Living on the ritual edge?the wild world of crossings and bowings

Pontifications ^ | 11/10/2006 | Alvin Kimel

[sionnsar]

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[sionnsar]

Catholic ping

[sionnsar]

What are your practices?

[AnAmericanMother]

LOL!

No wonder everybody in church looks at me funny! I do ALL those things, and always have!

It's contagious, though, some other folks are doing it too now.

[sionnsar]

Good for you!

(Now if you could get them to elevate the liturgy...)

[Huber]

I was pleased to see when visiting St. Marks Catholic the other week, (is your daughter attending there now?) that a majority of the congregation was now kneeling, standing, crossing and genuflecting at the appropriate times. Very few stood at the back with their arms crossed. This is good progress back toward sound worship!

[Huber]

Ping!

[Huber]

Ping!

[AnAmericanMother]

Yep, daughter goes to St. Mark's -- even though they use the OCP missalette. Nobody's perfect.

I will say this, I visited a couple of weeks ago for parents' day, and Monsignor and his new parochial vicar (a very devoted young man just out of seminary) are VERY orthodox, and the church is full of nice young people with big families!

[Agrarian]

Orthodox practice varies, but there are general common elements. We cross ourselves

1, At every invocation or mention of the Holy Trinity (by the names of the three persons that is), which happens many times throughout the services.

2. At the beginning of the Our Father

3. From one to five times during the Creed, depending on the tradition

4. At various points during the Anaphora/Consecration

5. When venerating,kissing, or being blessed by holy objects or icons

...OK, I'm quitting... this is going to take too long, since I'm still just on the sign of the Cross, and there's miles to go when that is done...

[lightman]

Within the Society of the Holy Trinity (pan-Lutheran clergy order) signing the cross is performed at the invocation, Gospel, benediction, and at the words "the resurrection of the body" in the Creed. Most will offer a profound bow at the beginning of the Sanctus, though for what duration varies widely; some through only through the thrice Holies; other through "...God of power and might" and other through the first "Hosanna in the highest". Signing the cross at "Blessed is he..." is widespread, although I tend to do so only when celebrating. Most in the Society will offer a bow of the head at the mention of the name of Jesus in a prayer, as in the conclusion of a Collect "through Jesus Christ our Lord..."

Kneeling for the Confession and for litanies in the prayer offices depends on the availability of kneelers or spacing of the seating.

[Kolokotronis]

Ha! There isn't enough bandwidth available to catelog our liturgical gestures! We cross ourselves almost continually during prayer, certainly everytime the Trinity or Panagia is mentioned and generally three times each. We cross ourselves three times each at every "Holy God,+++ Mighty God,+++ Immortal God+++ have mercy on us. We cross ourselves in the Creed at "And in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church" +++, we do deep bows with arms crossed. We do full body prostrations during the Prayer of +Ephraim the Syrian. We do metanias, which is touching the floor and crossing ourselves. We of course kiss icons, the priest's hand, the crucifix, each other (X2 with the Greeks, X3 with the Arabs and Ethiopians). The Arabs especially pray the Our Father with their arms and hands in the "orans" position. The Ethiopians remove their shoes before entering the nave of the church. Want more? :)

[Kolokotronis]

Do you cross yourselves backwards like the Latins and do you use two or three fingers? :)

[SuzyQue]

This is funny. I always felt a bit odd crossing myself during the service, because I thought it was too "Catholic".

[Tax-chick]

And don't forget to call out "Amen!" when the priest says something right!

And raise your hands and sway, as the Spirit moves ...

[Kolokotronis]

"Do you cross yourselves backwards like the Latins

Hey, I resemble that remark. :)"

Doing the cross backwards is no biggy, though its interesting how that came about. But the fingers! Well, that one tore the Russian Church in two!

[kaehurowing]

"And don't forget to call out "Amen!" when the priest says something right!

And raise your hands and sway, as the Spirit moves ..."


Amen, Hallelujah, you preach it to 'em, sister!

[Tax-chick]

Pass the collection plate, please.