SE YMNOUMEN, SE EVLOGHOUMEN . . .

We Praise Thee, We Bless Thee

It is a very important Hymn during the Divine Liturgy where the priest prays and asks the descent of the Holy Spirit to transform the bread into the Body of Christ and the wine into the Blood of Christ.

Through his priestly power, He blesses the tray and the cup and then he kneels.  The entire congregation also kneels and prays and asks for any good thing from the power of the Holy Spirit, which descends from Heaven and changes the bread and the wine and jumps from the Altar table to the congregation and blesses them.

Some canons of the Church forbid kneeling on Sundays because Christ is Resurrected, as we do not kneel from Easter until the Day of the Pentecost.

In America, since the time of Archbishop Athenagoras, it has become tradition for the faithful to kneel on Sundays during this Holy moment.  The reason for this is that our people work and do not have the chance to attend the Divine Liturgy during the week therefore we can kneel on Sundays.  The Exception is during the Pentecost.