Bowing Your Head at the Mention of the Name of Jesus

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I have been to some masses where the priest and congregants bow their heads when the name of Jesus is mentioned in the Liturgy. I find it to be a beautiful tradition, but I don’t see it done everywhere.

Does your parish observe that tradition?

Also, do you bow your head outside of mass when someone mentions Jesus? Obviously in a more subtle way, otherwise you open yourself up to ridicule.

Thanks.
 
When in Mass, I generally stand at the back in an inconspicuous place. That’s how I prefer to be; now, in that standing position it is easy to bow. Whenever our Lord’s Holy Name is recited (i.e. “through Christ our Lord” or “in Jesus’ Name”), I incline my upper body about 45 degrees, my head bowed into my chest. This is a liturgical action which priests used to be directed to do in Mass before 1969, and I feel at great peace worshiping our Lord this way.

Outside Church, I do incline my head when anyone mentions Jesus’ Name; if it is sacrilegious (as is so often the case today), I incline my head slightly and say “Lord have mercy” in my heart. I try to perform this inclination in a way that makes me look as if I’m considering something else, though, so as to avoid scandal or ridicule like you said, my brother. 🙂
 
GloriousOrder said:
When in Mass, I generally stand at the back in an inconspicuous place. That’s how I prefer to be; now, in that standing position it is easy to bow. Whenever our Lord’s Holy Name is recited (i.e. “through Christ our Lord” or “in Jesus’ Name”), I incline my upper body about 45 degrees, my head bowed into my chest. This is a liturgical action which priests used to be directed to do in Mass before 1969, and I feel at great peace worshiping our Lord this way.

Outside Church, I do incline my head when anyone mentions Jesus’ Name; if it is sacrilegious (as is so often the case today), I incline my head slightly and say “Lord have mercy” in my heart. I try to perform this inclination in a way that makes me look as if I’m considering something else, though, so as to avoid scandal or ridicule like you said, my brother. 🙂
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Sister. 🙂

But you made me laugh when you said you perform the inclination as if considering something. I think it is beautiful that you are mindful of the use our Lord’s name, even by those who use it in a blasphemous manner.

I also like the angle of your bow. I think I barely nod my head. Next time I am at Mass, I will focus on giving him all honor and glory as I bow.
 
My sister! 😃

Even though it may be the vice of simulation (doing the false in order to deceive), I think inclining the head as if considering something is better than not inclining at all, or inclining in a way that makes you look like a zealot who’s about to murder the blasphemers. 😛

The bow is an expression of my sense of peace whenever His Name is named during the Mass, which is like entering into Heaven. Since we’re in Heaven itself during the Mass, why not go further than a head-inclining, and simply bow your whole body? Truly, we will worship Him in Body and Spirit after the final resurrection and glorification of humanity. We ought to practice for when that holy day comes, because we’ll be so awed by the divine presence (especially when He reveals to us just how present He really was in everyday life) that we’ll be bowing and genuflecting and kneeling and prostrating and leaping for joy for all eternity!

All this follows only if we’re holy, of course… so bowing and inclining are nothing if I do them just so others may see me. 😉
 
I always bow my head when Jesus’s name is mentioned and even when I pray.
I was brought up that way. When I receive Communion I also bow my head.
When I pass a church I make the sign of the cross. Some things just
always stay with you and these are some of them for me.

God Bless,

Linda:gopray:
 
Yes, the nuns taught us to bow our heads at His name. That was the 60’s.
 
Yes, I do bow my head when Jesus’ Name is mentioned during the mass, and so do the priests. I don’t bow at His Name outside of mass (I don’t think of it), but if someone takes His Name in vain or says something blasphemous, I say an aspiration interiorly.
 
Yes, I too bow my head at Jesus’ name; inside and outside of Mass. 🙂
 
GloriousOrder said:
When in Mass, I generally stand at the back in an inconspicuous place. That’s how I prefer to be; now, in that standing position it is easy to bow. Whenever our Lord’s Holy Name is recited (i.e. “through Christ our Lord” or “in Jesus’ Name”), I incline my upper body about 45 degrees, my head bowed into my chest. This is a liturgical action which priests used to be directed to do in Mass before 1969, and I feel at great peace worshiping our Lord this way.
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Needless to say, laymen are free to do whatever they want in this respect, and since you feel “great peace” in what you’re currently doing, I really hesitate to bring this up. Stop reading now if you don’t want to find out anything different.

Okay, you’re still with me. Traditionally, there were three kinds of bows that priests would perform during the Mass: low bows of the body, medium bows of the body, and low bows of the head. (If memory serves, the difference between the low and medium bows of the body was abolished in the 1962 missal.) The different uses of these are explained well in Fr. Müller’s Handbook of Ceremonies for Priests and Seminarians, as you can read here in § I.I.1. The bow at the name of Jesus is a bow of the head, I’m sorry to say, not of the body. (And, with one exception, there is no bow at the title “Christ”).
 
When I was not some much younger and didn’t know better I never bowed my head. Then somebody asked Fr Pacwa on Threshold of Hope if “every knee shall bend at the mention of His name” does everybody have to actually kneel everytime. His answer was to nod. Since then I nod at the mention of His name and genuflect (and make the sign of the cross) before I receive Him.
 
MarkThompson said:
Traditionally, there were three kinds of bows that priests would perform during the Mass: low bows of the body, medium bows of the body, and low bows of the head. (If memory serves, the difference between the low and medium bows of the body was abolished in the 1962 missal.) The different uses of these are explained well in Fr. Müller’s Handbook of Ceremonies for Priests and Seminarians, as you can read here in § I.I.1. The bow at the name of Jesus is a bow of the head, I’m sorry to say, not of the body. (And, with one exception, there is no bow at the title “Christ”).
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Now that really is interesting… 🙂 …

finds 1962 Missal and looks at the Gloria

I think I was confusing the profound bow to the crucifix at the intoning of “Gloria in exclesis Deo” with the bow of the head that takes place at the mention of our Lord’s Name, or other various words of importance. This is much clearer… but I’ll still bow when I hear His Name in Mass. At least now I can incline my head, too!
 
I bow my head at Christ’s name yes, or try to. I serve at Mass so I have to be extra-alert for it :D.
 
The tradition was always to bow at the mention of the Names of both Jesus and Mary, during and outside of Mass, wherever we would be.

King Charles I of England, beheaded by Cromwell and regarded as an Anglican saint, always bowed his head at the Names of Jesus and Mary as well.

In the Eastern tradition, the Names of our Lord and our Lady are written in the liturgical texts with a mark above them. This is meant to let the Reader know to slow down when reading or singing the prayers to pronounce the Sacred Names with the utmost care and reverence.

Alex
 
I never considered whether it was the priest bowing - or during a service - or when alone. I was under the impression that we should bow our head at the name of Jesus out of respect. I didn’t always do it - perhaps, not until I was really aware that I should. I do now, whether during Mass or not - and whether I’m praying alone or in a group. Good question - interesting to read people’s personal thoughts on this one.
 
Yes, I do, and many at the Latin Mass I go do as well. I started doing so after seeing ICRSS Masses several years ago. Also, many of my patron saints came from a time where it was very common, so I followed their example too. Now it’s instinctive, both in and out of church. Actually, I have to watch it, b/c when the name of Jesus is mentioned in the Bible that is not the Lord, I have to remember not to bow my head!

amsjj 🙂

+++
Jesus, God and man,
imprisoned by love in Thy most holy Sacrament,
have mercy upon us.
– Blessed John Henry Newman, December 22, 1851

Tú y yo sabemos por la fe que oculto en las especies sacramentales está Cristo,
ese Cristo con su Cuerpo, con su Sangre, con su Alma, y con su Divinidad,
prisonero de amor.
– San Josemaria Escriva, 1 junio 1974
 
TrueLight said:
I have been to some masses where the priest and congregants bow their heads when the name of Jesus is mentioned in the Liturgy. I find it to be a beautiful tradition, but I don’t see it done everywhere.

Does your parish observe that tradition?

Also, do you bow your head outside of mass when someone mentions Jesus? Obviously in a more subtle way, otherwise you open yourself up to ridicule.

Thanks.
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General Instruction of the Roman Missal
IV. Some General Norms for All Forms of Mass, Genuflections and Bows
#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.
§1. 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.
§ 2. A bow of the body, that is to say a profound bow, is made to the altar; during the prayers Munda cor meum (Almighty God, cleanse my heart) and In spiritu humilitatis (Lord God, we ask you to receive); in the Creed at the words Et incarnatus est (by the power of the Holy Spirit . . . made man); in the Roman Canon at the words Supplices te rogamus (Almighty God, we pray that your angel). The same kind of bow is made by the deacon when he asks for a blessing before the proclamation of the Gospel. In addition, the priest bows slightly as he speaks the words of the Lord at the consecration.
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In the Latin parishes where I assist at Mass I rarely see anyone bow as prescribed by the rubrics set forth by the US Bishops of the Latin Church, USCCB.

(Eastern Catholics usually cross ourselves as well as bow at the mention of the Mother of God, Christ our Lord, the Holy Trinity, and the Saint whose Feast Day it is. Often we also Reverence at the mention of the Holy Trinity, that is after crossing ourselves reach down and touch the ground. This all occurs dozens and dozens of times in a Divine Liturgy. We often cross ourselves and bow when the petitions are made–there are long litanies of petitions in the DL. I’m hard wired to do this so I tend to cross myself when the Holy Trinity is mentioned wherever I am.)
 
Yes! As taught by the Sisters of Notre Dame in the early 50th.
Just a slite bow of the head in or out of Church. And a few years back I have started to do so at the mention of the Holy Spirit.
Also when passing a Church we do the Sign of The Cross.
 
I was taught at a very young age to bow my head at the mention of the name of Jesus Christ. It is easy (for me at least) to remember this when saying the rosary or praying, aloud or in private. When speaking conversationally of Christ, I think I probably forget more often than not.

In the Tridentine Mass, the priest and generally the altar boys, will turn to the Tabernacle and bow at the name of Jesus Christ, at the first words of the prayer “Gloria Patri et Filio…”, and at each Oremus. The priest may also bow toward the tabelnacle at the mention of the Blesses Mother or a Saint during a Mass on the occasion of their Feast Day.
 
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