The Saint Euphrosynos Cafe

I've never seen Great prostrations in church, I've only seen this being performed by monastics, and laymen at home. Could someone please tell me when people make this prostration?

By the Great Prostration, you mean a full prostration, Justice ?
Good for you to be pondering this sign of humility and repentance.
I will wait for Fr Irineos to give the right information, but surely during the 1st Week of Lent and Holy Week, full prostrations are commonly made during the services.

Remembering that pious practices are not hard and fast rules, there are certainly many times during Lent when prostrations are made. We say the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian frequently during Lent, and it has several places where prostrations are made. The Great Canon of Repentance, which is read twice during Lent (once in pieces over the first week and once all together during the fifth week) has many times during which the faithful may make a prostration. In some jurisdictions, you may find that the faithful prostrate during some or all of the Eucharistic prayers. Some other times we might prostrate are during the Feast of the Veneration of the Holy Cross ("Before Thy Cross, we bow down in worship O Master . . . ). Generally outside of Lent we will not make prostrations on a Sunday.

You might also look at this article which discusses prostrations during weekday liturgies:

http://orthochristian.com/97909.html

If you are unsure, follow your priest or the other faithful.

Justice wrote:

I've never seen Great prostrations in church, I've only seen this being performed by monastics, and laymen at home. Could someone please tell me when people make this prostration?

The Great Prostration (great metania) in Holy Orthodoxy is a prostration where one goes down to the ground on bended knees, places his hands forward on the ground, and then bends over as he places his head either on the floor or on his hands. Certainly, one might say that this is the way that Muslims make their prostration, but please realize that Muslims "stole" this practice from the Jews and the Christians who had been making prostrations for centuries before.

A lesser prostration (metania) involves bending over at the waist, touching the floor with the fingers, and then rising up to a standing position. In the Russians and Slavic tradition, the practice is to make the Sign of the Cross first before bending the waist and touching the floor. On the contrary, the Greeks bend the waist, touch the floor, and then make the Sign of the Cross while rising.

To avoid confusion, I always watch what the priest does, and try to imitate him.

Bishop_Irineos wrote:

Remembering that pious practices are not hard and fast rules, there are certainly many times during Lent when prostrations are made. We say the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian frequently during Lent, and it has several places where prostrations are made. The Great Canon of Repentance, which is read twice during Lent (once in pieces over the first week and once all together during the fifth week) has many times during which the faithful may make a prostration. In some jurisdictions, you may find that the faithful prostrate during some or all of the Eucharistic prayers. Some other times we might prostrate are during the Feast of the Veneration of the Holy Cross ("Before Thy Cross, we bow down in worship O Master . . . ). Generally outside of Lent we will not make prostrations on a Sunday.

You might also look at this article which discusses prostrations during weekday liturgies:

http://orthochristian.com/97909.html

If you are unsure, follow your priest or the other faithful.

Thank you, Your Grace, for providing this interesting link.

Thank you all for your responses.