In addition to general bows, there are special bows at the Divine liturgy, performed almost daily throughout the year. They are listed below.
At the exit with the Gospel, there is a bow from the waist with the prayer “Glory, Lord, to Your Cross and Resurrection.” During the transfer of the Holy Gifts, after the first part of the “Cherubic Song”, three bows are made in the following order. At the first exclamation of the priest, “Let the Lord God remember you all…” – bow from the waist with the prayer: “Remember me, O Lord, when you come in your Kingdom.” To the second exclamation: “Let the Lord God remember you all…” – again a bow from the waist with the prayer: “Remember me, O Sovereign, when you come in your Kingdom.” At the third exclamation: “Let the Lord God remember you all…” – a bow down to the ground with the prayer: “Remember me, O Holy One, when you come in your Kingdom.” If a priest with a deacon celebrate the liturgy, then bows arew made only at the exclamations of the priest. If a bishop’s service is being performed, then at the third exclamation of the priest there is no bow; the bow down to the ground with the above prayer is made at the last exclamation of the bishop, ending with the words: “… let the Lord God remember … all Orthodox Christians in His Kingdom, always, now and ever, and in the ages to ages.”
At the exclamations of a priest or bishop: “Come and eat, this is My Body…”, “Drink of it all, this is My Blood…”, and “Offering you what is yours from those who are yours…” – a bow from the waist is made, with the Jesus prayer.
At the exclamation: “Especially about the Most Holy, Most Pure…” – bow down to the ground, with the prayer: “Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us.”
At the exclamation “Approach with the fear of God and faith,” – a bow from the waist with the Jesus Prayer.
The same bow with the prayer: “Glory, O Lord, to Your Ascension” – at the exclamation: “Always, now and ever, and in the ages to ages.”
At the exclamation “Let us pray to the Lord” before the prayer behind the ambo – a bow from the waist with the prayer “Lord, have mercy.”
At the words “Let the Lord’s name be blessed from now to eternity” – three bows from the waist. These bows are also made when “Be the name of the Lord…” is sung at the all-night vigil and at the midday service (the end of the hours when there is no Liturgy).
If a bishop is serving, then, according to the Typikon, he overshadows (blesses) those praying with dikirion and trikyrion, to which those praying respond (without the sign of the cross) with a bow down to the ground (possibly with a brief grateful praise to God: “Glory to you, our God, glory to you.” ).
When a bishop or a priest, pronouncing the dismissal of the Liturgy, at the end of it protects those praying with the altar Cross, a bow is made from the waist with the prayer: “Glory, O Lord, to Your Honourable Cross.” The book “Son of the Church” reminds us: „After the dismissal, when you approach the Cross, examine your conscience, so that you are worthy“. The priest who protects with the Making-alive Cross of Christ each Christian individually, must say the prayer: “By the power and defence of Your Honourable and Making-alive Cross, protect him (her), O Lord.”
Those praying, approaching the Cross, „having examined their conscience,” make the sign of the cross (without bowing) with the prayer: “I believe, O Lord, and bow to Your Honourable and Making-alive Cross, for on it You have wrought salvation in the midst of the earth” (“Son of the Church,” chapter 59). (It is more correct to act as in those parishes where it is customary, when approaching the Cross, to bow from the waist (without the sign of the cross), then cross themselves with the prayer: “I believe, O Lord, and bow…”; in this case, the actions of a Christian more fully correspond to the content of the prayer.) Then they kiss first the Cross (on the right foot of the Saviour, as mentioned above), and then the hand of the priest holding it. If the one approaching the Cross has received communion at this liturgy, then he does not kiss the priest’s hand, but only the Cross of Christ.
A bow from the waist, without the sign of the cross, should be done when a priest proclaims “Peace to all,” answering him in mind (together with the singers): “And to your spirit.”
In some parishes, those who pray bow from the waist (without the sign of the cross) when the Royal Doors are opened during the service. This corresponds to the sightliness and the order of behavior in the house of God, which should be followed in every church.
