Customs when entering the altar

[Tim Grass]

Hi all,

I've been told two variations on what one is supposed to do when entering the Altar/Sanctuary to serve.... i.e. when you pass through the Deacon's Doors into the main Altar area (as a lay person).

One person told me that two deep bows are made before the altar, then a full prostration.

Another person told me it's just three deep bows, but no prostration, because on Saturdays and Sundays prostrations aren't made..... (I'm talking about serving at weekend services here).

I approached person 1 with person 2's comments, and he said that the no prostration rule on Sundays doesn't apply to entering the Sanctuary, where a prostration is always made except in Bright Week.

Any clarifications?

--tim

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Hi all,

I've been told two variations on what one is supposed to do when entering the Altar/Sanctuary to serve.... i.e. when you pass through the Deacon's Doors into the main Altar area (as a lay person).

One person told me that two deep bows are made before the altar, then a full prostration.

Another person told me it's just three deep bows, but no prostration, because on Saturdays and Sundays prostrations aren't made..... (I'm talking about serving at weekend services here).

I approached person 1 with person 2's comments, and he said that the no prostration rule on Sundays doesn't apply to entering the Sanctuary, where a prostration is always made except in Bright Week.

Any clarifications?

--tim

The rule for doing bows to the waist or great prostrations is connected to the liturgical cycle and rank of the feast being celebrated. This same rule is followed whether one is in the altar or not. Whenever there is a feast or saints' day of a doxology rank (ie where the great doxology would have been sung at matins) there are only bows. The same follows for Saturdays, Sundays, forefeasts and after-feasts, including the period from Pascha to Pentecost & from Nativity to the eve of Theophany.

On most other days prostrations are done.

Upon entering the altar we do either three prostrations or three bows according to the liturgical cycle or feast as described above.

However there is also another unwritten rule which has even more authority than the above- whatever the serving bishop or priest does we do. :)

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[M.C. Steenberg]

Dear Mr Grass,

The above, as Fr Raphael has described it, is the custom with which I am also familiar. Though it does seem relevant to note that I have also been in churches where the custom of prostrating before the altar was observed on Sundays, despite the general guidelines Fr Raphael mentioned.

INXC, Matthew