How to behave in the Temple

Over the many centuries of the existence of the Orthodox Church, certain rules, customs, and rites have been developed and established, guided by which both church ministers and laity created a harmonious spiritual life of believers. Here it is appropriate to recall the most ancient Apostolic canons, the canons of the Ecumenical and Local Councils, the canons of St. Basil the Great and other outstanding hierarchs of Orthodoxy, who created the Rule of Divine Services. The Nomocanon, the Informative Teaching and many other things by which the Church of Christ has lived and lives to this day, constantly being enlivened by the grace of the Holy Spirit and thereby illuminating everyone who enters it.

Let us also enter the doors of the Temple of God, but first to some extent we will tune ourselves to this entry.

When we go to visit, we think in advance about how and what to wear, what hairstyle to do in order to look decent in front of people. Moreover, when we go to the Temple of God, we must take care that we look decent both in our clothes and in our behavior.

An expensive and luxurious dress will not be appropriate there, as well as uncovered bare shoulders and arms. As a trouser suit is alien to a woman, so it is indecent for her to wear a dress that is too short.

It is desirable that a woman's head is always covered with a scarf or other modest headdress. It is inadmissible to paint her face and lips, with which she touches holy icons and the cross, and even more so it is not permissible for a woman to touch any shrine at all during the period of monthly purification. The aroma of fashionable perfume and cologne is better left for the home. In general, you need to do everything in such a way as not to attract attention to yourself.

We open the doors of the Temple and, making the sign of the cross, enter it with the words: "I will enter into Thy house, O Lord, I will worship Thy holy Temple..."

We have entered the House of God and see how different everything is from our home furnishings. The special, incomparable fragrance of incense, the flickering of numerous lamps and burning candles before the holy images, the touching singing of the choir and the inspired exclamations of the priest - all this at once in some incomprehensible way softens our hardened soul and attunes it to a special, sublime mood. According to an ancient custom, in the church it is customary for men to stand on the right side, and women on the left.

In order not to violate such decorum, while in church, an Orthodox Christian must behave quietly and reverently: here it is not allowed to talk loudly, make noise, and even more so laugh, fuss, walk around the Church for no reason; it must be remembered that this is not an art gallery, not a museum, and not a house of culture, but the house of God, the mysterious abode of the King of Heaven - the Living God Himself.

Greet your acquaintances with a silent bow, if you meet them, do not be curious and do not look at those around you, so as not to mentally condemn them for anything, but pray with sincere feeling, paying attention to the order and content of the ongoing service.

It is proper to pray in the Temple only standing or kneeling at the proper time, and only in case of ill health is it allowed to sit down to rest. In this regard, Metropolitan Philaret (Drozdov) said it well: "It is better to think about God while sitting than about your feet while standing."

On great feasts and Sundays, prostrations are not allowed. On these days, we make waist bows, touching the floor with our hands.

You should make the sign of the cross slowly and reverently, connecting three fingers:

the large, index and middle fingers in the name of the Holy Trinity should be placed on the forehead, on the stomach, on the right and left shoulders, believing in the life-giving power of the Cross, by which Christ saved us from the power of the devil.