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Questions & Answers

Divine Liturgy

Faith Q&A › Metropolitan Youssef › Prayer, Fasting and Worship › Divine Liturgy

The question

Why do we sometimes stand during the Divine Liturgy and other times sit down?

The answer

We ought to stand during the entire Divine Liturgy. You will notice when you visit monasteries, there are no benches on which to sit in the sanctuaries. The only times we do sit during the Divine Liturgy are when we listen to God's message to us during the readings of the Epistles, the Synaxarium, and the Sermon. We stand, kneel, or bow during all other times of worship, including the times of incensing. "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear" (Hebrews 12:28).

Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)

Related questions

Questions answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab) of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Question 1393 on the Diocese’s Q&A site. Questions and answers © Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. All rights reserved.