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In the Orthodox Church of Finland we prostrate after the epiclesis (priests and laity alike) and also after the prayer that is read right before receiving the Eucharist. This is done also on Sundays, except from Easter until Pentecost, when no prostrations are done (prostrations are replaced by touching the ground with your finger tips). At weekday liturgies it is quite common to prostrate also at the beginning of the Lord's prayer, but this is not done on Sundays.

The Presanctified liturgies include a lot of kneeling and prostrating. I once counted that if the whole service is done without cutting off anything, you touch the floor with your forehead 32 times during the service. :) In general we don't kneel much, only do prostrations, but the Presanctified liturgy is an exception in that regard because it is a common practice to kneel for Psalm 141 "Let my prayer rise as incense", Lord's prayer, and the prayer read right before receiving the Eucharist.

Eastern Orthodox Guidelines for Prostration during the Divine Liturgy:

According to the rules and guidelines of the Eastern Orthodox Church, full prostrations (kneeling and then hands and head to the floor), symbolizing extreme humility before God, are not done on Sundays, because on those days we celebrate a little Pascha, commemorating the day of Christ's Glorious Resurrection from the dead, when the Savior reconciled mankind to God.

Full prostrations are permitted, however, during a Divine Liturgy celebrated on weekdays. Here are the six times during the Divine Liturgy when a prostration may be performed.

1. After the Nicene Creed, as the priest says "Let us give thanks unto the Lord", when the choir responds by singing "It is meet and right to worship the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit..."

At this point, the priest reads a prayer of thanks to the Lord for bringing us all from non-being into being, and for restoring those who have fallen away from Him. He gives thanks to the Lord for all of His merciful blessings, both known and unknown, and for the peaceful sacrifice about to be offered...saying "a mercy of peace, a sacrifice of praise...", thereafter also sung by the choir.

The faithful may perform the first full prostration at this point as a sign of their thanks to God for the blessings of their lives.

2. As Christ Himself is present in the Holy Gifts, the faithful may make a second full prostration during the Mystery of the changing of the Holy Gifts at the Invocation of the Holy Spirit, the Epiklesis, specifically at the priest's words "changing them by Thy Holy Spirit. Amen. Amen. Amen."

3. A third full prostration venerating the Mother of God may be made at the words "Calling to remembrance our All Holy, Most Immaculate, Blessed Lady Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary..." At this time, we revere the Mother of God as "more honorable than the Cherubim and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim", because through her, the Incarnation of God was manifested for the salvation of all mankind.

4. A fourth full prostration may be made at the recitation or singing of the Lord's Prayer. It is the greatest of all prayers, for it was given to us by the Lord Jesus Himself. (Matthew 6: 9-13).

5. A fifth full prostration may be made when the Holy Gifts are brought out for Communion of the faithful, as the priest or deacon says "With fear of God, and with faith and love draw near", because through the Mystery of the Eucharist bread and wine changes into the Body and Blood of Christ. As such, it is appropriate to bow down before the Holy Gifts, as before Christ Himself, for He is mystically present in them.

6. The sixth full prostration may be done at the end of the Divine Liturgy after the singing of "We have seen the True Light..." At this point, the priest secretly prays: "Be Thou exalted above the heavens, O God, and Thy glory above all the earth". In the Liturgy, this final appearance of the Holy Gifts to the people, and their subsequent transfer deep into the Sanctuary to the Prothesis Table, depicts the Ascension of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, into Heaven. The Gospel states that while Christ was ascending, the Apostles bowed down before Him (Luke 24: 52). Likewise, at the final appearance of the Holy Gifts, as the priest proclaims, "always, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages", the faithful may make a full prostration, since they not only observe and contemplate Christ at this time, but have also received Him within themselves.

In actual practice, these full prostrations are more frequently observed in the Services of Orthodox monastic communities, while a deep bow to touch the floor, accompanied by a Sign of the Cross, is more commonly practiced among the laity. Those who are physically unable to perform either will simply make the Sign of the Cross instead.

Christ is Born. Glorify Him!

+Cosmos

"It certainly disabused me of any lingering notions that the Byzantine East does not have as lively a sense of the "Real Presence" as the Latin West (a theme so beloved of certain Western apologists)."

Eh? I am sorry, but I fail to see how not kneeling during the Holy Liturgy on Sunday which happens to be in the Holy Canons for both the Eastern and Western Churches is an indication of the Eastern Church not having "as lively a sense of the "Real Presence" as the Latin West.

Many Orthodox do not kneel on Sunday precisely because they feel the presence of God in the altar. After all, the Sunday Liturgy is a little Pascha and we do not kneel on Pascha because it is the Resurrection of the Lord, His glorious victory over death, a celebration of our Salvation and the defeat of the devil and his minions.

One Sunday many, many years ago I was translating a conversation between a Russian Orthodox bishop and an Antiochian Orthodox priest; the bishop had just served Pontifical Liturgy and offered the usual prostration following the Epiclesis. The Antiochian priest - who had declined to join in the prostration, which I thought was discourteous enough, had the nerve to ask the Bishop why His Grace did not observe the Holy Canons in the matter.

Without turning a whisker, the Bishop responded that the Holy Canons forbid a prostration of penitence on Sunday, but a prostration of gratitude is permissible. He then gently suggested that the priest might do well to learn that the Bishop is the High Priest and makes these decisions, and that it is improper to fail to follow the Bishop's lead during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy.

Last time I looked, the priest had joined "HOCNA".

Fr. Serge

Oh, I agree with you Father Serge.

I don't see anything wrong with prostrations of gratitude during the Liturgy, especially if it is mandated by the Bishop of a given diocese. I was simply saying that not doing prostrations is certainly not a sign the lack of presence in the altar. Wouldn't you agree?

Dear Fr Serge,

I certainly agree. The first rule: When a Hierarch is serving, follow his lead! Second rule: Never ask impertinent questions of the Bishop.

Fr David Straut

A popular clerical directive to those of junior rank is simply to remind them that 'executive' decisions regarding rubrics are "at the discretion of the ecclesiarch".

+Cosmos