On Bodily Actions During Divine Services and Prayer

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/