Bowing during Eucharistic prayer

[Digitonomy]

I attended mass (Latin rite) this past Sunday at a church where the layout does not allow for kneeling during the liturgy. Naturally, the congregation stands reverently during the Eucharistic prayer.

However, at the two points where Christ is quoted saying “Take this, all of you…” (just before the Memorial Acclamation) a number of people bowed at the conclusions of the sentences.

Is this proper? I was going to check the misalette, but my row didn’t have one.

 

[gelsbern]

Yes, even when kneeling, after the words of consecration when the priest does the first genuflection, everyone is to bow their heads, then at the elevation you may look up and adore our Lord, at which many do the devotion of the words of St. Thomas, “My Lord and My God”, and then on the 2nd genuflection of the priest, you are to bow your head again.

I would assume that if there is no place to kneel, that the bowing you saw was proper.

Granted this is the servers, guide, but in Latin Mass, the people for the most part were to watch the servers for when to bow, sit, kneel etc…

latin-mass-society.org/calnan.htm

THE CONSECRATION

Now put the bell - without ringing it - on the top step. Go up and kneel slightly to the right of the Priest, but behind him, just below the level on which he is standing. Do not touch the chasuble (the coloured outer vestment) yet; and kneel very still. Now :-

1. a. When the Priest genuflects, bow deeply, give the bell one double ring, and kneel upright again.
   b. When the Priest raises (“elevates”) the Sacred Host, lift the lower edge of the Chasuble a little with your left hand, look right up and greet Our Lord, (“My Lord and my God”) give the bell one double ring: and as the Priest lowers his hands, release the Chasuble.
   c. When the Priest genuflects again, again bow deeply, give the bell one double ring, kneel upright again and remain quite still.

1. Do just those same three things again, when the
   Priest
   a. Adores, b. Elevates, and c. Adores again the Precious Blood in the Chalice.

Then, very quietly, take the bell, rise, turn left, come down the steps, turn right, and go and kneel where you were before the Consecration. PUT THE BELL DOWN QUIETLY.

 

[MusicMan]

Unfortunately, the rubrics of the Mass (in the US) instruct the faithful to kneel, and the rubrics give this instruction regardless of whether there are kneelers of not (meaning you kneel on the floor in the absence of kneelers). Many churches have tried to end-run-around this rubric by removing kneelers or not installing them in new or renovated churches. The faithful in the US are still instructed to kneel.

However, the rubrics do recognize that there may be times where the faithful, or groups of them at Mass, will be unable to kneel for a justifiable reason (the lack of kneelers isn’t considered justifiable), and they will then remain standing. In this event, when the priest genuflects after the consecration, the faithful who are standing are to bow.

The current rubrics do NOT instruct the faithful to bow while kneeling, AFAIK.

 

[John_Lilburne]

Digitonomy:

I attended mass (Latin rite) this past Sunday at a church where the layout does not allow for kneeling during the liturgy. Naturally, the congregation stands reverently during the Eucharistic prayer.

However, at the two points where Christ is quoted saying “Take this, all of you…” (just before the Memorial Acclamation) a number of people bowed at the conclusions of the sentences.

Is this proper? I was going to check the misalette, but my row didn’t have one.

Yes, they seem to be following the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) approved for the USA:

“43. … In the dioceses of the United States of America, they should kneel beginning after the singing or recitation of the Sanctus until after the Amen of the Eucharistic Prayer, except when prevented on occasion by reasons of health, lack of space, the large number of people present, or some other good reason. Those who do not kneel ought to make a profound bow when the priest genuflects after the consecration.”

The time the priest genuflects is given in the Roman Missal’s Order of Mass:

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

and a little later:

“He shows the chalice to the people, places it on the corporal and genuflects in adoration.”

Another time to bow during the Eucharistic Prayer is when the priest says the name of “Jesus”, the “Blessed Virgin Mary” or the saint of the day. This is a bow of the head, not a bow of the body. From the 2002 GIRM n. 275(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.”

 

[AJV]

Generally in my church for the most part if there is no space people kneel on the floor (privately its more comfortable ). I do see a few standing and bowing instead or sometime they’ll kneel only for the Words of Institution.

 

[Digitonomy]

Thanks to all.

AJV:

Generally in my church for the most part if there is no space people kneel on the floor

But if there is space they stand?

At this particular church, there was no space, so everyone stood. If I had really wanted, I could have knelt facing sideways, but I don’t think there was enough room for everyone to do this, and it doesn’t seem like this would be the proper orientation during the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

 

[BillyT92679]

Digitonomy:

Thanks to all. But if there is space they stand?

At this particular church, there was no space, so everyone stood. If I had really wanted, I could have knelt facing sideways, but I don’t think there was enough room for everyone to do this, and it doesn’t seem like this would be the proper orientation during the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

I think, if there is absolutely no space, a profound bow to the waist, a-la the Eastern Christians, would be sufficient. (to the best of your ability… if you can only bow the head, do that)

There should be kneelers though.

 

[JC_Nixon]

It makes you wonder why a Diocese would approve the building or renovation of a Church that did not include kneelers or at least sufficient space to kneel sans kneelers.

 

[mspencer]

At the university church of my secularized Catholic university, they took out all the kneelers. However, my wife and myself kneel anyways if we go to mass there. I am more concerned about doing what is right than what other people do, though I presume that the students there generally aren’t aware that they are supposed to kneel, according to liturgical law. In this case, the people do not stand during the eucharistic prayer because there is no room–when I go to daily mass there there are only about 15 people there at most and the chapel is nearly empty.
To raise a question that I sometimes wonder about–I don’t understand why this is important to those in charge of some parishes and chapels so that they try to make everyone stand during the eucharist prayer. I really don’t know.

 

[AJV]

Digitonomy:

T But if there is space they stand?

No space= all the pews are full and there are no kneelers available. The people without a pew who have been standing up to this point (the beginning of the Eucharistic Prayer) kneel on the floor for its duration.

 

[palmas85]

If there is space to stand there would appear to be space to kneel as well. Kneeling does not take up any more space than kneeling as long as you have chairs or pews to sit in. If there are no chairs or pews, then you might have a problem.

 

[Chris_Jacobsen]

Digitonomy:

I attended mass (Latin rite) this past Sunday at a church where the layout does not allow for kneeling during the liturgy.

I’m not sure what this means. But I hope that this “church” didn’t have any places for people to sit either.