Do Eastern Catholics ever kneel?

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Seamus_L said:
I’ve seen kneelers in every Eastern Catholic Church I’ve ever visited. Who says they don’t kneel ? It’s even in the Liturgical books.
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You haven’t been to St. Nicholas of Myra in Anchorage. No pews, no kneelers. Haven’t been for over a decade.
 
Hello to all.

Actually, trying to figure out “what Orthodox do” can be kind of tricky.

For example, in the OCA (Russian based) Church that I converted at there are no pews, no kneelers and no one ever kneels on Sundays. At the Greek Orthodox Church in the same town and they had pews and kneelers, but no one ever kneeled on Sundays. At my current Church (Greek) there are pews but no kneelers - but everyone kneels during the Consecration at all services except on Sundays during the Pascal season.

I’ve been told that “officially” Orthodox are not supposed to kneel on Sun, but in real life it just seems to vary depending on where you are.
 
From the bulletin of St. Nicholas (Antiochian) Orthodox Cathedral in Brooklyn NY:

“We kneel at the time of the consecration of the gifts…‘Thine own of Thine own we offer unto Thee on Behalf of all and for all’”
 
I attend a Romanian Greek Catholic Church and they kneel. It even says in the Liturgical book to kneel.
 
Kyrillos_NY said:
From the bulletin of St. Nicholas (Antiochian) Orthodox Cathedral in Brooklyn NY:

“We kneel at the time of the consecration of the gifts…‘Thine own of Thine own we offer unto Thee on Behalf of all and for all’”
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I wonder why they do. Has the Rite always had this discipline?
 
jam070406 said:
I attend a Romanian Greek Catholic Church and they kneel. It even says in the Liturgical book to kneel.
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Do you know if it has always been the discipline of this Rite? If so do you know the theology that it comes from?
 
simple_soul said:
I wonder why they do. Has the Rite always had this discipline?
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From the look of their website, they appear to be Antiocheans from the Middle East and not the “new” Antiocheans… they most likely brought the tradition with them when they came to this country…
 
Patchunky said:
From the look of their website, they appear to be Antiocheans from the Middle East and not the “new” Antiocheans… they most likely brought the tradition with them when they came to this country…
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Probably. Coptic Orthodox also kneel on Sunday, during the Epiclesis and a couple of other times.
 
bpbasilphx said:
According to Nicea I we refrain from kneeling from Pascha to Pentecost in honor of the Resurrection; the same Council forbade kneeling on Sundays as Sunday is the Commemoration of the Resurrection.
Not kneeling on the major Feasts is extending the dignity of Pascha to these days.
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(Canons of the First Council of Nicea, Canon 20 “Since there are some who kneel on Sunday and during the season of Pentecost, this holy synod decrees that, so that the same observances may be maintained in every diocese, one should offer one’s prayers to the Lord standing.”)

Here’s one priest’s reflection on this.

Since the First Council of Nicea did make this directive I’ve wondered at what point things changed.

Yesterday, in the local Greek Orthodox parish the faithful were kneeling (yes on kneelers…), including one prostrating, during the DL for the Feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist. They seem to kneel at Liturgy for any feast day I’ve participated in there. I’ve not been there for a Sunday Liturgy. Unless there are several people who remain standing I always kneel with them when they kneel.

An Assyrian Chaldean Catholic Church I visited recently about half the faithful knelt and half stood.
 
5Loaves said:
(Canons of the First Council of Nicea, Canon 20 “Since there are some who kneel on Sunday and during the season of Pentecost, this holy synod decrees that, so that the same observances may be maintained in every diocese, one should offer one’s prayers to the Lord standing.”)

Here’s one priest’s reflection on this.

Since the First Council of Nicea did make this directive I’ve wondered at what point things changed.

Yesterday, in the local Greek Orthodox parish the faithful were kneeling (yes on kneelers…), including one prostrating, during the DL for the Feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist. They seem to kneel at Liturgy for any feast day I’ve participated in there. I’ve not been there for a Sunday Liturgy. Unless there are several people who remain standing I always kneel with them when they kneel.

An Assyrian Chaldean Catholic Church I visited recently about half the faithful knelt and half stood.
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Hello 5Loaves,

Thank you for posting this.
I have read a book by Alexander Schmemann called “For the Life Of the World”. I loved it. Now I will have to find the “Introduction to Liturgical Theology”. I love learning about the Theology of things and this author seems to have wonderful knowledge and insight to it.
 
Greetings brothers and sisters. I am on holiday in Greek Islands, Santorini and now in Crete!! Some place, really heavenly here. Just like heaven, Heaven only better because Jesus is there, although, He and the Saints are in the lovely Greek Orthadox Chapels so…

So as a Seventh-day Adventist I say how wonderful to be in Heaven with our Lord and the Saints for company!! I kneel in prayer. Though have not seen any Orthadox Christians kneeling yet…
Shalom. May God bless all here. Michael.
 
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