Bowing at the Name of Jesus

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I have noticed at Mass that some people, priest and laypeople, give the head a slight bow whenever they say the name of Jesus. Is there a reason for that and is it a required action when mentioning the name of Jesus?
 
It is a pious tradition but not obligatory to my knowledge.

I think the reason is: Since Jesus is God, we should bow in awe at even the sound of His name.
 
I came into the Church in 2005 and somewhere in my reading about Catholicism I read that all Catholics used to do this (just like all Catholics used to bow during the Nicene Creed.). My pastor always does it and when I became Catholic, I followed his example. It’s kinda amazing how easily it becomes a habit. I don’t even have to think about it now.
In His Love,
Rhonda
 
This might be off topic, but isnt this the reason for the Yarmulka>

I wonder why we don’t wear the Yarmulka.
 
It is a required part of the Mass, though few people know of it.

“General Instructions on the Roman Missal” said:
275. A bow signifies reverence and honor shown to the persons themselves or to the signs that represent them. There are two kinds of bows: a bow of the head and a bow of the body.

a. A bow of the head is made when the three Divine Persons are named together and at the names of Jesus, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and of the Saint in whose honor Mass is being celebrated.
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So everybody should be doing this if they follow the GIRM correctly. I was not taught to do this so I find it very hard to remember. Going to make it a New Year’s resolution 🙂
 
Elizium23 said:
It is a required part of the Mass, though few people know of it.

So everybody should be doing this if they follow the GIRM correctly. I was not taught to do this so I find it very hard to remember. Going to make it a New Year’s resolution 🙂
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Thank you! I shall also be making it a resolution!
 
It’s also a great habit to develop especially since these days, the Holy Name is so misused as a curse or swear expression in everyday conversation, TV, movies and the like. When you hear the Holy Name, it’s not a bad idea to bow in reverence AND reparation.
 
Livnlove55 said:
. . . (just like all Catholics used to bow during the Nicene Creed.). . . .
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All should bow at the appropriate place in the Nicene Creed in the current mass, and kneel on Christmas and the Annunciation. For a long while I hadn’t seen the priests doing this, and people took their cue from the priest. The new priests in our parish do bow. People are beginning to copy them.

This is a fairly recent change. Before, all knelt at any mass in which the Creed was recited or sung. It wasn’t just a quick genuflection; one remained kneeling for several seconds.
 
Joe_Kelley said:
All should bow at the appropriate place in the Nicene Creed in the current mass, and kneel on Christmas and the Annunciation. For a long while I hadn’t seen the priests doing this, and people took their cue from the priest. The new priests in our parish do bow. People are beginning to copy them.

This is a fairly recent change. Before, all knelt at any mass in which the Creed was recited or sung. It wasn’t just a quick genuflection; one remained kneeling for several seconds.
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All Anglican Use Catholics kneel at this part of the Creed and also if they say the Angelus, they also kneel. They bow their heads at the name of Jesus and genuflect or bow their heads when the crucifix goes by in the processional and recessional.

I don’t know if they still bow when the priests go by or not as I haven’t attended an AU Mass, but as a former Anglo Catholic we always bowed our heads when he went by.

I still do all at my parish, except only bow during the Creed.

Yours in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Bernadette
 
porthos11 said:
It’s also a great habit to develop especially since these days, the Holy Name is so misused as a curse or swear expression in everyday conversation, TV, movies and the like. When you hear the Holy Name, it’s not a bad idea to bow in reverence AND reparation.
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exactly I started finding myself doing this exact thing simply because the priest has done so and I feel the need to give reverence to our Lord.
 
Pax_in_Veritate said:
This might be off topic, but isnt this the reason for the Yarmulka>

I wonder why we don’t wear the Yarmulka.
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I’m not sure I understand this. Jews don’t wear the yarmulke because of the name of Jesus, or even the name of God. They wear it because a man is required by Jewish law to cover his head during prayer. There is no such requirement in Canon Law or in Christian scripture to do so.

Not that I’m saying such a thing would be bad for Christians to do; Jews often cite the kippah as a way of always remaining aware of the presence of God. As a Catholic, I would say an analogue in this respect could be the wearing of a scapular. (Especially an itchy one.) Also, it is interesting to note that Latin-rite clergy are entitled to wear the zucchetto. Priests may wear black ones; bishops wear amaranth ones; cardinals wear scarlet ones; and the pope wears a white one. The original purpose of these was to cover the tonsured head, but I imagine that the effect in practice would be similar to wearing a kippah.


exactly I started finding myself doing this exact thing simply because the priest has done so and I feel the need to give reverence to our Lord.
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It is also a great way to make reparation for and avoid blasphemy. I used to be in the vulgar habit of saying the name of Jesus as an act of frustration; I found that once I began to reverence His name during Mass (even mentally acknowledging it), this tendency to blasphemy disappeared.

That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.
—Philippians 2:10

Sit nomen Domini benedictum!
 
Thanks for the GIRM reference, Elizium23. In that case, I shall definitely endeavor to improve here. (I have already been working on this on the rare occasion I attend EF Mass - since the priest does this. So now add to that OF and home prayers, as well).
 
…it is a very respectful tradition, I believe it depends a lot on where you live.Certainly during the Mass the priest always bows his head when the name of Jesus is spoken.

It is the same when the rosary is recited during the Ave Maria

It is something I have always done, I guess I learnt in childhood.

Where I attend Mass the congregation genuflect at the words …“and the Word was made flesh” at the final gospel, also during the credo at the same point.

A genuflection is made during the Angelus at the same point as above
 
I find this gesture very beautiful and meaningful. It’s really special. I also started to bow my head at hearing the name of Jesus, mostly during a good discussion with laity and priests and nuns. I really like it, especially when others do it in my presence (e.g. and 87 year old Monsignor) - it affects me in a nourishing way. I am going to try to bow my head my often when I hear the name of Jesus.

Philippians 2
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
 
I try to bow my head at the name of Jesus, I don’t always remember (I rarely remember to do it for Our Lady or the titular saint) so it will be a new Year’s Resolution for me too!

As a side question, I (and most people I have seen) do this as basically a nod of the head, which is easy when ‘Jesus’ is said/chanted in a sentence, but what do you do when it is being sung and the name may go on for several seconds - would you keep your head bowed for this whole time or just nod at the beginning?
 
The Second Commandment is “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.”
When I say the name of Jesus, it is only said as a prayer. This prayer includes a slight bow of the head. One woman, a recent convert to Christianity at the time, did not understand how impossible it was for me to say the name of Jesus without saying, “Jesus Christ.” This is the reverence I was taught from infancy.
The only exception would be when I am talking about the historical Jesus, as in Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
And all God’s people say, Jesus is Lord now and forever. Now and forever Jesus is Lord.
 
Adoremus has a good pamphlet on Postures and Gestures at mass. It is a good guide, but some of the statements may be advice rather than rule; so I would check an official document before mandating it for others.
 
Joe_Kelley said:
Adoremus has a good pamphlet on Postures and Gestures at mass. It is a good guide, but some of the statements may be advice rather than rule; so I would check an official document before mandating it for others.
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A few gestures may be more custom than actual rule.
I like the statement about the reason for the gestures.
We unite the physical and mental/spiritual aspects of our worship of the Lord, and express our unity with Him with our entire being.
 
I am a new convert. I’ve noticed that one of our parish priests (the younger, associate pastor, who is in his 2nd year of the priesthood) bows his head frequently, especially during the eucharistic prayers. After seeing this post, I paid attention, and indeed, he does so at the mention of any of the Holy Trinity, whether directly, or indirectly.

I think it’s a good idea, and will try to do the same, in the future, if it’s indeed proper for laity, as it seems to be.
 
Surely we who believe that Jesus is the Son of God should bow our heads at the mention of His name! Might I also suggest that in our daily existence, we find believers and non believers who take His name in vein i.e “without thinking”…or caring! Would this not be a good time to bow our heads and pray.“Blessed be the name of Jesus” in reparation for the sin committed …knowingly or unknowingly?
 
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