What is the right way to do something right in Orthodoxy? When to make earthly obeisances at the Liturgy? When can not you make earthly obeisances? Can one make earthly obeisances after the communion?

When a person enters the temple of God, he immediately feels that he has got into some special majestic and at the same time very pacifying setting - to heaven, which, however, is on earth. Here everything bears in itself harmony, deep washing off and great spiritual beauty. Every church attribute and utensils observe its order and order. Priesthood and prayer before the altar is performed according to strict ancient canons. All this is quite logical and understandable, but there is something that requires a thorough explanation.

For example, many clergymen often face such a question: how to bow to the earth? It is simply and unequivocally impossible to answer it, but it is not so complicated if you study it carefully.

A nod - how to do?

At once it is necessary to say that the bow is a symbolic action, performed since the most ancient biblical times and expressing great respect to the Creator of everything earthly and heavenly - the Lord God. Therefore, any obeisances should be done very leisurely and with words of prayer. To find out for yourself how to properly bow down, it is necessary to decide what kind of obeisances there are in general. It turns out that there are great - earthly obeisances, and there are small - belt. And there is a simple bowing of the head.

When bowing to the ground, one must prostrate himself on his knees and touch the forehead with the floor. At the waist, the head bends down so that the fingers touch the floor. So Solomon prayed at the consecration of the Temple of the Lord, Daniel, when he was in captivity Babylonian, and other righteous people of the Old Testament. This custom was sanctified by Christ Himself and entered the practice of the Holy Church of Christ.

Kneeling

The greatest part of the kneeling is done during Lent. According to St. Basil the Great, kneeling symbolizes the fall of man in sin, and then the rebellion is his forgiveness according to the great mercy of the Lord.

And again the question arises: 40 earthly obeisances - how to do it right? Bows are made at any time, except for special days, we'll talk about them below. In the rest of the time one should not be lazy, but it is better to voluntarily plunge oneself into a bow, meaning your own falling into the abyss of repentance in the hope that God will accept and bless these modest works.

From the amount of bows and fasting, nothing depends, if the heart and soul are not cleansed of bad thoughts and change for the better. And if a person at least a little sincerely repents, then the loving Father will certainly stretch out His holy right hand.

The experience of Bishop Athanasius Sakharov

It is not always possible to find the right answer to how to make an earthly bow in Orthodoxy. But let's try to turn to the famous zealot of the Church Charter-the preacher Afanasy (Sakharov).

First of all, we will deal with the fact that it is impossible to make earthly obeisances, and when it is possible. During worship, earthly obeisances, as in principle, also waist, are not done at will. They are made on weekdays and on fasting penitential days. On Sundays and, of course, on great feasts, according to the ordinance of the Holy Fathers, they are abolished.

In the period of Easter and before the Trinity, as well as from Christmas and to Baptism, prostrations do not depend on them either. In the 90th rule of the VI Ecumenical Council it is written that on Sundays it is not necessary to kneel for the honor of Christ's Resurrection. But small obeisances should be done at certain moments in accordance with the meaning of prayer.

Belt and earthly obeisances

So, in any worship it is necessary:

• Three small bow in reading and singing: "Holy God", "Come, worship," "Bless the name of the Lord," three times "Hallelujah."
• Three small obeisances on verse from 118 psalm.
• Small bow and cross sign on all the litanies (exclamations of the priest), while singing "Lord, have mercy" and "Give, Lord."
• A small bow in prayers and stichera, only after the words "fall", "pray", "worship."
• Small bow always before and after reading the Gospel "Glory to You, Lord."
• Small bow when reading the akathist, on every kontakion and icosa, on 13 kontakion, thrice readable - a lap-bow or a bow, depending on the day.
• A small bow at the end of the service after the chant "Honest Cherub" and the words of the prayer "In the Name of the Lord bless, Father."
• A small bow with the sanctification of yourself with the sign of the cross after the words of the priest: "Peace to all" and the choir's response: "And your spirit."
• Small bow with the obligatory sign of the cross in the light of the gospel, the cross or the icon.
• Small bow without the banner of the cross, with the blessing of the priest's hand, candlelighting, or incense. Only now, at the incense at Easter, the greeting "Christ is Risen", being crossed, answers: "Truly, Risen."
• Small bow without performing the sign of the cross on the promises with the blessing of the priest with the hand and the waist-bow with the fulfillment of the sign of the cross with the blessing of the cross.

Church Charter

Bows on services (Vespers, Matins, All-night Vigil):

• Earthly obeisances cease after the prayer, "Deliver, Lord" for the evening of the festive or Sunday all-night vigil until the evening of the next day.
• A small bow is performed after every celebration at matins, when singing a majesty.
• A small bow at singing "Praise, bless, bow and praise thee."
• Small or earthly bow when singing "Honest Cherub" (depending on the day), after the cry "Mother of God and Mother of Light".
• An earthly bow on uncompleted matins after a prayer of prayer "It's fitting to eat."

Special rules of obeisance

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

The thing is that monks obey their special statutes, and parishioners should adhere to the charter of the Fathers of the Saints, intended for the whole Church, so that the whole meaning of the divine service will gradually be revealed and understood.

Forecasting

There is already an established tradition when parishioners are distracted from the liturgical prayer during the incense, they begin to move from one side to the other, attracting all their attention to the approaching priest, making a noise, stand with their back to the altar, which is unacceptable. During the burning, the parishioners must part ways and let the priest pass, then quietly get back in place and return to prayer.

If the priest begins to incense people, then it is necessary to bow and return to worship, and not look through the eyes of the priest during all this sacred action. It may seem that the whole list is too complicated and tedious to remember, but it can help every believer to get used to the activities of divine services.

Can one make earthly obeisances at the Liturgy

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

The priest on the Great Course goes to the pulpit in his hands holds the Cup and the disco, and the choir sings "The Cherubic Song" at that time:

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

When the Eucharistic canon is performed, the Most Holy Sacrament must be kept quiet and the mind held in attention.

• A small bow is performed at the cries of "Take, eat, drink from Neya vsi."
• A small bow in the day is performed at the end of "We sing to you" and "And I pray Teem I, our God." This is a very important moment for the person praying.
• A small bow in the day is made after "It's Worthy to Eat".
• A small bow at the words "And all, and all."
• Small bow to the day at the beginning of the nationwide prayer "Our Father".
• A great nod (if not a holiday) at the priest's "Holy to the saints".
• Small bow on the day before the gifts given before the communion with the words "With the fear of God and faith come".
• Lay an earthly bow and fold crosswise hands on the chest after the priest's prayer before the communion. (Before the cup, do not baptize or bow down, in any case not to push it).
• Communionists do not have to bow down before evening. Below is a bow for the communicants at the appearance of the Holy Gifts at the cry "Always, now and ever."
• The head bowed when the prayed prayer was heard, and the priest, finishing the liturgy, comes out of the altar and stands in front of the pulpit.

Many believers are interested in the question of whether it is possible after the communion to make earthly obeisances. Priests warn that it is not necessary to make kneeling after the sacrament, it is done for the sake of the shrine that is inside the person who took the Holy Communion, and so that it does not accidentally vomit.

Conclusion

I would very much like that the believers understand that the obeisances seem to be not the main ones in the life of the Orthodox Christian, but they help to strengthen faith, enlighten the heart, adjust to the correct spiritual way and understand the whole meaning of the service, being its participant. Starting small, you can achieve more. It was not at idleness that the Holy Fathers created the Statutes. Perhaps now it is at least a little understandable that such an earthly bow. How to do and when - also described above is sufficiently clear and detailed. But in order to better understand all these rules, we must often go to the temple.