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To: kosta50

interesting. i’ve never seen this.

i’ve seen crossing yourself twice, bending to kiss an icon with you hand extended toward the floor, and then crossing yourself again.

i’ve seen bending over and kneeling on the floor and putting your head to the floor, but never for mentions of mary, in fact i’ve only seen it once and that was at my parish in the past few weeks. had nothing to do with mary though.

it’s all i can do to cross myself everytime any member of the trinity is mentioned, and i’ve never crossed myself at mentions of mary. (or seen anyone do so). i try to cross myself 3 times when the trinity is mentioned, and 3 times when entering the church (and as mentioned when venerating icons)


12,382 posted on 04/11/2007 7:40:20 PM PDT by kawaii (Orthodox Christianity -- Proclaiming the Truth Since 33 A.D.)
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To: kawaii
i’ve seen crossing yourself twice, bending to kiss an icon with you hand extended toward the floor, and then crossing yourself again

I do that only to the icon of Christ, and/or a cross with Christ on it, on the icons stand. I cannot see myself prostrating for a Saint.

i’ve seen bending over and kneeling on the floor and putting your head to the floor, but never for mentions of mary, in fact i’ve only seen it once and that was at my parish in the past few weeks

That is something we do during Great Lent (the Sunday of the Cross and the Holy Thursday/Friday vespers when Christ is laid on a table and symbolically buried. There is usually the NT and a cross on top of Him, and we kiss His feet, the cross and the NT after we do the full prostration, which is some Orthodox do as the Muslims do which is incorrect). This is worship of Christ, not of any Saints.

The only time when crossing is "regulated" is when the Holy Trinity is invoked. At other times, the Orthodox cross the way the Protestants say "Praise the Lord!" or "Amen!" or when there is a strong emotional charge (as in the Divine Liturgy when the priest says petitions to care for our sick and for the wellbeing of the souls of our departed ones).

Some communities cross a lot more than others. Thus, Serbs tend to cross when incensed, or when the priest says "peace with you" etc.

When entering and leaving the church, crossing is a sign of reverence.

Kneeling is allowed on all days except between Paschal Sunday and the Pentecost (about 40 days) and on Sundays (by the decision of the First Ecumenical Council). At other times, kneeling is optional.

On the Pentecost Sunday, kneeling is part of the service, but one is never wrong standing on a Sunday (day of Resurrection; resurrected man is not sitting or kneeling the rationale goes).

12,390 posted on 04/11/2007 8:55:37 PM PDT by kosta50 (Eastern Orthodoxy is pure Christianity)
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