Prostration What Does It Mean

👉🏾👉🏾👉🏾#Prostration – What Does It Mean? (Part 1) Dear friends who follow the Orthodox teachings transmitted by the website of John the Repentant, we greet you with the greetings of God. Today, based on the above-mentioned topic, we have sent you the following important lesson and we entrust you to read and learn from it: What is Prostration? Prostration means to bow, kneel, fall on your face, touch the forehead to the ground, and rise again. It is an outward act through which we express our submission to the Creator, and our reverence for those who are exalted in glory, grace, holiness, and life. Prostration and Humility “Humbleness” is shown when we acknowledge that we are God’s creation, and that we cannot accomplish anything without His help. As the Lord said: “Without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Thus we confess: “Almighty God, You alone are everything. We are nothing without You. To You belong adoration, honor, praise, sacrifice, and worship.” In prostration, we lower ourselves before His feet and reveal our submission. Two Kinds of Prostration There are two kinds of prostration: 1. Prostration of Worship – offered only to God, the Creator. 2. Prostration of Grace – offered in reverence to the Holy Virgin Mary, the holy angels, the righteous, and the martyrs. Prostration of Worship When we prostrate before God, it is the prostration of worship. As it is written: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only” (Luke 4:8). We bow to our Creator who made us in His image and likeness. The Holy Church teaches us to say: “I bow to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” With reverence, we imitate the heavenly angels who bow before Him. Prostration is done in the holy place, within the Church, before the holy icons. But this act must be joined with purity of heart: when we bow, we must do so with a conscience free from evil, with fear of God, and with sincerity, touching our forehead to the ground. Words of Prostration The faithful say: “I bow to the Father, I bow to the Son, I bow to the Holy Spirit. Glory to the Father, glory to the Son, glory to the Holy Spirit. Glory to You for blessing us, for bringing us to this hour, for keeping us in Your goodness, and guiding us with Your light.” “Hallelujah to the Father, Hallelujah to the Son, Hallelujah to the Holy Spirit. Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal.” Prostration in the Life of the Church Fasting, prayer, almsgiving, and prostration are the spiritual weapons by which we discipline the body and submit ourselves to God. Prostration is not only for mankind but also for the angels: “…let all His angels worship Him” (Psalm 96:7). “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:3). Thus, prostration is part of the eternal worship before the throne of God. And for us, it is also the path to fulfill our very purpose: man was created to worship God and to inherit His glory. Conclusion Prostration is more than a bodily action. It is the sign of humility, the confession of our nothingness, and the exaltation of God’s majesty. It unites us with the heavenly host who ceaselessly bow before Him, and it fulfills the reason for our creation: to glorify God and partake in His eternal life. Part 2 Continues ... May the name of the Holy God be praised forever and ever in every tongue that He has created, today and always. May the blessings of God's mother, the virgin, and the cross be upon us. Amen. © John's Repentance Reach out to us on our social media platforms and share it with your friends:https://linktr.ee/johnsrepentance