Bow during the creed

[Sheeniac]

Should the priest bow as well?

 

[japhy]

Should the priest bow as well?

Yes, all the people do.

 

[Corki]

.

Here’s another example, in a couple parishes I know people still have the custom on genuflecting during the last blessing. This is probably a custom carried over from the Traditional Latin Mass days. In one parish a majority, (but not all) do it. In the other many, but still a minority do it. When I am at those parishes, I follow that custom. When I am at other parishes where no one does it, I don’t do it.

Interesting. I hadn’t seen anyone kneeling for the blessing for about 30 years. Then we went to S. America for a year. At the parish we attended, probably half the people knelt for the final blessing. Could it be a Latin American custom?

 

[Penny_G]

I don’t even remember being instructed to bow. All of a sudden it just started happening! Some of my relatives and I were having a discussion about it. We all “assumed” we knew WHY we bow. But when we actually started talking about it, we realized only one person in the group even understood why we do it! Everyone thought it had something to do with Mary rather than the incarnation of Christ! I wonder if most people are confused about that. I think the Church could definitely do a better job of telling us why we do these things and not assume if you tell us once, we all have it. It should be a constant teaching from theh pulpit. I still don’t get why the bells are rung so irregularly parish to parish. Can’t we all do it the same way? There must be a reason behind doing it a particular way that represents it’s meaning the best. And then why can’t the vatican just tell all the Church’s to do it that way? I think the more we can “get it together” about these things the more we can be attractive to the world. As it is, we look like a bunch of confused people.

Penny

 

[Apryl]

I think the Church could definitely do a better job of telling us why we do these things and not assume if you tell us once, we all have it. It should be a constant teaching from theh pulpit.

To me, this is like people saying ‘We aren’t taught to read the Bible’ or worse, ‘We, as Catholics, are discouraged from reading the Bible’.

Can’t it be something that you care about, and you make an effort to learn about and be involved with?

If you don’t know, and don’t ask, why should the priests or even the Bishops know that you don’t believe you know what’s going on?

I would wager that most clerics don’t want to be condenscending or insulting to their congregations, so why should they come to you and tell you things that you already know? And they don’t know if you know, or don’t know, if you don’t let THEM know.

Just like people learn about fashion and politics and cooking, they can and should learn about their church. If they aren’t getting good answers, they should then let their pastors know.

But no one stops any one from learning.

 

[Strevel]

Yes, we are supposed to make a profound bow ( bow from the waist) during the Creed.

GIRM 137

At the Feast of the Annunciation, at at Christmas, we genuflect at instead of bowing, in recognition of the particular relationship those Feasts have with the Incarnation.

If no one else in your parish is bowing at the correct times, ask your pastor why not.

I am a convert to Holy Mother Church. IMHO, we should bow without a dought. Continue to do so. Do not follow the “unchurched” in Church.

I feel the problem is that the Clergy does not bow, tap their chest three times for the mea culpa, etc… In our Church, people have, basically, no earthly idea what is going on. The only reason I do is that I was taught. Ask your Clergy to begin to do so, or politely ask why he does not bow. Rome does not have a stong enough hand in these issues. So many of us do not know a lot. …Sad.

 

[Apryl]

I feel the problem is that the Clergy does not bow, tap their chest three times for the mea culpa, etc… In our Church, people have, basically, no earthly idea what is going on. The only reason I do is that I was taught. Ask your Clergy to begin to do so, or politely ask why he does not bow. Rome does not have a stong enough hand in these issues. So many of us do not know a lot. …Sad.

A teeny bit of a tangent:

I’m often amazed when I see priests (Bishops, Cardinals, Monsignors) that will start and finish prayers without making the sign of the cross.

It just curdles my ears

 

[Sr_Sally]

Here’s CAF Ask an Apologist answer to this question:
Bow during Creed?

Funny, I don’t really know who in my parish bows and who doesn’t, since I’m bowing and therefore don’t have my eyes up!

Me too. Also we usually sit toward the front (the kids like to be able to see everything going on on the altar), so I don’t turn around and check out what’s going on behind me either.

 

[pachomius]

Greetings all -

I was born in 1972 … first communion in the early '80s … confirmed in '85 … went to Sunday school all through the late '70s and early '80s … Catholic high-school until 1989 …

I’m wondering why I never noticed anyone bowing during the creed until about 2000/2001?

After reading this thread, I can see that this posture is just as clearly included in the GIRM as the small signs of the cross that we make when the gospel is about to be read, yet I can’t remember any of my CCD teachers telling me about this posture, etc.

Just wondering if I am the only one from my age group who never learned about this posture and if anyone knows why it wasn’t taught?

Peace!

 

[Apryl]

Just wondering if I am the only one from my age group who never learned about this posture and if anyone knows why it wasn’t taught?

My first, and most obvious answer, is ‘Cause’.

That said: you happen to be in the age group that was in the shadows of Vatican II, which, while well intentioned, and in many many ways a blessing, far too many people (many of them inside of the church) used it as an excuse to be chaotic, and to go off on all sorts of tangents.

I happened to have gone to a parish where we were taught that Confession wasn’t necessary. (gasp!) I received my First Holy Communion with NO MENTION of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We had parish priests that would do a ‘Mass of Absolution’, where every one there was ‘forgiven’, so they didn’t ‘need’ to attend Confession.

For me, at this time, Confession is a BIG DEAL.

So, there is no real surprise why people didn’t bow during the Creed when we speak of the incarnation.

Just like today, we have people that won’t bow during the Creed (even though the instruction to do so is in the Missalettes), yet, they will thrust their hands to the priest when he says ‘We lift our hearts to the Lord’, and they will all hold hands during the Lord’s Prayer.

I have noticed that if you have a room of 300 people, and there is a difficult word that they have all said correctly for a long time, just get ONE person, esp if they are loud, or seen as ’ in the know’, and within days, you can have at least 100 of them mispronouncing that same word!

As I stated before: 'Cause

 

[benedictgal]

Evidently, this is a case of ignorning the rubrics. During Christmas (Midnight Mass through January 1-Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God), we are supposed to genuflect at the words “who was conceived by the Virgin Mary and became Man”.

A lot of the times, it is up to the celebrant to set the example. Our pastor told us during a homily (when he was discussing questionable liturgical practices) that we needed to bow during the aforementioned words of the Creed and kneel during the Octave of Christmas.

 

[VietCatholic83]

at my parish. initially when the the new General Instruction was released, our pastor instructed the entire parish that we were now to make a PROFOUND (ie bow at the waist) at the mentioning of the incarnation in the creed. also, we were to all make a slight bow before the eucharist regardless of whether we elect to receive in the hand or on the tongue. However he has done little in the years following to remind the parish of these reverent gestures. Therefore I always bow at the word of the incarnation, not to draw attention to myself or shame other into doing it, but because it is the right thing to do. it always perplexes me as to why people are not hesitant to join hands with strangers at the Lord Prayer but not bow? is the bow perceived as some type of foreign gesture in the united states? it is very common in asian cultures therefore we have no problem doing it. perhaps it is seen as something foreign. that would be sad.

also, what ever happened to genuflection before the blessed sacrament. before most tabernacles were moved into a separate chapel, people would always genuflect towards the tabernacle behind the altar. nowadays it seems like people just come into the chuch, sit down and maybe pray. as is the case in my own parish where the blessed sacrament is not reserved in the sanctuary, i always genuflect towards the tabernacle to pay homage and acknowledge Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.

 

[SORROWS]

It can all begin with us - we can make the difference.

Our Priest instructed all to bow during the Creed and He always does. He’s very reverent. Of course this can’t be mentioned during every single Mass so it is up to us as WE have been instructed.

How pleasing to Our Lord to glance at the fields and see roses.