Eucharistic Prayer

[Podo2004]

how many of you stand or kneel throughout the eucharistic prayer? Any information that says you have to kneel or stand would be appreciated

Thanks
Podo The Hobbit

 

[philjane]

I live in a parish where most people stand for the consecration----I kneel because i believe that Jesus comes on the altar & we all should kneel at that moment. At daily mass, most people kneel for the consecration but there are a few who stand & if they are standing for solidarity–it is not working because they should do what the majority do & at daily mass it would be to kneel–

 

[BrianDay]

philjane:

I live in a parish where most people stand for the consecration----

Since you live in Canada, what are the rules for posture during the Eucharistic Prayers?

Are they similar to Europe where they stand during the EP and kneel/genuflect at the Consecration?

 

[T.A.Stobie_SFO]

neither, being physically handicapped I sit through the entire mass.

 

[Podo2004]

T.A.Stobie:

neither, being physically handicapped I sit through the entire mass.

oh gosh that’s too bad… but if you were able, would you stand or kneel?

Podo The Hobbit

 

[deogratias]

I kneel from the Sanctus to the Great Amen at the Normative Mass.

 

[T.A.Stobie_SFO]

Podo2004:

oh gosh that’s too bad… but if you were able, would you stand or kneel?

Podo The Hobbit

I would kneel and if given the option (by the Church) go fully prostrate at the elevation of the Body and of the Blood.

 

[Joanna]

T.A.Stobie:

I would kneel and if given the option (by the Church) go fully prostrate at the elevation of the Body and of the Blood.

Right there in spirit with you!

 

[STJOMO]

Kneeling, always. My wife and I and our kids were in another town for a Christmas vigil mass one year, and we were shocked that during the Eucharistic Prayer, everyone there stood. There we were, in the first row of a crowded church, all alone on our knees. Why are priests permitted to allow (maybe even encourage) this abuse?

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

In the Byzantine Rite kneeling is a penitential posture.

I voted for stand but take exception to the " (to show strength or anything else) " as this is not why we stand.

In the East one stands before the King and offers a deep bow at the right time. In the West one kneels before the King.

It is a different custom, we do not stand to “show strength or anything else”. To tell the truth I do not even understand what is meant by “to show strength” or “to show reverence” other than as a way to say if you don’t kneel then you are being irreverent.

Some of our Churches still kneel but this is a latinization and is slowly disappearing.

At the Melkite parish I attend, there is some standing during the begining of the Liturgy, for the start, at the Little Entrance, at the Gospel reading. Then the congregation stands for the Great Entrance and from there to the end of the Liturgy they stand. The choir stands for the whole Liturgy.

Some of us bow our heads at the words of institution, every one crosses themself (one of the many times we do so) at each of the Amen’s that are part of the words of institution.

 

[Voice_Of_Reason]

Offtopic but with so many topics on the Eucharist, I don’t feel like creating another topic.

Anyway, I was on one parish website and they explained that they will now stand from the time the priest takes communion until EVERYONE receives communion. This parish is pretty liberal…is this becoming the ‘norm’ or what? What’s that all about??? :bigyikes:

 

[deogratias]

The new GIRM provides that the faithful should “sit while the readings before the Gospel and the responsorial psalm are proclaimed and for the homily and while the Preparation of the Gifts at the Offertory is taking place; and, as circumstances allow, they may sit or kneel while the period of sacred silence after Communion is observed” (43).

Regarding sitting or kneeling during the silence after Communion, some interpreted this as meaning that the faithful should stand until the last communicant had received Communion, which was contrary to the traditional practice of the faithful assuming their preferred postures immediately upon returning to the pews.

A controversy ensued, in which Francis Cardinal George, chairman of the Bishops’ Committee on Liturgy, queried the CDWDS: “In many places, the faithful are accustomed to kneeling or sitting in personal prayer upon returning to their places after having individually received Holy Communion during Mass. Is it the intention of the [new Roman Missal] to forbid this practice?”

The response was as follows: “Negative, et ad mentem [No, and for this reason]. The mens [reason] is that the prescription of [GIRM] no. 43 is intended, on the one hand, to ensure within broad limits a certain uniformity of posture within the congregation for the various parts of the celebration of Holy Mass, and on the other, to not regulate posture rigidly in such a way that those who wish to kneel or sit would no longer be free” (responsum of Francis Cardinal Arinze, June 5, 2003 [Prot. 855/03/L], as published in the July 2003 BCL newsletter).

 

[Voice_Of_Reason]

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Podo2004]

so nobody stands? ok then, but it says i think, ya it says (in the eucharistic prayer) that the LORD counts us worthy to STAND in HIS presence and serve HIM. So if no ones stands, then what is the point of saying that? Just for the heck of it… something to think about…
as for after communion, that is the only time i kneel.

thanks for those who voted and participated in this tread.

Podo The Hobbit

 

[VincentO]

In the UK (as far as I’ve experienced) we almost always kneel from the Sanctus up until the great amen with kneeling after the Our Father up until communion.

In Scotland in particular we tend to kneel from ‘May the Lord accept the sacrifice…’ up until the great amen.

Generally after communion people tend to kneel to make private prayer and reflection but by the time the final blessing comes we are all sitting. We kneel for the final blessing where I am, but I know from the amount of visitors that it’s quite normal to stand.

No one at the masses I’ve been to has stood at any of these points other than the final blessing. For me it’s the norm and it would feel disrecptul not to.

At the same time it’s perfectly acceptable not to kneel - quite a few people don’t. Although to be fair these do tend to be older people who maybe can’t kneel, or visitors.

As usual, a wee point of view from the UK!

Vince

 

[rwoehmke]

philjane:

I live in a parish where most people stand for the consecration----I kneel because i believe that Jesus comes on the altar & we all should kneel at that moment. At daily mass, most people kneel for the consecration but there are a few who stand & if they are standing for solidarity–it is not working because they should do what the majority do & at daily mass it would be to kneel–

In our parish we stood for over 20 years during the tenure of two or three different pastors. Towards the end of the period about a tenth of the parish would kneel. In about the last two years after the new GIRM(I think) our Bishop said everyone should kneel and to a man(or woman) we did and still do. It was my impression that years ago our previous Bishop and then our current one allowed the practice of standing as long as the parish did one or the other. I personally never felt irreverent when we stood. My Mom always taught us that when a woman or someone important entered a room you stood, so I guess I assumed that standing was the equivalent today as kneeling was to the monarch or noblemen in the Europe of the past.

 

[philjane]

In canada, it depends what diocese you live in—in our diocese, most parishes stand for the consecration—i was just in another diocese where everybody kneels for the consecration----it depends on the bishop (or the previous bishop as the case may be)i understand that the canadian bishops voted last year that everybody kneel for the consecration—but it hasn’t happened yet

 

[Podo2004]

i don’t really get why we our suppose to kneel, many of you voted to kneel. Why though? i just don’t get it, im still young and learning and i want to learn as much as possible.

Thanks all

Podo The Hobbit

 

[Toni]

----I kneel because i believe that Jesus comes on the altar & we all should kneel at that moment. At daily mass, most people kneel for the consecration but there are a few who stand & if they are standing for solidarity–it is not working because they should do what the majority do & at daily mass it would be to kneel–

I have been to many places that stand for the consecration and my knees always hit the ground. I always have told my kids if Christ was standing in front of you what would you do? My knees would hit the ground sooo fast.

 

[MackerelSnapper]

I was told that the universal norms required standing at the Eucharistic Prayer, with the exception of the Consecration and that the American Bishops had to request permission from Rome for people to kneel from the end of the Sanctus to the Great Amen.

Any of this true?