When is it allowed to kneel in church. Orthodox faith - bows-alf

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.

What is a bow, varieties

Bowing is a symbolic act characterized by bowing of the body and head, which shows humility and submission to the Lord.

There are several types of bows:

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

There are certain cases where bows are not required. Many also confuse such concepts as bowing and the non-Orthodox custom of kneeling. When performing the prostration, we show our humility and reverence for the Creator of the universe. After the bow, we get up, thus showing that the Lord has given us everything we need for salvation.

What do the scriptures say?

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). Here it is useful to recall the verses of the psalms ...

31:9:“Do not be like a horse, like a foolish hinny, whose jaws need to be curbed with a bridle and a bit, so that they submit to you.”

108:24:“My knees were exhausted from fasting, and my body was deprived of fat.”

We see that the holy prophet and king David made prostrations to the ground to the point of exhaustion in order to be cleansed of sins and fast with fasting that is pleasant and pleasing to God.

Our Lord Jesus Christ also prayed on his knees: “And he himself departed from them a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed…”(Luke 22:41).

Saint Ignatius (Bryanchaninov) wrote about prostrations: “The Lord fell on his knees during His prayer - and you should not neglect kneeling if you have enough strength to perform them. By worship to the face of the earth, according to the explanation of the fathers, our fall is depicted, and by rising from the earth, our redemption ... "

You should be baptized with a bow to the ground:

1. Fasting at the entrance to the temple and at the exit from it - three times.
2. In fasting at Matins, after each chorus to the song of the Theotokos "My soul magnifies the Lord" after the words "We magnify you."
3. At the liturgy at the beginning of the singing "It is worthy and righteous to eat ...".
4. At the end of the singing "We will sing to you ...".
5. After “It is worthy to eat ...” or a worthy one.
6. At the exclamation "Holy to the holy."
7. At the exclamation "And vouchsafe us, Lord ..." before singing "Our Father".
8. When taking out the Holy Gifts, at the words “Come with the fear of God and faith”, and the second time - at the words “Always, now and forever ...”.
9. On Great Lent at Great Compline while singing "Most Holy Lady ..." - on every verse; while singing "Our Lady Virgin, rejoice ..." and so on. Three prostrations are performed at Lenten Vespers.
10. In Great Lent, when reading the prayer "Lord and Master of my life ...".
11. In Great Lent, during the final chant “Remember us, Lord, when you come into Your Kingdom,” three prostrations are due.

Important Notes

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

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

But again, if you do not know when to bow to the ground at the Liturgy, you can consult with the clergy or simply observe their behavior. Since it is quite difficult to comprehend all the subtleties of performing all the rituals and rituals, you should not be shy about asking for help, as well as consulting with knowledgeable people. This will allow you to avoid unpleasant and embarrassing situations in the temple. Remember that the commission of any action should not go out of necessity or coercion. All actions should come from a pure heart and only with good intentions. After all, our appeal to the Lord will be heard and bestowed with grace only if we have pure thoughts and sincere faith.

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

When not to make prostrations

It is impossible to 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, · it is forbidden to communicants on the day of the first communion and subsequent ones.

There is also such a view as the great guard bows. These are called triple prostrations, which are accompanied by the imposition of the Orthodox sign of the cross and the reading of the prayer of St. Ephrem the Syrian, which is divided into three verses.

How to properly lay down prostrations?

Priests say that the Church Charter speaks of unhurried, timely, orderly, unhurried and earnest fulfillment. Bows and kneeling should be performed after each multiple petition of a litany or prayer. Do not do this while reading or singing. It is also not allowed to make prostrations along with the sign of the cross.

How to do earthly prostrations? Before committing, you must make the sign of the cross on yourself. After that, kneel down and bow, hands and head should touch the floor. Before kissing an icon or a crucifix, you must again cross yourself twice, bow, kiss, and then cross yourself again and bow.

Prostration in Islam

Sajda (bow to the earth) is one of the obligatory elements of prayer. A person who performs prayer, after straightening from a 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 the sajda, touching the ground only with the forehead, without touching the nose, then such a sajdah is allowed, but in the absence of a good reason, such a sajdah is makruh.

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

If a person cannot touch the ground with his forehead and nose, then he performs sajda with a nod of 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, this is fard. It is unacceptable to perform sajda without touching the ground with the toes.

If the place of sajdah is half an arshin (twelve fingers) higher than the place where the legs are, then sajdah will be allowed, but if this place is much higher, then performing sajdah will be unacceptable.

Due to the large number of people, it is possible to perform sajda on the knees or on the back in front of the person who is praying. If the sajdah is performed on something soft, wool, hay or snow, if a hard surface is felt under it, then the sajdah will be allowed.

If the face is immersed in this, and firmness is not felt, then the sajdah will be unlawful. Sajda 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 smell and volume.

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

Records found: 50

Hello, less than a year ago I sinned, which I regret very much. I went to church and confessed, the priest accepted my confession and remitted my sins. After that, for 40 days I myself prayed to the earth in the morning and in the evening. But time goes by, and I never forgave myself. Can I be forgiven, forget my act? What do i do?

Natasha

Hello Natasha. Do not look for peace and oblivion, it is impossible. You can only get relief and strength for later life. Judge for yourself - sin damages our very nature, like a bodily wound that leaves a mark, a scar, and sometimes like the loss of an arm, leg, eye. It is naive to expect a new hand to grow back. Christianity gives us crutches and prostheses instead of lost limbs, and the hope of returning them again, if not in this life, then at least in eternity. Keep a small rule of repentance, so that it is not visible to anyone, but always reminds you not of the sin itself, but of the severity of its consequences. This rule will teach you humility. While the desire to get rid of remorse at all costs is aimed at acquiring a completely different property, which is not useful to us. God help you.

Priest Alexander Beloslyudov

Hello. It so happened that I took Communion, and then after the service I wanted to stay and help in the Temple of God. My help was in cleaning the candlesticks and mopping the floors. She did it with pleasure. But later I learned that on this day you can’t even make prostrations to the Lord, spit out saliva, and also wash in the shower, take a bath ... Not like washing the floors! I was somewhat upset and would like to know if in fact all this cannot be done after Communion? Or is it all prejudice? Thank you for your reply. Save you Lord.

r.b. Tatyana

Hello Tatiana! The day of Communion is a special day for the Christian soul, when it unites with Christ in a special, mysterious way. As for the reception of the most honored guests, we clean and put the whole house in order, and leave all ordinary affairs, so the day of Communion should be celebrated as great holidays, devoting them, as far as possible, to solitude, prayer, concentration and spiritual reading. Do not be embarrassed that you helped in the temple on this day: it is still a good thing, but from now on try to spend the day of communion in silence and silence. As for the custom of not making prostrations after Communion and not kissing the priest's hands, its non-observance is not a sin. Schiegumen Parthenius points out: “We should also mention here the exaggerated caution of some after Communion. They try not only not to spit for the whole day after communion, which, of course, is commendable, but they also consider food waste, if it has been in the mouth, to be considered sacred, and therefore they even try to swallow inedible, and that cannot be swallowed (fish bones, etc.) trying to burn on fire. We do not find such extreme strictness anywhere in the Church Charter. It is only required to drink after communion and, after rinsing the mouth with the drink, swallow it so that any small grain does not remain in the mouth - and that's all! The “superstructures” invented on this issue have absolutely no echo in the Church Charter.”

Priest Vladimir Shlykov

Christ is Risen! Please tell me, during the period from Easter to the Trinity, prostrations are not made, and when you read prayers, after reading the kathisma in the Psalter, there is a prayer of Ephraim the Syrian, how to read it during this period?

Love

Love, Truly Risen! Prayer of St. We read Ephrem the Syrian only during Great Lent, and now it is not necessary to read it. Earthly bows from Easter to the Holy Trinity do not. Usually we do not bow to the ground in church, but at home, so as not to embarrass anyone, if you wish, then you can bow to the ground after reading the kathismas as much as you want.

Hieromonk Viktorin (Aseev)

Is it necessary to bow to the ground when taking out the Communion Chalice on Sundays and holidays during the Easter week?

Svetlana

Svetlana, there are prostrations not only of repentance, but also of gratitude. Before the Chalice, we bow to the ground, even if we do not receive communion. On Easter, bows to the earth are not done, until the feast of the Holy Trinity, but before the Chalice, you can make a bow of gratitude to the earth. Although there is a tradition not to do prostrations at all on Easter days, even before the Holy Gifts. I think you do not need to highlight yourself, as you can mislead others. If you really want to - bow down mentally, the Lord will see you anyway.

Hieromonk Viktorin (Aseev)

Christ is Risen! Tell me, please, from what date can you make prostrations?

Vlad

Vlad, Truly Risen! On the feast of the Holy Trinity, three great prayers are read on the knees. From this moment the earthly prostrations begin. But I want to tell you that at home you can still bow to the ground, if the soul asks, there is nothing terrible in this.

Hieromonk Viktorin (Aseev)

Hello Father Victorin! Thank you very much for your answer. I also want to ask you about the Psalter. When is it necessary to make prostrations when reading the Psalter? Are they performed when reading prayers after "Glory"? Explain to me, please, everything in more detail. Many thanks. God bless you.

Valentine

Valentine, prostrations are not made while reading the Psalter. They can be done after reading all the kathismas of that day, i.e., for example, you have read one or two kathismas today, and at the end of the whole reading, you can make prostrations to the ground as much as you want, as much as you can. It is best to determine a measure for yourself for each day, not too much, but not too little, so that every day to do the same number of bows. I think you can assign yourself 5-10 prostrations daily, but no more is needed.

Hieromonk Viktorin (Aseev)

Hello! 1. Tell me, in the morning and evening rule, how many bows should be given, and after each prayer, or after certain ones? 2. Is it possible to read the Psalter and drink holy water with prosphora at home on the days of women's uncleanness, or is this not allowed?

Photinia

Photinia, bows can be done at home as much as you like, but practice shows that it is better to do no more than 10 per day to start with. It is better to do a little, but regularly. In the morning, do no more than 10, and in the evening, 3 bows are enough for the night. During female impurity, you can pray, read the Psalter, but you don’t need to drink Holy water and eat prosphora - this is a Shrine, and you need to be treated with reverence.

Hieromonk Viktorin (Aseev)

Good afternoon, fathers, tell me, please, during the Liturgy, when are prostrations made? Holy gifts are brought out twice, the first time they are shown and taken away, and the second time for communion. I watched the parishioners and did not understand anything. As I understand it, if I take communion myself, then I bow to the ground, and if not, then bow down?

Natalia

Natalia, it's good to make prostrations, but they must be timely. The first time the Cup is taken out at the Liturgy during the Great Entrance - the bow to the earth is not done, it can be made half-length. The second time the chalice is taken out, already consecrated, before communion, and Christ Himself is present in the chalice, and of course, it is necessary to bow to the ground before Christ Himself, even if we do not take communion.

Hieromonk Viktorin (Aseev)

You are absolutely right, thank you very much, that's exactly what I needed to hear. I've got one more question. I heard that on Sunday and Saturday evenings, bowing is not allowed. Is it so? And why? Thank you in advance.

The word "beat" means 100-600 bows, we don't say that now, and it's rare for anyone to do that now. Imagine that you will do as many bows every day as Christians did before us - I think in this case, Saturday and Sunday will seem like a real weekend to you! A similar statute was precisely with this and connected. Weekdays are days of repentance, days of work, and Sunday and Saturday are days of holidays, when indulgences are given both bodily and spiritually, therefore bows will be canceled on these days. But since we do not follow these rules, it is not a sin to make a dozen prostrations at home even on holidays and Sundays. In addition, there are bows of repentance, and there are bows of gratitude. If there is a desire, then no more than a dozen bows can be made as a thankful expression.

Hieromonk Viktorin (Aseev)

Hello. I have this question. I want to get married, is it necessary to get married by the priest to whom I confessed? And one more question. I have a terrible sin, I went to confession for the first time, told in tears, excitedly, I am very receptive, and the priest really pressed me with my act. I understand that he is right. But after confession, he imposed a penance on me: for a month to read a prayer and make obeisances, for 3 months now I have not been able to do it, the work does not allow me to do prostrations every day, even at night, since the schedule is such. What to do? And yet, after confession, I could not come to my senses for a long time, I was depressed for a long time. I'm afraid to go again, although it is necessary after the completion of the penance. I'm afraid of this emotional decline. I'm waiting for answers to questions. Thank you in advance.

Anna

No, Anna, any priest can marry you. And as for penance, you need to meet again with that priest and ask for its mitigation, you really have difficult circumstances.

hegumen Nikon (Golovko)

Hello! Tell me, please, at the Liturgy, when the priest says that the catechumens bow their heads and that they pray, what should the baptized do at this moment? Do I need to bow my head (of course, I want to do this, but it seems that it is proposed to make it catechumens)? And I don't understand when it is necessary to make prostrations? They say that they are not made on Sundays and are not made after Great Lent. In a word, I got confused, because in the temple who kneels during the Eucharistic canon, who stands straight, who bows to the ground at the words "Holy to the Saints", who does not ... Tell me how to do it right? With best regards!

Andrey

The baptized do not need to bow their heads at the litanies for the catechumens. In the period from Easter to the Trinity and on Sundays, it is really not supposed to bow to the ground, they are replaced by waist ones.

Deacon Elijah Kokin

Hello, father. If you can, please clarify this question. Is Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ a reward or is it medicine and help for a Christian? For me, even the morning and evening rule is an incredibly hard work, let alone the most difficult preparation for Communion, it can be very difficult to pray with attention, and if this does not work out, irritation, indignation, murmuring comes and all prayer goes down the drain, so you have to leave it to be undefiled. I understand that prayer is important and that it is the root of everything, but prayer does not work, and this is a big frustration. But conscience does not allow to read the text coldly and detachedly, and it is clear that this will not be a prayer. As a result, it turns out that prayer is like drill or hard labor, and if this is nevertheless overcome, then Communion is like a reward. But, perhaps, after all, this is not a reward, but on the contrary, the Body and Blood of Christ are given to us to help us overcome difficulties, but then there is a contradiction here, in order to receive this saving help, a person needs to do hard work without any help, so that only then to receive it when the labor has already been overcome. What then comes first, labor for the sake of Communion or Communion for the sake of help in labor? Tell me how to think about this, what will come to your heart on this issue? Save me, God!

Alexey

Dear Alexei, you are lost in the three pines because you have the wrong concept of the sacrament, because it is not a medicine and not a reward. The root of this word is “part”, and we are all members of the church, separate parts of one whole, that is, the Body of Christ, and He is the head of the Church. Thus, through the communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, we are united with God and with the fullness of the Church. Most importantly, Communion is the foundation of our future life and therefore cannot be seen as a remedy or a reward. In ancient times, people were mostly illiterate and did not have books, but nevertheless they prepared for communion by performing simple prayers and prostrations. Tell your confessor about your problem and determine with him your prayer rule that you can do.

Priest Alexander Babushkin

Good evening. God save you. 1. A year in the temple, I confess, I take communion. There is a desire and need for a spiritual father, how to find (select) him? 2. My son has been very ill since childhood, in a group. He is 21 years old, how to reason with him about faith? You won't drive with a stick, will you? 3. Why don't they pay 10 in churches? 4. The attitude of Orthodoxy towards biometric passports? 5. My father completely lost his memory after a stroke, how can I help as much as possible? 6. In addition to confession, what is it possible and how to properly pray for sin for those killed in the womb? Very grateful.

Nikolay.

Nikolai, the choice of a spiritual father has been repeatedly and even extensively written on our website, just be curious. The main meaning is that you need to feel a response and understanding from that priest, as well as his gift of consolation in relation to yourself.
In relation to the son - and you can drive with a stick. You are a father, use your authority, superiority, willpower and convictions. With a son, you can behave more firmly.
The third question is about tithing, I understand? Well, why, there are people even now, and there are many of them, who give a tenth of their income to the temple.
Biometric passports and other electronic means of accounting, according to the Church's understanding of the problem, do not in themselves carry any mystical content. But they bring us closer to total control, which is in the hands of any world dictator, and, of course, the dictator of dictators - the Antichrist.
On the fifth question, you need to contact the doctors, as far as I know, in modern medicine there are effective methods for restoring memory, but they require constant practice and exercise.
And in sins, including those mentioned by you, it is necessary, first of all, to repent. However, nothing prevents you from taking on some small feat with the blessing of the priest - prayers or prostrations, or fasting - in memory of these sins, as a penance, so that they will never be forgotten.

hegumen Nikon (Golovko)

I live in the world. I pray for the rosary. And as I abstain, I overcome the immoral passion. What prayers to read against this demon?

Sergius

Hello Sergiy! To pray with a rosary, you need the blessing of a priest. If you have one, then bow to the ground during prayer. And also in the fight against this passion it is necessary to confess. Here is one of the prayers against fornication (the prayer of Macarius of Optina): “O Mother of the Lord, my Creator, You are the root of virginity and the unfading color of purity. O Mother of God! I have intercession of the Son and God, Amen."
Help you Lord!

Priest Vladimir Shlykov

At the weekend I went to Verkhoturye, to the St. Nicholas Monastery, where I took communion. And then we stopped at the Holy Intercession Monastery, where they bowed to the miraculous icon of the Mother of God "Tenderness" and the relics of Cosmas of Verkhoturye. And only then did she remember that after communion one should not bow to the ground. How to be?

Hope

Hello Hope! I advise you to bring repentance at confession.

Priest Vladimir Shlykov

Hello, I am 13 years old, already like 2, or maybe less, for a year I repent very strongly in front of the icon, the fact is that I have VERY VERY VERY bad thoughts, you can’t even imagine, and all the time when these thoughts come, I run to the icon and kiss it, and touch it with my hand, and pray that the Lord will forgive me for everything because I talk about Him and about others like that (to myself, in my mind) and call everyone names, and so on for about 5 minutes -10, I even do this at school, but not in front of the icon, but just looking at the ceiling or ahead, and already some have begun to suspect me of this. Please help, even when I go to a stop, I pray 3 times, I can’t anymore, I’m tired, I even wanted to give up Christianity so as not to harm anyone, but I’m afraid the Lord will get angry and take my parents and family away, help , what should I do? Thank you in advance.

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 has its own rank and order. The sacred service and prayer in front of the altar are performed according to strict ancient canons. All this is quite logical and understandable, but there is something that requires careful explanation.

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

Earth bow - how to do?

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

When bowing to the ground, one must fall on one's knees and touch the floor with the forehead. With a waist bow, the head leans down so that the fingers of the hand touch the floor. So at the consecration of the Temple of the Lord, Daniel, when he was in captivity in Babylon, and other righteous men of the Old Testament. This custom was consecrated by Christ Himself and entered into the practice of the Holy Church of Christ.

kneeling

The largest part 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 through the great mercy of the Lord.

And again the question arises: 40 earthly bows - how to do it right? Bows are made at any time, except for special days, we will talk about them below. The rest of the time, you don’t need to be lazy, but it’s better to voluntarily plunge yourself into a bow, 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 for the better. And if a person sincerely repents even a little bit, then the loving Father will surely stretch out His holy right hand to him.

Experience of Bishop Athanasius Sakharov

It is not always possible to find the correct answer to how to bow to the ground in Orthodoxy. But let's try to turn to the well-known zealot of the Church Charter - the confessor Athanasius (Sakharov).

First of all, let's deal with when it is impossible to make earthly bows, and when it is possible. During the divine service, bows to the earth, as in principle, bows, are performed not at all at will. They are made on weekdays and on fast penitential days. 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 the Trinity, as well as from Christmas and before Epiphany, prostrations are also not allowed. In canon VI, 90, it is written that on Sundays one should not kneel for the honor of Christ's Resurrection. But small prostrations should be done at certain moments in accordance with the meaning of prayers.

Belt and earthly bows

So, at any worship it is necessary:

Church charter

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

Special rules for bowing

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

The thing is that monks obey their own special rule, while parishioners must adhere to the rule of the Holy Fathers, intended for the entire Church, so that the whole meaning of worship is gradually revealed and known.

Incense

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

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

Is it possible to make prostrations at the Liturgy

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

The priest at the Great Procession goes to the pulpit in his hands holds the Chalice and diskos, and the choir at this time sings the "Cherubic Hymn":

• A small bow during the end of the first half of the "Cherubim", at this time the priest is on the pulpit.
• Stand with your head bowed during the commemoration of the priests.
• Three small bows at the triple hallelujah.
• Great bow for the day (if not on a holiday) with the exclamation of the priest "We thank the Lord."

When the Eucharistic Canon is celebrated, the Most Holy Sacrament must be observed in complete silence and the mind must be kept in mind.

• A small bow is made with the exclamations of "Take, eat, drink from Her all."
• A small bow for the day is performed at the end of “We sing to you” and “And we pray to Tees, 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 for the day at the beginning of the national prayer "Our Father".
• Great bow (if not a holiday) at the exclamation of the priest "Holy to the saints."
• A small bow on the day to the endowed gifts before communion with the words "Come with the fear of God and faith."
• Put a bow to the ground and fold your arms crosswise on your chest after the priest's prayer before communion. (Before the cup, do not cross yourself and do not bow, so as not to push it in any case).
• The communicants do not have to make prostrations until the evening. A bow from the waist for the communicants at the appearance of the Holy Gifts with the exclamation "Always, now and forever."
• The head bows when the prayer behind the ambo 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 it is not necessary to kneel after it is done for the sake of the shrine, which is inside the person who has taken Holy Communion, and so that they do not accidentally vomit.

Conclusion

I would very much like believers to understand that bows do not seem to be the main ones in the life of an Orthodox Christian, but they help to strengthen faith, enlighten the heart, set them in the right spiritual mood and understand the whole meaning of the service, being a participant in it. Starting small, you can achieve more. It was not at all out of idleness that the Charters were created. Perhaps now it has become at least a little clearer what an earthly bow is. How to do and when - also described above is quite clear and detailed. But in order to better assimilate all these rules, one must go to the temple more often.

Brief instruction.

Uniformity in prayer is the chief object of this rule. Uniformity is necessary mainly for the fact that we would not be exalted by our zeal and zeal, and would not condemn others, but all would be one, as members of one Body - the Church, whose head is Christ. Therefore, it is more appropriate to leave the special feats of piety in prayer, expressed in an increase in the number of bows both from the waist and from the ground, secret, and to perform them in private (at home), because God, seeing in secret, will reward Java (Matt. 6:18). And in the church, bowing and signing with a cross should be done in accordance with the rules of the church charter. When expressing one's prayerful mood, everyone should always remember the admonition of St. the Apostle Paul about the behavior of those who pray in the church: “Let everything be in a good manner and in order” (1 Cor. 14:40), as well as the words of the Holy Gospel (Matt. 6:5) “And when you pray, do not be like hypocrites who love in synagogues and on street corners to stop, pray, to show themselves before people” and an example of the prayer of a publican (Luke 18:13), who stood afar off and did not even dare to raise his eyes to heaven.

I. To be baptized without bows is supposed to:

1. At the beginning and end of the reading of Holy Scripture.
2. In the middle of the Six Psalms at 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 customary to overshadow oneself with the cross and in the words "Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church"
4. On leave at the words: "Christ our true God ...", at the commemoration of the celebrated saints.
5. It is allowed to make the sign of the cross without bowing at the Trisagion at the beginning of Matins, according to the great doxology and at the liturgy, as well as with the words "By the Power of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross" and at the commemoration of the saints, at the first petition of the litia and in the prayer of the litia "Save God .. .".
6. On the days of Easter, when a priest with a cross in his hands (tri-candlestick) greets us with the words "Christ is Risen."

II. Baptized with a bow:

1. At the entrance to the temple and at the exit from it 3 times.
2. At each petition, litanies.
3. At 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 good, we will become with fear ...", "Singing the victory song ...", "Take, eat ...", "Drink everything from her ...", "Your from Your..."
5. At the end of the Creed on 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 the stichera, troparion or psalm.
8. When pronouncing the name of the Most Holy Theotokos, at the request and in the prayer "Save, God ...".
9. On canon on every chorus.
10. When singing at Matins the Song of the Theotokos with the words "Most Honored..." and "...we magnify".
11. When pronouncing the exclamation "Glory to Thee, Christ God ..." and the last one before the dismissal.
12. At the end of the vacation.
13. With exclamations: "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, every time you should stop in front of the Royal Doors and make the sign of the cross and bow.

III. To be baptized with a prostration is always, except for the special days indicated in section X:

1. On entering and leaving the altar three times.
2. At the liturgy with the exclamation "We thank the Lord", at the end of the song "We sing to you ...", after the exclamation "And vouchsafe us, Vladyka ...".
3. At the first and second appearance of the Holy Gifts.
4. In addition, the charter does not forbid bowing at the exclamation "Holy to the Holy."

During Great Lent, many bows from the waist are replaced by earthly ones:

1. When entering and leaving the temple.
2. On glories when reading kathisma - three bows.
3. On each chorus of the Song of the Virgin.
4. On "It is worthy to eat ...".
5. At Great Compline with the proclamations of "Most Holy Lady Theotokos ..." and others.
6. At Vespers and the Hours while singing the troparion.
7. On the Fine, when singing "Remember us, Lord ..." - three bows.
8. When singing the Great Penitential Canon of Andrew of Crete at every chorus.
9. At the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian 3 earthly ones (one for each petition), 12 waist ones with the prayer "God, cleanse me a sinner" (not always read) and 1 earthly one after a repeated full reading of the prayer.

IV. When kissing the shrine
it is necessary to make the sign of the cross with a bow twice, kiss with the mouth (there is a custom to touch the shrine with the forehead), after which another sign of the cross is made with a bow. It is forbidden to kiss the icon in the face. We kiss the icon of Christ on the right hand, or feet, or hair. We kiss the icon of the beheading of the head of the Forerunner. Icons of saints or in the right hand, or feet.

V. Not allowed to be baptized
while reading or singing psalms and stichera or troparia; in general during any singing.

VI. Head Worship:

1. During the reading of the Holy Gospel at the service.
2. At the Great Entrance.
3. After a special petition, “Bow our head to the Lord” or others like it.

VII. Belt 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. At 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 thou art holy...").
6. At the words of the priest "may the Lord God remember you and all Orthodox Christians in His Kingdom ..." we bow and answer: "The priesthood (or archpriestry, hieromonasticism, sacred archimandriteship, apriestry) will remember yours ...".
7. With other blessings of the priest, if it is done with a hand, a censer, a candle.

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

1. Great Lent with exclamations of "The Light of Christ ...".
2. When transferring the Holy Gifts while singing "Now the powers of heaven."

IX. kneeling

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

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

1. On Sundays, from the fore-feast of the Nativity of Christ to Baptism.
2. From Matins Thursday of Holy Week to Vespers of Pentecost (excluding prostrations before the Shroud).
3. On the Twelfth Feasts (except for the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, when the common worship of the Holy Cross is performed).
4. On the days of Communion of the Holy Mysteries.
5. Bows stop from the evening entrance at the all-night vigil on the eve of the holiday until "Vouchee, Lord" at the vespers on the very day of the holiday.

Church custom does not forbid the laity and clergy, unless it violates the uniformity of the behavior of those praying in the temple, to make the sign of the cross and bow to express their prayerful zeal when pronouncing especially prayerful invocations in stichera, troparia, psalms, prayers, readings of Scripture and teachings.

Man is a being of a dual nature: spiritual and bodily. Therefore, the Holy Church gives a person saving means, both for his soul and for his body.

The soul and body are bound together until death. Therefore, the grace-filled means of the Church are aimed at healing-correcting both the soul and the body. An example of this is the Sacraments. Many of them have a material substance that is sanctified by the Holy Spirit in the order of the Sacrament and has a beneficial effect on a person. In the Sacrament of Baptism, it is water. In the Sacrament of Chrismation - myrrh. In the Sacrament of Communion - the Body and Blood of Christ under the guise of water, wine and bread. And even in the Sacrament of Confession, we must materially (verbally) pronounce our sins before the priest.

Let us also recall the dogma of the Universal Resurrection. After all, each of us will resurrect bodily and appear in union with the soul at the Judgment of God.

Therefore, the Church has always shown special concern for the human body, considering it the temple of the Living God. And a person who does not pay attention to all the means that are supposed in Orthodoxy for healing-correction not only of the soul, but also of the body, is deeply mistaken. After all, it is in the body that the germs of passions often nest, and if you close your eyes to them and do not fight them, over time they will grow from snakes into dragons and begin to eat the soul.

Here it is useful to recall the verses of the psalms ...

31:9:
“Do not be like a horse, like a foolish hinny, whose jaws need to be curbed with a bridle and a bit, so that they submit to you.”
Indeed, often our body is just like a horse and a silly hinny, which needs to be curbed with a bridle of prayer, the Sacraments, bows, fasting, so that it does not fly into the abyss in its earthly passionate run.

“My knees were exhausted from fasting, and my body was deprived of fat.”

We see that the holy prophet and king David made prostrations to the ground to the point of exhaustion in order to be cleansed of sins and fast with fasting that is pleasant and pleasing to God.

Our Lord Jesus Christ also prayed on his knees: “And he himself departed from them as a stone was thrown, and knelt down and prayed…” (Luke 22:41).

And if God did it, then should we refuse to prostrate?

Moreover, quite often in the Holy Scriptures, the prophets and the Savior called people who are proud and turn away from God stiff-necked (translated from the Church Slavonic language - with stiff necks, unable to bow to God).

Quite often you notice this in the temple. A believing, church-going person comes: he bought a candle, crossed himself, bowed before the holy icons, reverently took a blessing from the priest. A person of little faith enters the temple: he is ashamed not only to cross himself, but even to slightly bend his head towards the icon or the crucifix. Because I'm not used to bowing my "I" to anyone, even God. This is where cruelty lies.

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, let us hasten to make prostrations. They are a manifestation of our humility and contrition of heart before the Lord God. They are a sacrifice pleasing and pleasing to God.

The prodigal son, covered in ulcers, rags and scabs, returns home to his father and falls on his knees before him with the words: “Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” That's what an earthly bow is. The destruction of the personal tower of Babel, the realization of one's own sin and the fact that one cannot rise without the Lord. And, of course, our Heavenly Father will hasten to meet us in order to restore us and accept us into His love. Only for this you need to cast aside your "ego", self-conceit and vanity and understand that without God it is impossible to even take a step correctly. As long as you are filled with yourself and not with the Lord, you will be unhappy. But as soon as you realize that you are on the edge of an abyss filled with sins and passions, and that you yourself do not have enough strength to rise, that another minute - and death, then your feet will bow before the Almighty and you will beg Him not to leave you.

That's what an earthly bow is. Ideally, this is the prayer of the publican, the prayer of the prodigal son. Pride prevents you from making a prostration. It can only be done by a humble person.

Saint Ignatius (Bryanchaninov) wrote about prostrations to the ground: “The Lord fell on his knees during His prayer - and you should not neglect kneeling if you have enough strength to perform them. By worship to the face of the earth, according to the explanation of the fathers, our fall is depicted, and by rising from the earth, our redemption ... "

You also need to understand that you can’t reduce the number of prostrations to the ground to some kind of mechanical gymnastic exercise and not strive to perform an immoderate feat of kneeling. Less is better, better quality. Let us remember that prostration is not an end in itself. He is a means for acquiring the lost communion with God and the grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit. Bowing to the ground is a penitential prayer that cannot be offered carelessly, inattentively and in a hurry. Get up, cross yourself correctly and slowly. Get on your knees, put your hands on the floor in front of you and touch your forehead to the floor, then get up from your knees and straighten up to your full height. This will be a real earthly bow. During its performance, you need to read some short prayer to yourself, for example, Jesus or "Lord have mercy." You can also turn to the Most Holy Theotokos and to the saints.

In Great Lent, according to the established tradition, three bows to the earth are made after entering the temple in front of Golgotha: that is, they made two bows to the earth, kissed the Crucifix and made one more. The same is true when leaving the temple. During the evening service or the Liturgy, prostrations to the ground are also appropriate. In the morning, for example, when singing "The most honest Cherubim and the most glorious Seraphim without comparison ..." after the eighth ode of the canon. At the Liturgy - after singing "We sing to you, we bless you ...", since at this time the culmination of the service takes place in the altar - the transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts. You can also kneel and while the priest comes out with the Chalice with the words "With the fear of God" to commune the people. During Great Lent, kneeling is also done at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts in certain places, indicated by the ringing of a bell, during the priest's versification of the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian, and in some other places of services of the Holy Forty Day.

Bows to the earth are not made on Sundays, on Twelve Feasts, on Christmas time (from the Nativity of Christ to the Baptism of the Lord), from Easter to Pentecost. This is forbidden by the holy apostles, as well as by the I and VI Ecumenical Councils, since on these holy days there is a reconciliation of God with man, when a man is no longer a slave, but a son.

For the rest of the time, dear brothers and sisters, let us not be lazy to make prostrations to the ground, voluntarily plunging ourselves with a bow-fall into the abyss of repentance, in which the merciful God will surely stretch out His paternal right hand to us and resurrect and raise us, sinners, with unspeakable love for this and future life.

Priest Andrei Chizhenko
Orthodox Life

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