Why will we kneel 3 times tomorrow in church?

On the day of Pentecost, the day on which the mystery of the Holy Trinity—of the One and Only God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—was revealed and is venerated, immediately after the festive Divine Liturgy, the liturgical practice of the "Vespers of Kneeling" is celebrated.

This is the Vespers of the Monday of the Holy Spirit.In this text we will not refer to the entire order of this Vespers, but we will briefly touch upon one part of this service, specifically the

Holy Pentecost

Prayers of Kneeling.

This Vespers, following the usual structure of the service of Vespers, differs after the Entrance, when the hymn “O Gladsome Light...” is chanted.What follows is the reading of the seven Prayers of Kneeling, which are divided into three groups.After the first and second prayer, an extended litany is chanted.After the third and fourth prayer, the prayer “Vouchsafe, O Lord, this evening...” is read.Then the final three prayers are read, after which the Final Litany is chanted, and from this point the Vespers continues in its usual order.

The Prayers of Kneeling are read, according to the present tradition, by the bishops and priests from the Holy Altar, specifically in front of the Royal Doors (Holy Doors), so that the entire congregation may hear them.In many manuscripts, it is also found that the prayers were to be read before the Holy Table (Altar Table).During the reading of these prayers, everyone kneels, hence they are called the Prayers of Kneeling.

These prayers are divided into three groups, corresponding to the three kneelings:

• During the first kneeling, the first and second prayers are read.

• During the second kneeling, the third and fourth prayers are read.

• During the third kneeling, the fifth, sixth, and seventh prayers are read.

Each kneeling begins with the deacon or the presiding priest proclaiming:“Again and again, on bended knees, let us pray to the Lord.”And ends with:“Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and raise us up, O God.”

These seven prayers are simple in form but rich in content.They give this Vespers its special character, as they include invocations to the Holy Trinity and references to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.

They contain dogmatic elements, especially concerning the unity and trinity of the true God, the consubstantiality of the three Persons of the Godhead, the saving work of Jesus Christ, and the grace, energy, and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.They emphasize the greatness of God’s love and forbearance, recall the beneficial effects of repentance, and refer to the bond between the living and the departed.

Regarding the authorship of these prayers, some maintain that they are the work of St. Basil the Great, while others attribute them to St. Sophronius of Jerusalem.What is certain is that these are prayers rich in spiritual meaning and composed with high theological understanding.

Next, we will briefly outline the content of the prayers according to the liturgical order of the three kneelings.

First Kneeling

The first prayer is addressed to the First Person of the Holy Trinity, God the Father, who, in His good will for the salvation of the human race, sent His Son into the world, and after His Ascension, sent the Holy Spirit.

This prayer is a supplication to God to accept our repentance for our sins and to cleanse us through the working of His Holy Spirit.

Specifically, through this prayer, the celebrant addresses God the Father, and after recounting the attributes of God the Father, he prays that the Father may accept the prayers offered for the forgiveness of the sins of all those present.He also asks that God would always hear the prayers of the faithful — every day, but especially on the day of Pentecost.

The faithful participating in this service acknowledge their sins and confess their faults, but they place their hope in God’s mercy and love for mankind, seeking the remission of their sins through the action of the Holy Spirit.

The second prayer has a vesperal character (evening prayer).The celebrant blesses God for the day that has passed, asking forgiveness for any sins committed during the day.Since the night is approaching, the celebrant prays for the protection of all the faithful during the night.

Therefore, the second prayer is both an act of thanksgiving to Almighty God for all that He has granted us, and at the same time a supplication for the continued bestowal of His blessings and for the strength to overcome all kinds of troubles and temptations.

Second Kneeling

Through the work of the Holy Spirit, man has been brought into communion with the Triune God and has confessed the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as one divinity, one power, and one authority.

The third prayer is addressed to Jesus Christ. After calling Him the radiance of the Father (meaning, He radiates and reflects the glory of the Father), the prayer asks Christ to teach mankind how to pray.

The Fathers of the Church consider the denial of the Faith and apostasy (abandoning the Faith) to be a blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, in which the apostate refuses to allow the Holy Spirit to work within him for repentance and forgiveness—thus remaining unforgiven in his unrepentance.

However, whoever remains in the true Faith, no matter how sinful he may be, still has hope of repentance and forgiveness.

From Christ, man—recognizing his own weakness—asks for the forgiveness of his sins and for the gift of wisdom, so that he may discern between earthly and eternal goods.Furthermore, the celebrant prays that God will grant the requests of the faithful that pertain to salvation, and that He will accept their prayers offered to Him as incense.

The fourth prayer is an appeal to the merciful Christ to be compassionate toward His creation—man—and to protect him from all evil, both by day and by night.

This prayer, also having a vesperal (evening) character, closely resembles the second prayer, but now the celebrant also asks God for blessings for the coming day, so that man may be strengthened in the Faith and may progress in fulfilling the will of God.

Third Kneeling

The fifth and sixth prayers are offered for the departed.The Church prays to God for the rest and redemption of the souls of the departed.

The fifth prayer is addressed to the Savior Christ, recalling the benefits He has granted us through His Cross, Burial, and Resurrection, and through His victory over the evil spirits.It also offers thanksgiving for the sending of the Holy Spirit and includes supplications for the repose of the departed faithful.

The sixth prayer is a supplication for the forgiveness of sins and for the strengthening of man.Faith in life after death, especially in eternal life, is a core doctrine of the Church, as expressed in the Creed, and is directly tied to the Resurrection of the Lord.

In fact, the entire earthly life of man is a preparation for eternal life—and for this reason, this present life is extremely important, as eternity depends upon it.Through the celebrant, the faithful thank God for everything, even for the departure from this world, although that has not yet happened to those present; for to those who follow God’s commandments and live the true life, there is no death.

Toward the end of the sixth prayer, the celebrant prays once again for the repose and forgiveness of the sins of all the faithful—asking for rest and forgiveness for the departed, and for blessing and peaceful, good ends for the living.

Finally, the seventh prayer coincides with the seventh prayer of the Lamp-Lighting Service, which is read at every Vespers.

This prayer contains a doxology to the wise Creator and a supplication that He would guard His creatures both in the evening and throughout the night, and in general throughout our entire life on earth—preserving in us the hope of eternal life, even during our sleep.

Finally, it is an evening prayer in which the Most Holy Theotokos is invoked to intercede with God for the forgiveness of the people’s sins.

Conclusion

In summary, both the prayers themselves—in their content—and the liturgical act of their reading, symbolize the voice of the whole Church which, on the day of Pentecost, asks God for the descent and gift of the Holy Spirit.

It is the Holy Spirit who grants all things to the faithful.As from a fountain, prophecies flow from the mouths of the Prophets, whom the Spirit enlightens.It makes the priests perfect, teaches wisdom to the unlearned, raises the fishermen as theologians, and holds together the Church, which is spread throughout the entire world.

It is the Holy Spirit who strengthens and comforts mankind—as the sacred hymnographer so aptly describes in the Church’s teaching about the Holy Spirit.

Thus, through the Holy Spirit is accomplished our ascent to the Kingdom of God, our return to divine adoption, and the ability to become partakers of the grace of Christ, to share in the glory of God, and to receive from God every blessing, as noted by St. Basil the Great.

The Holy Spirit is the source of sanctification and of every blessing and grace within the Church.

Georgios N. Manolis,

TheologianCandidate for Master of Arts

in Interpretive Theology

Pemptousia