vestments question

[ClementofRome]

Talk to me about touching the Priest's vestments during the Great Entrance.

Thanks.
Clem

[Philothei]

Greeks do it... I do not know if any one does that though... It is a symbolic act of 'touching' Christ... and be filled with grace... Pretty dramatic ....but it is in the Gosple.. Some folks do it out of piety and it expresses reverance for Christ and his ministry....


My mom does it back home and I yell at her, afterwards... I say to her the man is going to trip....

I am not against it but I personally would never do that. People who are in deep prayer and devotion...

(sorry I was too repetitive... I tend to do that..)

Philtohei

[Mary of Bethany]

As Philothei said, I've only seen it done at Greek parishes, but I was told it was reverence for the "things of God" which the Priest represents.

mary

[Lukaris]

I have seen a few of the elderly parishoners touch the phelon in our Antiochian parish. "And as the priests passed them, going from the skeuophylakion (an ancient exterior bldg attached to church where liturgic vessels were kept) through the main body of the church into the altar, some of the faithful would sometimes stop them, tugging on the phelon, asking to be remembered by them in the upcoming sacrifice. The priests would commemorate them as they passed, saying quietly, "May the Lord God remember you in His kingdom, always, now and ever and unto ages of ages." Thus would the pious seek especially to be remembered in the Eucharist." From "Let Us Attend" by Fr Lawrence Farley. Speaking of tradition well established by the 7th century in Constantinople.

[Monica, child of God]

I have seen at Antiochian parishes. It reminds me of a Jewish custom actually. When the men bring the Torah scroll from its cabinet to the place for reading, people touch and kiss the Torah as it passes.

M.

[Akathist]

In the Romanian monestary near me this is a practice. Often the Priest actually goes around and places the cup on our heads as we kneel on the floor. When he comes to us, we kiss his vestment.

I do it there but my Priest at my own Parish does not like the practice and discourages it as he says it could lead to an accident.

[EmperorConstantine]

I believe that it may have actually been more of Syrian origin.

Since my parish has a blended community of mostly Yanks, a few Arabs, some Greeks and a fair number of Russians, the customs mix a bit.
We had a monk visiting us for a while, not sure if he's still here or went back to the East Coast, who was from the Antiochians Archdiocese (we're OCA). He had asked our priest about some of the local "stuff" and somehow this came up. Fr replied saying that the Arabic folks started doing it, since it was customary in the Middle East I guess, and now some Russian emmigres do it, but don't know why they do it!

[-Kyriaki-]

Hm. I attend (very ethnic!) antiochian and greek parishes and have yet to see this done.

[Prawnik]

I have never seen it in Russia.

I always thought it refered to the woman who touched the hem of Christ's robe, that even the least contact with the Lord will make us well.

[ClementofRome]

Thanks for sharing these thoughts.

Clem

[jckstraw72]

ive seen it in my OCA parish

[ArmyMatt]

I've seen it in my OCA parish. I heard that it comes from the Gospel when the woman with the blood disorder touched the hem of Christ's garment. I guess because the Holy Mysteries are about to be consecrated. any thoughts on this?