Do you bow your head at the part in the Nicene Creed?

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Before the reiterated directive…No, I did not…sadly due to my ignorance of now knowing…since the directive…Yes, ALWAYS…and not only cause its a directive…it is logical, proper and reverence due. I do it out of respect and love now, instead of directive.
 
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Annunciata:
I actually bow from the waist and at Communion, I bow my head.🙂
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I do not mean to imply that you are doign anything wrong, but it is interesting that a sign of greater reverence is shown during the creed than in the physical presence of Christ.
 
I always do a waist bow in reverence to our Lord, I also remember when we use to genuflect. Sometimes I lead the rosary before mass and every time I say the name “Jesus” I try to nod to show reverence also. I remember in scripture that says at His name every knee shall bend. I wish it were that way.
maggiec
 
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Katholish:
I do not mean to imply that you are doign anything wrong, but it is interesting that a sign of greater reverence is shown during the creed than in the physical presence of Christ.
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Dear Katholish,
I did not take it that way at all…I was just giving my statement of what I do. And, you are absolutely correct about the bowing . As it is, in my parish, only a handful of people bow at either. They just don’t get it… At the risk of appearing “more Catholic than Catholic” I just bow my head @Communion…:o Love In Christ, Annunciata:)
 
I do the bow. Hey, the Church has the power to bind and loose, and this is one of the things it binds.
 
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Katholish:
I do not mean to imply that you are doign anything wrong, but it is interesting that a sign of greater reverence is shown during the creed than in the physical presence of Christ.
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I’d guess that the nod at communion instead of a bow is more because of the room. I know if I tried to bow at communion I would probable hit someone with my head. Bowing in the pew during the creed is very ealily accomplished.
maggiec
 
88.33% of people on this board … or who have looked at this post … bow their heads.

Hmmm … given that 10% of the people at my Church bow their heads at the proper place during the Creed, I’d say that the people who frequent this board are the more hard-core Catholics. Your “average” Catholic, the 90% who don’t bow their heads, doesn’t care enough about his faith to come here, in my opinion.

And if that’s true, then I fear for the future of the Catholic faith, given that most of you think it’s OK to wear jeans and shorts to Mass (found on other threads). If the best-of-the-best think its OK to dress in hip-huggers and tank tops, then I wonder what the “average” Catholic thinks. My oh my.

No offense intended. It’s just my observation.
 
Actually at the church I attend we KNEEL! :bowdown:(that’s right, both knees on the kneeler, no holding hands, no hugs and kisses:p ) and the priest tips his black hat(sorry I forgot what its called, perhaps someone can help me on this) every time he mentions Jesus’ name even during the Homily. Ive been to some other masses where the priest has actually told people to at least bow, and no one does!! How’s that for reverence?
 
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oldschoolcath23:
Actually at the church I attend we KNEEL! :bowdown:(that’s right, both knees on the kneeler, no holding hands, no hugs and kisses:p ) and the priest tips his black hat(sorry I forgot what its called, perhaps someone can help me on this) every time he mentions Jesus’ name even during the Homily. Ive been to some other masses where the priest has actually told people to at least bow, and no one does!! How’s that for reverence?
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Your priest actually wears a biretta? That’s pretty spiffy. Is he FSSP? At my parish I’m currently the only one who bows that I’ve noticed (I don’t really want to dwell on that but sometimes I have looked around at the “et incarnatus est”). I’m also the only musician who kneels during the Canon. Makes me sick that the choristers can’t even get on their knees to adore their Lord and God. People have often asked me “are you not feeling well? Why did you get off the bench to kneel?” I think I’m gonna write an article about the bows and genuflections and have it published in our parish newsletter.
 
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oldschoolcath23:
Actually at the church I attend we KNEEL! :bowdown:(that’s right, both knees on the kneeler, no holding hands, no hugs and kisses:p ) and the priest tips his black hat
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To quote CatholicNerd with even more amazement:
*Your priest actually wears a biretta??? * Is this in North America? If so, It must be one of the last remaining birettas on the continent!

When the Mass was in Latin, I can recall genuflecting at the et incarnatus est…. Later, it seems that we didn’t really do anything at that part of the creed. As has been mentioned, 90% still don’t. But it is beginning to come back, and more are bowing, at least if they are not daydreaming…

JimG
 
TheGrowingGrape said:
88.33% of people on this board … or who have looked at this post … bow their heads.

Hmmm … given that 10% of the people at my Church bow their heads at the proper place during the Creed, I’d say that the people who frequent this board are the more hard-core Catholics. Your “average” Catholic, the 90% who don’t bow their heads, doesn’t care enough about his faith to come here, in my opinion.

And if that’s true, then I fear for the future of the Catholic faith, given that most of you think it’s OK to wear jeans and shorts to Mass (found on other threads). If the best-of-the-best think its OK to dress in hip-huggers and tank tops, then I wonder what the “average” Catholic thinks. My oh my.

No offense intended. It’s just my observation.
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The thread you cite, as I recall was a question posed by a 19 year old student who walks over two miles to weekday Mass. (Much to her parents’ disapproval). And as I recall, the majority disapproved wearing shorts, but suggested lightweight slacks or nice, clean jeans be worn.

Back to the thread:
I bow profoundly, from the waist during the Creed.
(But since that wasn’t an option in the poll, I checked “Yes” to the head bow question.)
 
Thank you!

This has shed light on a practice of a few Eastern Catholics I have seen. They must be doing so in imitation of Roman Catholics, as this is not an accepted practice in the Eastern Churches.
 
I bow and have for the last 10 years or so. I can’t remember why I started; if it was encouraged by my SD at the time or if I just read it in the missalette.

I would like to strike my breast during the Confiteor but I don’t know how to do so properly, esp. in English.

I think these gestures are so important to becoming absorbed in the Mass (or in prayer.) It’s a sensory thing for me and it’s helpful to pray with the body not just mind and spirit. When I bow I’m not just remembering choreography- I’m remembering and ackowledging the incarnation and my body is doing it, too.
 
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Alberich:
Yes…and strike my breast during the Confiteor as well. It is good to do these things, if only because the gestures themselves will focus the mind on what we are saying, hopefully preventing it from becoming so much rotework for many people!
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So do I and I agree completely. Our priests are very good about doing these as well and the Church is really picking up on it I think.
 
Interesting poll. I find it hopeful that through this sort of mechanism that more and more folks will find out that the bow is supposed to be done in the Nicene Creed. For those that use the misssalette usually supplied by the parish for mass it shows it in the margin adjacent to the specific lines as someone else had noted. The funny part is that in many churches that I have attended over the years, very few people actually use the missalettes or any missal in dererence to listening and relying on memory.

Perhaps we can start a renewal!

God Bless !

Carl

PS: I note that a number of priests DO NOT bow their heads during the creed also. Perhaps EWTN should send their priests around the country to help many of us learn some reverence and piety.
 
I do, and I am happy to report that the practice is spreading. I live in a very large parish, and I am sure we are represented by a wide cross section. All the way from Francis of Assisi to Judas Iscariot. Believe me when I tell you that in the last four years the level of devotion has increased. Daily Mass is up, way up. More people are bowing during the Nicene Creed, and you can even see people bowing their head at the Holy Name. I think it is easy to resond to the example of others. When people see others do it, they start to follow.
I am not talking about the spike in Mass attendance that follows tragedy, I believe that the people are responding to the Spirit. If each of us just noticed it up one tic, we could change the world.

Charliemac
 
Camp Pueblano:
Perhaps we can start a renewal!

I note that a number of priests DO NOT bow their heads during the creed also. Perhaps EWTN should send their priests around the country to help many of us learn some reverence and piety.
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I didn’t mention that I see few priests bow their heads during the Creed, or at the Holy Name, but I have seen an increase there as well.

As for the renewal. It has started.

Charliemac
 
I don’t bow my head, I do a full bow during the Nicene Creed and bow my head at the mention of the Holy Name of Jesus. I also strike my breast at the consecration and cross myself when the priest says “May God Almighty bless…”
 
There was no option for genuflecting. I genuflect, as does our whole parish.
 
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