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Why is water added to the wine before the consecration and why are we supposed to bow during a line in the Nicene Creed?

Thanks.
 
The water in the wine before the consecration is to make it like the water and blood that came from Jesus side to prove that he was dead right after the crucifixion. Someone can better explain this than I but hopefully this will give you some understanding.

The reason you bow at that part of the Creed is because it talks about Jesus becoming man, the Incarnation. Read it again and you will see: “…by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man…” At this part of the Creed (it is similar in the Apostles Creed but we don’t normally say that one at Mass) we are re-affirming our belief that God became man, Jesus Christ, the second person in the Trinity.

Brenda V.
 
With the water and wine the priest says a special prayer - ‘By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity’.

So you can also see the wine as representing the Divinity of Christ, the water (only a small amount to show our relative insignificance compared to God) as representing humanity (humankind), with the combination of the two being Christ who was fully human and fully divine.

We bow at the mention of the Incarnation in the Creed as a thankyou to Christ, who was God but humbled himself so amazingly to become human, for our sake.
 
I’m not sure if this is why the water is mixed in, but for some reason I always associated it…

In the Gospel story of the crucifixion… when they pierced Christ’s side on the cross, they said “water and blood flowed from him”…

Ahhh yes… John 19:34…
34
but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out.
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Vic2 said:
Why is water added to the wine before the consecration and why are we supposed to bow during a line in the Nicene Creed?

Thanks.
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The water mixed with wine represents the two things: It represents the two natures of Jesus, and also the union of our human nature with the Divine Nature of Jesus. The wine represents the Divine Nature and the water the human nature.

At the Tridentine Mass, while the priest mixes the water and wine he prays the following prayer.

Prayer: “O God, who in creating man didst establish his nature very wonderfully, and yet more wonderfully still didst establish in anew, grant that by the mystery of this mingling of water and wine, may we have a greater participation in His Divinity, who humbled himself to share in our humanity, Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen”

We kneel (at the new Mass I guess you bow) at the words “was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary: and was made man” to show reverence for the incarnation and virgin birth.
 
During Advent we are to kneel at the words of the Incarnation, the rest of the year we bow.
 
The symbolism of the conmingled water and wine does fit nicely with the blood and water flowing from Our Lord’s side, and it is an apt metaphor, but that allegory sprang entirely from late medieval piety. It is not what the practice originally symbolized, which was the two natures of Our Lord, divine and human. The text of the accompanying prayer makes this clear.
 
Chatter163 said:
The symbolism of the conmingled water and wine does fit nicely with the blood and water flowing from Our Lord’s side, and it is an apt metaphor, but that allegory sprang entirely from late medieval piety. It is not what the practice originally symbolized, which was the two natures of Our Lord, divine and human. The text of the accompanying prayer makes this clear.
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Thank you. This is why I said others would have a better answer :D. I knew mine was not totally accurate but of course my brain just would not pull that information out when I needed it. Hopefully this thread will help me to remember better the reason.

Brenda V.
 
Chatter163 said:
The symbolism of the conmingled water and wine does fit nicely with the blood and water flowing from Our Lord’s side, and it is an apt metaphor, but that allegory sprang entirely from late medieval piety. It is not what the practice originally symbolized, which was the two natures of Our Lord, divine and human. The text of the accompanying prayer makes this clear.
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The water flowing from the side of Christ makes its appearance in several liturgies.
In the Syriac liturgy they have two prayers
Unite, O Lord, this water and this wine as Your divinity was united with our humanity
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at the mixing followed by:
Our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified on the wood between two thieves in Jerusalem, and was pierced in His side with a spear, and blood and water flowed from Him, the absolution of the whole creation. And he who saw it has testified and we know his testimony is true.
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(By contrast in the Byzantine liturgy, a version of the above prayer is used for the cutting of the bread)
The Armenians who are famous for not using the mixed chalice have:
In remembrance of the redeeming economy of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ; Through the fountain of whose blood flowing from his side all creatures have been renewed and made immortal.
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The Ambrosian liturgy has:
Out of the side of Christ flowed blood, (adding water) and water as well. (blessing) In the name of the Father + and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
( De latere Christi exivit sanguis, et aqua pariter. In nomine Patris + et Filii et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.)
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In the Use of Hereford there is a similar prayer that runs:
(The) Lord. May you be blessed by him from whose side flowed blood and water. In the name of the Father + and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
(Dominus. Ab ipso sis benedicta, de cuius latere exivit sanguis et anqua. In nomine Patris + et Filii et Spiritus Sancti. Amen. )
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Andreas_Hofer said:
I believe the rubrics only call for genuflexion on the Annunciation and Nativity.
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From the Ceremonies of the Modern Roman Rite, paragraph number 265: All bow deeply at " by the power of the Holy Spirit…man." **All kneel **at these words on the solemnities of Christmas and Annunciation.

Do you have a different reference?
 
CRW said:
From the Ceremonies of the Modern Roman Rite, paragraph number 265: All bow deeply at " by the power of the Holy Spirit…man." **All kneel **at these words on the solemnities of Christmas and Annunciation.

Do you have a different reference?
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I’m not sure if it’s a truly different rubric or just a translation issue (as I believe genua flectare is both kneeling and geneflection, the difference being really on the number of knees on which is knelt).

From the GIRM particular to the U.S.:
137. The Creed is sung or recited by the priest together with the people (cf. above, no. 68) with everyone standing. At the words et incarnatus est (by the power of the Holy Spirit . . . became man) all make a profound bow; but on the Solemnities of the Annunciation and of the Nativity of the Lord, all genuflect.
usccb.org/liturgy/current/chapter4.shtml#sect1

From the Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani
**137. Symbolum cantatur vel recitatur a sacerdote una cum populo (cf. n. 68), omnibus stantibus. Ad verba Et incarnátus est, etc. omnes profunde se inclinant; in sollemnitatibus vero Annuntiationis et Nativitatis Domini genua flectunt.
ewtn.com/library/CURIA/cdwlgrm.htm

**
 
Andreas_Hofer said:
I’m not sure if it’s a truly different rubric or just a translation issue (as I believe genua flectare is both kneeling and geneflection, the difference being really on the number of knees on which is knelt).

From the GIRM particular to the U.S.:
137. The Creed is sung or recited by the priest together with the people (cf. above, no. 68) with everyone standing. At the words et incarnatus est (by the power of the Holy Spirit . . . became man) all make a profound bow; but on the Solemnities of the Annunciation and of the Nativity of the Lord, all genuflect.
usccb.org/liturgy/current/chapter4.shtml#sect1

From the Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani
137. Symbolum cantatur vel recitatur a sacerdote una cum populo (cf. n. 68), omnibus stantibus. Ad verba Et incarnátus est, etc. omnes profunde se inclinant; in sollemnitatibus vero Annuntiationis et Nativitatis Domini genua flectunt.
ewtn.com/library/CURIA/cdwlgrm.htm
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I agree. The GIRM reflects USCCB modifications and the Roman Rite is a little more traditional…
 
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