Deeply Rooted Tradition

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SMHW said:
I’m fairly certain there is nothing in the G.I.R.M. regarding where the people should be looking at the times of the elevations.
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Not as such. Yet, the rubrics say that the celebrant ‘shows’ the Eucharistic elements to the congregation. If he’s showing it, doesn’t that seem to imply that there would be people looking at it? 🤔

(Edited to add: I see that @Cor_ad_Cor makes the same argument I’m making…)

Nevertheless, no – there’s no rubric for what the people do, here.
SMHW said:
In all those cases Catholics needed the bells to let them know that the consecration had occurred.
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IIRC, in his book “The Mass”, Fortescue claims that they came into practice to allow people to know when the consecration was taking place, especially given that the priest was facing the altar and not the people.
 
I think people should be taught to look at what the Priest is showing and not to bow.

The Roman Missal has specific instructions about when to bow. For example in General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 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 honour Mass is being celebrated.”

So, for example, two bows are required during the Glory to God and one during the Sign of the Cross.

But it does not have instructions to bow at the elevation of the host and the chalice after the Consecration.

[Excerpt from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.]
 
But it doesn’t necessarily follow that “there is no instruction to bow there,” so people must be taught not to, and to look at the Host.

Again, I’m amazed there’s this much discussion over something that isn’t really that big of a deal.

If you want to bow your head, bow your head. If you want to look, look. Don’t worry about what others are doing. Worry about what your own interior distorsion is.
 
Daniel27 said:
Something I have noticed is that when the priest/deacon consecrates the Body and Blood of Christ in the mass, and holds it up high after saying “… do this in memory of me” that people take very different approaches to this. Some will staunchly refuse to look at the Eucharist and keep their heads down; were as other people seem to be like meerkats and refuse to lower their gaze. It seems that to do the opposite of what someone else does in this instance would be strikingly controversial for them.

Can someone please provide a clear answer as to whether one is meant to look or not?
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I’m usually one of the meerkats.

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But bowing the head is also perfectly fine. I find nothing controversial about people lowering their heads.

God looks at the heart. The intent of the heart and the love within the heart.

Peace.
 
Rather than private inclination, the General Instruction of the Roman Missal has:

“Gestures and Bodily Posture
42. The gestures and bodily posture of both the Priest, the Deacon, and the ministers, and also of the people, must be conducive to making the entire celebration resplendent with beauty and noble simplicity, to making clear the true and full meaning of its different parts, and to fostering the participation of all. Attention must therefore be paid to what is determined by this General Instruction and by the traditional practice of the Roman Rite and to what serves the common spiritual good of the people of God, rather than private inclination or arbitrary choice.
A common bodily posture, to be observed by all those taking part, is a sign of the unity of the members of the Christian community gathered together for the Sacred Liturgy, for it expresses the intentions and spiritual attitude of the participants and also fosters them.”

(I have omitted a footnote 52 in the above.)

[Excerpt from the English translation of The Roman Missal ©2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.]
 
Irishmom2 said:
So, why are the bells rung? What is their purpose at that time?
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This may be a rhetorical question on your part, but I will relate 2 things of what I have read in this regard. In the days when the priest conducted Mass with his back to the congregation, and prior to amplified PA systems, and within the largest churches where the people at the back had no idea where they were in the scheme of things, the bells indicated that the host/chalice was being elevated. There is another story too, based on medieval architectural studies. In many churches built centuries ago, there was, included in the building, what was called a “squint”, or sometimes a “leper’s squint”. This was a small passage built into the wall so that the altar could be seen from outside, or perhaps from an isolated aisle or chapel, enabling those who were diseased or kept away for one reason or another, to at least observe things. And again, the bells let them know what was happening if something were to obstruct the view. There is a brief bit on the squint here;

www.merriam-webster.com

Definition of LEPER'S SQUINT

a small window in the exterior wall of some medieval churches through which lepers are believed to have viewed the service being conducted at the altar… See the full definition
www.merriam-webster.com www.merriam-webster.com
 
Phemie said:
That they are raised that high dates back to the time when the priest faced in the same direction as the people and the only way they could see is if he held them over his head.
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It dates even earlier, pointing to the Jewish roots of the Eucharist when the priest would hold up the lamb to be sacrificed for the assembly to see.
 
Well, yes, the point is to “show”. In a course I took on the Mass the priest teaching made the point that the lifting of the species should be progressive. Just off the altar for the Consecration, about chest high when you “show” the consecrated species, and at eye, or head level, for the Doxology. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that progression outside of Mass celebrated during that course.
 
I don’t care for, nor use, the terms novus ordo priest or novus ordo parish.

But before Pope BXVI used the term “ordinary form”, Novus Ordo Missae was a common name for the Mass of Pope PVI.

Long before schismatic Catholics used the term in a derogatory manner.

“New Order of the Mass” was used initially by clergy. Not those who rejected the OF.
 
I was taught to look at Jesus. Say “My Lord and My God” (or you can say “My Jesus, Mercy” when it’s the Precious Blood) while striking your breast. Bow your head when the priest puts down Jesus and genuflects.

If somebody else doesn’t look then I’m not the police, I’m not going to bug them about it, but God is being elevated, and who wouldn’t want to look at God?
 
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Very late have I adopted the custom of keeping my eyes closed during much of the mass. We are too easily distracted from the Sacrifice (who desires that?), and what others are doing is immaterial. I have traditionally been a poor listener. With eyes closed, my ears are opened. I snap to attention and open my eyes at the echo of Saint John the Baptist’s words: “Behold the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sons of the world…”
 
po18guy said:
Very late have I adopted the custom of keeping my eyes closed during much of the mass.
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So do I, and for much the same reasons as you cited. I do, however, open them for the elevations, and at a few other occasions.

D
 
I usually look at chalice when it is lifted up as I understand it that it is also lifted up for us to see… but that is private interpretation of it. Then I bow down when Priest kneels after elevation. However never have I considered this to be normative neither do I think other practices are wrong. I used to look down but found that if I look on chalice, I tend to focus on miracle happening better. But that effect is personal. I wonder if there is any directive on this. At TLM most people seem to look at it and during OF most people look down, at least where I am from.
 
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I thought that you were to admire the Blessed Sacrament and silently say “My Lord and God” and “Be mindful of Your creature who Your blood redeemed” during the elevation following consecration.
 
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