How to bow correctly. Bowing at the service

In 2001, the All-Russian Regency Congress was held, which restored the tradition interrupted in 1916. Along with important choir and statutory problems, the issue of bowing in the church during divine services was also considered.
In the temple, everything should be “in order and decorum,” where there is no place for unauthorized erroneous opinions.
Let me start with a brief overview of this topic.
There are three types of bows:
SMALL (throwing) with and without the sign of the cross
WAIST
EARTHLY

SMALL BOW WITH THE SIGN OF THE CROSS
-used in all cases of expressing prayerful feelings and appeals. For example, when passing by an altar, a temple, while asking for litanies, while singing “Alleluia”, “Holy God”, when the words of prayers encourage this (“let’s bow down”, “let’s fall down”, “Let’s pray”).

SMALL BOW WITHOUT SIGN OF THE CROSS
1. When they cense the worshipers (moreover, the bow is AFTER, and not during the censing: while the deacon or priest censes you, you stand straight); they are shaded with candles; when they bless with a hand or a cross (the latter about the cross is news to me).
2. When the priest censes the entire temple. At the same time, only those praying, past whom the censer passes, turn to face him. And even more so, they don’t turn their backs on the altar.
3. When proclaiming
- BOW YOUR HEADS TO THE LORD
- PEACE TO ALL
- THE BLESSING OF THE LORD BE ON YOU...
- GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS ​​CHRIST...
4. At the Cherubic Song at the Great Entrance with the exclamation: ALL OF YOU ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS.... (at the same time the priest makes a cross over the upcoming people with the Holy Chalice). At this moment I pray to myself: Remember me, Lord, in Your Kingdom! Remember me, Master, in Your Kingdom! Remember me, Holy One, in Your Kingdom!
5. While reading the Gospel (stands straight, with his head bowed, as if listening to Jesus Christ Himself).
6. At the Easter greeting of the priest censing with the cross with the words:
- CHRIST IS RISEN!
Answering:
- TRULY IS RISEN!

SIGN OF THE CROSS WITHOUT BOWING
1. When reading the Creed in words:
“...God the Father, the Almighty...”, “And in the One Lord Jesus Christ...”, “And in the Holy Spirit...”.
There are discrepancies here, for example in St. Ignatius Brianchaninov is instructed to make the sign of the cross only at “I Believe...”.
2. When pronouncing words:
"by the power of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross...".
3. At the beginning of the reading of the Apostle, proverbs.
4. When leaving verbally:
“Christ our true God...”, and the bow after the end of the dismissal, on the last words.
5. At the beginning of the Six Psalms, 3 times with the words “Glory to God in the highest...”.
6. At the words of the troparion “Save, O Lord, Thy people...”, etc.

WAIST BOW
Waist bows can be deep (to the ground - with your hand) and shallow (to the waist).
Applicable:
1. When entering and leaving the temple (3 times opposite the altar).
2. When shouting “Blessed is our God...”.
3. With the exclamation of the clergyman, giving glory to the Holy Trinity.
4. When shouting:
- Yours from Yours.
- Holy of Holies (3 bows!)
5. When pronouncing words on “The Most Honest”:
-...We magnify the present Mother of God Thee.
6. To the exclamation:
- Glory to Thee, Christ God, our hope, glory to Thee!
7. At the beginning of the great doxology at Matins (“Glory to God in the highest”).
Modern tradition increasingly includes the custom of kneeling, although the Charter presupposes throwing.
8. After singing the first half of the Cherubic Song, at the great entrance, during the exit of the clergy (meeting the Holy Chalice).
9. Before reading and after reading the Gospel in the words “Glory to you, Lord, glory to you.”
10. After “It is worthy to eat,” we do not bow to the ground, due to the fact that bowing to the ground preceded the Holy Mysteries.
Holy Mysteries - earthly, Mother of God - waist

BOW TO THE EARTH
Prostrations to the ground - bows, “to bring the head of the might to the ground” (Typikon), are supposed when worshiping the greatest shrines; during fasting days and the most important and mysterious moments of worship. In the first and last cases, the value of the calendar period is not taken into account.

So, during the singing of “WE SING TO YOU” at the Eucharistic canon (as a guideline for parishioners - approximately during the singing of “and we pray to thee our God”) the terrible and glorious MOMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION of the Holy Gifts occurs. According to the teachings of the Church, from this moment on the Holy Throne it is no longer bread and wine that recline, but the Most Pure Body of Christ and His Most Pure Blood, and the priest prostrates himself before this Shrine.

“... THIS MOMENT OF THE DIVINE LITURGY IS THE BASIS OF ALL LIFE OF THE WORLD, it is the axis of the wheel of life...
This is a terrible moment: a person’s whole being, all his feelings, thoughts, his whole being must prostrate himself before this manifestation of the philanthropy and mercy of the Redeemer,”

This is how Hieromartyr Seraphim (Zvezdinsky) writes about this great moment.
Prostration here is required in any calendar period, including Easter.
One can only be perplexed and grieve when at such an important moment the people do not fall on their faces, but at the cry of “Holy of Holies” almost everyone bows to the ground when it is inappropriate here.
(That’s exactly what happens (((.)

The priest makes bows from the waist (3 bows are required), standing near the Throne, and the people fall on their faces while standing in the temple... This can only be explained by ignorance, lack of understanding of what is happening during the service.

Prostration to the ground is obligatory for the communicant, including on Easter at the manifestation of the Holy Gifts with the exclamation “Come with the fear of God and faith...”.

BOW TO THE GROUND during Lent.
Examples of the obligatory use of prostrations:
- at Great Compline with the proclamation:
"Most Holy Lady Theotokos, pray for us sinners"
“God, cleanse us sinners and have mercy on us”;
- at Lenten Vespers
while singing "Virgin Mother of God, Rejoice"
“Glory to: the Baptist... of Christ...”, and now: “Pray for us...” (at each stropar everyone makes one prostration,
after “Under Your mercy...” - one waist;
- in the visual ones, at the end of the chanting of the beatitudes, three times are sung:
“Remember us, Lord, when you come in Your Kingdom,” Remember us, Master...”, “Remember us, Holy One...”.

BOWING TO THE EARTH: COMMON MISTAKES
The most common MISTAKE is the universally accepted opinion THAT IT IS NOT ALLOWED TO PERFORM GROUND BOWINGS IN THE TEMPLE:
- on Sundays, on holy days, from Easter to Pentecost, on the twelve feasts. Bowing in these cases stops from the evening entrance to the holiday until “Vouching, Lord...” at Vespers on the very day of the holiday or its giving;
-also during the days of Holy Week after reading the prayer “Lord and Master of my life” for the last time until Pentecost, with the exception of bowing at the Shroud; and on the twelfth feast of the Exaltation of the Honorable and Life-Giving Cross, bows are made before the Cross.
In fact, the Charter never prohibited prostrations.
All these instructions of the Charter require detailed consideration. Most often they rely on the expression of the Rule of the 20th First Ecumenical Council, which reads: “There are some who kneel on the Day of the Lord; and on the days of Pentecost; then, so that in all dioceses everything is equally observed, it pleases the Holy Council, so that prayers are offered to God worthily.” Canon 90 of the VI Council of Constantinople also speaks of not bending the knee from Saturday upon entry to Sunday upon entry at vespers. But, paying attention to the words “those who kneel”, for some reason they miss the words “let them stand and offer prayers to God.” However, this is important because “kneeling” does NOT mean bowing to the ground, but PROLONGED prayer ON THE KNEES. During the time of the Councils, this was, for example, a special litany. On weekdays, its profound significance was manifested not only in the threefold repetition of “Lord, have mercy!”, but also in the propitiatory, repentant position of the body, namely: kneeling. Such prayer really reduced the festivity of the day.
Pointing to the expression of the Lenten Triodion (Great Wednesday evening): “And the obeisances that take place in the church are completely practiced. In the cells, even before Great Heel, they are celebrated,” they forget that according to the terminology of the book compiled in the East - the Lenten Triodion - the Church does NOT mean a TEMPLE, but a MEETING OF THE WHOLE COMMUNITY for prayer. Kelly does not mean a separate room in Russian monasteries, occupied by one person, but a small group of monks, headed by an elder or simply an older brother appointed by the monastery’s hierarchy. THUS, here we are talking about the abolition of ORGANIZED bows led by a priest (in a temple) or an elder (in a cell).
The Triodion and the Typikon do not mention any more about bowing to the ri. However, everyone agrees that only prostrations are performed in front of the Shroud. Therefore, the above rule does not apply to prostrations in general, but relates only to a certain group of them (organized).
Three more indirect points can be cited.
1. According to the testimony of the old inhabitants of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, the elders in the Lavra said: “And if the Lord Jesus Christ appears to us on the brightest day of Easter, we will fall at His feet or, making a bow from the waist, we will say: “Forgive me, Lord, according to the Charter no more is allowed"?
2. Old Believers, of course, have no equal in matters of compliance with ritual norms and rules. According to the chaos of the 9th canto, a great bow is required, which implies a bow to the ground.
3. During the ordination that occurred during the period of Pentecost, the protege, after each circle around the Throne, bows to the ground to the orchier who ordained him.
Thus, a one-time prostration, expressing extreme reverence and an enthusiastic or repentant state of soul, cannot be prohibited by anyone, anything, ever.
In addition, we can add that penance prostrations are made even on the Bright Resurrection of Christ.
All this is celebrated not in order to force everyone to prostrate on Sundays, but in order to moderate the ardor of those who preach the opinion that those who prostrate during the above periods commit the sin of almost sacrilege.

(If the Lord willing and we will be alive, to be continued; I am making the digest in more detail, because they asked me to mention where, what and why.)

OTHER COMMON ERRORS
During the censing of a deacon or priest, only those praying whom the censer passes by bow their heads at “Lord Lift,” “Most Honest,” etc. (see above). In this case, the mistake is to “see off” the censer, that is, to turn like a sunflower behind the sun (it happens that worshipers, in a fit of inappropriate piety, describe a complete turn around themselves, turning their backs to the altar).
At Vespers at the entrance, when the priest, having venerated the icon of the Savior, blesses the priest (thus dismissing him), the people coming into the church do not need to bow their heads. The same rule applies to the small entrance to the Liturgy.
When censing a deacon or priest from the pulpit on “I cried to the Lord,” “Most Honest,” etc., first, the left and right choirs are censed, then the people. Also on the polyeleos, the priest censes the upcoming clergy, then the right and left choirs, and only then the upcoming people. This is where it is necessary to bow your head, and not bow indiscriminately in all directions.
ON THE “HOLY OF HOLIES” THERE IS NO BOW TO THE EARTH, BUT THREE (!) DEEP WAIST POINTS (“Mission Book”).
At the great entrance (in the middle of the Cherubic Song) there is no need to be baptized, since there are no actions inducing this, and only on the words of the clergyman “all of you Orthodox Christians” should one bow the head. At this time, those who are coming are overshadowed by the Holy Chalice.
About mistakes at ektinyas about the catechumens - here, I think, everyone understands, it is unnecessary to talk. We listen and act according to the words.
When the Holy Gifts are taken away, in response to the exclamation “Always, now and ever...” there is no prostration, but a bow, as this is inappropriate. It is assumed that many (and in ancient times, all) are communicants, and uniformity in bowing is expected in the Church. (It’s personal here: I won’t be able to help but bow to the ground before the Chalice if, unfortunately, I haven’t received communion. Well, I won’t be able to.)
In Great Lent, at Vespers, to the exclamation: “Wisdom, forgive me (i.e., LET’S STAND STRAIGHT). The light of Christ enlightens everyone.” There is no prostration (This is clear from the translation), but throwing without the sign of the cross. (It’s personal here: after all, bowing to the ground is indicated everywhere, but from the translation “let’s forgive” - it seems to be missing).
This tradition requires study; here are quotes from a discussion of this issue:
“According to the ceremonial order, there is only standing up. That is, the rank itself does not provide for any bowing, below throwing.”
“According to the breviary, there is also no bow, not even a tiny one.”
“I believe that all the various adorations at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts (especially during kathismas) are introduced.”
“Neither in Byzantine, nor in ancient Russian, nor in modern Greek practice is there a bow. So, probably, it really is folk art.”
“At this point under discussion, other Orthodox Churches do not bow. Of course, there is no logic in it, especially now. Previously, light was brought by the archdeacon from outside. The bow could appear when the primate began to do so.”
N.D. Uspensky, professor of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy wrote: “Christ the Savior Himself called Himself the light of the world (John 8.12). The quiet light of the evening lamp reminded them of the One about whom the evangelist wrote: “There was the true Light, which enlightens every person who comes into the world” (John 1:9). The lamp burning in the prayer meeting vividly reminded those present of the spiritual presence of Christ with them, who promised to be where two or three were gathered in His name (Matthew 18:20).
And also, from “The Law of God for Gymnasiums 1872”:
“...historically, during the days of Great Lent, catechumens preparing for baptism, during their appearance and overshadowing with a lighted candle, as a sign of the blessed light that they would receive in baptism, bowed to the ground.”
“After the Cherubim, three bows should be made without the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian. For Russians it’s like an adornment (and Father Mikhail Zheltov admitted this).”
“Although not always, we must also keep in mind the practice of other Churches, otherwise, only with the Russian one, you can make a serious mistake.”
“Concerning the three bows with prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, the question is clear. There is no such prayer there. However, if the priest simply makes three prostrations, then no one will follow his example. Although the prayer itself of Ephraim the Syrian “speaks in itself”, and not, as is customary today, in a velovosh.
On the issue of “Light of Christ” everything is clear. In general, according to the meaning, there is no bow, but there follows a deacon’s exclamation calling for people to stand up. That is, there is still a special relationship to the moment.”

SIX PSALMIA.
At the Six Psalms, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO CROSS AND BOW. The Six Psalms are six selected psalms from the Psalter, read at the beginning of Matins. After the first three psalms, which make up the first article of the sixth psalm, when the words “Glory... and now... Alleluia...” are pronounced, the signs of the cross and bows are not made, as the Charter provides for this in other cases. Elder Paisios of Athonite, answering the question of why we don’t sit at the Six Psalms, says: “Because it SYMBOLIZES THE DASTY JUDGMENT. Therefore, it is good if during the Six Psalms the mind goes to the hour of the Last Judgment. The Six Psalms takes 6-7 minutes (many saints indicate that God’s judgment on us will take exactly the time of reading these six psalms). After the first article, we don’t even get baptized, because Christ will come now not to be crucified, but to appear to the world as a Judge.”

BOWING AT THE LITURGY (not listed above, according to the statutory notes of Schema-Archimandrite Dionysius (Lukich), the pre-revolutionary charterer of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra).
To the exclamation “Blessed is the Kingdom...” there is no obligatory bow to the ground.
On the “Trisagion” there are small bows, also on “Thy Cross...”.
From St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) in Volume V of “Offering to Modern Monasticism” we read that at ektinyas, at the first petition and at the exclamation with which the serving priest concludes the ektinya, one bow from the waist is required. There is also the opinion of Bishop Afanasy (Sakharov), who said that at the petitionary litany we worship for every petition, since each of them speaks about the most necessary things for our life.

REVERENCE OF ICONS
We apply ourselves to the icons like this: two bows from the waist, then we apply ourselves to the icon.
If there are several icons, then after two bows from the waist we bow to several icons (according to seniority). Starting from the second, make the sign of the cross to each, after which a third bow is made from the waist.

If we go to ANOINTING, then, having venerated the icons, we approach the priest, accept the anointing, move away and make a third bow towards the altar and a small bow (we bow our heads) without the sign of the cross to the upcoming priest (turning in his direction).

*Spiritual and educational publication “On bowing during worship”, based on materials from the 1st All-Russian Regency Congress (July 17-21, 2001, Moscow region), 4th edition, 2015, admitted for publication. Council of the Belarusian Ex. Moscow Patr.. Decision 519 of 10/18/2011. The editors of the final document were prepared by the charterer of the Holy Trinity Monastery of St. John, Archimandrite Spiridon (Pismenny).

Man is a being of dual nature: spiritual and physical. Therefore, the Holy Church gives man saving means, both for his soul and for his body.

Soul and body are bound into one until death. Therefore, the grace-filled means of the Church are aimed at healing and correction of both soul and body. An example of this is the Sacraments. Many of them have a material substance that is sanctified by the Holy Spirit in the rites of the Sacrament and has a beneficial effect on a person. In the Sacrament of Baptism it is water. In the Sacrament of Confirmation - myrrh. In the Sacrament of Communion - the Body and Blood of Christ under the guise of water, wine and bread. And even in the Sacrament of Confession, we must materially (verbally) speak out our sins before the priest.

Let us also remember the dogma of the General Resurrection. After all, each of us will rise bodily and appear united with the soul at the Judgment of God.

Therefore, the Church has always shown special care for the human body, considering it the temple of the Living God. And a person who does not pay attention to all those means that are proposed in Orthodoxy for the healing and correction of not only the soul, but also the body, is deeply mistaken. After all, it is in the body that the germs of passions often nest, and if you close your eyes to them and do not fight them, over time they will grow from baby snakes into dragons and begin to eat the soul.

Here it is useful to recall the verses of the psalms...

31:9:
“Do not be like a horse, like a foolish mule, whose jaws must be bridled with a bridle and bit so that they obey you.”
After all, our body is often just like a horse and a senseless mule, which must be bridled with the bridle of prayer, the Sacraments, bows, and fasting, so that in its earthly passionate race it does not fly into the abyss.

“My knees have grown weak from fasting, and my body has lost fat.”

We see that the holy prophet and king David, to the point of exhaustion, bowed to the ground in order to be cleansed of sins and fast with a fast that was pleasant and pleasing to God.

Our Lord Jesus Christ also prayed on his knees: “And He Himself went away from them about a stone’s throw, and kneeled down and prayed...” (Luke 22:41).

And if God did this, then should we refuse to bow to the ground?

Moreover, quite often in the Holy Scriptures the prophets and the Savior called people who are proud and turn away from God stiff-necked (translated from Church Slavonic - with stiff necks, unable to worship God).

Quite often you notice this in the temple. A believer, a churchgoer, comes: he bought a candle, crossed himself, bowed before the holy icons, and reverently took the blessing from the priest. A person of little faith enters the temple: he is ashamed not only to cross himself, but even to bend his head slightly towards the icon or crucifix. Because I’m not used to bowing my “I” before anyone, even God. This is what stiff-neckedness is all about.

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, we will hasten to bow to the ground. They are a manifestation of our humility and contrition of heart before the Lord God. They are a sacrifice pleasing and pleasing to God.

The prodigal son, covered in sores, rags and scabs, returns home to his father and falls on his knees before him with the words: “Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you and am no longer worthy to be called your son.” This is what prostration is. The destruction of the personal tower of Babel, the realization of one’s own sin and the fact that without the Lord one cannot rise. And, of course, our Heavenly Father will hasten to meet us in order to restore us and accept us into his love. Only for this you need to put aside your “ego”, conceit and vanity and understand that without God it is impossible to take a step correctly. As long as you are filled with yourself and not with the Lord, you will be unhappy. But as soon as you understand that you are on the edge of an abyss filled with sins and passions, and that you don’t have the strength to rise on your own, that another minute means death, then your feet will bow before the Almighty and you will beg Him not to leave you.

This is what prostration is. Ideally, this is the prayer of the publican, the prayer of the prodigal son. Pride prevents you from bowing to the ground. Only a humble person can do it.

Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) wrote about prostrations to the ground: “The Lord knelt down during His prayer - and you should not neglect kneeling if you have enough strength to perform them. By worship to the face of the earth, according to the explanation of the fathers, our fall is depicted, and by uprising from the earth our redemption ... "

You also need to understand that you cannot reduce the number of prostrations to some kind of mechanical gymnastic exercise and not strive to perform the immoderate feat of kneeling. Less is better, but better quality. Let us remember that prostration is not an end in itself. He is a means for acquiring lost communion with God and the grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit. Prostration is a prayer of repentance that cannot be offered carelessly, inattentively or in a hurry. Stand up, cross yourself correctly and slowly. Get on your knees, place your palms on the floor in front of you and touch your forehead to the floor, then get up from your knees and straighten up to your full height. This will be a real prostration. While performing it, you need to read some short prayer to yourself, for example, the Jesus prayer or “Lord have mercy.” You can also turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints.

During Lent, according to established tradition, three prostrations are made after entering the temple in front of Golgotha: that is, they made two prostrations, kissed the Crucifix and made another one. The same is true when leaving the temple. During the evening service or Liturgy, prostrations to the ground are also appropriate. At Matins, for example, when singing “The Most Honest Cherub and the Most Glorious Without Comparison Seraphim...” after the eighth song of the canon. At the Liturgy - after singing “We sing to you, we bless you...”, since at this time the culmination of the service takes place in the altar - the transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts. You can also kneel down while the priest comes out with the Chalice with the words “With the fear of God” to give communion to the people. During Great Lent, kneeling is also done at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts in certain places, indicated by the ringing of a bell, during the priest's verse reading of the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian, and in some other places of the services of the Holy Pentecost.

Prostrations are not made on Sundays, on the twelve feasts, on Christmastide (from the Nativity of Christ to the Baptism of the Lord), from Easter to Pentecost. This is prohibited by the holy apostles, as well as by the I and VI Ecumenical Councils, since on these holy days the reconciliation of God with man takes place, when man is no longer a slave, but a son.

During the rest of the time, dear brothers and sisters, let us not be lazy in bowing to the ground, voluntarily plunging ourselves by bowing and falling into the abyss of repentance, in which the merciful God will certainly extend His fatherly right hand to us and resurrect and raise us sinners with ineffable love for this and the future life.

Priest Andrey Chizhenko
Orthodox Life

Viewed (2606) times

Often in a church you see a picture when particularly zealous parishioners, who have obviously recently joined the church, but have not bothered to find out the rules of the Church regarding when and how it is appropriate to bow and other necessary actions during the service, begin to cross themselves and fall to their knees inappropriately.

To tell the truth, I myself was like that quite recently. And they probably looked at me just as strangely in the temple. After all, making bows on those days or moments of the service when they are not supposed to be done is called “disorderly conduct” and testifies not to ardent faith, but to an unwillingness to learn the simplest rules of behavior in the temple. But in the words of Christ, “ He who is faithful in a little is also faithful in much, and he who is unfaithful in a little is also unfaithful in much."(Luke 16:10).

So, in order to avoid getting into awkward situations, you need to know the Rules on Bowing. Yes, yes, bows, like any other part of worship (both temple and cell) are regulated in the Typikon - the book of Rules, so that no one does it as he pleases. In addition to bowing, the same document describes when one should and should not cross oneself, kneel, and much more. This order is needed so that there is uniformity in the service, so that none of the parishioners tries to exalt themselves with pride, showing special zeal, and also so that bows and imposition of the sign of the cross are not done when this is completely inappropriate in meaning services.

I. We cross ourselves without bowing

1. At the beginning and end of the reading of Holy Scripture.
2. In the middle of the six psalms with the words “Alleluia”.
3. When reading and singing the Creed with the words: “I believe...”, “And in one Lord Jesus Christ...”, “And in the Holy Spirit...”. Now it has become a custom to make the sign of the cross and the words “In one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church”
4. At dismissal, with the words: “Christ our true God...”, at the remembrance of the celebrated saints.
5. It is permissible to perform the sign of the cross without bowing at the Trisagion at the beginning of Matins, during the Great Doxology and at the Liturgy, as well as with the words “By the Power of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross” and during the commemoration of the saints, at the first petition lithium and in the prayer lithium “God save...”.
6. On Easter days, when a priest with a cross in his hands (a three-candlestick) greets us with the words “Christ is Risen.”

II. We cross ourselves with a bow

1. When entering the temple and when leaving it 3 times.
2. At every request there is a litany.
3. With the exclamation of the priest or reader, giving glory to the Holy Trinity, and other exclamations of the priest, at the end of the litany and special ones, such as: “Glory to Thee, who showed us the light.”
4. At the liturgy, with the exclamations: “Let us become kind, let us become fearful...”, “Singing the song of victory...”, “Take, eat...”, “Drink from it, all...”, “Thine from Thine...”.
5. At the end of the Creed at the word: “Amen.”
6. When reading and singing the words “Come, let us worship...”, “Holy God...”, “Alleluia.”
7. At the end of the singing of a stichera, troparion or psalm.
8. When pronouncing the name of the Most Holy Theotokos, at the petition and in the prayer “Save, God...”.
9. On the canon on every chorus.
10. When singing the Song of the Mother of God at Matins with the words “Most Honest...” and “...we magnify.”
11. When pronouncing the exclamation “Glory to Thee, Christ God...” and the last one before dismissal.
12. At the end of vacation.
13. When shouting: “Let us pray to the Lord” or “To the saint... let us pray.”
14. With the blessing of the priest, if it is conferred with the Cross, Chalice, icon, Gospel, relics or other shrine.
15. When passing through the church, you should always stop in front of the Royal Doors and make the sign of the cross and bow.

III. We always cross ourselves with a bow to the ground, except for the special days listed in section X

1. When entering and leaving the altar three times.
2. At the liturgy, at the exclamation “We thank the Lord,” at the end of the song “We sing to you...”, after the exclamation “And grant us, O Master...”.
3. At the first and second manifestation of the Holy Gifts.
4. In addition, the charter does not prohibit bowing while shouting “Holy of Holies.”

During the days of Great Lent, many bows from the waist are replaced by bows to the ground.

1. When entering and leaving the temple.
2. On slavas when reading kathisma - three bows.
3. At every chorus of the Song of the Virgin.
4. To “It is worthy to eat...”.
5. At Great Compline with exclamations of “The Most Holy Lady Theotokos...” and others.
6. At Vespers and the Hours during the singing of the troparion.
7. At the Fine, when singing “Remember us, Master...” - three bows.
8. When singing the Great Penitential Canon of Andrew of Crete at every chorus.
9. At the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian 3 earthly (one at each petition), 12 waist with the prayer “God, cleanse me a sinner” (not always read) and 1 earthly after re-reading the prayer in full.

IV. When kissing the shrine

it is necessary to make the sign of the cross with a bow twice, venerate the lips (there is a custom of touching the shrine with the forehead), after which another sign of the cross with a bow is made. Kissing the icon's face is prohibited. We kiss the icon of Christ on the right hand, or feet, or hair. We kiss the icon of the beheading of the Forerunner on the hair. Icons of saints either at the right hand or at the feet.

V. It is not necessary to be baptized

while reading or singing psalms and stichera or troparions; in general during any singing.

VI. Head tilt

1. During the reading of the Holy Gospel during the service.
2. At the Great Entrance.
3. After a special petition “Bow our heads to the Lord” or others similar to it.

VII. A bow from the waist without the sign of the cross is made

1. With the words “Peace to all.”
2. At the words “The blessing of the Lord be upon you...”
3. With the words “The grace of our Lord... be with you all.”
4. With the words “And may the mercies of the Great God... be with you all.”
5. At the words of the deacon “and forever and ever” (after “For holy art thou...”).
6. At the words of the priest, “May the Lord God remember you and all Orthodox Christians in His Kingdom...” we bow and answer: “May the priesthood (or archpriesthood, hieromonasticism, holy archimandrite, priesthood) remember yours...”.
7. With other blessings of the priest, if it is performed by hand, censer, or candle.

VIII. Bowing to the ground without the sign of the cross

1. During Great Lent, with the cry of “Light of Christ...”.
2. When transferring the Holy Gifts while singing “Now are the Powers of Heaven.”

IX. You're supposed to be on your knees

1. Only when reading special prayers, preceded by the exclamation “on bended knee... let us pray.”
2. During Great Lent, while singing “Let Him Be Corrected...”.
   Those present at the altar during the liturgy are on their knees, from the words of the priest “Take, eat...” and to the words “Pretty much about the Most Holy...”.

In fact, kneeling is not characteristic of the Orthodox and is performed only in the cases listed above. Having made a bow to the ground, one must immediately stand up, but due to weakness and illness, it is allowed in those cases then several bows to the ground are followed in a row, having made the first one, do not rise from your knees until the end of the last one in the series, and stand up after it.

X. According to the charter, it is not necessary to bow (but it is allowed to perform them as an expression of the prayerful mood of the person praying during solitary prayer or reverence for the shrine)

1. On Sundays, from the pre-celebration of the Nativity of Christ to Epiphany.
2. From Matins on Thursday of Holy Week to Vespers of Pentecost (excluding prostrations before the Shroud).
3. On the twelve holidays (except for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, when general veneration of the Holy Cross is performed).
4. On the days of communion of the Holy Mysteries.
5. Bowing stops from the evening entrance at the all-night vigil on the eve of the holiday until “Grant, Lord” at vespers on the very day of the holiday.

Church custom does not prohibit laity and clergy, unless this violates the uniformity of behavior of those praying in church, from making the sign of the cross and bowing to express their prayerful zeal when pronouncing special prayer appeals in stichera, troparions, psalms, prayers, readings of Scripture and teachings.

ACCORDING TO THE ORTHODOX PRESS

Records found: 50

Hello, less than a year ago I sinned, for which I greatly repent. I went to church and confessed, the priest accepted my confession and absolved me of my sins. Afterwards, I myself made prostrations in the morning and evening with prayer for 40 days. But time passes, and I still haven’t forgiven myself. Can I be forgiven and forget my actions? What do i do?

Natasha

Hello, Natasha. Do not look for peace and oblivion, it is impossible. You can only get relief and strength for the rest of your life. Judge for yourself - sin damages our very nature, like a bodily wound that leaves a mark, a scar, and sometimes like the loss of an arm, a leg, an eye. It is naive to expect that a new arm will grow. Christianity gives us crutches and prosthetics instead of lost limbs, and the hope of regaining them again, if not in this life, then at least in eternity. Keep a small penitential rule, so that it is not visible to anyone, but always reminds you not of the sin itself, but of the severity of its consequences. This rule will teach you humility. While the desire to get rid of remorse at any cost is aimed at acquiring a completely different property that is not useful to us. God help you.

Priest Alexander Beloslyudov

Hello. It turned out that I took Communion, and then after the service I wanted to stay and help in the Temple of God. My help was in cleaning the candlesticks and washing the floors. I did it with pleasure. But later I learned that on this day you cannot even bow to the Lord, spit out saliva, or wash in the shower or take a bath... Not like washing the floors! I was somewhat upset and would like to know whether all this really cannot be done after Communion? Or is this all prejudice? Thank you for your reply. God bless you.

r.b. Tatiana

Hello Tatiana! The Day of Communion is a special day for the Christian soul, when it is united with Christ in a special, mysterious way. Just as to receive the most honored guests, we clean and put in order the entire house, and leave all ordinary affairs, so the day of Communion should be celebrated as a great holiday, devoting it, as far as possible, to solitude, prayer, concentration and spiritual reading. Do not be embarrassed that you helped in the church on this day: it was still a good deed, but from now on, try to spend the day of communion in silence and silence. As for the custom of not bowing to the ground after Communion and not kissing the hands of the priest, failure to observe it is not a sin. Schema-abbot Parthenius points out: “We should also mention here the exaggerated caution among some after Communion. They not only try not to spit the whole day after communion, which, of course, is commendable, but also consider waste food, if it has been in the mouth, as sacred, and therefore they even try to swallow what is inedible, and what cannot be swallowed (fish bones, etc.) They try to burn it on fire. We do not find such extreme severity anywhere in the Church Charter. You only need to drink it after communion and, after rinsing your mouth with the drink, swallow so that no small grain remains in your mouth - and that’s all! The “superstructures” invented on this issue have absolutely no echo in the Church Charter.”

Priest Vladimir Shlykov

Christ is Risen! Tell me, please, during the period from Easter to Trinity, no prostrations are made, and when you read prayers, after reading the kathisma in the Psalter, there is a prayer by Ephraim the Syrian, how to read it during this period?

Love

Love, Truly Risen! Prayer to St. We read Ephraim the Syrian only during the period of Great Lent, and now there is no need to read it. Prostrations to the ground are not made from Easter to the Holy Trinity. Usually we don’t bow to the ground in church, but at home, so as not to embarrass anyone; if you wish, you can bow to the ground after reading the kathismas as much as you want.

Hieromonk Victorin (Aseev)

Is it necessary to bow to the ground when taking out the Chalice for Communion on Sundays and holidays during Easter week?

Svetlana

Svetlana, there are bows to the ground not only of repentance, but also of gratitude. Before the Chalice we bow to the ground, even if we do not receive communion. At Easter, bowing to the ground is not done until the Feast of the Holy Trinity, but before the Chalice one can make a grateful bow to the ground. Although there has been a tradition of not bowing to the ground at all on Easter days, even before the Holy Gifts. I think you don’t need to distinguish yourself especially, since you can mislead others. If you really want to, make a mental prostration, the Lord will still see you.

Hieromonk Victorin (Aseev)

Christ is Risen! Tell me, please, from what date can I bow to the ground?

Vlad

Vlad, He is Truly Risen! On the Feast of the Holy Trinity, three large prayers are read on your knees. From this moment bows to the ground begin. But I want to tell you that you can still bow to the ground at home if your soul asks, there’s nothing wrong with that.

Hieromonk Victorin (Aseev)

Hello Father Victorin! Thank you very much for your answer. I also want to ask you about the Psalter. When should one bow to the ground when reading the Psalter? Are they performed when reading prayers after “Glory”? Please explain everything to me in more detail. Thank you very much. God bless you.

Valentina

Valentina, prostrations are not performed when reading the Psalter. They can be done after finishing the reading of all the kathismas for that day, i.e., for example, today you read one or two kathismas, and at the end of the entire reading, you can bow to the ground as much as you want, as much as you can. It is best to determine your own measure for each day, not too much, but not too little, so that you can do the same number of bows every day. I think you can assign yourself 5-10 bows every day, but you don’t need more.

Hieromonk Victorin (Aseev)

Hello! 1. Tell me, in the morning and evening rules, how many bows should be given, and after each prayer, or after certain ones? 2. Is it possible to read the Psalter and drink holy water with prosphora at home on days of female uncleanness, or is this not allowed?

Photinia

Photinia, bows can be done at home as much as you want, but practice shows that it is better to do no more than 10 per day to begin with. It's better to do a little, but regularly. In the morning, do no more than 10, and in the evening, at night, 3 bows are enough. During female uncleanness, you can pray and read the Psalter, but you don’t need to drink Holy water and eat prosphora - this is a sacred thing, and you need to treat it reverently.

Hieromonk Victorin (Aseev)

Good afternoon, priests, please tell me, during the liturgy, when are prostrations done? The holy gifts are brought out twice, the first time they are shown and taken away, and the second time for communion. I watched the parishioners and still didn’t understand anything. As I understand it, if I take communion myself, then I make a prostration, and if not, then a bow?

Natalia

Natalya, it’s good to bow to the ground, but they must be timely. The first time the Chalice is taken out is at the Liturgy during the Great Entrance - no prostration is made, but a bow can be made from the waist. The second time, the cup is brought out, already consecrated, before communion, and Christ Himself is present in the cup, and of course, it is necessary to bow to the ground before Christ Himself, even if we do not receive communion.

Hieromonk Victorin (Aseev)

You are completely right, thank you very much, this is exactly what I needed to hear. I've got one more question. I heard that you can’t bow on Sunday and Saturday evenings. Is it so? And why? Thank you in advance.

The word “beat” means 100-600 bows, we don’t say that now, and rarely do anyone do them in such quantities now. Imagine that you will make so many bows every day, as Christians did before us - I think in this case, Saturday and Sunday will seem like real days off to you! Such a charter was connected precisely with this. Weekdays are days of repentance, days of labor, and Sunday and Saturday are days of holidays, when indulgences are given both physically and spiritually, therefore bows will be canceled on these days. But since we do not follow these rules, it is not a sin to make a dozen prostrations at home, even on holidays and Sundays. In addition, there are bows of repentance, and there are bows of gratitude. If you wish, you can make no more than a dozen bows as an expression of gratitude.

Hieromonk Victorin (Aseev)

Hello. I have a question. I want to get married, does it have to be the priest to whom I confessed? And one more question. I have a terrible sin, I went to confession for the first time, I told it in tears, excitedly, I am very sensitive, and the priest put a lot of pressure on me because of my actions. I understand that he is right. But after confession, he imposed a penance on me: to read a prayer and do prostrations for a month, I have not been able to do it for 3 months now, my work does not allow me to do prostrations every day, even at night, since this is the schedule. What to do? And yet, after confession, I could not come to my senses for a long time; I was depressed for a long time. I'm afraid to go again, although I have to do it after doing penance. I'm afraid of this emotional decline. I'm waiting for answers to questions. Thank you in advance.

Anna

No, Anna, any priest can marry you. And as for penance, you need to meet with that priest again and ask for its mitigation; you really have difficult circumstances.

Hegumen Nikon (Golovko)

Hello! Please tell me, at the Liturgy, when the priest tells the catechumens to bow their heads and pray, what should the baptized do at that moment? Is it necessary to bow your head (of course, you want to do this, but it seems that it is proposed to be done by the catechumens)? And I don’t understand, when should one bow to the ground? They say that they are not made on Sundays and are not made after Lent. In a word, I am confused, because in the church who kneels during the Eucharistic canon, who stands upright, who bows to the ground at the words “Holy of Holies,” who doesn’t... Tell me how to do the right thing? With best regards!

Andrey

During the litany of the catechumens, the baptized do not need to bow their heads. During the period from Easter to Trinity and on Sundays, it is really not necessary to bow to the ground; they are replaced by bows.

Deacon Ilia Kokin

Hello, father. If you can, please clarify this question. Is communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ a reward or is it medicine and help for a Christian? For me, even the morning and evening rules are incredibly hard work, not to mention the most difficult preparation for Communion, it can be very difficult to pray with attention, and if this does not work out, irritation, indignation, grumbling sets in and the whole prayer goes down the drain, so I have to leave it so that it is not desecrated. I understand that prayer is important and that it is the root of everything, but I can’t pray, and this causes great frustration. But my conscience does not allow me to read the text coldly and detachedly, and it is clear that this will not be a prayer. As a result, it turns out that prayer is like drill or hard labor, and if you still overcome this, then Communion is like a reward. But perhaps, after all, this is not a reward, but on the contrary, the Body and Blood of Christ are given to us to help us overcome difficulties, but then there is a contradiction, in order to receive this saving help, a person must do hard work without any help, so that only then receive it when the labor has already been overcome. What then comes first, work for the sake of Communion or Communion for the sake of help in work? Tell me how to think about this, what comes to your heart on this issue? Save me, God!

Alexei

Dear Alexey, you are lost in three pines because you have the wrong concept of the sacrament, for it is not a medicine or a reward. The root of this word is “part,” and we are all members of the church as separate parts of one whole, that is, the Body of Christ, and He is the head of the Church. Thus, through the communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ we are united with God and with the entire fullness of the Church. The most important thing is that Communion is the basis of our future life and therefore cannot be considered as a medicine or reward. In ancient times, people were mostly illiterate and did not have books, but, nevertheless, they prepared for communion by performing simple prayers and bows. Tell your confessor about your problem and determine with him your prayer rule that is within your power.

Priest Alexander Babushkin

Good evening. God bless you. 1. A year in church, I confess, take communion. There is a desire and need for a spiritual father, how to find (choose) him? 2. My son has been very ill since childhood, in the group. He is 21 years old, how can I teach him about faith? You can't drive with a stick, can you? 3. Why don't they pay 10 in churches? 4. The attitude of Orthodoxy towards biometric passports? 5. My father completely lost his memory after a stroke. How can I help as much as possible? 6. In addition to confession, how can you and how correctly pray for sin for those killed in the womb? Very grateful.

Nikolai.

Nikolai, the choice of a spiritual father has been written repeatedly and even at length on our website, just be curious. The main point is that you need to feel a response and understanding from that priest, as well as his gift of consolation towards yourself.
In relation to your son, you can drive him with a stick. You are the father, use your authority, superiority, willpower and conviction. You can behave more firmly with your son.
The third question concerns tithing, as I understand it? Well, why, there are people even now, and there are many of them, who give a tenth of their income to the temple.
Biometric passports and other electronic means of accounting, according to the church’s understanding of the problem, in themselves do not carry any mystical content. But they bring us closer to total control, which plays into the hands of any world dictator, and, naturally, the dictator of dictators - the Antichrist.
Regarding the fifth question, you need to contact a doctor, as far as I know, in modern medicine there are effective methods for restoring memory, but they require constant study and exercise.
And for sins, including those mentioned by you, you must, first of all, repent. However, nothing prevents you from taking upon yourself, with the blessing of the priest, some small feat - prayers or bows, or fasting - in memory of these sins, as penance, so that they are never forgotten.

Hegumen Nikon (Golovko)

I live in the world. I pray the rosary. And as I abstain, the demon of fornication overcomes me. What prayers should I read against this demon?

Sergius

Hello, Sergiy! To pray the rosary, you need the blessing of a priest. If you have one, then bow to the ground during prayer. And also in the fight against this passion it is necessary to confess. Here is one of the prayers against fornication (the prayer of Macarius of Optina): “O Mother of the Lord, my Creator, You are the root of virginity and the unfading flower of purity. O Mother of God! Help me, who is weak with carnal passion and is painful, for one is Yours and with You is Yours I have the Son and God to intercede. Amen."
God help you!

Priest Vladimir Shlykov

Over the weekend I went to Verkhoturye, to the St. Nicholas Monastery, where I received communion. And then we stopped at the Holy Intercession Monastery, where we venerated the wonderful icon of the Mother of God “Tenderness” and the relics of Cosmas of Verkhoturye. And only then I remembered that after communion you cannot bow to the ground. What should I do?

Hope

Hello, Nadezhda! I advise you to bring repentance to confession.

Priest Vladimir Shlykov

Hello, I’m 13 years old, I’ve been repenting very strongly before the icon for about 2 years, or maybe less, the fact is that I have VERY VERY VERY bad thoughts, you can’t even imagine, and all the time these thoughts come, I run to the icon and kiss it, and touch it with my hand, and pray that the Lord will forgive me for everything because I say this about Him and others (in my head, in my mind) and call everyone names, and so on for 5 minutes -10, I even do this at school, but not in front of an icon, but just looking at the ceiling or looking forward, and some have already begun to suspect me of this. Please help, even when I go to the bus stop, I pray 3 times, I can’t take it anymore, I’m tired, I even wanted to give up Christianity so as not to cause harm to anyone, but I’m afraid the Lord will get angry and take away my parents and family, help , what should I do? Thank you in advance.

Bows are symbolic actions that express feelings of respect to the Supreme Being - God. They have been used in the Christian Church since ancient times. Bows must be made slowly, in accordance with certain words of the prayer. There are great (ground) and small (waist) bows. When performing bows to the ground, a person must fall prostrate and touch the floor with his knees and forehead, and when bowing from the waist, bow his head and touch the floor with his fingers.

That is, bowing is a symbolic action, bowing the head and body, expressing humility and reverence before God. There are great bows, also called bows to the ground, when the worshiper kneels and touches the head to the ground, and small, or waist, bows from the waist to the head and body.

Prostrations to the ground are not prescribed by the charter on Sundays (20th canon of the 1st and 90th canons of the 6th Ecumenical Councils) and great holidays, on the days from the Nativity of Christ to Epiphany, from Easter to Pentecost, and also to communicants on the day of communion

The custom of bowing to the ground appeared in ancient biblical times. This is how Solomon prayed at the consecration of the Jerusalem Temple (see: 1 Kings 8:54), Daniel in Babylonian captivity (see: Dan. 6:10) and other Old Testament righteous people. This custom was sanctified by our Lord Jesus Christ (see: Luke 22:41) and entered into the practice of the Christian Church (see: Acts 12:60; Eph. 3:14).

Most often, kneeling occurs during Lent. Kneeling and rebellion, according to the explanation of St. Basil the Great, marks the fall of man through sin and his rebellion through the love of the Lord.

Small bows are performed during all temple and home prayers. At a service, when the priest blesses with his hand, a small bow is made without the sign of the cross.

Great Lent bows - three times bowing to the ground, accompanied by the sign of the cross and reading the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian, divided into three verses.

The Church Charter strictly requires that we bow in the temple of God earnestly, decorously, unhurriedly and in a timely manner. Bowing and kneeling should be done at the end of each short litany or prayer, and not during its reading or singing. It is unacceptable to bow down at the same time as making the sign of the cross.

ABOUT BOWING AT DIVINE SERVICES

The following signs of the cross without bowing, signs of the cross with bows from the waist, and signs of the cross with bows to the ground should be performed:

- at the initial exclamation of each service - 3 bows from the waist;
- on every Trisagion; “Come, let us worship...”; “Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee, O God,” - 3 bows;

exceptions: a) in the first part of Matins, before the Six Psalms, only the signs of the cross without bows are performed; b) on Alleluia (three times), during kathismas on Sundays and holidays, bows are left;

- on “Our Father...” (at the beginning) - bow;
- at the end of “It is worthy to eat...” (or Zadostoynik) - bow;
- when singing, reading troparions, kontakions, stichera, when the words express worship, one must bow;
- at each petition after all litanies - a bow;
- at each priestly exclamation there is a bow.

ABOUT BOWING DURING THE ALL-NIGHT VIgil

At the beginning of the Six Psalms, with the triple “Glory to God in the highest” - 3 signs of the cross (without bowing!);

- in the middle of the six psalms, with three times “Alleluia” - 3 signs of the cross (without bowing!);
- during the polyeleos, during the first and last magnification (which are sung by the clergy in the middle of the temple) - after bowing to the ground;
- to “Glory to Thee, Lord...” before reading the Gospel and after reading - by bowing;
- before kissing the holy Gospel or holy icon - 2 bows;
- after kissing - 1 bow;
- at the canon, with all choruses of all nine songs - bow;
- at “My soul magnifies the Lord”, at the end of each “Most Honest” - a bow;
- on “Glory to You, who showed us the light” before the great doxology - bow;
- after the great doxology on the Trisagion - 3 bows.

ABOUT BOWING DURING THE DIVINE LITURGY

After all litanies, at all petitions, there is a bow; exception: on petitions intended for the prayer of the catechumens, such as: “Pray, catechumen, O Lord” and “Catechumenate, bow your heads to the Lord,” you should not bow;
- at all priestly exclamations - by bow;
- after the small entrance, while singing “Come, let us bow” - bow;
- at the exclamation “For Thou art Holy, our God” - the sign of the cross without bowing;
- to “Lord, save the pious” - bow;
- to the deacon’s exclamation “And forever and ever” - bow without the sign of the cross;
- on the Trisagion - 3 bows;
- to “Glory to Thee, Lord...” before reading the Gospel and after it - by bowing;
- at the great entrance, when the priest proclaims “You and all Orthodox Christians” - bow without the sign of the cross;
- at the end of the Cherubic song, while singing “Alleluia” - 3 bows;
- at the beginning of the Creed - the sign of the cross without bowing;
- at the end of the Creed, at “...the tea of ​​the resurrection of the dead...” - bow;
- at the “Grace of the World”, at each exclamation of the deacon or priest - a bow from the waist;
- when shouting “We thank the Lord”, when singing “It is worthy and righteous to worship...” - bow to the ground;
- at the Lord’s words: “Take, eat...” and “Drink from it all...” - with a deep bow from the waist;
- after the consecration of the Holy Gifts (i.e., before singing “It is Worthy to Eat” or the Zadostoynik) - bow to the ground;
- after “It is worthy to eat” or “Zadostoynik” - bow;
- on “Our Father”, at the beginning - a bow to the ground;
- at the end of “Our Father” (with the words “...deliver us from evil”) - bow;
- at the exclamation “Holy to Holies” - 3 bows or prostration;
- at the first appearance of the Holy Gifts, at the exclamation “With the fear of God...” - bow to the ground;
- after reading the prayer for Communion “I believe, Lord, and I confess...”, all communicants, before approaching the Holy Chalice, bow to the ground, and those who do not partake bow to the ground;
- at the second appearance of the Holy Gifts, at the exclamation “Always, now and ever...” all those who did not receive communion bowed to the ground, and those who received communion bowed from the waist;
- When reading the prayer behind the pulpit, stand with your head bowed.

In addition to these bows, there are also the following:

When shouting “Peace to all” or “Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ...”, when the priest blesses the people, bow your head, without the sign of the cross;

- when leaving without the Cross - bow your head, without the sign of the cross;

- when reading the Gospel - stand with your head bowed;

- when censing - respond to the censer with a bow, without the sign of the cross;

- when shouting “Bow your heads to the Lord” - bow your head;

- when leaving with the Cross - bow with the sign of the cross;

- when overshadowing those praying with the Cross, Gospel, icon or Chalice - bow with the sign of the cross;

- when overshadowing those praying with candles or hands - a bow without the sign of the cross.