Orthodox Church Life. Bows during Great Lent and those who can / cannot

[SalemsConcordance]

I read a funny line from Fr Seraphim Rose the other day in a letter to a new convert who said they were having trouble standing, "it seems the last thing to become Orthodox is ones legs."

This video was a nice overall video on bows, and when one should do them, when one is unable to do so.

 

[ArmyMatt]

a good rule is to do what the parish does unless it's really wrong.

 

[rusmeister]

a good rule is to do what the parish does unless it's really wrong.

Yep. The canons say, I have been told, no prostrating on Sundays. (I’m open to correction on that)
But at my parish, we prostrate during the Eucharistic canon except on great holidays. Go figure.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Yep. The canons say, I have been told, no prostrating on Sundays. (I’m open to correction on that)
But at my parish, we prostrate during the Eucharistic canon except on great holidays. Go figure.

yeah, no prostrating because of the Resurrection.

 

[Chesterton]

Yep. The canons say, I have been told, no prostrating on Sundays. (I’m open to correction on that)
But at my parish, we prostrate during the Eucharistic canon except on great holidays. Go figure.

All I know is the First Ecumenical Council says no kneeling on Sundays. At our church the clergy and some in the congregation do it during the Anaphora, though.

Before this video, I'd never heard a prostration referred to as a "bow". Would kneeling and prostration be considered the same type of thing?

 

[Platina]

Before this video, I'd never heard a prostration referred to as a "bow". Would kneeling and prostration be considered the same type of thing?

That's just a translation issue, because in Russian, a prostration is basically "a bow to the earth," and can often just be called the same word as "bow" and you try to figure out from context which they mean. In essence, the word Поклон is basically an inclination of the body - so bows and prostrations are both covered with that term.

 

[GreekOrthodox]

I believe that since most people don't or can't attend weekday liturgies, kneeling is done on Sundays except during the Paschal season.

 

[All4Christ]

I believe that since most people don't or can't attend weekday liturgies, kneeling is done on Sundays except during the Paschal season.

I believe that is unique to the Greek Orthodox Church. That is also the explanation I have heard.

 

[Anhelyna]

That's interesting - our Greeks don't prostrate on Sundays but our Romanians do

 

[E.C.]

Yeah, I'd say the legs are the last thing to become Orthodox!

a good rule is to do what the parish does unless it's really wrong.

Like St Ambrose of Milan said, "When in Rome do as the Romans do".

 

[ArmyMatt]

Like St Ambrose of Milan said, "When in Rome do as the Romans do".

yep

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

The Greek parish near our church (Serbian) sits down during the liturgy multiple times, they have kneelers and kneel a bunch of times, and there’s an organ. Trips me out. Plus all the icons look like they’re from Venice because they’re painted by a Catholic.