Headcovering

Ioannes

What is the church teaching on head coverings? I have been obsessed with wearing a head cover for a long time. I like the idea that they are used in reverance like cover your head in order that the fear of heaven may be upon you. Like in remembrance of God. I have seen some people wear them.

geomike

Well, whoever is reading the Gospel according to the rites should wear a prayer shall(head covering), but idk about laymen(congregation).

jydeacon

Not if you are a man, in the gospels it clearly states that men should not wear head coverings in church. If you notice or go to a church with a full deacon/bishop/pope they take off w/e they are wearing on their heads whether it be the crown for a deacon/pope or what the bishop has on his head(emma i think is the word) while reading the Gospel. It is a dishonor to a man to cover his head.

meanz

1Co 11:4  Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head.
1Co 11:5  But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved.
1Co 11:6  For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered.
1Co 11:7  For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man.
1Co 11:8  For man is not from woman, but woman from man.
1Co 11:9  Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man.
1Co 11:10  For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.

Ioannes

Pi Onkh, These are referring to in church correct? Atleast I always perceived them as pertaining to church. As jydeacon points out that the bishops, priests, and many deacons wear head coverings except in the church. What I am talking about is outside of church, in a way the keeps one in rememberance of God.

meanz

I'm sorry but i don't understand?
Why do you need to cover your head in order to remember God?
Do you mean while you are praying?

Ioannes

[quote author=Pi Onkh link=topic=9615.msg118477#msg118477 date=1282399363]
I'm sorry but i don't understand?
Why do you need to cover your head in order to remember God?
Do you mean while you are praying?


No not while I pray, that wouldnt make sense. If I cant remember God while praying I am in trouble. It is difficult for me because I can get easily distracted during the day and if I have something as a constant reminder, it makes things a bit easier. I would use my cilice but I cant use that for more than 2-3 hours.

peterfarrington

I would always recommend the Jesus Prayer as the means and method of bringing about the constant remembrance of God. If we become 'pray-ers' then prayer is something that we are always doing wherever we are and do not feel comfortable without doing.

Or even a regular alarm on a phone to always remind us to pause in God's presence.

Father Peter

Ioannes

[quote author=peterfarrington link=topic=9615.msg118487#msg118487 date=1282424489]
I would always recommend the Jesus Prayer as the means and method of bringing about the constant remembrance of God. If we become 'pray-ers' then prayer is something that we are always doing wherever we are and do not feel comfortable without doing.

Or even a regular alarm on a phone to always remind us to pause in God's presence.

Father Peter


Thank you Fr. Peter. I do the Jesus prayer often, but again I forget and then fall into laziness when I do remember. I dont have a cellular telephone or anything like that. I am just trying to use any means that I have to try and remember Christ always. I think with my condition that has an effect as well. I am tired most of the time, and it seems that when I fast I get worse.

peterfarrington

It seems to me, in my own weak and sinful experience, that I must work to build habits, and that when I have built those habits, with continued effort, they will work to sustain me in at least the possibility of spiritual life - which is of course much more than a matter of habit.

Therefore, it seems to me that if we can come up with ideas to build spiritual habits this will take us further than external aids to remembrance on their own. A Prayer Rope is useful for me in keeping me attentive in the practice of the Jesus Prayer for instance, but it is the habit of wanting to pray the prayer which most sustains me, even though the prayer rope is a help to that habit.

Having particular habits seems something that I am always wanting to develop better in my own prayer life. It would be interesting to read from others how they order their days - not in the particulars which are a matter of private personal life with Christ, but in terms of how they managed to build useful habits to support the true life of prayer.

I think of the soldier in the Way of the Pilgrim who had made it a habit, forced his practice to become habitual, to read or hear read a whole Gospel each night. I am not proposing that practice, but clearly he had to make an effort to make that a habit, and then having become habitual it was something he did not feel comfortable missing out on. I do believe it is helpful for us to have such habitual practices that we feel uncomfortable if we have not prayed in the morning or the evening etc. Or if we begin to pray the Jesus Prayer we do not want to stop until we have prayed at least 25 or 50 times.

Athletes and Soldiers have habitual practices. In the case of an Athlete it provides the basis for excellence and victory. In the case of a Soldier it may save his life. The habits themselves sometimes seem trivial even, but they are the tools which the Athlete and Soldier use to achieve their goals. A soldier, for instance, might appear to be obsessive about the cleanliness of his weapon, but when in conflict his weapon will operate smoothly and effectively while someone else, who promises himself to get it sorted out when it is needed, may find that his weapon jams and he is left defenseless against the attacks of the enemy. The effective soldier will understand that for many months in the barracks having a clean weapon is not the same as being victorious in combat, but he will build the habit of having a properly prepared weapon so that when he needs it most it is already prepared.

We must do the same. Preparing ourselves now for the conflict and trials we will face tomorrow. If we have not learned to fast then let us learn to fast while things are going well. If we do not have habits of prayer then let us develop them now before the conflict becomes fierce around us. If we have not yet learned detachment from things then let us do it now before they ensnare us and before they are taken from us. Habits formed now will last us a life time if we sustain them by use.

How I wish that I had learned more easily spiritual habits in my youth which are now much harder to learn in my middle age.

You young people, let me urge you to put your lives in order now, even while you are at school. The structures and habits of spirituality you build now, with the grace of God, will set the character and direction of your whole life, and to change later on is a costly and painful business.

Father Peter

Ioannes

Brilliant Fr. Peter! I agree, unfortunately I am not being humble, I am actually a terrible Christian. I use Iconography, as everyone should, and that works very well. But I dont take Iconography everywhere I go, well I do have some but I forget about them. As I said I cant do the cilice all the time. I think these exterior things lead us to building a habit of prayer, or desire for prayer. A mindfulness of God, without the need of anything but your own heart. Im sad and pathetic and need every tool I can possibly find. But you are right Fr. Peter, I will definetly put your words into practice.