Bishop Vissarion of Kostroma and Galich
(+1905)
“Therefore,
glorify God in your bodies and in your souls, which are God’s” (1 Cor. 6:20), says the holy Apostle Paul.
Among the
liturgical actions that serve to glorify God in our bodies are the following:
standing; kneeling; small and great bows (waist and full to the ground); bowing
of the head; falling prostrate; raising of the hands; worship facing east; the
sign of the Cross.
1. Standing
The custom of
standing during divine service was observed in the Old Testament Church. Thus,
Saint Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel, when she was barren, prayed to
the Lord standing before the Tabernacle of Meeting, asking Him to grant
her a child (1 Sam. 1:26). Concerning the divine service at the consecration of
Solomon’s temple, it is said that the Levites and the singers proclaimed before
the altar standing (2 Chron. 5:12; cf. 1 Esdras 3:10). In the reign of
the pious Jehoshaphat, on the occasion of the invasion of the land of Judah by
the Moabites, Ammonites, and Amalekites, the king and the people gathered in
the temple to ask God for help against their enemies, and they prayed standing:
“And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of
the Lord before the new court. And all Judah stood before the face of the Lord,
with their little ones, their wives, and their sons” (2 Chron. 20:5, 13).
Not only during prayer did they stand, but also during the reading and
explanation of the law the Jews had the custom of listening while standing.
Thus, under Ezra, the Levites explained the law to the people while the people
stood in their place (Neh. 8:7).
The Old Testament
custom of standing during divine service was preserved in the Christian Church
not without the will of the Lord Jesus Christ, for in His instructions on
prayer He Himself said, “and when you stand praying” (Mark 11:25), and
with these words, if He did not prescribe, then He at least approved of
standing in prayer. Saint John the Theologian saw that in the very Heavenly
Church, “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and
kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne and before the
Lamb…,” and that “all the Angels stood around the throne” (Rev. 7:9,
11). The prophets Isaiah, Micah, and Daniel likewise saw the inhabitants of
heaven in the same posture (Isa. 6:2; 3 Kings 22:19; Dan. 7:10).
Tertullian (a
writer of the 2nd century from the birth of Christ) condemns, as an imitation
of the pagans, those who, during prayer, do not stand but sit. [1] However,
during the reading of the Apostle and the Old Testament books, during pastoral
teachings, and, in the Egyptian monasteries, according to the testimony of
Cassian, even during the singing of psalms, it was permitted to sit in one’s
place. [2] Nevertheless, it is unquestionable that the custom of sitting during
readings and teachings was not universal even in antiquity. Blessed Augustine
(who lived in the 5th century of our era) reproves those who sit in the church
during readings and teachings without necessity. Here are his words:
“Moved by
fatherly love, a few days ago I advised those who either have ailments in their
legs or are burdened with some other bodily affliction—and, as it were, I
entreated them—that during longer readings, being unable to stand, they should
listen attentively to what is read, sitting silently. But now some of our
daughters think that this is something everyone should always do—or at least
many, even the healthy ones. For when the word of God begins to be preached,
they wish, as it were, to recline on couches; and if only they would recline in
silence, receiving the word of God with a hungry heart, and not engage in vain
conversations. But they neither listen themselves nor allow others to listen to
the sermon. Therefore, I ask you, honorable daughters, and with fatherly
concern I exhort you, that none of you should sit during reading or
instruction, unless one is compelled by severe bodily weakness.” [3]
Standing during
divine service is a sign of our reverence before God. If a servant, as a sign
of respect for his master, stands before him and does not sit, then all the
more the duty of reverence toward the Lord of heaven and earth requires us, as
His servants, to stand during prayerful service to Him. If the heavenly Hosts
stand before the throne of God with fear and trembling, shall we dare to act
otherwise?
However, the Holy
Church does not consider it a sin if someone, due to weakness or illness, is
unable to stand during divine service but prays or listens to readings and
teachings while sitting. In addition, bishops and presbyters, as a sign of
their dignity, have the right to sit during divine service in certain
instances, for which reason seats are arranged for them in the church.
Moreover, due to the length of church services, the Church’s Typikon permits all to sit during the
readings [4] and teachings appointed at Matins after the chanting of the
kathismata and after the third ode of the canon. [5] Likewise, during the
verses appointed before these readings, which for this reason are called “sedalnia.”
[6] It goes without saying that the permission to sit during divine services in
the indicated cases may be used by Christians only when the service is indeed
lengthy and the rule concerning the readings is strictly observed. But where
the service is not as long as it ought to be according to the Typikon, it is obvious that one should
not sit at all.
2. Kneeling
Old Testament
believers had the custom of praying not only while standing but also in a
kneeling posture. Thus, Solomon, at the consecration of the temple he had
built, “when he had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication
to the Lord, he arose from kneeling” (3 Kings 8:54). The Holy Prophet
Daniel “three times a day knelt down and prayed to his God” (Dan. 6:10).
The Old Testament
custom is sanctified by the example of Jesus Christ and the Apostles. In the
Garden of Gethsemane, before His Passion, the Lord “knelt down and prayed”
(Luke 22:41). The Holy Apostle and Protomartyr Archdeacon Stephen, “kneeling
down,” prayed to the Lord for the forgiveness of his enemies who were
stoning him (Acts 7:60). The Holy Apostle Peter, before raising Tabitha from
the dead, “knelt down and prayed” (Acts 9:40). The Holy Apostle Paul, when
parting with the elders of Ephesus on the island of Miletus, “knelt down and
prayed with them all” (Acts 20:36). He also, together with his companions,
when parting from the inhabitants of Tyre, “knelt down on the shore and
prayed” (Acts 21:5). Saint John the Theologian saw “angels and elders
kneeling before Him who sits on the heavenly throne” (Rev. 4:10; 7:11).
Concerning the
kneeling of the ancient Christians, the testimony of Eusebius is especially
important. According to his account, during the reign of Emperor Marcus
Aurelius, in the campaign against the Germans and Sarmatians, when the whole
army was exhausted from thirst, the Lord sent down rain at the prayer of the
Christian soldiers. This prayer they offered, kneeling, “as we customarily
do during prayer,” notes Eusebius. [7] About the Apostle James, the brother
of the Lord according to the flesh, Bishop of Jerusalem, it is told that, from
his constant kneeling in prayer for the salvation of the people, his knees
“became hardened.” [8]
According to the
explanation of an ancient writer, “kneeling serves as a sign of our fall
into sin.” [9] Saint Basil the Great says something similar:
“In every
kneeling, we demonstrate in deed that we are cast down by sin, fallen to the
earth.” [10]
According to this
meaning of kneeling, it has from ancient times been used primarily on days of
fasting and repentance—during the Holy Forty Days (Great Lent)—and is fittingly
joined with penitential and propitiatory prayers; yet we must not forget our sinfulness
and unworthiness before God even when offering prayers of thanksgiving. For
because of our sins, by which we continually offend God, we are unworthy of the
blessings for which we ought to thank Him. This is why the Holy Church, through
the mouth of the deacon, sometimes calls us to kneel even in prayers of
thanksgiving—for example, in the service of thanksgiving for deliverance from
the invasion of the Gauls, as well as on the days of the accession to the
throne and coronation of most pious Sovereigns.
In general, those
who wish may pray on their knees even when the Church does not invite us to do
so with a specific exclamation. She looks upon such persons with love, not
restraining the impulses of their pious feeling. But there are exceptions for
Sundays and the days from Pascha to Pentecost. According to ancient custom and
clear ecclesiastical legislation, kneeling should not be performed on these
days. This custom is attested by the 2nd-century writer Tertullian:
“On the Lord’s
Day (that is, Sunday), we consider it improper to fast or to kneel; we enjoy
the same liberty from Pascha until Pentecost.” [11]
In the 20th canon
of the First Ecumenical Council we read:
“Since there are
some who kneel on the Lord’s Day and on the days of Pentecost, so that all
things may be uniformly observed in every diocese, it has pleased the holy
Council that prayers be offered to God while standing.”
The same is stated
in the 90th canon of the Council in Trullo. In the Church Typikon, a note is made regarding how the priest, at the Sunday
all-night vigil, after the reading of the Gospel, is to approach to kiss it:
"Not to
make bows to the ground, but small ones, until the hand reaches the ground. On
Sundays, on the feast of the Lord, and throughout Pentecost, knees are not bent
(ch. 2)."
An ancient writer,
referring to a work of Saint Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, which has not come down
to us, says that the custom of not bending the knees on Sundays and from Pascha
to Pentecost “received its beginning from Apostolic times.” [12]
Concerning the meaning of this custom, the same ancient writer reasons as
follows:
“Not to bend the
knees on the Lord’s Day is a sign of the Resurrection, by which we, through the
grace of Christ, are delivered from sins and death... During Pentecost also we
do not bend the knees, because it is equal in honor to the Lord’s Day.” [13]
A similar
explanation is offered by Saint Basil the Great, but he adds other
considerations as well. He says:
“Not only, as
those risen with Christ and bound to seek the things above, do we by standing
during prayer on the day of the Resurrection remind ourselves of the grace
granted to us. But we do this also because this day in a certain way represents
the age to come (that is, by standing we express the hope of our future
resurrection to eternal life)... And the entire period of Pentecost is a
reminder of the Resurrection awaited in the age to come.” [14]
However, standing
during divine services on Sundays and on the days from Pascha to Pentecost was
a privilege only of those who were in full communion with the Church, whereas
the so-called penitents were not permitted to exempt themselves from kneeling even
on these days. [15] Concerning the God-pleasing nature of kneeling, an ancient
writer says the following:
“Sinners, when
they pray kneeling, move God to mercy more than when they pray standing.” [16]
Tertullian, having
mentioned that under Marcus Aurelius, during the campaign against the
barbarians, Christian soldiers by kneeling prayer obtained rain from the Lord,
adds: “When we also fast and kneel, droughts always cease.” [17] According
to the word of Saint Ambrose of Milan: “Kneeling has more power than other
ascetic labors to appease the wrath of God and attract His mercy.” [18]
However, bodily
kneeling can be pleasing to God only on the condition that it is joined with
spiritual kneeling. “True kneeling,” says Blessed Jerome, “in our
opinion, lies in the spirit.” [19] That is why the deacon sometimes
proclaims: “Let us pray to the Lord, having bent the knees of our souls and
bodies.” Those who kneel before God without heartfelt reverence, without a
deep sense of their unworthiness and sinfulness, with distracted thoughts and
with hypocrisy, act no better than the crucifiers of Jesus Christ, of whom it
is said:
“And kneeling
before Him, they mocked Him, saying: Hail, King of the Jews!” (Matt. 27:29).
3. Small and Great Bows
Bows, called in the
Typikon “small” and simply “bows”
(otherwise known as waist bows), and “great” bows (prostrations), belong to the
most common bodily movements used to express the feeling of reverence,
humility, and gratitude toward God.
According to the
Church Typikon, a small bow is
performed by such a bending of the head at which one can touch the ground with
the hand (ch. 2), or “as much as a person can bow while standing upright,
without bending the knees and without lowering the head to the ground.”
[20] A prostration or great bow is performed “as far as one can bring the
head down to the ground.” In order for a prostration to be proper and fully
correspond to its name—“great”—two conditions are required according to the
Church Typikon: on the one hand,
before each prostration we must assume an upright posture, standing fully
straight; [21] on the other hand, we must not diminish the prostration by “any
addition, as some place stools beneath themselves, others something else,
thereby encouraging their own laziness, and wish to be counted on equal terms
with those who labor in making the holy great bows.”
The Church Typikon, following the instruction of
the Apostle that all things in the Church be done decently and in order (1 Cor.
14:40), reproves as a departure from this rule also those who make bows with
excessive ostentation. One who makes bows ostentatiously, when he has finished
them, according to the Typikon, is “like
a madman, unto himself, not understanding what he has done.” The Typikon also reproves those who, when
making bows, “do not look to the presiding priest of the church, but each
one outpaces the other, flitting about like reeds shaken by the wind, not
perceiving what is better, and unwilling to be instructed, but each clings to
the manner he has formed according to his own disposition.” [22]
There is no doubt
that these reproofs, although made in the Typikon
specifically regarding the bows of Great Lent, are applicable to bows at all
other times as well.
The worthiness of
bows lies not merely in their outward propriety and decorum, but in the inner
spiritual disposition of the one performing them. “In bows and prayers,”
says the Church Typikon, “let us
imitate Him who said: God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in
spirit and in truth.” [23]
What spirit, then,
must animate those who make bows?
The spirit of
repentance. That is why bows are often called “metanias” in the Typikon. The Greek word μετάνοια
(pronounced in Russian as me-tá-ni-ya) means repentance. [24] In making bows,
we must never forget that we are sinners in need of forgiveness and mercy from
God, and that all our prayers to Him—not only those of repentance and
supplication, but also those of praise and thanksgiving—can be pleasing to God
only when they proceed from a heart that is contrite and humble.
There are
Christians who are burdened by bows and perform them unwillingly. In some, this
results from unfamiliarity with them. From lack of habit, any task, whatever it
may be, is difficult at first. But as with any task, so also in the matter of
bows, unfamiliarity is overcome through practice. Constant practice makes easy
what at first seemed difficult and beyond one’s strength. But others are
disinclined to perform bows because they attribute no importance to them.
According to them, for one who possesses sincere piety, they are useless; and
for one who lacks it, who has no inner prayerful disposition, bows will not
make him any better.
However plausible
such an opinion may seem, it is unjust. It is, first of all, inconsistent with
the concept of true piety. One who is truly pious cannot but feel the need to
express the movements of pious feeling through outward signs, among which bows are
included. Moreover, true piety requires that we serve God with our whole
being—not only with the soul, but also with the body. It would be incomplete if
it were limited to the spirit alone and did not manifest itself in bodily
labors. Therefore, if hypocrites act wrongly, whose entire piety consists only
in bows and other external actions without any participation of the spirit,
then those also act wrongly who boast of a purely spiritual service to God and
make no effort in bodily labors of piety. It is also unjust to say that in the
absence of an inner prayerful disposition, it cannot be stirred by means of
bows. On the contrary, through bows it can easily be born in the soul—provided
only that the soul is not corrupted by hypocrisy. It is well known that one of
the main obstacles to a devout prayerful disposition of the soul is the flesh.
When the flesh inclines to sleep, rest, and comfort, then even the spirit,
which at other times is eager for prayer, loses its disposition toward it and
is burdened by it. Making bows is one of the best means for bringing the spirit
into a prayerful state. Through them the body is set in motion, receives
alertness, lightness, and liveliness, and thus becomes an obedient instrument
of the spirit in its prayerful labor—not only not hindering, but assisting it.
This each of us can verify by personal experience. How often, for example, are
we reluctant to begin prayer upon awakening from sleep! Duty and conscience
call us to prayer, but the limbs, heavy with sleep, suppress or weaken our
willingness. But zeal and fervor for prayer will arise immediately if we get up
at once from the bed and begin to make bows.
In the Church Typikon and in liturgical books there
are occasionally notes regarding the number of bows. [25] In order to more
easily fulfill the rules concerning the number of bows and the short prayers
associated with them, prayer ropes [26] (that is, a chain of beads made of
stones or other materials), also called “vervitsy” or “lestovki,” are used by
monks and some laypeople. Counting bows with the help of a prayer rope is very
simple and easy (it suffices with each bow to move the fingers from one bead to
another); it requires no special effort of memory or calculation, and therefore
in no way hinders the deepening and concentration of the spirit in prayer. The
handling of the prayer rope in one’s hands is used not only during bows, but is
sometimes combined by monastics with the mental (inner) prayer which they
maintain even while conversing with others. The ancients recount of the Libyan
monk Paul that he daily offered 300 prayers, and in order not to lose count, he
would place 300 small stones in his garment and with each prayer would cast out
one. [27] Thus, the use of the prayer rope is an imitation of this ancient and
similar pious custom.
4. Bowing of the Head
In divine services,
the Holy Church often, through the mouth of the deacon or priest, invites the
faithful to bow their heads, and at this moment the priest reads a
prayer—either silently or aloud—for those who have bowed their heads. But even
without such an invitation, the faithful customarily bow their heads at certain
moments, for example, during the Divine Liturgy at the reading of the Gospel
and during the Great Entrance, when the Holy Gifts prepared for consecration
are carried.
What does the
bowing of the head signify? Servile submission and humility before God. “Bless,”
reads the priest in the silent prayer of head-bowing during the blessing of
water, “bless all of us who, by the bowing of our heads, show the form of a
servant.” A similar confession of servitude is contained in other prayers
of head-bowing, for example, at Vespers: “Before Thee, the fearful and
man-loving Judge, Thy servants have bowed their heads and have submitted
themselves to Thee.”
5. Falling Prostrate
The highest degree
of humility, repentance, reverence, and devotion to God is expressed in falling
prostrate. It was used in the Old Testament. Thus, Abraham, when he heard the
promise of God to enter into a covenant with him, in a feeling of reverence and
humble awareness of his unworthiness, “fell on his face” (Gen. 17:3).
Moses and Aaron “fell on their faces” and pleaded with the Lord to spare
and have mercy on the sons of Israel who had provoked His wrath (Num. 16:22).
Our very Lord Jesus Christ “fell on His face and prayed” (Matt. 26:39)
in the Garden of Gethsemane, as a sign of the deepest humility and submission
to the heavenly Father, according to whose will He suffered for us.
In antiquity,
Christians had the custom of falling to the ground during repentance, and at
times during times of calamity. Thus, in times of persecution, the so-called
“lapsed,” that is, those who had renounced the faith out of fear of torment,
when they repented of their fall and wished to return to the Church, would
begin their repentance by lying prostrate in the church vestibule, asking those
entering the temple to pray for them and begging to be admitted to public
repentance. [28] This is known specifically about a certain Constantinopolitan
sophist named Ecebolius. During the persecution under Julian, he, in order to
please the persecutors, appeared to be a zealous pagan. But after Julian’s
death, he repented, and lying prostrate on the ground before the doors of a
church, he cried out to those passing by: “Trample me as worthless salt.”
[29] A similar account is told of Emperor Theodosius the Great. For unjust
bloodshed in Thessalonica, he was excommunicated for a time from participation
in common church prayer and in the reception of the Holy Mysteries by Saint
Ambrose of Milan, and he later offered solemn repentance. Entering the church,
he “began to implore the Lord not standing, nor on his knees, but lying
prostrate on the ground, he cried out with the words of David: ‘My soul
cleaves to the dust; quicken Thou me according to Thy word.’” [30]
In the days of
fasting and repentance, even now the Holy Church commands the faithful to fall
to the ground during Great Compline at the reading of the prayer: “O Master,
plenteous in mercy…” Likewise, during the reading of the prayer of
absolution over those who are repenting, and at the Liturgy of the
Presanctified Gifts. An example of lying prostrate on the ground during times
of distress is shown by Alexander, Bishop of Constantinople. When the followers
of Arius were preparing to solemnly bring him into the Orthodox temple,
Alexander, in deep sorrow over this, for many days in a row fell prostrate in
the altar and implored the Lord to avert this calamity. The prayer was heard:
Arius was suddenly struck by a shameful death on the way to the church. [31]
6. Raising of the Hands
An example of one
praying with raised hands is given in the Old Testament by Moses. During the
battle with the Amalekites, when he held his hands raised, the Israelites
prevailed; but when, from fatigue, his hands dropped, victory shifted to the
enemy (Ex. 17:11). The Psalmist prays to the Lord that the lifting up of his
hands may be acceptable to Him, as is the evening sacrifice (Ps. 140:2). In the
New Testament, the raising of hands in prayer is approved by the Apostle Paul. “I
will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath
and doubting” [32] (1 Tim. 2:8). The raising of hands should serve as a
sign of the uplifting of minds and hearts to God, who dwells in the heavens.
[33]
In addition, from
ancient times the raising of hands has been associated with the image of the
Cross of the Savior.
“To stretch
forth the hands to heaven,” says Asterius of Amasea
(5th century A.D.), “means to portray the form of Christ nailed to the
Cross.” [34] It is told of Saint Ambrose of Milan that “in his final
hours, until his last breath, he offered prayers with hands raised in the form
of the Cross.” [35]
One who prays with uplifted hands presents an image of
the Cross; thereby he portrays his participation in the sufferings and death of
the Savior on the Cross and his love for Him, ready to die for His sake.
In accordance with
what the Apostle said about the lifting up of pure (holy, sanctified) hands,
there arose from ancient times the custom of washing the hands before entering
the temple, for which purpose basins (fontes, labra) were arranged in the vestibule
of the church. This outward cleansing served as a reminder to all of the purity
of heart with which one must approach prayer, and at the same time of the duty
to refrain from those sins which are committed with the hands and which can
hinder the effectiveness of prayer. [36]
The custom of
washing the hands during divine service has been preserved in the Orthodox
Church among the clergy when they approach the celebration of the Liturgy. And
the raising of hands is still customary for priests during the Liturgy—at its
beginning, during the singing of the Cherubic Hymn, and before the blessing of
the Holy Gifts. It is not forbidden for other Christians to raise their hands,
especially during the Holy Forty Days. In the Church Typikon, the following instruction is found regarding the great
prostrations used during the Prayer of Ephraim the Syrian in the Holy Forty
Days:
“When the time
draws near for the holy great prostrations, then let each one raise his hands
and together lift the physical eyes and the mind to God, as the divine Paul
teaches Timothy: I desire therefore that
men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.” [37]
7. Worship Facing East
It is well known
that in church, Orthodox Christians stand and pray facing east, for which
reason churches are constructed with the altar toward the east. Likewise,
outside the church, when there is before us neither the Life-Giving Cross of
the Lord nor any icon, and no church is visible even at a distance, it is
proper, when praying, to make the sign of the Cross and offer bows facing east.
Saint Basil the Great includes this custom among those handed down by the
Apostles. The 2nd-century writer Tertullian testifies that in his time, pagans,
having often witnessed Christians worshipping toward the east, suspected that
they were worshipping the rising sun. [38]
Among the many
suppositions that have been expressed to explain this most ancient custom of
Christians, the most probable appears to be that which regards the east, or the
place of the rising sun, as an image of Christ, the spiritual Enlightener, the
“Orient from on high, the Sun of righteousness” (Luke 1:78, Mal. 4:2), in
contrast to the west, as an image of the dark kingdom of Satan.
“As the natural
image of the day,” says Clement of Alexandria (3rd
century A.D.), “is the east, from where light arises out of darkness. So for
those wandering in ignorance there shone forth the day of knowledge of the
truth, as the sun shines—therefore, for this reason, prayers are offered toward
the east.” [39]
Thus, by turning to
the east, those who pray express their union with Christ and His Kingdom, and
their deliverance from the dark dominion of sin and the devil. On this basis,
those being baptized, when the rite of renunciation of Satan and all his works
is performed over them, stand facing west; but when they make the vow of union
with Christ and faith in Him, they turn to the east.
8. The Sign of the Cross
The custom of
Christians making the sign of the Cross over themselves during prayer, Saint
Basil the Great includes among those which we have received by inheritance from
Apostolic tradition. [40] Yet it is not by its Apostolic origin alone that this
custom holds sacred importance for us, but also by reason of its inward and
profound meaning.
What exactly does the custom of making the sign of the
Cross in prayer signify? In other words, with what thought was it established?
With the thought of
the all-working and all-sanctifying power of the Cross-bearing sufferings and
death of our Lord Jesus Christ. We must be assured that this power extends also
to our prayers, and as a sign of this assurance, we make the sign of the Cross
over ourselves each time we offer prayer.
Indeed, we cannot
offer our prayers to God in any other way than with faith in the saving power
of the Cross-bearing merits of Jesus Christ. Only this faith can give our
prayers boldness and power; only it can grant them access to God, for our God
is “a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:29) to the unworthy and sinful. Could a
man approach Him in prayer if he were not strengthened by the faith that the
Cross of the Savior has reconciled us with God and delivered us from guilt for
sins? (Col. 1:19–22). Could a sinner enter into prayerful communion with Him
before whom even the sinless Cherubim and Seraphim tremble, if he were not
encouraged by the assurance that by the Cross the barrier which, because of the
fall of our forefathers, separated us from God has been destroyed (Eph. 2:13),
and that we have received the right to be called children of God by grace and
with filial boldness cry out: “Abba, Father!” (Rom. 8:15), “Our
Father, who art in heaven!” (Matt. 6:9–13; Luke 11:2–4)? What would our
meager prayers of praise and thanksgiving mean before the Infinite
Being—especially when they come from impure lips, from a loathsome heart, from
an unclean tongue, from a defiled soul [41]—if they were not elevated and
sanctified by the grace of the Holy Spirit granted to believers on account of
the Cross-bearing merits of Jesus Christ? What would our petitions for earthly
and spiritual blessings, temporal and eternal, amount to if they were offered
not in the name of the Only-Begotten Son of God (John 14:14)—that is, if they
were offered on our own behalf alone, relying on ourselves, and not under the
protection of the face of Christ and with living faith in the merits of the
Cross of Jesus Christ? Our prayers have free access to the sanctuary of God
only through the blood of Jesus Christ (Heb. 10:19). God the Father is always
ready to mercifully receive them for the sake of His Only-Begotten Son, our
eternal Advocate before God (Heb. 7:25). Therefore, with the boldness of faith
and hope, let us offer our prayers to the Throne of Grace, and express this
boldness in the sign of the Cross. In making this sign during prayer, we as it
were say to God:
“Lord! Because
of our sins, we are unworthy of Thy mercy, unworthy that Thou shouldest hear
our prayer: hear us and have mercy on us for the sake of the merits of Thy
Only-Begotten Son, who endured Cross-bearing sufferings and death for us. The
sign of the Cross, traced by our fingers, may it be before Thee a sign that we
place our hope for Thy mercy toward us only in these inestimable merits. Do not
put our hope to shame!”
Thus, the sign of
the Cross should be used in prayer as a sign of our boldness before God. This
boldness before God is inspired in us by the assurance of God’s ineffable
goodness toward us, which is ready to condescendingly heed our prayers for the
sake of the Cross-bearing merits of Jesus Christ. But this boldness must be
joined with careful concern for the purity of mind and heart during prayer. We
must remember not only the ineffable goodness of the Lord, but also His
ineffable holiness, which abhors all impurity, all iniquity. The goodness of
God inspires boldness in us, but His holiness urges reverence. It would be a
grievous offense to God if we, trusting in His goodness and mercy, dared to
appear before His face with a soul defiled by impure thoughts, feelings, and
desires. No—when we approach prayer, all that is impure, all pride and carnal
reasoning must be cast out of our mind; it must be entirely directed toward
God, wholly occupied with godly contemplation. Our heart must stand before God
free from all earthly cares and attachments, putting away anger, envy, malice,
and other sinful dispositions; it must, as much as possible, draw near to that
blessed state of purity to those who have attained which is promised the vision
of God (Matt. 5:8).
How, then, can we attain this state? What power can
remove from the one who prays the impurity of thoughts and desires, sanctify
his mind and heart, if not the all-working and all-sanctifying power of the
Cross of Christ?
The blood of
Christ, shed on the Cross, cleanses us from every sin (1 John 1:7), and
purifies even our conscience from dead works (Heb. 9:14). Therefore, O
Christian, each time you approach prayer, lift up the eyes of your heart to the
Lord who was crucified for us, with living faith in the saving and sanctifying
power of His sufferings and death on the Cross, and in sign of this faith, make
over yourself the sign of the Cross. By sealing yourself with this sign in
faith in the Crucified One, you can not only drive away from your soul sinful
thoughts and dispositions, but also expel the very spirit of malice, who
imperceptibly sows them in us; he is disarmed by the Cross, and by the death of
the Savior, the one who has the power of death is brought to nothing (Heb.
2:14).
Saint John
Chrysostom, speaking of the power of the sign of the Cross—fearful to demons
when made with faith—reasons thus:
“The Cross must
not be traced merely with the finger, but this must be preceded by inner
disposition and faith. And if you so trace the Cross upon your forehead, no
unclean spirit will be able to stand near you, for he will see the sword that
inflicted upon him a mortal wound. For if we, seeing places where the condemned
are executed, are seized with dread, then consider how much more the devils and
demons suffer when they see the weapon by which Christ destroyed all their
power and cut off the serpent’s head. Because of the Cross, the demons are no
longer dreadful but worthy of scorn.” [42]
Thus, in the power of the sign of the Cross—even fearful
to demons—is contained the best means for guarding oneself from impure thoughts
and dispositions, which are often stirred up by demons, and for bringing the
soul into the reverent state required for prayer.
Thus, the use of
the sign of the Cross in prayer possesses great power; but we repeat—the power
does not lie in the sign itself. It can be salvific for us only when
accompanied by the thought of our crucified Savior and faith in Him, just as
the material image of the Cross of Christ can be salvific for those who gaze
upon it and venerate it—not in and of itself, but through faith in the
Crucified One. Therefore, just as our veneration of the Cross of Christ is
directed not to the wood and paint, but to the Lord who was crucified upon it,
so also the sign of the Cross must be made with the thought of the Crucified
Himself. Otherwise, there is reason to fear that its use will be just as
unprofitable for us as the words of prayer are when uttered without understanding
or heartfelt feeling—mere beating of the air. As in much speaking in prayer,
when lacking the spirit of prayer, there is no benefit, so from the frequent
repetition of the sign of the Cross, made without attention, no salvific fruits
can be expected. Yet if one must grieve for those who make the sign of the
Cross without proper understanding of what it signifies, neither can one
approve of those who avoid making the sign of the Cross altogether, or who make
it carelessly and without due reverence.
Avoidance of the
use of the sign of the Cross is an avoidance of a custom sanctified by pious
Christian antiquity. Let us hear how Tertullian, a writer of the 3rd century
from the Nativity of Christ, speaks of this:
“At every step
and movement, at every coming in and going out, at dressing, putting on shoes,
washing, when approaching the table, when lighting a candle, when going to bed,
sitting down, and in every activity of ours, we mark our forehead with the sign
of the Cross.” [43]
Even in our time,
pious people faithfully observe the same ancient Christian custom: they do not
begin any good, useful, or blameless action without first offering a prayer and
making the sign of the Cross. Unfortunately, not all imitate the example of ancient
and contemporary piety—whether out of laziness and distraction, or out of false
shame. In the first case, the neglect of the sign of the Cross is usually
accompanied by a general disinclination toward prayer and is therefore just as
blameworthy as this very disinclination, which arises from excessive attachment
to worldly vanities and from pride, which refuses to acknowledge our complete
dependence on God in all things. In the second case, Christians avoid the pious
custom because it is allegedly not accepted in so-called educated society, and
thus, not wishing to fall behind this “educated” society, they rarely cross
themselves in church, and do not cross themselves at all when entering a home,
passing by a church, before meals, after meals, and in other circumstances. But
first of all, a truly educated person will never condemn his neighbor for
adhering to a pious custom, and scarcely can that society be called educated in
which such customs are treated with intolerance. Secondly, even if such intolerance
does prevail somewhere, a Christian who is truly zealous for piety will not
yield to its demands. He would rather submit to frivolous gossip and all manner
of evil speech than forsake the pious custom of confessing, at every suitable
moment, the crucified Lord—both in word and by the sign of the Cross—and will
never be ashamed of this confession:
“Be not
ashamed,” says Saint John Chrysostom regarding the
sign of the Cross, “be not ashamed of the Cross, that Christ may not be
ashamed of you when He comes in His glory and when the sign shall appear before
Him, brighter than the rays of the sun.” [44]
Furthermore, one
cannot approve of those who make the sign of the Cross carelessly and without
proper reverence—that is, those who cross themselves even in church while
visibly distracted by external things, or who, instead of forming the Cross,
make with their hand upon the chest some hurried, disorderly motion, devoid of
any meaning. The more significant is the custom of Orthodox Christians to make
the sign of the Cross with the movement of the hand from the forehead to the
chest (or stomach), and then from the right shoulder to the left, the more
blameworthy is any departure from this custom. According to the explanation of
Saint Ambrose of Milan:
“The sign of the
Cross is placed on the forehead, as on the place of shame, so that we may not
be ashamed to confess the crucified Christ, who is not ashamed to call us
brothers—on the heart, so that we may always love Him—on the shoulders, so that
we may always perform good deeds.” [45]
In conclusion, let
us speak of the formation of the fingers. In the Orthodox Church everywhere—not
only in Russia, but also in Greece, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Georgia, Bulgaria,
and other countries of the world—it has from of old been the custom to make the
sign of the Cross in prayer with three joined fingers: the thumb, index, and
middle finger, as a testimony of faith in the consubstantial Trinity—Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit. This faith we often express with our lips when making the
sign of the Cross, saying: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Spirit.” Why is it that in the sign of the Cross, together with the
confession of faith in the redeeming power of the sufferings and death of Jesus
Christ, there is joined the confession of faith in the Holy Trinity? In order
to testify that the truth of redemption and the truth of the dogma of the Holy
Trinity are necessarily linked: we believe in the redeeming power of the Cross
because the Christ who was crucified on the Cross is not a mere man, but God in
the flesh, one of the Persons of the Most Holy Trinity, the Son of God,
consubstantial with the Father and the Holy Spirit. The death of a mere man,
however holy he might be, could not be saving for us; only the God-man could
save us by His death, only His sacrificial death on the Cross for us could have
infinite value before divine justice. Therefore, since the idea of the Holy
Trinity lies at the foundation of Orthodox finger formation, all reproaches
against it on the part of the so-called Old Ritualists are completely
inappropriate; it is extremely unjust that they ridicule it in every way and
boast of their two-fingered formation, by which they signify belief in the two
natures in the person of Jesus Christ. If you, reader, happen to hear such
reproaches and slanders from some defender of the two-fingered formation, do
not engage in dispute with him, but say to him gently:
“Beloved, by
your two-fingered sign you confess the two natures in Jesus Christ, and I also
confess them; therefore I do not condemn you for your two-fingered sign—do not
you condemn me for the three-fingered formation used by us in confession of
faith in the consubstantial Trinity, the very same faith which you, together
with me, equally confess.” [46]
Having spoken these
words to the stubborn zealot of a supposed antiquity, pray to the Lord for
him—that He may send His peace into his heart, troubled by misunderstandings
and unpeaceful dispositions toward the Holy Church, and turn him back to her.
The sign of the
Cross is used not only for prayer but also for blessing, given by a bishop or
presbyter to all as a sign of prayerful goodwill. The five-fingered formation
used in this blessing, differing from the one used for the sign of the Cross in
prayer, is called “name-forming” (именословное), because it represents
the likeness of the letters by which the name of Jesus Christ is abbreviated—IC XC:
The index finger of
the blessing hand, held straight, and the middle finger, bent, form the
letters: I and C;
The thumb, laid
across the bent ring finger, together with the slightly curved little finger,
form the letters: X and C.
The basis for the
name-forming finger arrangement used for blessing is, without doubt, the
thought of the great power of the name of Christ, whether spoken by the lips or
formed by the fingers with faith in Christ as the source of all earthly and
heavenly blessings. Let each one receive the blessing from the priest with this
faith, if he desires that through this blessing the grace of God may be poured
out upon him—grace that enlightens, sanctifies, heals, and grants success in
all good things. But whoever approaches the priest’s blessing out of
superstitious fear—at meeting him, for example, considering the encounter a bad
omen—greatly sins.
NOTES
1. On Prayer, 12.
2. Institutes,
Book 2, Chap. — cf. Constitutions of the
Holy Apostles, Book 8, Chapter 5.
3. Homily 26.
4. The readings consist of commentaries on the
Apostle, the Gospel, and accounts of the origin of the feast and the life of
the saint.
5. In Chapter 9 of the Typikon, in the order of Matins it is said: “After the conclusion
of the 2nd kathisma we chant the 2nd sedalen from the common Octoechos. Then
the reading, and having arisen, we say: Lord, have mercy.” Thus, during the
reading one sits, for after the reading one rises. The Typikon commands standing during readings, and not sitting, only in
exceptional cases. For example, in the order for Pascha, the Typikon states: “The Catechetical Homily
of Chrysostom is read. We do not sit during such a reading, but all listen
standing.”
6. That during the reading or chanting of the sedalia it is permitted to sit is
evident from the fact that the Typikon
notes in certain cases that one must not sit during them. For example, the
Theotokion of the 8th tone of the Octoechos: “To Thee Rejoiceth, it is said, we
do not sing while sitting, but standing, and with fear and reverence”; and in
the order for Great Friday it says: “We do not sit during such sedalia so that the priest may cense the
altar, but we sing standing.”
7. Church
History by Eusebius of Caesarea, Book 5, Chapter 5.
8. Church
History by Eusebius of Caesarea, Book 2, Chapter 23.
9. Questions to
the Orthodox, among the works of St. Justin, Response 115.
10. On the Holy
Spirit, Chapter 27.
11. On the
Soldier’s Crown, ch. 3. The same is stated by: St. Peter of Alexandria (3rd
century, see his 15th canon in the Book of Canons), St. Basil the Great (On the Holy Spirit, ch. 27), and also
the Apostolic Constitutions (Book 2,
ch. 69).
12. Quaestiones
ad Orthodoxos, among the works of St. Justin, Response 115.
13. Ibid.
14. On the Holy
Spirit, ch. 27.
15. Fourth Ecumenical Council, Canon 82.
16. Quaestiones
ad Orthodoxos, loc. cit.
17. To Scapula,
ch. 4.
18. Book 6 on the Hexaemeron, ch. 9.
19. Commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians, ch. 3.
20. After Monday of the first week of the Forty Days
(Great Lent).
21. This, and no other, is the meaning of the related
words of the Typikon: “as much as a
person, standing upright, can bow his head to the ground to the utmost.” Same
source.
22. After Monday of the first week of the Forty Days.
23. Same source.
24. In the Typikon
and in liturgical books, the term metanias
refers both to small bows—when, for example, it is said of someone: “he makes a
metania, he performs a metania”—and to great bows
(prostrations). In the Horologion
(Book of Hours), for example, concerning the Prayer of Saint Ephraim the Syrian
in the Midnight Office and in the order of the Hours, it is said: “we make
three great bows: φεις μεγαλας μετάνοιας, saying the prayer of Ephraim.” Metanias are also named in the Typikon as bows made before the
presiding bishop or clergyman. Additionally, the same term is applied among the
Greeks to bows made in the monastic community (see New Tablet, Part 2, p. 25, 1857 ed.). To understand why the Greeks
call bows before others metanias, one
must recall that we, Russians, also say “forgive me” or “farewell” when bowing
to someone in parting. With this word we express a feeling of humility and
brotherly love. It is not surprising, then, if such a sentiment served as the
basis for why Greek Christians call their bows before others metanias.
25. A greater number of bows in the Church are to be
performed during the Holy Forty Days. According to the Typikon’s count, “the number of bows made in church day and night
during this period is 300, not including the Midnight Office (after the first
week of the Forty Days), in which there are an additional 33 bows.” The Church
prescribes the number of bows not only in public worship but also in private
prayer. Thus, to monastics and to anyone who wishes to keep a monastic rule—if
they are literate—it is prescribed to daily read Compline, daily canons, 4
kathismas with troparia and prayers, and the prophetic odes, and during this to
make 300 bows. But those who are not literate, yet desire “to please God and
purify the thoughts of their heart through prayer and fasting,” should say the
Jesus Prayer and other short prayers to the Theotokos and the saints with bows:
for Compline, 50 bows; for the Canon to the Theotokos with the Akathist, 29;
for the Paraklesis (i.e., the
supplicatory canon to the Theotokos, sung in all soul-afflicting sorrows and
difficult circumstances, beginning with the troparion: “I am held fast by many
afflictions”), 12 bows; for the Canon to the Guardian Angel, 7; for the daily
canon, 5. And if, in addition, he wishes but is hindered by circumstances from
attending church services, then in place of them he should say short prayers to
the Lord Jesus and the saints, and make bows: for Vespers, 25 bows; for
Midnight Office, 25; for Matins, 50; for the whole order of the Hours, 24; for
the Typika, 10 (see at the end of the Liturgikon
and the Followed Psalter).
Nevertheless, this general rule concerning bows in one’s cell is not
unchangeable. The number of bows is appointed by the superior. Thus, in the Typikon concerning the reading of the
Psalter in one’s cell, it is noted: “and bows are to be made as many as the
superior appoints for each according to his strength” (after Monday of Great
Lent). Moreover, anyone who desires may make more bows in his cell beyond the
number prescribed (see at the end of the Liturgikon).
Likewise, in church services it is not forbidden to make as many bows as one
deems proper.
26. In the Domostroi,
every Christian is instructed always to have a prayer rope in hand (ch. 13).
Among the household belongings of our ancestors were prayer ropes. See Vremennik of the Imperial Moscow Society
of the History of Ancient Russia, vol. 8, 1850. Inventory of the estate of
Tatischev, who died in 1608.
27. Hermias Sozomen, Book 6, ch. 29. The Lausiac History, ch. 22.
28. Gregory the Wonderworker, ch. 11. Church History by Eusebius of Caesarea,
Book 5, ch. 27. Basil the Great, Canon 22.
29. Socrates, Church
History, Book 3, ch. 13.
30. Theodoret, Book 5, ch. 18. Psalm 118:25.
31. Socrates, Book 1, ch. 37.
32. Socrates, Book 1, ch. 37.
33. Origen, On
Prayer, ch. 20.
34. In Photius, Codex 271.
35. Paulinus, Life
of Ambrose.
36. Chrysostom on Psalm 140.
37. After Monday of the first week of the Forty Days.
38. Apology,
ch. 16.
39. Stromata.
40. Canon 91. On
the Holy Spirit, ch. 27.
41. Seventh Prayer before Communion.
42. Homilies on Matthew, 34, in New Tablet, Part 1, p. 64, St. Petersburg, 1857.
43. On the
Soldier’s Crown, ch. 3.
44. Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 34.
45. History of
the Russian Church by Philaret, Part 1, p. 142, 1st edition.
46. Saint Chrysostom, as we have seen, teaches: “the
Cross must not be traced merely with the finger (δάχτυλο)” and so forth. In the
time of Chrysostom, the one-fingered sign was in use as a sign of confession of
faith in the one God, though not without the thought of the Holy Trinity. The
single finger represented the unity of the Godhead, and the three joints of the
finger served as a reminder of the Holy Trinity in the one Divinity.
Russian source:
О телесных действиях при богослужении и молитве [On Bodily Actions during
Divine Services and Prayer], by Bishop Vissarian (Nechaev) of Kostroma and
Galich, Third Edition, Moscow, 1895.
Online:
https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Vissarion_Nechaev/o-telesnyh-dejstvijah-pri-bogosluzhenii-i-molitve/
