Do you genuflect?

[SMHW]

After seeing this thread, I paid more attention to what people do when I went to church tonight. Most people genuflect, but most do not make the sign of the cross when doing so. I was taught that when I was young and have always done that. Just wondering if most people here do or do not make the sign of the cross when genuflecting?

While I usually do make the sign of the cross while genuflecting, they are really two separate forms of showing reverence. It is genuflecting that is considered the normal Latin style reverence to the Blessed Sacrament, not making the sign of the cross.

I always got the impression that we were taught to make the sign of the cross while genuflecting in order to sort of put a time duration on it. In other words, genuflecting should take about the amount of time necessary to make the sign of the cross. It’s a useful way to explain it to children. And it helps us to think about what we are doing rather than just making a kind of reflexive “rolling” or “California-style” genuflection while entering or exiting a pew.

People who need to hold on to the pew to genuflect or can only manage a partial knee bend do to physical problems are obviously aware of what they are doing so if they chose not to make the sign of the cross it’s not likely due to a lack of reverence…

 

[zab]

***Oh, sorry–dh = ‘dear husband.’ Some additional ones:

dd=dear daughter
ds=dear son
dw=dear wife
xh= ex husband
xw=ex wife

Should be a key on here or something. ***

I’ve seen the dh in some posts and thought it was either divorced husband or dead husband

 

[Monica4316]

yes, I do

 

[Don9of11]

Do you have a tabernacle behind the altar or in a different place. There’s no need to genuflect if there’s no tabernacle. Bowing to reverence the altar alone is appropriate.

If the tabernacle is not where it’s supposed to be, as you say, in a different place then what sort of church are you in? Take a lesson from St. Peter, when he took his eyes off our Lord, he began to sink!

I always genuflect when I come into church or before I enter my pew and whenever I walk in front of the tabernacle.

 

[rayne89]

Growing up we didn’t. The tabernacle was off the right slightly but still in perfect view. A few families from my parish did while I was growing up and I thought they were trying to make themselves look holy. Never were we taught about genuflecting or even the real presence when I had catechism growing up.

My mom, not a particularly strong Catholic, was confused by Vatican 2 and just followed what everyone else was doing. When I finally learned about the real presence and genuflecting (near my mid-twenties) the parish of my youth remodeled and moved the tabernacle to a separate chapel.

The more I educated myself the more I realized the abuses that were going on and we changed parishes. Also my daughter’s catechism classes at my childhood parish were not any more informative than mine -in fact I think they were worse. Now yes, we always genuflect. I’ve noticed that since my mom has been coming to Mass pretty regularly with me and she sees me and everyone else at the parish genuflect she has begun to do it to.

I try not judge those who don’t because if I hadn’t begun watching Ewtn in my twenties I would have known very little about church teaching. I think many in the last few generations are just ignorant because of the nonsense that went on in the 70’s, 80’s and even 90’s.

 

[jannekb]

I genuflect. The tabernacle in our church is on the far right side of the altar, and so that is always the side of the church that I sit in, as well.

 

[Sarabande]

*My dh, kids, and I do…I have been noticing that people don’t really do this much anymore…back in Pittsburgh, it was very common. But, since moving to Florida, I only see a handful of people at mass genuflect before entering the pew. Just curious if this tradition is passing away–do you genuflect? I grew up doing this, so to me, it’s a sign of reverence before sitting in the pew, that’s all.

Just wondering if you do this yourself before and leaving mass. *

Yes, my family and I do and most people at the churches around us do as well. I don’t know if it has to do with how things are done in FL. We were always taught that it was a sign of reverence and respect, but maybe they don’t teach that in FL? I don’t know. My in-laws live there and whenever we visit and go to mass, well… let’s just say mass is a totally different experience there than it is up north. I have noticed as well that many people don’t genuflect at the few parishes we attended while visiting, among other things. My in-laws have lived all around the country from the South, to the NorthEast, New England, Mid-West, West Coast, etc. They even admitted that FL masses have been different from most masses in the various places they’ve lived - even from CA when they lived out there.

 

[whatevergirl]

Yes, my family and I do and most people at the churches around us do as well. I don’t know if it has to do with how things are done in FL. We were always taught that it was a sign of reverence and respect, but maybe they don’t teach that in FL? I don’t know. My in-laws live there and whenever we visit and go to mass, well… let’s just say mass is a totally different experience there than it is up north. I have noticed as well that many people don’t genuflect at the few parishes we attended while visiting, among other things. My in-laws have lived all around the country from the South, to the NorthEast, New England, Mid-West, West Coast, etc. They even admitted that FL masses have been different from most masses in the various places they’ve lived - even from CA when they lived out there.

It’s good to know that I am not alone in that thinking! I am so grateful to have finally found a reverent parish here in Florida…perhaps, I took such a thing for granted, living in Pittsburgh, a city with very Catholic roots.

 

[Sarabande]

It’s good to know that I am not alone in that thinking! I am so grateful to have finally found a reverent parish here in Florida…perhaps, I took such a thing for granted, living in Pittsburgh, a city with very Catholic roots.

Please pm me and let me know which parish - if you’d like. I think my in-laws would love to know about it, especially if it is near where they live. Attending mass down there for them has not been the nicest. They aren’t picky or anything in the least, but as I believe you would attest I think it has been hard for them not being native Floridians. They’ve been there for about 5 years and it hasn’t been very spiritual for them going to mass.

One of my first Catholic conferences was in Pittsburgh and I LOVED it. You are right, that city does have very Catholic roots.

 

[rick43235]

As a non-Catholic who attends mass weekly with my Catholic wife, I try to conduct myself as respectfully as possible, We usually arrive about half an hour early and she will go to one of the chapels to pray. I, on the other hand, will typically go to a pew in the main church, entering from the side aisle. There is usually nobody nearby to observe me, so I don’t bother genuflecting. If, on the other hand, we arrive later, enter a pew from the middle aisle, and there are others nearby, I’ll genuflect (if I remember).

 

[Stella76]

As a brand-spankin’ new Catholic, genuflecting is still new to me. I have to make a very conscious effort to remember to genuflect before the tabernacle, and because of this it has yet to become an “automatic” action–for which I am very thankful. Every time I genuflect, it’s a beautiful and moving reminder to me of the Real Presence.

*Stella

 

[whatevergirl]

*How exciting Stella, you have been confirmed recently? Congratulations! I find it to be a beautiful reminder, too. *

 

[Lemonpoptart]

regretfully, no, because I am now having diziness and falling episodes, it will make more of a spectacle if I can’t get up than if I do a profound bow.

I can’t either. But I do certainly bow. My kids genuflect. Everyone in our parish does one or the other. The tabernacle is located directly behind the alter. We don’t cross by it even remotely, without showing our respect. Our whole church does it. I’ve never seen anyone not do it, to be honest… Well… unless they weren’t Catholic.

 

[Wampa]

I’ve seen the dh in some posts and thought it was either divorced husband or dead husband

I always read it as divorced. I was always surprised to see how often people were going to church with their ex’s

On the topic, in my suburban parish, the tabernacle is in the back on the left. I genuflect when I pass it and bow to the tabernacle-less altar. I’ve never seen anyone else genuflect (or show any other sign of reverance) to the tabernacle there in the back I’m pretty sure most parishioners there are unaware of the real presence of Jesus

 

[MC_John]

I genuflect only where I can see the sanctuary lamp. As the tabernacle is always covered by a coloured tabernacle veil when the Blessed Sacrament is within, when I see a tabernacle which has no veil and is open, I just bow to the crucifix.

As with many churches or cathedrals, rather than having a tabernacle near the high altar, it may be located at an altar of repose or Blessed Sacrament chapel. I’d genuflect when it’s in view.

So, just look for the tabernacle veil or sanctuary lamp and you should be ok to genuflect.

 

[Sarabande]

On the topic, in my suburban parish, the tabernacle is in the back on the left. I genuflect when I pass it and bow to the tabernacle-less altar. I’ve never seen anyone else genuflect (or show any other sign of reverance) to the tabernacle there in the back I’m pretty sure most parishioners there are unaware of the real presence of Jesus

My husband and I attended mass at a church once where the tabernacle was in the back of the church, hidden away in a little alcove. We both genuflected there and then went to our seats. Everyone else who came into the church genuflected to the altar, but did not genuflect towards the tabernacle. We sat right near it. (The church was VERY small, so being in the back was basically being near the front. Only Catholic church in an area which had a plethera of little Baptist and Methodist churches). I can’t tell what they were aware or unaware of, but it seems that they might have had the same kind of thought system that I had when I was a little girl - you see everyone genuflect towards the altar (even without the tabernacle) so you do the same, as it must be a sign of reverence to God. You know what the real presence is, but you don’t understand why you are actually genuflecting. When I was little, I thought we were genuflecting towards Jesus on the cross. It wasn’t until my older family members explained to me what the genuflection was for and then taught me to genuflect towards the tabernacle which was off to the side. Fortunately, most of the churches in my diocese have moved their tabernacles front and center, so that there is no more searching for where it went.

 

[nannyma]

Do you have a tabernacle behind the altar or in a different place. There’s no need to genuflect if there’s no tabernacle. Bowing to reverence the altar alone is appropriate.

I agree with SuscipeMeDomine which means “receive me,Lord”. Those would be beautiful words to say while genuflecting to the Real Presence of Christ in the tabernacle. Also,we have a Blessed Sacrament Chapel where the tabernacle is kept but as “SuscipeMeDomine” said bowing to reverence the altar alone is appropriate and one more loving act to Our Lord. Nannyma

 

[tobinatorstark]

*My dh, kids, and I do…I have been noticing that people don’t really do this much anymore…back in Pittsburgh, it was very common. But, since moving to Florida, I only see a handful of people at mass genuflect before entering the pew. Just curious if this tradition is passing away–do you genuflect? I grew up doing this, so to me, it’s a sign of reverence before sitting in the pew, that’s all.

Just wondering if you do this yourself before and leaving mass. *

I genuflect before entering and leaving the pew, genuflect when I am an usher right before we do the collection, genuflect if I bring up offatory gifts and I genuflect before receiving on the tongue at communion. BTW what is dh???

 

[tampasteve]

In the church I usually attend the Tabernacle is in a separate chapel (walled with a door) behind the congregation. Should one genuflect? Some people do, some do not.

Steve

 

[SMHW]

In the church I usually attend the Tabernacle is in a separate chapel (walled with a door) behind the congregation. Should one genuflect? Some people do, some do not.

Steve

Not when entering and exiting the pews. In this case it is proper to bow to the altar either when entering or exiting the pews or when passing near the altar, depending on which makes the most sense in your particular building.

However if you pass by the open entrance to the chapel it would be proper to make a sign of reverence then. If you actually enter the chapel you ought to genuflect. If you are just passing by, I suggest you ask your pastor what would be appropriate. A bow? Crossing yourself? Genuflection if the location allows?