I wrote this on another part of the forum, but I think it is especially important for young people to know.


Asking a Priest for a blessing is something that I wish i saw more of these days. Unfortunately, this custom has fallen out of practice for the most pat in the uniate church.
-How does one ask the blessing of a priest of bishop?

-Bow before him and hold out your right hand placed on top of your left (as if you were recieving the holy mysteries in a modern roman catholic church). The priest will then make the sign of the cross over you with his hand and then place it on your hands for you to kiss.

from the old believer prayer book:

Recieve with joy and as an honour the priest's blessing; that is, when he signeth thee in the form of a Cross upon thy forehead and thy breast and then upon thy right and left shoulders. Havig recieved this, do thou kiss his hand. If he doth not give thee his hand to kiss, ask and entreat him to let thee kiss it. Have I not told thee how great the priest is, and how great is the power of the life-giving Cross, which thou dost also trace upon thyself?


Remember, you are not only kissing a priest's hand but rather and instrument of God which is used to consecrate the Holy Mysteries. If you ask your priest for a blesing next Sunday he should be very edified, and if he does not know how to give a blessing, then teach him, and teach everyone you know. DON'T BE SHY!!

All this to the greater glory of Almighty God.

the sinner ilya

Dear Ilya:

If asking for a blessing and kissing a Priest's hand has become less of a habit in the Byzantine Church, then it has almost died in the Western Church.

When my mother was a girl growing up in Portugal, it was customary for the children to ask for a blessing and kiss the Priest's hand.

Amongst our people this habit has completely disappeared and I have never seen it done in Canada.

I have noticed though that some Filipinos often come and ask for a blessing.

They kiss the Priest's hand and touch it to their foreheads.

It's really quite beautiful.


defreitas

Why do, in the Russian tradition, people touch the ground and then put their hands into the "crossed formation"? Also, what is the proper order for crossing yourself and touching the ground? Is it to touch the ground first then cross yourself, or is it to cross yourself then touch the ground? (Any Russians out there?)

Daniil

Danil,

Glory to Jesus Christ!

I heard that it is the Slavic practice to make the sign of the cross first then to make the metany (reaching to the ground with one's right hand). And I was also told that it is the Middle Eastern Christian practice to make matany first then make the sign of the cross.

Also touching your forhead to the priests hand before you kiss it is a sign of obedience. Not just to him but to the Cross.

rose

Dear Friends,

The traditional Slavonic order for the rite of the priest's blessing doesn't actually call for actually touching the floor or ground.

It is a principle, especially among Old Believers, that we are not to soil the hand with which we Cross ourselves, thus the use of "piddruchniky" among them for making prostrations.

Also, the Sign of the Cross is not done before a priest or Bishop, that is reserved for God alone.

One approaches the priest or bishop making a low bow with one's hand extended as far down as possible (without actually touching the ground).

Then one greets the clergyman with the three-fold kiss.

And only then one places one's right hand on one's left, bows and says, "Bless me a sinner, Reverend Father or Vladyka!"

After the blessing, we kiss the hand placed on our open hands.

We again kiss the priest three times on the face in honour of the Holy Trinity.

That marks the end of this beautiful rite.

In the Latin Church where genuflection is practiced, one goes down on the right knee in Church, but only on the left knee before a Bishop or other, including a King or other Sovereign.

In the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, the priest holds out his hand-cross which we first kiss and then press to our foreheads. Just in case you should ever come across an Ethiopian priest . . .

Alex

[ 04-18-2002: Message edited by: Orthodox Catholic ]

Christos Voskrese!
Vostinnu Voskrese!

This is definitely the case! I've seen so many priests (older ones especially!) smile widely when asked to give a blessing, especially those of the Latin Rite. It's just one of those little things (that isn't so little, really!) that can make a priest's day.

However, as was mentioned, the practice is practically non-existent in the West. I feel alot of this has to do with the blurring of the roles between the priest and laity in the post-Vatican II age. I've even overheard a priest that was visiting my parent's church say something to the effect, "We should give each other our blessing," when asked for one by what I guess you could call a "Latin Baba", who is one of the pure gems of my parent's church, beloved by all. She was rather taken aback and wasn't sure what to do.

In Christ,
mikey.

Dear Mikey,

I always ask for the blessing of any Latin priest I know or meet.

Those who know me to be Byzantine (in more ways than one ), mutter something under their breaths, make the Sign of the Cross over me and then let me kiss their hand.

Others cautiously bless me, as if at any time I might jump at them, and then get the idea that they are to place their hand on my open hand.

In addition, whenever we write to a priest or bishop, or whenever we begin and end a conversation with same, even on the telephone, we are to first say immediately: "Bless me a sinner, Reverend Father or Vladyka, Despota etc." And the clergyman can then give us a verbal or written blessing.

At no time are we to say, "God bless" to a clergyman, for that would be usurping his role.

Believe it or not . . .

Alex

Oh, I do believe it! I think I might have to try holding out my open hand next time I ask for a blessing from my favorite priest, just to see what he'll do. He'll either know right away or ask me point blank if he wants me for him to "give me five" (with a wry grin and a wink, of course!).

In Christ,
mikey.

Dear Mikey,

I remember visiting a Latin Catholic monastery in Quebec and kissing the hand of the Mother Superior.

The wonderful, elderly lady was so impressed that she smiled widely and slightly held out her hand to my wife, fully expecting that she would follow suit.

But she didn't, the little . . .

Alex

Interesting discussion on the respect that one should offer a priest or bishop. They are, as one writer has offered, instruments of God.
I came across this poem - probably some of you have as well. I think it is beautiful.

Deacon Yurij


The Beautiful Hands of a Priest
We need them in life's early morning,
We need them again at its close;
We feel their warm clasp of true friendship,
We seek them when tasting life's woes.
At the altar each day we behold them,
And the hands of a king on his throne
Are not equal to them in their greatness;
Their dignity stands all alone;
And when we are tempted and wander,
To pathways of shame and of sin,
It's the hand of a priest that will absolve us--
Not once, but again and again.
And when we are taking life's partner,
Other hands may prepare us a feast,
But the hand that will bless and unite us--
Is the beautiful hand of a priest.
God bless them and keep them all holy,
For the Host which their fingers caress;
When can a poor sinner do better,
Than to ask Him to guide thee and bless?
When the hour of death comes upon us,
May our courage and strength be increased,
By seeing raised over us in blessing--
The beautiful hands of a priest.

Dear Yurij,

Thank you for sharing that!

There are those among us who believe that all this hand-kissing is a remnant of medieval society that points to the priest's higher social standing!

What nonsense!

This is all about venerating the Grace of the Priesthood and the direct liturgical role played by the Priest's hands in the Divine Liturgy.

The Priest is truly an icon of Jesus Christ, and we honour him as we would Christ.

Alex

I know that in the Eastern Churches, deacons do not bless, but what marks of reverences are traditionally shown toward deacons in the East?

Dear NDHoosier,

I usually say, "Bless me, Reverend Father Deacon" to Deacons.

Some accept this, while others tell me off.

The title "Father Deacon" applies to them always, however.

And it is possible for them to give a kind of lay blessing with three fingers.

Alex

Dear Alex,

In regards to deacons and blesssings might I ask you to explain further. In order to substantiate and validate the position that you take, might I ask you to provide specific literary references.
With thanks,

David Kennedy, Protodeacon

Dear Reverend Father Protodeacon,

With respect to deacon's blessings, I have no footnotes or literary sources, just something I picked up as a personal practice that sometimes is accepted by some deacons, and not by others.

Deacon Ed, who is Biritual I believe, once indicated to me that some parishioners do approach him for a blessing and he gives it, with three fingers, as a layman's blessing.

I know that St Herman of Alaska offered people his neck Cross to kiss and blessed them with it, as he was not a priest.

Apart from this, it's just something I do.

If I do wrongly, I will accept any and all forms of correction and penance!

Alex

Dear Alex,

Thanks for such a quick reply. To the best of my knowledge, deacons in the Byzantine tradition do not bestow blessings. (Of course the exception would be parental blessings that a deacon would give to his children.)

The deacon's function is one of servant to the bishop/presbyter. The bishop or presbyter blesses always in a presidential role as Christ the High Priest, for all blessings from the Father through Christ, in the Holy Spirit.

While the bishop/presbyter is the image of Christ as Priest, the deacon is the image of Christ as servant. And this was generally the case in the Latin rite prior to the restoration of a permanent diaconate following Vatican Council II.

But if anyone can show me literary sources that state otherwise, I would be most pleased. However, I am reluctant to admit subjective and ad hoc practices as being part of the authentic tradition.

David Kennedy, Protodeacon

Bless me a sinner, Reverend Father Protodeacon!

Well, I never said my private practice reflected the tradition .

But Deacon Ed, for example, has always accepted my request for a blessing here on this Forum.

When Anastasius the Academician called attention to the incorrectness of this, Deacon Ed said that this was accepted practice in his parish.

I think the Deacon is entitled to give a layman's blessing.

I bless my food, my bed, my house, my work and my wife, family and friends when they are in sorrow or need.

My father blessed me in this way before I left home to get married.

I bless a new loaf of bread in this way as well.

I also bless my computer, especially when I get on the Byzantine Forum .

The problem is that my friend who is a priest now insists on kissing my hand after I've "done" his.

I told him that is totally ridiculous.

But to accommodate him, I now wear a ring with a cross on my right hand .

Have a great day, Reverend Father Protodeacon!

Alex

Dear Alex:

I have done many things in my life but...

Or have you joined some sort of South-European fraternal society?


Don Alexio, I presume?


Sincerely
defreitas

A few years ago, I met up with an acquaintance (who was a former Byzantine Catholic layman) who had recently been ordained a Deacon by his now Greek Orthodox bishop. I proceeded to kiss his hand, after which he informed me that one does not kiss the hand of a deacon, only a priest.

(He's now a priest anyway, but that's beside the point.)

Alex,

Thanks for the lesson on letter writing, didn;t realize that, although I see you do it all the time.

In the procession when the shourd is taken form the tomb, at least in our Melkite Church, as the shourd is turned over(don;t know the name of this) during the procession, everyone passes under it. The shroud has rose petals on it which falls to the floor as it is turned. As someone goes under they touch the floor than the shoud, showing that they have died and been ressurected with Christ. It was my(again I say my figuring out)that it is the same when touching the floor to make the sign of the cross. Although I know this is not part of our Ruthenian tradition, I feel it has a powerful statement. However, when in a Ruthenian Church we do as the Ruthenians do.

rose

Dear Protodeacon Kennedy and DeFreitas,

O.K., O.K., but can I give you both a hug when I see you?

Is that allowed by the Canons, Regulations and other traditional Rules of the Church?

Alex

Dear Rose,

Yes, that is a beautiful tradition!

You are right, when in Ruthenia . . .

But in our Ukie Cath'lic Church, we have parishes and priests that tend towards their own orientations.

Some are pro-Greek and reflect this in their parish worship "praxis." Others, pro-Russian, others pro-Latin etc.

Adopting practices for one's self from other Churches is the best way of experiencing the truly ecumenical spirit.

Alex

Dear Alex:

Where I come from the "abraso" [hug] is the national greeting.

St. Elias awaits the pleasure of your company.


Sincerely
defreitas

Dear Defreitas,

I look forward to visiting your famed Church.

It is difficult during holidays when that pesky family of mine insists on attending together and that makes it difficult for me to get away.

But I'm going to make it one of these days . . .

Alex

Greetings ProtoDeacon and Alex from beautiful sunny Anchorage: In the Russian tradition (OCA) a deacon would not give a blessing (including a laymans blessing) because of the appearance of impropriety it could convey to someone who saw it and didn't understand that it was a "laymans blessing" (which would ordinarily be fine were the person not a deacon). I note that in the Byzantine Church the practice seems absent, is that widespread or just my own limited exposure? Moshe Zorea Deacon OCA

Dear Father Deacon,

It is not absent, merely rare. I am not sure who initiated its demise, the clergy or the people?

And (with reference to your interesting post on another thread) why do I suspect now is not the opportune moment for a revival of this tradtion?

Elias

Dear Moshe,

Shalom Aleichem!

I agree and that is why I've come to the compromise of exchanging hugs and the three-fold kiss with a Deacon.

But as long as that is allowed by the canons and regulations of the Church.

Until further notice, that is the way it's going to be . . .

Alex

Dear Alex,
Aleichem Shalom!

"I agree and that is why I've come to the compromise of exchanging hugs and the three-fold kiss with a Deacon." Good. It would be a great loss if "Eastern" warmth is lost between the faithful and their clergy. FatherDeacon Moshe

Dear Father Deacon,

Thanks so very much for your clarification in regards to deacons and blessings. Do have a blessed Great and Holy Week.

David, Protodeacon

now to get back on topic...

whats the deal with the velichai before the zadostoynik (in the galician books) as it is not given in any Synodal sources. (you know which Synod [the real one])

ilya


that should get you back on topic.