Do Traditional Catholics kneel at O.F. Masses?

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The_Reginator

The_Reginator

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For those of you that regularly attend an EF Mass what is your habit when visiting a parish with only the OF available?

I’ve broached this subject on another forum but I’d like some thoughts from traditional Catholics.
I entered the Church at an FSSP parish.
Due to health reasons, and later transportation problems, I find myself at my local parish. Only the OF Mass is celebrated there.
I’ve spent many years receiving kneeling and on the tongue during the OF Mass. (Receiving on the tongue is now a problem due to the flu.)
Do you think that it is more obedient to simply follow the usual practice – receive standing? Or is it more important to kneel before the King of the universe when receiving Him? I do not want to stand out. I’m worried that it is pride that makes me insist on kneeling.
 
The_Reginator said:
For those of you that regularly attend an EF Mass what is your habit when visiting a parish with only the OF available?

I’ve broached this subject on another forum but I’d like some thoughts from traditional Catholics.
I entered the Church at an FSSP parish.
Due to health reasons, and later transportation problems, I find myself at my local parish. Only the OF Mass is celebrated there.
I’ve spent many years receiving kneeling and on the tongue during the OF Mass. (Receiving on the tongue is now a problem due to the flu.)
Do you think that it is more obedient to simply follow the usual practice – receive standing? Or is it more important to kneel before the King of the universe when receiving Him? I do not want to stand out. I’m worried that it is pride that makes me insist on kneeling.
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You are worrying to much about human respect I think. If you attend the Novus Ordo, and believe that the Host there truly is Jesus Christ, then you ought to kneel and receive Him the proper way.

Unfortunately, many Novus Ordo churches have actually banned the practice of kneeling to receive Holy Communion because of “health” concerns. Even before that though, I have heard that in some places, kneeling for Holy Communion was discouraged in the Novus Ordo.

I’m sorry if this sounded harsh.
 
Standing isn’t intrinsically wrong and in fact is (and always has been) the norm in the Eastern Churches. That being said, as our Holy Father has indicated, kneeling is the ideal in the Latin Church. I would rather not comment on whether or not it’s prudent to kneel in every single case. It may cause scandal in some parishes and hold up the line, but it may, at the same time, give a powerful testimony to your belief in the Real Presence. Fortunately there are a few Ordinary Form parishes in my diocese where kneeling is the norm. At our local cathedral those who wish to receive standing do so by lining up along the centre aisle; those who wish to receive kneeling do so by heading towards either sides of the altar rail.
 
Yes, Traditional Catholics kneel at OF Masses when required to do so even though there’s not much kneeling at the Novus Ordo Missae;
Even though in my diocese the bishop has asked for the faithful to recieve in their hands I still recieve kneeling and on the tongue with no objections from the parish priest;
 
The phrase, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do,” was first said by St. Ambose to St. Augustine when he discovered that the Roman Church was out of step with the other churches because they fasted on Saturdays during Lent.

In other words, if you’re a visitor, simply follow the local custom.
 
I would prefer to receive kneeling but, since that option is not available to me, I receive on the tongue and move on. I think Bp. Basil has it right…“When in Rome…”
 
The_Reginator said:
For those of you that regularly attend an EF Mass what is your habit when visiting a parish with only the OF available?

I don’t…visit a parish where only the OF. is available, I mean. I pray that I’ll never have to again. In fact, I fear the fact that the EF. might be taken from us. What I’ll do, I don’t know. I grew up with the Tridentine Mass. From 1969 until 1&1/2 yrs. ago (that’s 39 YRS.) I attended the N.O. & tried hard to accept it. I felt that there was something wrong with me because I COULDN’T love it. The nearest “indult Mass” meant a drive of 2- 1/2 hrs. Now, there is a parish in my city that offers this Mass EVERY Sun. & I thank God & Pope Benedict for it, every day.
I’ve broached this subject on another forum but I’d like some thoughts from traditional Catholics.
I entered the Church at an FSSP parish.
Due to health reasons, and later transportation problems, I find myself at my local parish. Only the OF Mass is celebrated there.
I’ve spent many years receiving kneeling and on the tongue during the OF Mass. (Receiving on the tongue is now a problem due to the flu.)
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The norm in the NO mass is to give a reverent bow of the head and then receive standing, either on the tongue or in the hand. So, standing is how I receive at the NO.

We move quite frequently due to my husband’s job, and have attended a lot of churches in various areas of the U.S. and overseas. I’ve frequently seen the lone person or two in line kneeling on the floor to receive, and have never seen a priest act like anything was out of the ordinary. I can’t say that I’ve been blessed with particularly orthodox or reverent NO parishes on the whole, but the stories of some make me realize things could certainly be much worse!
 
There is a parish in my cluster that I see some people kneel while receiving holy communion (and receive on the tongue). The church doesn’t have an altar rail, but people line up as there is a altar rail. The altar boy (no girls at this parish) holds a paten for holy communion and bells are rung during the eucharistic prayer during the weekend masses. sometimes on weekend masses they use Latin for the Sanctus, Our Father, and the Lamb of God (thank god for songsheets)

All this was awkward the first few times I went there for mass, but now am used to it.
 
The_Reginator said:
For those of you that regularly attend an EF Mass what is your habit when visiting a parish with only the OF available?

I’ve broached this subject on another forum but I’d like some thoughts from traditional Catholics.
I entered the Church at an FSSP parish.
Due to health reasons, and later transportation problems, I find myself at my local parish. Only the OF Mass is celebrated there.
I’ve spent many years receiving kneeling and on the tongue during the OF Mass. (Receiving on the tongue is now a problem due to the flu.)
Do you think that it is more obedient to simply follow the usual practice – receive standing? Or is it more important to kneel before the King of the universe when receiving Him? I do not want to stand out. I’m worried that it is pride that makes me insist on kneeling.
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Unquestionably it is more obedient and humble to receive standing just like the rest of the parishioners. I can understand why you desire to receive while kneeling but doing so in a parish where it is not customary could be an occasion to sin, both on your part (pride, vainglory, judging the other parishioners) and on their part (scandal, gossip, judging you).

Genuine humility is the mother of all virtues and Godliness. Try to look at it as an opportunity for growth. Humble yourself and receive just like everyone else, it will be for your benefit. 🙂

Yours in Christ
Joe
 
tbtcom1213 said:
Yes, Traditional Catholics kneel at OF Masses when required to do so even though there’s not much kneeling at the Novus Ordo Missae;
Even though in my diocese the bishop has asked for the faithful to recieve in their hands I still recieve kneeling and on the tongue with no objections from the parish priest;
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What is a “Traditional Catholic?”
 
I have assisted at three Novus Ordo Masses this year. Two funerals and a wedding. I do what the locals do. In my opinion, my reverence would look like obstinacy if I were to insist on a singular manner of receiving holy communion not in keeping with local custom. As someone pointed out, there is nothing intrinsically irreverent about receiving standing. Without slowing down the line I have genuflected while the person in front of me is receiving, and then received on the tongue, standing. Others usually do this too. I seem to have noticed a positive trend in these three Masses. Is hand holding falling into disuse? It seems like every time I go to a Novus Ordo there are fewer and fewer…and they are always the 70 and over crowd.

Anyway…I attend a chapel of the SSPX. I would suggest that if one cannot conform to the Novus Ordo rubrics according to the local customs, one would do well to make a spiritual communion.
 
I do. You’re supposed to kneel at every Mass regardless of whether it is an ordinary form mass or extraordinary form mass. I have never been to an extraordinary form mass.
 
I’ll address Novus Ordo. It’s difficult not to kneel once the bell rings during the Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy Lord), since I’d once heard that at that moment even the Angels in Heaven kneel (or bow). So, in other words, who are we not to? I only know that hearing that - I may feel a little embarassed being the only one kneeling but remiss, if I don’t.
 
I attend the Traditional Latin Mass only, bu this past year I did have to attend the NO Mass for the wedding of a friend. I was actually part of the wedding party. I took the priest aside at the night of the rehearsal and told him I only receive kneeling and on the tongue. I told him if this was a problem, I would not receive because I did not want to cause a distrubance at the wedding. He told me to go ahead and kneel, he would make sure that he stood on my side to distribute Communion to me. He placed the EM with the Chalice on the other side. He also said, ‘who knows, maybe others will follow your example and do the same’. It caused no problems and no scandal for anyone. If kneeling is the object of scandal for some, the problem is with the person who sees scandal in it - not the person kneeling.
 
NeelyAnn said:
I attend the Traditional Latin Mass only, bu this past year I did have to attend the NO Mass for the wedding of a friend. I was actually part of the wedding party. I took the priest aside at the night of the rehearsal and told him I only receive kneeling and on the tongue. I told him if this was a problem, I would not receive because I did not want to cause a distrubance at the wedding. He told me to go ahead and kneel, he would make sure that he stood on my side to distribute Communion to me. He placed the EM with the Chalice on the other side. He also said, ‘who knows, maybe others will follow your example and do the same’. It caused no problems and no scandal for anyone. If kneeling is the object of scandal for some, the problem is with the person who sees scandal in it - not the person kneeling.
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God bless this priest ! By suggesting that others may follow your example, it sounds as though he quietly yearns for the same reverence to be shown. Don’t you wish more prelates - if they feel this way - would be unafraid to speak up?

And God bless you - not just for making this particular effort - but in showing the pre-ceremony diplomacy of mentioning it to the priest. 👍
 
So far even the NO Masses I have to attend tolerate us trad’s. Many of us kneel. If, we are forced to change because of H1N1 then I’ll be doing what Rory suggested by taking a “spiritual” communion.
 
josephdaniel29 said:
Unquestionably it is more obedient and humble to receive standing just like the rest of the parishioners. I can understand why you desire to receive while kneeling but doing so in a parish where it is not customary could be an occasion to sin, both on your part (pride, vainglory, judging the other parishioners) and on their part (scandal, gossip, judging you).

Genuine humility is the mother of all virtues and Godliness. Try to look at it as an opportunity for growth. Humble yourself and receive just like everyone else, it will be for your benefit. 🙂

Yours in Christ
Joe
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Many parishes have those who have trouble walking sit in the first row or in one of the first few rows on an aisle. The priest comes to them, and they receive before anyone else. It isn’t unusual for them to recieve kneeling, though. In other words, if one was willing to make an effort to get permission to sit in one of those areas beforehand, there are places where one can receive kneeling in a perfectly unobtrusive way.

I go with the custom of the rest, as you do, as long as it is within the rubrics, but if the priest is willing to accomodate them, who are we to say their humility is in the wrong place? It’s not as if it hurts anyone else. If we can’t live and let live and let the priest handle the granting of permissions during Holy Communion, then when?
 
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