “Book of Rules”, along with other rules of St. Fathers, in his 15th canon, explaining why Christians fast on Wednesday and Friday, concludes by saying:
“We spend Sunday, like a day of joy, for the sake of the Risen One on it: on this day we have not even bowed to the knee.”
And the great universal teacher and Saint Basil, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, who lived in the 4th century A.D., whose rules in the amount of 92 are also included in the Book of Rules and always enjoyed special authority and respect, in the 91st rule, borrowed from the 27th chapter of his book on the Holy Spirit, “To Amphilechius” very deeply and, one might say, exhaustively explains the full significance of the abolition of kneeling on the days when we celebrate the resurrection of Christ. Here is his fully edifying explanation of this ancient church custom:
“Standing prayers we do in one from Saturdays (that is, on Sunday), but not everyone knows the reason for this. For not only, as if we have risen with Christ and are supposed to seek the things above, by standing during prayer, on the day of resurrection, we remind ourselves of the grace bestowed on us, but also because we do this, as if this day seems to be some kind of a longed-for age. Why is it like the beginning of days, and Moses called him not the first, but one. And there was, he says, evening, and there was morning, one day (Genesis 1:5): as if one and the same day turned around many times. And so the one, which is rich and osmous, means that essentially one and true eighth day, which the Psalmist mentions in some writings of the psalms, will mark the coming state in this age, a day that does not stop, non-evening, without succession, never-ending, this and ageless age. . So, the Church thoroughly teaches her pupils to pray standing on that day, so that, with frequent reminders of an endless life, we do not neglect parting words to this repose. But the entire Pentecost is a reminder of the Resurrection, expected in the next century. For the one and the first day, being sevenfold sevenfold, is the seven weeks of Holy Pentecost. Pentecost, beginning on the first day of the week, ends with it. Turning fifty times through similar intermediate days, it imitates the century in this likeness, as if in a circular motion, starting from the same signs, and ending on the same ones. Church statutes teach us to prefer in these days the direct position of the body during prayer, as a clear reminder, as if moving our thoughts from the present to the future. With every kneeling and rising, we will show by action both that by sin we have fallen to the earth, and that, as if by the love of God who created us, we are again called to heaven. But I won’t have enough time to tell about the unwritten Sacraments of the Church.”
It is necessary to delve into the meaning of this ecclesiastical decree in order to understand how much of the deepest meaning and edification is in it, which in our time many do not want to use, preferring their own wisdom to the voice of the Holy Church. The general decline of religious and church consciousness in our days has led to the fact that modern Christians have somehow ceased, for the most part, to feel Sunday as a day of joy, like Easter, which we celebrate weekly, and therefore do not feel what incongruity, what a dissonance with the jubilant chants of this day is kneeling.”
To the question: “Are prostrations to the earth not established by the Charter permissible?” Archbishop Averky answers:
“Unacceptable. One cannot put one's own wisdom above the mind of the Church, above the authority of the Holy Fathers. …What right do we have to act contrary to the voice of the Universal Church? Or do we want to be more pious than the Church herself and her great Fathers?”
When applied to the Holy Gospel, the Cross, holy relics and icons one should approach in due order, slowly and without crowding, put two bows before kissing and one after kissing the shrine, bows must be made in the day - earthly or deep waist, touching the ground with your hand. When kissing the icons of the Savior, we kiss the foot, and with a half-length image - the hand, or riza, to the icons of the Mother of God and the saints - the hand or riza; to the icon of the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands and to the icon of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist - we kiss the hair.
Several sacred persons can be depicted on the icon, but when there are congregations of worshipers, it is supposed to kiss the icon once, so as not to detain others and thereby violate the decorum in the temple.
Before the image of the Savior, you can say the Jesus Prayer to yourself: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner (sinner)”, or: “I have sinned without a number, Lord, have mercy on me.”
Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, you can say the following prayer: “Most Holy Theotokos, save us.”
Before the Honest Life-Giving Cross of Christ, they read the prayer “We worship Your Cross, Master, and glorify Your Holy Resurrection” with a subsequent bow.
Man is a spiritual and physical creation. The position of the body in prayer affects the soul, helping to tune in the right way. Without labor it is impossible to reach the Kingdom of God, to be cleansed of passions and sins. The bow of the earth is a body that promotes humility, patience and contrition of the inner person before the Creator. Our Lord Jesus Christ himself prayed on his knees, and even more so we should not neglect such a useful spiritual exercise. It is important to know how to bow to the earth correctly, according to the canons of the Church.
Earthly prostrations are not permitted by the Church:
- in the period from the Resurrection of Christ to the Day of the Holy Trinity;
- from the Nativity of Christ to Epiphany (Holy days);
- on the days of the twelfth holidays;
- Sunday days. But there are exceptions when the prostration is blessed at the liturgy on Sunday: after the priest’s phrase “Having changed by Your Holy Spirit” and at the moment of taking the Chalice with the Holy Mysteries of Christ from the altar to the people with the words “Come with the fear of God and faith”;
- communion day to evening worship.
In all other periods, prostrations are made, but it is not possible to list these cases because of their multitude. It is important to adhere to a simple rule: during worship, follow the priests and repeat after them. Lenten services are especially replete with kneeling. When a special bell rings, you need to kneel down.
At home, you can bow to the ground at prayer on any day, except for periods when it is not blessed by the Church. The main thing is to observe the measure and not overdo it. The quality of bows is more important than their quantity. Also, in Orthodox practice, it is unacceptable to pray while kneeling for a long time, this is practiced in the Catholic Church.
Saint Ignatius (Bryanchaninov) wrote about earthly prostrations: “The Lord fell on his knees during His prayer - and you should not neglect kneeling if you have enough strength to perform them. Bowing to the face of the earth, according to the fathers, depicts our fall, and rebellion from the earth is our redemption."
Earthly things should be done slowly, with attention and concentration. Stand up straight, reverently cross yourself, kneel down, put your palms in front, and touch your forehead to the floor. Then stand up straight from your knees and repeat if necessary. It is customary to make a bow with a short prayer, for example, with Jesus, "have mercy" or in your own words. And you can also send a word to the Queen of Heaven or the Saints.
It is important to understand that prostration is not an end in itself, but a tool for gaining lost communion with God and the beneficial gifts of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the answer to the question "How to bow to the ground?" will consist in the correct repentant disposition of the heart, filled with the fear of God, faith, hope for the inexpressible mercy of the Lord to us sinners.
Bows are symbolic actions that express feelings of reverence for the Highest Being - God. They have been used in the Christian Church since ancient times. Bows must be made slowly, in accordance with certain words of prayer. Bows are great (earthly) and small (half). When making earthly prostrations, a person should prostrate himself and touch the floor with his knees and forehead, and with his waist bows, bow his head and touch the floor with his fingers.
That is, a bow is a symbolic action, bowing of the head and body, expressing humility and reverence for God. There are great bows, also called earthly bows, when the worshiper kneels down and touches the head of the earth, and small, or waist bows, bowing the head and body.
Bows to the earth are not prescribed by the charter on Sundays (the 20th canon of the 1st and 90th canon of the 6th Ecumenical Councils) and great holidays, on the days from the Nativity of Christ to Baptism, from Easter to Pentecost, also to communicants on the day of communion
The custom to make earthly 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 captivity in Babylon (see: Dan. 6:10) and other Old Testament righteous. This custom was consecrated by our Lord Jesus Christ (see: Luke 22:41) and entered the practice of the Christian Church (see: Acts 12:60; Eph. 3:14).
Most often, kneeling is performed during Great Lent. Kneeling and rebellion, according to the explanation of St. Basil the Great, marks the fall of man through sin and his resurrection through the love of God.
Small bows are performed at all temple and home prayers. At the divine service, when the priest blesses with his hand, a small bow is made without the sign of the cross.
Great fasting bows - three times bowing to the earth, accompanied by the sign of the cross and the reading of the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian, divided into three verses.
The Church Charter strictly requires that we make obeisances in the temple of God earnestly, decorously, unhurriedly and in a timely manner. Bows and kneeling must be performed at the end of each short petition of the litany or prayer, and not during its reading or singing. It is unacceptable to make prostrations at the same time as making the sign of the cross.
ABOUT WORSHIP IN THE SERVICE
The following signs of the cross should be made without bows, the signs of the cross with bows from the waist, and the signs of the cross with bows to the ground:
- at the initial exclamation of each service - 3 waist bows;
- on every Trisagion; "Come, let's bow..."; "Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee, God" - 3 bows;
exceptions: a) in the first part of Matins, before the Six Psalms, only the signs of the Cross without bows are supposed; b) on Alleluia (three times), during kathismas on Sunday and holidays, bows are left;
- on "Our Father ..." (at the beginning) - a bow;
- at the end of "It is worthy to eat ..." (or Zadostoynik) - a bow;
- when singing, reading troparia, kontakions, stichera, when words express worship, one must bow;
- at each petition for all litanies - bow;
- at each priestly exclamation - a bow.
ABOUT BOWINGS DURING THE ALL-NIGHT VISUAL
At the beginning of the Six Psalms, with the triple “Glory to God in the highest” - 3 signs of the cross (without bows!);
- in the middle of the Six Psalms, with the triple "Alleluia" - 3 signs of the cross (without bows!);
- during the polyeleos, at the first and last magnification (which are sung by the clergy in the middle of the temple) - by prostration;
- to “Glory to You, Lord ...” before reading the Gospel and after reading - after bowing;
- before kissing the holy Gospel or holy icon - 2 bows;
- after kissing - 1 bow;
- on the canon, with all the refrains of all nine songs - by bow;
- on “My soul magnifies the Lord”, at the end of each “Most Honest” - a bow;
- on "Glory to Thee, who showed us the light" before the great doxology - a bow;
- after the great doxology at the Trisagion - 3 bows.
ABOUT BOWINGS DURING THE DIVINE LITURGY
Behind all litanies on all petitions - bow; exception: on petitions intended for the prayer of the catechumens, such as: “Pray, catechumen, Lord” and “Announcement, bow your head to the Lord,” you should not make a bow;
- at all priestly exclamations - by bow;
- after a small entrance, while singing "Come, let's bow" - a bow;
- on the exclamation "For Thou art holy, our God" - the sign of the cross without a bow;
- on "Lord, save the pious" - a bow;
- to the exclamation of the deacon "And forever and ever" - a bow without the sign of the cross;
- on the Trisagion - 3 bows;
- to “Glory to Thee, Lord ...” before reading the Gospel and after it - after bowing;
- at the great entrance, when the priest proclaims "You and all Orthodox Christians" - a bow without the sign of the cross;
- at the end of the Cherubic Hymn, while singing "Alleluia" - 3 bows;
- at the beginning of the Creed - the sign of the cross without a bow;
- at the end of the Creed, at "... tea of the resurrection of the dead ..." - a bow;
- at the "Grace of the World", at each exclamation of a deacon or priest - a bow from the waist;
- on the exclamation “We thank the Lord”, while singing “It is worthy and righteous to bow ...” - bow to the ground;
- at the Lord's words: “Take, eat ...” and “Drink everything from her ...” - by a deep bow from the waist;
- after the consecration of the Holy Gifts (i.e., before singing “It is worthy to eat” or the Worthy) - bow to the earth;
- after “It is worthy to eat” or the Zadostoynik - a bow;
- on “Our Father”, at the beginning - bow to the earth;
- on "Our Father" at the end (with the words "... deliver us from the evil one") - a bow;
- on the exclamation "Holy to the saints" - 3 bows or bow to the earth;
- at the first appearance of the Holy Gifts, at the exclamation "With the fear of God ..." - bow to the ground;
- after reading the prayer for Communion "I believe, Lord, and I confess ...", all communicants, before approaching the Holy Chalice, bow to the ground, and those who do not receive communion - from the waist;
- at the second appearance of the Holy Gifts, at the exclamation "Always, now and forever ..." all those who did not take communion - bow to the earth, and those who took communion - bow;
- when reading the prayer behind the ambo, stand with your head bowed.
In addition to these bows, there are also the following:
With the exclamations of "Peace to all" or "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ ...", when the priest blesses the people, bow your head, without the sign of the cross;
- when dismissing without the Cross - bow your head, without the sign of the cross;
- when reading the Gospel - stand with your head bowed;
- when censing - to answer the censer with a bow, without the sign of the cross;
- at the exclamation "Bow your head to the Lord" - bow your head;
- when leaving with the Cross - a bow with the sign of the cross;
- when overshadowing those praying with the Cross, the Gospel, an icon or a Chalice - a bow with the sign of the cross;
- when overshadowing those praying with candles or a hand - a bow without the sign of the cross.
Man is a spiritual and bodily being at the same time, therefore both the spirit and the body participate in prayer.
The prayer of the body is the postures and movements that accompany the reading of the text of the prayer:
- prayer posture
- 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 correct prayer important posture in which to pray. Not because God will punish for inaccuracy, but because the position of the body affects the state of mind, determines the emotional mood.
A relaxed posture leads to mental relaxation, absent-mindedness. Prayer without the participation of the body is incomplete, not intense enough. The body, which is at rest, distracts from prayer, provokes the desire to stretch and move.
Labor in prayer
Prayer is not without work for the body. By forcing the body to make efforts (to stand, bow, kneel), the Christian curbs his flesh and does not give freedom to passions.
The Holy Fathers considered difficult prayer, which tires the body, as the first step towards true prayer.
Ascension to God is impossible without bodily fatigue!
Orthodox prayer accompanied by the sign of the cross and bows.
The prone position is practiced only once a year, during the recitation of prayers at Vespers.
How to read prayers at home - standing or sitting?
In the Russian Orthodox Church, prayers both in the temple and at home read standing up. If it is difficult to stand (for example, when you are very tired or sick), then sitting prayer 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.
standing prayer
When you pray, remember that you are standing before God. In this situation, frivolity is inappropriate. You need to stand in prayer
- directly,
- reverently,
- without shifting from foot to foot,
- without making fussy movements.
During worship in the temple at some points it is allowed to sit. This is possible during the reading of kathisma (excerpts from the Psalter) and proverbs (excerpts from the Old Testament) at the evening service.
It is not customary to sit at the Liturgy, but an exception is made for people who are physically unable to stand for a long time.
However, in worship everyone needs to be on time
- gospel readings
- between the singing of the Creed and the Lord's Prayer
- during the exclamations of the priest "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 reverence.
On your knees at home, you can pray at any time,
except Sunday and the period from Easter to Pentecost.
You can’t kneel on the day after Holy Communion
A person who has tasted is sanctified, he should 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 are performed only
- on the feast of Pentecost,
- at the 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, prostrations may be performed at church services.
No kneeling in the Liturgy In Orthodox churches in Belarus, Ukraine and Lithuania, under the influence of the Catholic Church, a local tradition arose to pray on the knees. In fact, these are earthly prostrations, for the performance of which believers kneel.
Bows during prayer. What does the earthly and waist bow mean in Orthodoxy?
During prayers, it is customary to make earthly and waist bows. This a sign of reverence for God.
Usually a bow is made after the sign of the cross when pronouncing especially significant, important words of prayer.
The prayer book always indicates when to bow.
How to prostrate properly?
A prostration is a prostration during which the believer kneels, touches the floor with his forehead and immediately rises.
In the Orthodox Church, prostrations must be made by venerating shrines (icons, relics, sacred relics):
- two bows to the earth before application and
- one prostration after application.
Some days the church cancels earthly prostrations because they do not correspond to the meaning of the honored event. In these cases, prostrations are replaced by waist.
These are Sundays and polyeleos, and prostrations to the earth are especially strictly prohibited from Easter to the Day of the Holy Spirit (the Monday after the feast of Pentecost).
During the Sunday Liturgy in Orthodoxy, bows to the earth, according to the rule of Basil the Great, should not be done. Sometimes this rule is violated, and at the exclamation of the choir "One is Holy, One is Lord Jesus Christ ..." one bow is made.
How to bow properly?
Bow bow is bow to the belt when a believer seeks reach the floor without bending your knees.
- Usually done immediately after the sign of the cross
- Belt bow must be performed before entering the temple.
Prayer gestures
The main prayer gesture in Orthodoxy, as in all Christianity, is sign of the cross.
In addition to him, in church worship priests use the gesture of blessing.
On the Sign of the Cross in Orthodoxy: Power, Meaning and Essence
Since apostolic times, it has been customary in the Church to overshadow oneself with the sign of the cross, or, as they say, be baptized.
The sign of the cross is reminder of the cross on which he was crucified. By laying on ourselves such a symbolic cross, we invoke the grace of the Holy Spirit.
The Church teaches that the sign of the cross protects the Christian, because the power of the Cross of Christ overcomes all evil.
How to make the sign of the cross?
The sign of the cross is being made slowly and always with the right hand.
At first fingers folded:
- thumb, index and middle fingers are folded together,
- the ring and little fingers remain bent.
stacked like this fingers to touch
- first forehead, sanctifying your thoughts,
- then the belly - to the consecration of the heart and feelings,
- then right shoulder
- and, finally, the left shoulder - in consecration of bodily health and deeds.
After that should be followed by a head tilt or bow.
You can't bow until you've completed the sign of the cross.
Composition: two-finger and three-finger in Orthodoxy
For the sign of the cross three fingers are used in modern Orthodoxy.
For this gesture
- thumb, index and middle fingers of the right hand are folded together,
- the little finger and ring finger are pressed to the palm.
Folded three fingers symbolize the Holy Trinity-, nameless and little fingers remind of the dual nature of our Lord Jesus Christ - divine and human.
In ancient times, two fingers were used: the sign of the cross was made with the extended index and middle fingers, while the thumb, ring and little fingers were folded together.
The index and middle fingers symbolized the two natures of Christ, the big, 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 use other elements of the old rite, and some Old Believers were able to reunite with the Church. Their communities are called common faith.
Nominal Composition
There is one more prayer gesture - nominative signet.
It used by a priest to bless the faithful during service and outside of it.
Nominal Composition 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,
- thumb and ring fingers crossed with the letter X,
- the little finger is also bent in the shape of the letter C.
Bow- a symbolic action, bowing of the head and body, expressing humility and before.
There are bows great also called earthly, - when the worshiper kneels and touches the head of the earth, and small, or waist, - waist worship of the head and body.
Small bows are performed at all temple and home prayers. On, when the priest's hand, a small bow is made without the sign of the cross.
Saint Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow:
“If, standing in church, you bow when the church charter orders it, try to restrain yourself from bowing when it is not required by the charter, so as not to attract the attention of the worshipers, or hold back sighs that are ready to burst from the heart, or tears ready to spill out of your eyes - in such an arrangement, and among a large assembly, you secretly stand before your Heavenly Father, even in secret, fulfilling the commandment of the Savior ().
priest Andrey Lobashinsky:
“It seems to me that the difference, the peculiarity of Orthodox Christianity is precisely the fact that it does not put people on their knees, but on the contrary, raises them from their knees. It is in rebellion from the knees that the essence of Christianity consists. When we kneel, we testify that we are falling, that we are sinners. Sin brings us to our knees. But when we rise from our knees, we say that the Lord forgives us and makes us His beloved children, beloved sons and friends.
In the Gospel, Christ tells the disciples: "And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." These words are confirmed by all the spiritual experience of the Orthodox Church. Of course, first of all, here we have in mind spiritual freedom, inner liberation. But in external manifestations - and Christianity constantly emphasizes the connection between internal and external - the same thing is observed. If we look carefully at all church statutes, church regulations, we will see that kneeling is, in fact, a non-Orthodox tradition.”
This is the simplest example, but it is also puzzling: if the parishioners do not know the meaning of the simplest litany, then what significance is attached to other, more complex moments of the service, what meaning is put into them, what is the general level of understanding of church rites?
What can we say about indifference to the sacred statutory norms, when, for example, not only ignorant laity, but also pastors and monks neglect the canonical rite of the temporary abolition of prostration and kneeling. But such restrictions are not an external formality. "Do not kneel" at certain moments of St. refers to the norms of the "sacramental and liturgical life of the Church". Everything in the Orthodox ritual carries a deep theological and ascetic meaning, here the mysterious inner interaction between soul and body is touched upon. Since not only the mind, but “the whole soul-body being of a person participates in worship,” the adequacy of each movement is important. Hence the special symbolic language of gesture, which "the Church has included in worship as an organic part of prayer", it includes both bows and kneeling - "a voiceless language where the word is replaced by movement". Therefore, meaningful performance of ritual actions and strict adherence to the canonical order is so important.
Violation of the rank of prostrations is far from a trifle. Is this not a sign of the emasculation of church life, the emergence of a cult of ritual belief, when the service turns into "empty external actions" or, worse, when they are given a false ritual superstitious meaning. The Fathers warn that "without deepening one's knowledge in this area, a person can easily fall into a habit that deadens and devastates." So that spiritual life does not degenerate into meaningless ritual, “it is necessary to constantly grow in the knowledge of God and not allow the liturgy to become a detail of our pious life. Precisely because it became mass instead of liturgy, a deep crisis was experienced by all of us.
Deep churching allows you to get closer to smart doing.
Notes
Announced - those to whom it was announced, i.e. taught, the teaching of the Church, people who believe in Christ and are preparing for the sacrament of baptism.
Prayer for the catechumens.
Some modern pastors speak in the sense that it is permissible for a Christian to deliberately bow his head while praying for the catechumens, thereby, as it were, showing his humility. One venerable archpriest, who acted in this way, confessed, responding to the bewilderment of his flock, that he bows his head during this prayer out of humility, since he considers himself “in matters of dogma” to have barely begun “the process of categorization”, and “in life by faith – who have not yet begun this process.” But confusion remains. When they do something that is not due to the order of worship, thereby attracting general attention to themselves, then a simple question arises: is it necessary to demonstrate one’s humility to others, is this not contrary to the very spirit of humility, does it not turn into its opposite? Another, no less respectable pastor believes that “although we are baptized, we are not churched enough, and we do not act according to the grace of baptism”, on this basis, they say, “you can put yourself in the ranks of the catechumens and lower your head.” Here another question arises. Of course, we are all unworthy of the title of Christian, it is useful to realize this, but is it worthy of a Christian to imagine himself deprived of the inherent grace of baptism? Not to mention the fact that a person who is insufficiently churched cannot in any way be equated with an unbaptized person, for this it would be necessary to renounce dogmatic consciousness. In addition, according to this logic, in a minute, at the exclamation of “announcement, go out,” you will have, for the sake of humility, to imagine yourself leaving the service, and at the exclamation of “the tree of faithfulness ... Let us pray to the Lord”, you will already need not only to remember that we are baptized, but to imagine yourself and churched, and "acting according to grace." Otherwise, how can one receive communion if one “places oneself in the ranks of the catechumens”?.. Is such a game of fantasy appropriate during the service, instead of realizing the true sign of liturgical actions and symbols? The symbolism here is not a decor, but a strong means of spiritual influence, it is dangerous to distort it with an arbitrary game of the mind. Orthodox asceticism forbids the praying mind to admit precisely imagination, calls to fight with it, and not to cultivate it. Humility, on the other hand, as a living feeling of one's depravity and insignificance, as a sincere recognition of oneself as the worst among people, has nothing in common with self-hypnosis and pretense.
Typicon, on the basis of the Canonical Rule of the VI Ecumenical Council No. 90, which is confirmed by the charter of St. (right. No. 91) and other decrees, imposes a categorical ban on prostrations and kneeling on Sundays and holidays and at certain moments of worship (Cherubic, Six Psalms, Most Honest, Great Doxology). It is significant that this statutory prohibition is not the fruit of a human invention, but received from above. Back in the III century. it was given by God in revelation through the angel St. : "From Sabbath evening to Sunday evening, as well as on the days of Pentecost, they do not kneel." The history of the Orthodox monastery ... T. 1. S. 238.
Novikov N.M. Jesus Prayer. The experience of two millennia. The teaching of the holy fathers and ascetics of piety from antiquity to the present day: a review of ascetic literature in 4 volumes. Vol.1. Chapter "Mystery of Sacraments". pp. 80-83. Novikov N.M.