Why do they sit in Catholic churches, but stand in ours? 

You go into a Catholic church, and there they are... sitting. Calmly, on the benches, like in a theater before the start of a play.

Go into the Orthodox — and after ten minutes you catch yourself thinking:

"Is it even legal to sit down here?" We also do not forget about the strict grandmothers, guardians of local traditions, who can severely scold for the slightest deviation from the rules.

It seems that the difference is simple: some people are lazy, while others hold on.

But in reality, it's much more interesting.

 Initially, Christians prayed while sitting. There were no benches, so they sat wherever they could.

 However, in Eastern monasteries, they decided to make the process more challenging and

started conducting the entire service while standing.

 It was believed that standing symbolized effort.

Instead of waiting for God to "come to you," you actively reached out to Him.

Over time, this monastic practice became the norm for everyone in the Eastern Church (which became Orthodox after the split).

And now, standing is like a small feat at every service.

Why do they sit in Catholic churches, but stand in ours? You go into a Catholic church, and there they are... sitting. Calmly, on the benches, like in a theater before the start of a play. Go into the Orthodox — and after ten minutes you catch yourself thinking: "Is it even legal to sit down her