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 Church 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 much 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 the 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 us from taking upon ourselves, with the blessing of the priest, some small feat - prayers or prostrations, or fasting - in memory of these sins, as a penance, so that we never forget them.
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.
bows when praying, they are an outward expression of the feelings of a penitent person. Bows help the worshiper to tune in to prayer, they awaken the spirit of repentance, humility, spiritual contrition, reproach of oneself and submission to the will of God, as good and perfect.
There are bows earthly when the worshiper kneels and touches the ground with his head, and waist, 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 generally do not know such “kneeling”, 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 prostrations, and even more so kneeling during the Divine Liturgy, which is not characteristic of the spirit of Holy Orthodoxy, is arbitrary, having no basis for itself in the tradition and sacred institutions of our holy Church.”
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, simultaneously with 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 then, when it is specified 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.
Saint Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, on this he says:
“If standing in church, you make bows when the Church Charter orders 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 in the midst of a large assembly, you secretly stand before your Heavenly Father, 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 about 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 canceled. This abolition of kneeling is evidenced by a whole series of ecclesiastical canonical rules.
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 our God-bearing Fathers, canonically given to us, don't kneel on Sundays, for the honor of the Resurrection of Christ. Therefore, let us not be 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 till next sunday evening, in which, at the entrance to the time of lamps, bending the knee 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." Evidently, our God-bearing Fathers did not consider the question of bowing or non-bending the knee on Sunday to be unimportant or unimportant, as many people, unfortunately, now consider, ignoring this rule: they considered it necessary to indicate exactly from what moment of the divine service, bowing is unacceptable. knees 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.
Saint Peter, Archbishop of Alexandria and the martyr who suffered for Christ in the year 311 (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 the holy fathers) in his 15th rule, explaining why Christians fast on Wednesday and five, says:
“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.”
Great universal teacher and Saint Basil, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, who lived in the IV century, whose rules in the amount of 92 are also included in the "Book of Rules" and always enjoyed special authority and respect, in 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 had risen with Christ and should 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. . Thus, 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.”
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 leg, and in the 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 a crowd of worshipers gathers, it is supposed to kiss the icon once, so as not to detain others and thus not 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 number, Lord, have mercy on me."
Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, you can say the following prayer: "Holy Mother of God, save us". Before the Honest Life-Giving Cross of Christ, a prayer is read “We worship Thy Cross, Master, and glorify Thy Holy Resurrection” followed by a bow.
Bowing to the earth how to do it right in Orthodoxy?
Bowing to the earth how to do it right in Orthodoxy? When to bow at the liturgy? When is it forbidden to make prostrations? Is it possible to bow after communion?
Any person who at least once crossed the threshold of a church, temple or monastery, at the same moment had a feeling of some majesty and tranquility, the impression that a person enters heaven, being at the bottom of the Earth. Any person who visits a temple with a certain frequency knows that it can carry a certain deep meaning, general rigor and harmony, as well as majestic spiritual beauty. No one can say that there are any attributes or objects in the temple that are located in chaos - this is absolutely not the case. After all, it is church paraphernalia that occupies a certain order in the temple and carries its own rank. The offering of a prayer or prayer before the altar of this or that Holy Face has been performed for many centuries, according to the same ancient order. That is why a person who enters the threshold of a church knows that there will not be any surprises waiting for him there, because everything happens in the same sequence.
Sometimes people who enter the temple for the first time wonder how to prostrate properly? A person cannot answer this question in monosyllables on his own, so you need to turn to church canons or clergymen who are always in the temple and tell believers about observing certain traditions.
Earth bow - how to do?
The bow is a kind of symbolic act that has been performed since ancient times and is displayed in biblical tales. From time immemorial, every Orthodox believer knows that a bow expresses a special and great reverence for the creator, that is, the Almighty. Therefore, the clergy of the temple recommend that the parishioners, making a bow, do not rush and at the same time offer thanksgiving prayers directed to God. In order to figure out how to bow correctly, you need to find out about the existence of various types of this action. The ministers of the church explain that there are great bows, earthly and small waist bows, and there is also a simple bowing of the head before the Almighty.
During the bow to the ground, it is necessary to prostrate on your knees in such a way as to touch the floor of the temple with your own brow. It was this kind of bow that Solomon offered throughout his life, who constantly prayed and lit up various temples, which to this day bear the names of the Almighty. It is worth noting that from historical information it is known that many of the righteous of the Old Testament, as well as Daniel, performed the same bows during that period of his life when he was in Babylonian captivity. It is believed in the Orthodox faith that it was the bow of the earth that was consecrated by Jesus Christ, and subsequently entered the history and practice of the Orthodox Christian Church.
kneeling
Almost every Orthodox believer knows that most of the kneeling is done during the Great Christian Lent. Since it is known that Saint Basil the Great claimed that kneeling is allegedly a kind of symbol of a person’s fall during sin, and at the moment when a person gets up from it, then the forgiveness of his sins comes according to the will of the Almighty.
From this follows the question that many Orthodox believers ask, how to properly perform 40 prostrations? The servants of the temple explain that such earthly prostrations are performed at any time of the day and day, with the exception of special days, which will be discussed later. Therefore, parishioners in no case need to be lazy. Therefore, it is necessary to voluntarily make 40 earthly prostrations, which for the Almighty will mean a fall into the abyss of repentance and hope, therefore, the Almighty will accept your atonement and bless such labors.
Also, the ministers of the church claim that no matter how many days and how many bows an Orthodox believer will make, if there are bad thoughts or sinful desires in his soul and heart, and also if he dreams of offering some kind of punishment to another person. Thus, having such sinful thoughts, the number of bows will not matter. However, if a Christian sincerely and from a pure heart believes in the help of the Almighty, respects and loves him, then God will extend a helping hand to him and will certainly help him in any undertakings and forgive all sinful deeds.
Experience of Bishop Athanasius Sakharov
From time immemorial, such a question: how to properly bow to the ground? It arose in almost every century, especially in Orthodoxy. However, according to various beliefs, there is a well-known zealot of the church charter, which is the confessor Athanasius Sakharov, who almost always has an answer to the question posed.
Initially, you need to find out for yourself at what moments in life situations you can bow to the ground, and when you should not do this. During the service in the temple, bows and bows are obligatory for every person who is in the temple, whether it be a parishioner or just a believer. Sometimes church laws may change depending on the territory of the believer or the location of the temple.
The rules of the Ecumenical Council say that on Sundays, in no case should you kneel in order to preserve the honor of Jesus Christ, that is, Christ's Sunday. But at the same time, you can make small bows, but at the same time do not forget to offer prayers, which will carry a certain meaning, both for the person himself and for the Almighty.
Belt and earthly bows
It is supposed to make three small prostrations during reading and singing, such as come, let us bow, holy God and three times Hallelujah.
Also, during the service, psalm 118 is pronounced during its pronunciation, it is also necessary to make three small bows for each verse.
Also, the ministers of the church claim that while reading various litanies and while singing, Lord have mercy, and the Almighty fall, it is necessary to make small bows and the Sign of the Cross.
During the sounding of the Gospel, a small bow is also made before or after the reading.
At the moment when the servant of the temple pronounces the akathist, it is necessary to make a small bow during each kontakion and ikos. It is important to note that during the pronunciation of the 13th kontakion, it is necessary to make a waist bow.
A small bow is performed every time the blessing is given by the hand of the clergyman. However, during the period of Great Easter, it is necessary to be baptized and answer Truly Risen, but at the same time still make small bows.
Special rules for bowing
Since we are clarifying the various nuances associated with bowing to the ground, it should be noted that in a temple, church or monastery, often during the service, not only parishioners, but also nuns are present. In no case should an Orthodox believer who does not know the rules of conduct in the temple and church canons, imitate such women and make the same bows as they do.
Since the sisters of the nuns have their own special charter, which can sometimes differ from the general church canons. Therefore, Orthodox believers need to adhere to the well-known charter of the Fathers of All Saints, which is intended for churches and temples, so a person can eventually learn and reveal the semantic meaning of the service.
Incense
Temple servants know the tradition when, during the censing by the rector of the temple, Orthodox believers begin to be distracted from the performance of the liturgical prayer service. As a result, people move from one side to the other, at the same time, riveting all attention to themselves or to the priest, who at that moment is approaching them. Also, some parishioners of the temple can make noise, as well as stand with their backs to the nearest altar, but you should know that such behavior in the temple is simply unacceptable. Since at the moment of incense, Orthodox believers should part, making a kind of narrow path for the priest, letting him through, and after that, it is necessary to quietly stand in the previous place and resume the ascension of the prayer service.
In the event that the temple servant begins to incense each parishioner, therefore, the priest needs to bow, and then return to the service. It is important to note that at this moment, in no case should you look through the eyes of a temple servant throughout the whole act of incense. Having studied such simple and understandable rules, you can not only get closer to the Almighty, but also learn the basic nuances of the service.
Is it possible to make prostrations at the Liturgy
According to church canons in the Proskomedia and the Liturgy of the catechumens, prostrations are performed according to the usual divine services. And during the liturgy of the faithful, it is necessary to combine prostrations with bows.
At the moment when the Servant of the temple at the Great Entrance enters the pulpit, and at that moment he holds a cup and diskos in his hands. The church choir at this moment sings the cherubic song.
It is necessary to make a small bow before the end of the first half of the song, the priest at this moment is on the pulpit.
At the moment when the commemoration of the priests sounds, you need to bow your head.
At the time of the triple hallelujah, make three small bows.
At that moment, when the minister of the church says, we thank the Lord, the Great bow is made.
Many Orthodox believers are interested in: Is it possible to perform prostrations after taking communion? The servants of the temple, in turn, answer the Orthodox believers that in no case should you kneel after communion, since such an act is performed for the sake of the shrine, which is located inside each person. Therefore, in order for an Orthodox believer not to vomit, one should not do such an act.
Conclusion
It is important to note that various types of bows are not the most important thing in the life of every Orthodox Christian believer, however, they help to strengthen the common faith, enlighten the heart and the right spiritual mood. Almost every parishioner knows that in order to comprehend the meaning of the worship service, it is necessary to bow. If, while in the temple, you forgot what kind of bow you need to make, go in advance to the servant of the temple and ask him in more detail, since it is he who will be able to indicate what deeds must be performed at the time of this or that service.
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 we bow to the ground, 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:
- Fasting at the entrance to the temple and at the exit from it - three times.
- In fasting at Matins, after each chorus to the song of the Theotokos "My soul magnifies the Lord" after the words "We magnify you."
- At the liturgy at the beginning of the singing "It is worthy and righteous to eat ...".
- At the end of the singing "We will sing to you ...".
- After “It is worthy to eat ...” or a worthy one.
- At the exclamation "Holy to the holy."
- With the exclamation "And vouchsafe us, Lord ..." before singing "Our Father".
- 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 ...”.
- 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.
- In Great Lent, when reading the prayer "Lord and Master of my life ...".
- 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:
- At the entrance in front of the Throne.
- In the position of the Gifts.
- Right before communion.
But then 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 you kiss 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 reverence before Allah. In each rak'ah of prayer, two sajdahs are performed, one after the other. If during the sajdah touch 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).
“Throwing is a Greek word that has entered Russian church usage, and is especially observed by the Old Believers. This is a small earthly bow. To perform it, they kneel, bow, but not with their foreheads to the ground, but only with their hands touching the assistant placed in front, and in the absence of it, the hem of their dress, laid on the floor ”(“ In the woods ”, part 1, ch. 11) .
"Throwing" comes from the Greek "metanoia", which means "repentance", "repentance", a change in the way of thinking. In liturgical books, the meaning of “bow” was naturally assimilated to him, for, as mentioned above, it is the bow that is the outward expression of the feelings of a penitent person. In late Greek (from the 4th century), this word sounded something like "metania". So it entered the Slavic, and then into the Russian language. Being surprisingly consonant with the Slavic verb "metati", the word received an additional connotation. Indeed, when prostrating, a person “throws” his flesh to the ground, casts himself into the dust before God. Is it any wonder that in many cases the ancient translators left this word without translation!
It must be recalled that the majority of prostrations in the church service are “small prostrations”, throwing.
Great bows to the earth are performed on “Fairly”, after “Worthy” and meritors, after the seventh bow beginning (the eighth bow without the sign of the cross) and in a number of other cases, for example, before reading the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian after “Most Honest” - a great bow, three bows with the prayer of St. Ephraim is also great, then 12 throwings, after them - the reading of the prayer of St. Ephraim and again a great bow to the earth.
The Old Believers always do throwing on the board (as Muslims today), and when they bow, they simply do not touch the floor with their foreheads (the head remains a couple cm from the floor) ... In the bow, they touch the floor with their foreheads.
In the Old Believer prayer practice, as in the pre-schism Russian Church (* they are different ??) , bows are of three types. Here is how it is said in the pre-schism book “The Son of the Church” and in the later Red Charter: “For three bows are called the essence, from them the first is the usual bow, that is, to the chest or navel, and then the middle bow, that is, to the belt, and the third bow is big, that is, to the ground.
When it happens to make prostrations to the ground, then do not hit your head on the ground, and do not knock it on the bridge (pol. - Auth.) Church, or in the house like that, but just bow your knees and let your head low, but do not let it into the ground stick, but rely on a handyman. And from your heart, move both hands together and put them politely on the armrest, but don’t open your elbows ... we also make bows, we worship the rector in the same way, and so we rise, looking at the rector. In addition to the earthly bow described here, which is called great, there are also throwing, i.e. bows to the earth, performed quickly, one after the other, which removes the requirement to bow the head to the very assistant.