When the Eucharistic community gathers in its physical temple to pray, the Church itself, the body of Christ, begins to take shape and become visible. Certain features of the temple and the gestures we make as we enter it are meant to heighten our awareness of who we are when, together, we bless God by our sacrifies of praise and, together, encounter the Kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit as it comes to meet us in the Divine Liturgy.
The temple itself has three sections: the Altar, containing the Holy Table and the Throne, where the clergy stand; the Nave, where the priestly people of the baptized stand and pray; and the Narthex, where the people gather and prepare themselves for worship.
The Narthex is the space between the outer doors and the entrance to the Nave. It is the outer court of the temple, the place where we calm and quiet ourselves and prepare to stand among the priestly people of God who serve him in the holy place of the Nave. We pick up the candles that we will light before the icons of Christ and the Theotokos. When we are quiet and our thoughts are directed to the One we have come to worship, we are ready to enter the Nave. The Narthex should always be respected as part of the temple itself.
When we are calm and ready to enter the Nave, we venerate the icons of Christ and the Theotokos at the door with two small bows, a kiss, and a third bow. Then we go in. We process to the Tetrapod where the patronal icon or the icon of the feast is enthroned. Again we reverence the icon with bows, perhaps deeper ones this time, then the kiss and the third bow. If we brought candles from the Narthex, we light them and place them in the sand of the candle stands, offering a brief, silent prayer with our petitions.
Then we find a place to stand. The seating around the edges of the Nave are intended for those who physically cannot stand for the whole service. During crowded liturgies it is especially important that this seating be made available to those who need it. The choir loft should be treated as an extension of the Nave.
If you arrive late for the service, make sure your entrance into the Nave will not be disruptive. If the priest is incensing the church or processing through the Nave during the Little and Great Entrances, wait until those movements are complete before entering or before lighting candles. If the Gospel is being read from the Ambon, wait. After the Creed, there should be no movement in and out of the Nave unless it is strictly necessary. Those in the Narthex at these times should be especially quiet and reverent.
At Holy Protection the candle stands are up on the Solea, a place normally reserved for clergy. The space in front of the Holy Doors should be especially respected. After lighting a candle before one icon, one should go back down to the floor of the Nave before moving to the other icon rather than cross directly in front of the Holy Doors.
When you leave the Nave, face the Icon Screen and the Holy Table and High Place behind it, and make three bows. Do the same when you re-enter after having left for some reason.
After the final blessing and kissing fo the Cross, we return to the outer world. As we go, we take the Kingdom we have encountered with us into all our relationships with the people and things of our lives. We are still the Church, but now we are like leaven in the dough, like the soul in the body, unseen perhaps but not idle.
The Assembly of the Church is a divinely social gathering. As with other social events, it is important to dress appropriately for the occasion. At church that means we dress modestly and with reverence. In secular terms, especially in the American West, that generally translates to business casual or business professional. In any case, we should wear our cleanest, neatest, and most respectful clothing. We should avoid overly casual clothing: shorts, T-shirts with logos, pants that are too casual, short skirts, and tight-fitting, transparent, or revealing garments. Some women observe the pious tradition of covering their heads as a sign of the holiness of womanhood. Men and boys should remove their hats when entering the church. (Clergy and monastics often wear special hats appropriate to their rank and habit.)
Please refrain from socializing during services. Save your greetings and conversations for the fellowship hall. The Nave should always be a quiet place. Even the Narthex should be treated as a place of silence during the Divine Liturgy. Because the distribution of Holy Communion can take a long time, it is easy to be tempted to relax, go outside the Nave, and socialize. Resist this temptation. Use that time instead to abide within the Communion created among us by our communion in the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Pray for the people around you rather than talk to them.
Do not use cell phones and avoid using other electronic devices. Turn them off or, at minimum, silence them before entering the Nave.
The Kiss of Peace is an essential part of the ancient order of the Divine Liturgy, as witnessed by the writings of Justin Martyr in the Second Century. It is a moment when the members of the Assembly acknowledge one another as fellow partakers in the reconciliation brought to us by the death and resurrection of Christ. Not all Byzantine parishes practice the Kiss of Peace among the laity because of the tendency sometimes seen in other churches for this moment to break the liturgical tension drawing us toward the Anaphora of the Eucharist and for it to become a merely social exchange.
But it can be done with liturgical reverence. On the Altar priests and deacons greet others of their rank with a triple kiss and the greeting, “Christ is among us! He is and will be!” If it is practiced in the Nave, it should have a quiet, liturgical form, such as a simple bowing of the head to those near by, but it could be the fuller triple kiss and greeting, if done discreetly. During the Kiss of Peace we are professing our faith in the Holy Trinity and the work of our salvation, which unites us and gives substance to our love for one another. The Kiss of Peace is part of the Assembly’s profession of faith; it should never supplant it.
In the Byzantine tradition, the preferred posture for prayer, especially for public prayer, is standing, punctuated by bows of different depths. Kneeling has a more restricted use than in the Latin rite and tends, like prostrations, to be reserved for penitential seasons and occasions. Sitting is appropriate for kathismata and readings from the the Old Testament and Apostolic Writings, but not for readings from the Gospel. Avoid overly relaxed or casual postures. Try to remain reverently attentive both in body and mind.
The Ruthenian usage has two basic forms of bowing: the “small bow” and the “great bow” or “prostration.” A third form known as the “profound bow” or “metany” is a mitigated form prescribed in place of the great bow when the latter would be inappropriate or difficult. The term “reverence” seems to be used sometimes as an equivalent for metany and sometimes as a generic term for any gesture of reverence suitable to the moment.
A “small bow,” is made by inclining the head and shoulders slightly while making the sign of the Cross without extending the hand to the knees or to the ground either before or after the sign of the Cross.
A “great bow” or “prostration,” which is prescribed for use during the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, is made by making the sign of the Cross, kneeling, and then touching the forehead to the floor.
A “profound bow,” used by those who cannot make a great bow during the Presanctified Liturgy and for everyone at certain points during the Divine Liturgies of Saints John Chrysostom and Basil the Great, is made by touching the fingers to the floor and then making the sign of the Cross on oneself. (In Melkite usage, which is often adopted by other Greek Catholics, a “metany” or “profound bow” is often used in places where the Ruthenian usage only calls for a “small bow.”)
Two principles govern the Byzantine veneration of icons: First, the veneration shown to the image is transferred to the prototype, that is, to the person or event depicted. Secondly, we distinguish between the ‘adoration’ (Greek latreia) given only to the Divine Nature and Persons, on the one hand, and ‘veneration’ (Greek proskynēsis) which can be shown to created beings and holy things, including icons. The term ‘worship’ can be confusing because some people use it mainly for the worship of adoration while others use it as a general term that includes veneration.
The ways in which we show veneration to icons are by incensing them, by lighting candles and lamps before them, and by kissing them or bowing our heads to them. The acceptable way to kiss an icon is to kiss either the hands or feet of the saint depicted in the icon, or the scroll, the Gospel book, or the cross a saint is holding. ( A lention cloth is often provide to wipe the icon after kissing it, if needed. Please do not wear lipstick when kissing the icons since the residue will ruin them.)
It is a pious tradition in both Catholic and Orthodox traditions to light candles for personal petitions and intercessions when entering the church. Most parishes have designated candle stands or holders for these candles. It is not proper to light candles at certain times during the service–generally the same times when you should not enter the church, such as during the Little and Great Entrances, when the priest is censing the icons and congregation or giving the homily, or during the reading of the Epistle or Gospel. The candles should be allowed to burn all the way down without being extinguished early, since the burning candle symbolizes our prayers rising to heaven and the light of Christ in our midst. Please do not allow young children to light candles alone, for safety reasons. It is customary to make a donation for each candle.
It is a custom in some parishes to touch the hem of the priest’s outer vestment (phelonion) as he passes by with the Holy Gifts during the Great Entrance. This custom imitates the woman who was healed by touching the hem of Christ’s robe. When touching the hem of the priest’s phelonion, one should be careful not to step in front of the procession, to pull or tug on the garment, or to push anyone away.
In our modern culture, we greet one another with a handshake. The exception to this is when we greet a member of the clergy. Latin Catholics often kiss the right hand of the bishop instead of shaking it. In the Byzantine tradition it is proper to ask both priests and bishops for a blessing and then kiss the blessing hand. The proper way to do this is to approach the hierarch or priest with right hand over left, palms facing up, and then bow while saying, “Master, bless” to the hierarch, or “Father, bless” to the priest. If either places his hand in yours while blessing you, this is an appropriate time to kiss his hand. We kiss his hand because we are honoring Christ, whom he represents. We then cross ourselves, taking the blessing upon ourselves.
Keep them close, keep them safe, redirect gently, and let them learn by being present.
Christ said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for such is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 19:14).
For children old enough to understand, the usual expectations are:
Parents should always be vigilant. They should always escort their children to the restroom. They should be very choosy about who they allow to touch, hold, or cuddle their children. We do not want a parish culture in which non-family members have easy physical access to our children. We want our children to learn healthy, safe boundaries with adults.
Small, age-appropriate participation is better than demanding adult-level stillness from the start.
A brief baby cry, wiggle, or toddler protest is normal; parents should not feel that their child’s mere presence is a problem. But when the noise becomes sustained or clearly distracts others, take the child to the narthex, basement, or for a quiet walk until they settle—then return. Parish guides often encourage walking calmly with a child in the nave or helping them notice icons and the service rather than treating every sound as grounds for exile. Respond calmly, briefly, and without drama. The child will learn that church is a place where they are wanted, and also a place with a real pattern of prayer.