Bow head when Eucharist is held up

[Wesrock]

Wesrock:

Keep in mind that you are already kneeling at this point, a big sign of reverence. You are not required to bow your head. The priest was standing, kneels, then stands again. But that’s the difference. You’re already kneeling.

What if, for whatever reason, you aren’t kneeling at this point?

Well, as my personal opinion only, if one couldn’t kneel, bowing ones head would seem appropriate to me. Though when the priest says “Behold the Lamb of God,” at that point you’d probably want to do what he says.

 

[Gorgias]

But I prefer to keep to the traditional practice

And that’s perfectly fine. But a personal preference is a world of difference from telling folks that it’s “proper” or that “you bow when the priest does”.

These are “personal opinions” of priests

So, in other words, they’re not prescribed by the Church as postures for the laity since, after all, priests cannot impose personal opinions as if they were the law of the Church.

 

[eann]

This is what I do. Where is it written that you are meant to look when the Eucharist is raised?

 

[St.Bede]

I would look up and silently utter: "My Lord, my God, and my Saviour, all glory and honour is Yours forever and ever, Amen. Then bow my head and say: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

 

[maryjk]

Maybe you can’t kneel.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

But a personal preference is a world of difference from telling folks that it’s “proper” or that “you bow when the priest does”.

We will have to agree to disagree on this one. I believe it’s proper, based on tradition and what I have been taught and read. I also believe it’s proper to kneel after Communion.

If someone else wants to take some other reverent position, I’m not the liturgy police, nor even a priest, and I don’t care, nor do I think people who do something “different” during Mass are committing a sin or being irreverent or any of that. But I’m still going to say “it’s proper” for what I think is proper. People who don’t like it can lump it.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

This is what I do. Where is it written that you are meant to look when the Eucharist is raised?

Once again, I provided my entire reasoning above with a Dom Prosper Guaranger reference.
As Gorgias said, the GIRM doesn’t require that you do anything in particular, so feel free to do what you want.
I believe I have a good basis for looking at the Eucharist. If you don’t want to, then that’s your decision, have at it whatever you feel like doing instead.
And if you do want to, feel confident that you are firmly grounded in tradition.

 

[eann]

Thanks! I posted that response before I scrolled down further to see your post with the Dom Prosper Guaranger. Appreciate the reference and your responses!

 

[CelticWarlord]

I remember a time when they use to ring a bell so you’d know when to look up.

In the parishes I attend they still use bells, or chimes as they may be called. This dates back to the early middle ages when the cathedrals and some churches were so large, and with the priest performing the Mass with his back to the people, that congregants may not be aware of when the host was being elevated. Bells informed when it was time.

 

[Titivillus]

Gorgias:

But a personal preference is a world of difference from telling folks that it’s “proper” or that “you bow when the priest does”.

We will have to agree to disagree on this one. I believe it’s proper, based on tradition and what I have been taught and read. I also believe it’s proper to kneel after Communion.

It seems several conversations and recommendations are being confused here. While I have no authoritative advice about posture at the elevations*, it is absolutely proper to advise the faithful who do not kneel to make a profound bow (a bow of the body, not merely the head) when the priest genuflects or bows following the elevations.

GIRM #43
However, those who do not kneel ought to make a profound bow when the Priest genuflects after the Consecration.

*
My personal opinion and practice is to gaze in adoration during the elevations. In part because it would seem to me nonsensible to advise the non-kneeling faithful to bow following the elevations if they are already bowing during the elevations. But what do I know?

 

[Frankie65]

I personally do look up at the elevation and adore the Lord, but then bow when the Priest kneels/genuflects to adore the Lord after he lowers the Blessed Sacrament back onto the paten.

Yes me too. In the Tlm it says the Body is held up to be adored, so I took that literally.

 

[Odilon]

I personally bow my head. I don’t see any problem with the faithful responding to the elevation of the Eucharist either way.

 

[jimXroberts]

When I was small (back in the olden days) we were taught to look up at the elevation and to bow our heads immediately afterwards.

In the early liturgy of the Church (and it is still the practice of the Armenian Church) the Eucharistic Prayer was said out of sight of the congregation, behind either a screen or a curtain. Immediately after the consecration, the host would be placed in a monstrance and shown to the congregation. Our practice of elevating the host is a reflection of this earlier practice. The consecrated host is being shown to us so that we may first see and then worship the Body of Christ.

 

[dochawk]

It is proper to LOOK at Jesus and adore him when he is held up.

This is the true meaning of “awe” . . .

In Byzantine practice, we don’t elevate at those points, but rather the priest turns from the East to the congregation, and then again after Communion (“Behold, this has touched . . .”)

What if, for whatever reason, you aren’t kneeling at this point?

Well, there’s “standing, per the dictates of the Nicene council”
(more seriously, that has been superseded in the west, where kneeling replaced standing as the position of respect. At the time of nice, kneeling was only penitential, thus banned on Sunday)

 

[CRV]

the Body is held up to be adored, so I took that literally.

Correct. And so we should adore our Lord!

 

[TheLittleLady]

Didn’t we just have a thread about the “My Lord and My God” prayer at elevation?

 

[tstadheim]

I follow what the priest is doing. Look up during elevation, and bow my head when he genuflects

 

[Michael16]

Often, I bow as Father is confecting the Host and I always look up when Father says Behold. I used to say Dominus meum, Deus meum at the Elevation. I think I’ll go back to that.

 

[JohnLilburne]

I disagree with bowing at the elevations.

In Eucharistic Prayer I, n. 89, it has:

“He bows slightly.

TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND EAT OF IT,
FOR THIS IS MY BODY,
WHICH WILL BE GIVEN UP FOR YOU.

He shows the consecrated host to the people, places it again on the paten, and genuflects in adoration.”

By having “shows” it means that the faithful should be looking at the consecrated host.

The instruction for concelebrants is in General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) n. 222 (c):

“the words of the Lord, with each extending his right hand toward the bread and toward the chalice, if this seems appropriate; and at the elevation looking toward them and after this bowing profoundly;”

GIRM 43 has about the faithful: “They should kneel, on the other hand, at the Consecration, except when prevented on occasion by ill health, or for reasons of lack of space, of the large number of people present, or for another reasonable cause. However, those who do not kneel ought to make a profound bow when the Priest genuflects after the Consecration.”

[Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal, © 2010 International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.]

 

[Gorgias]

it is absolutely proper to advise the faithful who do not kneel to make a profound bow (a bow of the body, not merely the head) when the priest genuflects or bows following the elevations.

Fair enough. In the U.S., though, the congregation kneels during the Eucharistic Prayer. Therefore, the direction to bow at the time of the priest’s genuflections is irrelevant. (Unless you’re talking about outside the U.S.)