b. But no one "has to" make the sign at specific times. This is the sign of both hands outstretched at shoulder height under a tallit, with the fingers spread apart, as the Kohen blesses the congregation. In . Why do you kiss your hand after the sign of the cross? You'll also notice that some kiss the chalice, some kiss the edge of the priest's vestment as he passes by, the acolytes kiss his hand when they give him the censer, and we all line up to kiss the cross at the end of the service. The kiss is an ancient custom signifying love, respect and reverence. Its hymns introduce the day's themes.The service outlines the Old Testament period, the creation of the world, the first human beings falling into sin, of their expulsion from Paradise, their repentance and prayer for salvation, the hope of humankind in accordance with . Seraphim Rose's monastery on Platina, CA. Does the side of the church you sit in have . One of the challenges facing converts to Orthodoxy is that we have this way of going around kissing everyone. How do you do this? To answer this question, let me share with you some important facts that you do not know about the priest or the priesthood. a. Bishops and priests sign us with the sign of the Cross. We even venerate one another. In some cultures, a kiss on the hand is a means of showing respect for their elders. In the Syriac Orthodox Church the priest kisses the altar, then conveys the kiss to two of the younger altar boys (typically) who then in a joyous manner in their purity convey this to the outermost person on each row, who then passes the peace to his neighbors in the row, then there is some exchanging with the rows in front and behind. The priest as a man is a sinner, but the priest as priest represents Christ; he is an icon of Christ. We kiss icons, crosses, and Gospel Books, kiss the edge of the priest's garment and kiss his hand, kiss the chalice, and kiss each other. "Why do parishioners kiss your hand when they're taking your blessing? In response to this, the priest blesses the devotees and voluntarily places his hand on their open palm so that they may kiss his . When the priest blesses us, he forms the Greek letters IC XC, that is, Jesus Christ, with the fingers of his hand. We dress nicely when we go to meet someone important to us, and priests should do the same. When we kiss the hand of the bishop or priest, we are not showing respect to the person of the priest but to his sacred office. We kiss things. Jul 13, 2020; 3 min; The Sign Language of Orthodox Icons | Tradition Explained. Priests often kiss the wedding bands of the . So far, so good. And why, during the Kiss of Peace, the priest first receives the peace of Christ by kissing the altar, and then passing it on to the deacon, who passes it to the subdeacon, and so on. Gently touch the index, middle, and thumb to the center of your forehead. For this latter reason, we do not normally kiss the hand of a Deacon. The hand of a priest is, therefore, an instrument for imparting Divine Grace. was handed over to the Serbian Orthodox Church shortly after his repose. This is why, during the Mass, the deacon, subdeacon, and servers all kiss the priest's hand. After all, the priest and bishop are not just "one of the boys." When you kiss their hands, you show respect for their office — they are the ones who "bless and sanctify" you and who offer . Despite his unworthiness, in Holy Ordination he has rece ived the Grace of God to impart spiritual gifts and blessings. It is the peace of Christ we acquire through the priest. Those who do want to, will do so. You kiss when you first see someone. On kisses in the Orthodox Church. The clergy and attendants have completed the circuit around the nave in the Great Entrance, and they have placed the gifts on the altar. Hints of this theology can be seen in . The priest then blesses them with the sign of the cross and then places his hand in theirs, offering the opportunity to kiss his hand. It is also said that the brotherhood of Fr. It is the peace of Christ we acquire through the priest. Why does everyone kiss the priest's hand? The priest as a man is a sinner, but the priest as priest represents Christ; he is an icon of Christ. This is why, during the Mass, the deacon, subdeacon, and servers all kiss the priest's hand. You kiss when you say goodbye. The clergy (that is, specially ordained people who celebrate the Divine Services) are our spiritual fathers. The Rite of Consecration of a New Bishop. Also, though his hand is unworthy, yet it touches the Most Holy Things - the Precious Body and Blood of the Lord. The Deacon is the third and lowest degree of the major orders of clergy in the Orthodox Church, following the bishop and the presbyter. The word deacon (in Greek διάκονος) means server and originally it referred to a person who waited on tables. Youth Movement | GO Youth . Also, though his hand is unworthy, yet it touches the Most Holy Things - the Precious Body and Blood of the Lord. He is the one who administers the Holy Eucharist to the people. (For lay people, this is a task typically done by immediate family members, though nowadays it is often left to funeral directors, sadly.) Father Orthoduck so appreciates Pithless Thoughts. 10 Ways a Priest's Funeral is Different from a Layperson's. After a priest has fallen asleep-and usually after his body has been taken to a funeral home-it is washed and anointed by other priests. A moment later, Putin turned back and shook his fist at the priest (which the Kremlin later explained was a joke). When the priest blesses a member of his congregation he sometimes offers his hand for a kiss, but there is no ring to kiss (as opposed to the Fisherman's Ring worn by the Pope). Answer (1 of 3): I believe this is a throwback of when observant Jews kiss the atarah* of their tallit when putting it on. By crossing your arms to your shoulders, you make a cross upon yourself..but, it serves a more practical reason..the fact that your arms are stuck to your . #3. c. Fr. Seraphim Rose's monastery is preparing an appeal/request for his canonization. But, the priest removes his hand out of humility and imitating our fathers the monks. You kiss during the Kiss of Peace. Category Faith, Sacraments & Theology Tags You kiss when you say goodbye. Why kiss them, though? The priest as a man is a sinner, but the priest as priest represents Christ; he is an icon of Christ. It is evident from this that the Christian faith is not merely dogma but spiritual power.". A monk at the Valaam Monastery in northwestern Russia explained why he had kissed Vladimir Putin's hand during the Russian president's visit, the monastery's spokesman Mikhail Shishkov said on Tuesday. They may say their blessing or simply hold the head of the . Where does the Bible say to kiss hands?! Glory to You, O our God, Glory to You. If, as appears to be the case, you do not want to, then don't do so. (Only practical concerns, I'm sure, deter us from kissing the censer.) How do Orthodox cross yourself? The verses are taken from the Lectionary or the Graduale. We kiss the right hand of the priest for it is through the priest's right hand that the Holy Spirit comes upon the Eucharistic elements and transforms them into the Body and Blood of Christ during the Divine Liturgy. When we first come into the church, we kiss the icons (Jesus on the feet and other saints on the hands, ideally). Nevertheless, it is important to reiterate that when we kiss the hands of the priests, we participate in the uncreated, divine energies of God, and we receive the Divine Grace according to the measure of our faith and piety. For this reason Orthodox Christians throughout the centuries customarily kiss the hand of their priest. He saves us and bestows upon us his sanctifying grace through means of matter. A bishop or other priest wears the stole around his neck with the ends hanging down in front, while the deacon places it over his left shoulder and ties it cross-wise at his right side, similar to a sash. And, sometimes, for no known reason, you kiss . I wish that these facts make you look for a priest, any canonized Coptic priest, to kiss his hands and receive his blessings. Orthodox eagerness to do so probably looks obsessive-even like idolatry. Remember; know your faith, live your faith, and teach your faith. Aug 15, 2020; 2 min; The Structure of the Iconostasis | Tradition Explained . In the Orthodox tradition, we cross ourselves on many occasions. For the Orthodox Christian who knows about the true role of the priest, the appropriate greeting is to seek out God's blessing by the kissing of his hand, which incidentally is not always offered freely, but should be sought out by the faithful where circumstances allow it. | Tradition Explained. Because it is often done at the mention of the Trinity ("Father, Son, and Holy Spirit"), the sign of the cross is also a physical . When we kiss the hand of the bishop or priest, we are not showing respect to the person of the priest but to his sacred office. Also, though his hand is unworthy, yet it touches the Most Holy Things - the Precious Body and Blood of the Lord. In fact, Saint John Chrysostomos once said that if one were to meet an Orthodox Priest walking along with an Angel, that he should greet the Priest first and kiss his hand, since that hand has touched the Body and Blood of our Lord. . The first step in the Eastern Orthodox funeral tradition is preparing the body, which includes washing and clothing the body. Family and close friends traditionally perform this act with a priest present. Approach the priest or bishop with your right hand over your left hand and say "Father (or "Master" in the case of the bishop), bless." This is much more appropriate (and traditional) than shaking their hands. How do you do this? Traditionally, one approaches the bishop or priest with the right hand over the left hand and says, "Master (if a bishop, or 'Father' if a priest), bless." In the Byzantine tradition in this country, the faithful usually take the bishop's or priest's right hand as though to shake it, but instead kiss it. We kiss icons, holy relics, the Cross, the Gospel, the priest's hand, and sometimes, the Holy Chalice. 3. Sometimes, the Catholic priest acts in Persona Christi, which means "in the person of Christ". It is as natural to us as breathing. Why does everyone kiss the priest's hand? You do not have to kiss the priest's hand. When you kiss a priest's or bishop's hand, you show reverence and respect for their holy office. Therefore, the Orthodox have always understood iconoclasm to be a heresy that denies the Incarnation of God and thereby denies humanity its salvation in Christ. When he has to kiss the Icons, the Priest bares his head. During Lent, in place of the Alleluia, the verse before the Gospel is sung, as . He will make the sign of the cross, and place his right hand over yours. The priest bestows special sanctity upon Christians and upon the objects. The Kohen 's face is covered. Kissing the chalice On a similar note, many Orthodox Christians will kiss the chalice after receiving communion. Priest. The priest handles the holy things on the altar, and especially the Body and Blood of our Lord, therefore His hands are holy. You kiss when you first see someone. We kiss the hands of the priest, because mystically we are kissing the hand of Christ himself that is in that priest, in the sacrament of that priesthood. And, sometimes, for no known reason, you kiss . This gesture is a sign of the priest's desire for purity of heart as he offers the Sacrifice of the Mass. Youth Movement | GO Youth . The blessing of the priest has a marvelous efficacy as being an exercise of the mysterious power with which he is entrusted. Of all the Jewish hand signs, the most famous is that of the priestly blessing, the Birchat Kohanim, and yet it is rarely seen. You'll also notice that some kiss the chalice, some kiss the edge of the priest's vestment as he passes by, the acolytes kiss hiss hand when they give him the censer, and we all line up to kiss the cross at the end of the service. He also reads the Prayer: "O Lord, stretch forth Thy hand," with uncovered head and, without re-covering it, he enters the Altar, makes his reverences before the Holy Table, kisses the Book of Gospels, the Cross and the Holy Table and proceeds to vest, as usual. Why do we kiss a priest's hand? On a similar note, many Orthodox Christians will kiss the chalice after receiving communion. The priest does not become Christ, and he does not become a high priest, but he exercises certain very sacred powers that have been granted to him by God. Does the side of the church you sit in have . 5. When we kiss the hand of the bishop or priest, we are not showing respect to the person of the priest but to his sacred office. The Alleluia is sung in every season other than Lent. In Muslim countries, such as Brunei, Turkey, and Indonesia, kissing the hand of the elders is widely practiced. Fr Daniel Greeson. The priest as a man is a sinner, but the priest as priest represents Christ; he is an icon of Christ. Priest: Your wife shall be as a fruitful vine on the sides of your house. We'll be exploring the secrets and history behind why the Greek Orthodox Church does things the way they do. Kissing of the hands is also done amongst clergy. Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A. Aug 23, 2012. . When we kiss the hand of the bishop or priest, we are not showing respect to the person of the priest but to his sacred office. Just like Catholics often demonstrate their faith by kissing the Bible, the statues of saints or the liturgy books, we kiss our hand to demonstrate our affection and respect for Jesus. Glory to You, O our God, Glory to You. The case, known as a mezuzah, contains paragraphs from the Torah, specifically the verses known as "The Shema" a part of which is: > You shall . Seraphim Rose's repose is approaching this September. The kissing of the priest's hand in the Coptic Church is for the reasons that He is a chosen vessel by God and receives a special grace given by the priesthood. Pucker Up. He sat down. "If one were to meet an Orthodox Priest walking with an Angel, then one should greet the Priest first and kiss his hand, since that hand has touched the Body and the Blood of our Lord."-Saint John Chrysostom (Source: st-george-church.org) If the deceased held an official role in the Church . When an Eastern Orthodox or Byzantine Catholic bishop or priest blesses with the sign of the cross, he holds the fingers of his right hand in such a way that they form the Greek abbreviation for Jesus Christ "IC XC".The index finger is extended to make the "I"; the middle finger signify letter "C"; the thumb touches the lowered third finger to signify the "X" and the little finger also . Also, though his hand is unworthy, yet it touches the Most Holy Things - the Precious Body and Blood of the Lord. In his physical body, our God lived, died, and resurrected for us. Answer (1 of 10): Religious Jews touch the small case affixed to the doorposts of Jewish dwellings then kiss their fingers (some the other way around). After all, the priest and bishop are not just "one of the boys." When you kiss their hands, you show respect for . When we first come into the church, we kiss the icons (Jesus on the feet and saints on the hands, ideally). Vespers is an evening service. Yes. 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