icons

[Vico]

Concerning the mentania, I have been taught that the bow/touch the floor before crossing oneself is an abbreviated form of a full prostration, as done for example before the Holy Cross on the Feast of the Elevation and in Great Lent. Instead of laying face down on the floor and then getting up and crossing oneself and then kissing the icon, we just touch the ground, then cross self and reverence. The abbreviated format moves things along a little faster and avoids people tripping over each other, but on solemn feasts, we don’t worry about the clock! The same full prostration is used in the Prayer of St. Simeon, to indicate our humility before God. Hope that helps. bob.c

I can see how that arose. I learned to do the sign first and then the bow, but at my current parish, I had to switch order to match the others: hand down, then sign. With the profound bown (metanije) touching the floor, I believe the sign of the cross preceeds. Have you seen the reverse?

 

[Ruprecht]

Hi Vico:
I think it has always been the prostration/touch floor/bow first, then the sign of the cross. But there is no real rule to the act of reverence; following those around you always makes sense, so as to not stand out too much. Follow the Spirit, that’s what counts.
God bless us all.

 

[Vico]

Hi Vico:
I think it has always been the prostration/touch floor/bow first, then the sign of the cross. But there is no real rule to the act of reverence; following those around you always makes sense, so as to not stand out too much. Follow the Spirit, that’s what counts.
God bless us all.

Thank you. Since I posted here I found a few references. One reference from UK for ROCOR has the sign of the cross first:

orthodoxengland.org.uk/conduct.htm

Apparently I switched from Russian style to Greek style when I switched from sign of the cross first to after the bow.