Genuflecting before communion

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jonnyws

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As we can’t kneel for communion I’ve got into the practice of geneflecting before the Lord and then recieving him when I go up to the Altar.

I have two questions concerning this:

Is this an ok practice?

Should I also geneflect to the Precious Blood?
(I never know about this as by the point I get the the chalice I’ve already recieved the host and Jesus’ body blood soul and divinity is already present within me)
 
jonnyws said:
As we can’t kneel for communion I’ve got into the practice of geneflecting before the Lord and then recieving him when I go up to the Altar.

I have two questions concerning this:

Is this an ok practice?

Should I also geneflect to the Precious Blood?
(I never know about this as by the point I get the the chalice I’ve already recieved the host and Jesus’ body blood soul and divinity is already present within me)
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If you are in the USA then the norm is to bow before receiving the Eucharist…HOWEVER, you can kneel while receiving the Eucharist.
 
I would read the instructions by the conference of bishops in your country … here in America the “norm” is to make a bow of the head before receiving both the Body of Christ and the Blood of Christ …

I am sure that there are instructions available for your location that the bishops there have published on the reception of communion …

Otherwise, like here [you can find many threads on this topic] you will probably have lots of “opinions” and “preferences” … like genuflecting in the communion line [which is discouraged here in th states - but some communicants refuse to give up in obedience to their bishops] …

Rather than hold to my personal preferences, I believe it is best to follow the instructions of the bishops …that sadi when I attend a parish where they [as a whole] take a different posture … I will follow that local parish custom … unity being far better than dis-unity ------

Do your national bishops maintain a searchable web site like this site: usccb.org/

that is where I would begin my search …
 
jonnyws said:
As we can’t kneel for communion I’ve got into the practice of geneflecting before the Lord and then recieving him when I go up to the Altar.

I have two questions concerning this:

Is this an ok practice?

Should I also geneflect to the Precious Blood?
(I never know about this as by the point I get the the chalice I’ve already recieved the host and Jesus’ body blood soul and divinity is already present within me)
Click to expand...
What have the Bishops of England mandated as reverence before receiving Communion? In the US it’s a bow before you get to the priest to receive the Host. Nothing more before receiving the Precious Blood.
 
jonnyws said:
As we can’t kneel for communion I’ve got into the practice of geneflecting before the Lord and then recieving him when I go up to the Altar.

I have two questions concerning this:

Is this an ok practice?

Should I also geneflect to the Precious Blood?
(I never know about this as by the point I get the the chalice I’ve already recieved the host and Jesus’ body blood soul and divinity is already present within me)
Click to expand...
I do this, while the person in front of me is receiving, so no disruption.

I’ve seen many televised masses on EWTN where many people, including a lot of religious, genuflect before receiving.

I think it’s a worthy practice of personal piety; not required by any means, but nice.

I don’t think a personal display of piety, that causes no harm, can ever be wrong.

God Bless
 
Phemie said:
What have the Bishops of England mandated as reverence before receiving Communion? In the US it’s a bow before you get to the priest to receive the Host. Nothing more before receiving the Precious Blood.
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The Bishops of England and Wales have decreed that queing orderly is all that is required as a sign of reverence before communion. I know queing is a very British trait but it doesn’t quite hack it for me.
 
jonnyws said:
As we can’t kneel for communion I’ve got into the practice of geneflecting before the Lord and then recieving him when I go up to the Altar.

I have two questions concerning this:

Is this an ok practice?

Should I also geneflect to the Precious Blood?
(I never know about this as by the point I get the the chalice I’ve already recieved the host and Jesus’ body blood soul and divinity is already present within me)
Click to expand...
In the U.S.

No

and

No.
 
Phemie said:
What have the Bishops of England mandated as reverence before receiving Communion? In the US it’s a bow before you get to the priest to receive the Host. Nothing more before receiving the Precious Blood.
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GIRM 160 says you bow both times:When receiving Holy Communion, the communicant bows his or her head before the Sacrament as a gesture of reverence and receives the Body of the Lord from the minister. The consecrated host may be received either on the tongue or in the hand, at the discretion of each communicant. When Holy Communion is received under both kinds, the sign of reverence is also made before receiving the Precious Blood.

By the way, for the OP, the same section of the GIRM says:The norm for reception of Holy Communion in the dioceses of the United States is standing. Communicants should not be denied Holy Communion because they kneel. Rather, such instances should be addressed pastorally, by providing the faithful with proper catechesis on the reasons for this norm.

And you needn’t fear that you are being disobedient by preferring to kneel instead of stand for Holy Communion. The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments “considers any refusal of Holy Communion to a member of the faithful on the basis of his or her kneeling posture to be a grave violation of one of the most basic rights of the Christian faithful”. (source) The same Congregation “has approved of legislation denoting standing as the posture for Holy Communion” in the dioceses of the United States “with the stipulation that communicants who choose to kneel are not to be denied Holy Communion on these grounds.” (source) Furthermore, “the faithful should not be imposed upon nor accused of disobedience and of acting illicitly when they kneel to receive Holy Communion”. (source)

However, I wouldn’t suggest kneeling if you are going to receive from the Chalice, because I can envision accidents occurring with the Precious Blood spilling.
 
When I came back to the church after being lukewarm for over ten years, I became in aw of the real presence in the Eucharist. I am almost brought to my knees every time I am in the presence of our Lord. I am currently attending a church were communion is at the rail, but since I travel alot I do genuflect before communion and now my children do the same. In fact my ten year old has never done it any other way. I was unaware that this might be wrong, but how can I not genuflect when I know it is my Lord.:o
 
japhy said:
GIRM 160 says you bow both times:When receiving Holy Communion, the communicant bows his or her head before the Sacrament as a gesture of reverence and receives the Body of the Lord from the minister. The consecrated host may be received either on the tongue or in the hand, at the discretion of each communicant. When Holy Communion is received under both kinds, the sign of reverence is also made before receiving the Precious Blood.
[/INDENT]
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I stand corrected.
 
I’ve seen genuflection prior to reception on EWTN as well. I am curious because I thought that the proper way to genuflect in front of the exposed Blessed Sacrament is to double genuflect. I believe that either, genuflection or kneeling, draws too much attention to the one receiving. The exception is if everyone receives on their knees at an altar rail. (In those types of churches, no lay person receives from the chalice, so the second part is a moot point.)

In Mass, we are to be in unity with each other–that is the purpose of the GIRM, to instruct the faithful on the proper norms. Jesus is the center of the Mass. I try to do everything in my power to blend in as a person in the pew. I want people to see Him, not me. Of course, that leads into another area which bothers me: priests who improvise rather than read what is written in the Sacramentary. That will be another discussion at another time. :gopray2:
 
sheila0405 said:
I’ve seen genuflection prior to reception on EWTN as well. I am curious because I thought that the proper way to genuflect in front of the exposed Blessed Sacrament is to double genuflect.
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While a double genuflection is traditional, and of course still allowed, only a single genuflection is prescribed, whether the sacrament is exposed or reserved in the tabernacle.

tee
 
tee_eff_em said:
While a double genuflection is traditional, and of course still allowed, only a single genuflection is prescribed, whether the sacrament is exposed or reserved in the tabernacle.
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If it is still allowed the liturgical books have a strange way of communicating this.
“1103 Genuflection is the presence of the blessed sacarment exposed for public adoration is on one knee.” (Ceremonial of Bishops, Liturgical Press, 1989, ISBN 0-8146-1818-9, page 297.)

“84. Genuflection in the presence of the blessed sacrament, whether reserved in the tabernacle or exposed for public adoration, in on one knee.”
(Holy Communion and the Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass, from The Rites Volume One, Liturgical Press, 1990, ISBN: 0-8146-6015-0, page 671).

Clearly the double genuflection is not allowed. Those who do it are not following the liturgical books.
 
jonnyws said:
The Bishops of England and Wales have decreed that queing orderly is all that is required as a sign of reverence before communion. I know queing is a very British trait but it doesn’t quite hack it for me.
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I am not sure what this is based on. The GIRM for England and Wales has:
“160. … The faithful communicate either kneeling or standing, as determined by the Conference of Bishops. When they communicate standing, however, it is recommended that they make an appropriate sign of reverence, as determined in the same norms, before receiving the Sacrament.”
This can be downloaded as a PDF from liturgyoffice.org.uk/Resources/GIRM/Documents/index.html .

I think genuflecting in the Communion Procession is wrong. From the GIRM for England and Wales:
“274. … Otherwise all who pass before the Most Blessed Sacrament genuflect, unless they are moving in procession.”

In the GIRM for Australia this is explicit: “160. … When approaching to receive Holy Communion, the faithful bow in reverence of the Mystery that they are to receive.” (See acbc.catholic.org.au/bc/liturgy/200707031933.htm and click on “Printable Version” to download a PDF of the GIRM for Australia).
 
John_Lilburne said:
I am not sure what this is based on. The GIRM for England and Wales has:
“160. … The faithful communicate either kneeling or standing, as determined by the Conference of Bishops. When they communicate standing, however, it is recommended that they make an appropriate sign of reverence, as determined in the same norms, before receiving the Sacrament.”
This can be downloaded as a PDF from liturgyoffice.org.uk/Resources/GIRM/Documents/index.html
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But IIRC the Bishops’ Conference gets to set the sign of reverence for their county. So if the bishops decide that queuing up reverently is all that’s required…

In the document do they incorporate the changes specific to England and Wales in the document as the US did this time, or do they have them as an appendix at the end like the US did for the 1975 GIRM?
 
John_Lilburne said:
If it is still allowed the liturgical books have a strange way of communicating this.
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Mea culpa. I meant “allowed” in the sense of “tolerated” and “I-have-no-experience-of-anyone-being-reprimanded-for-doubling-a-genuflection”.

tee
 
Phemie said:
But IIRC the Bishops’ Conference gets to set the sign of reverence for their county. So if the bishops decide that queuing up reverently is all that’s required…

In the document do they incorporate the changes specific to England and Wales in the document as the US did this time, or do they have them as an appendix at the end like the US did for the 1975 GIRM?
Click to expand...
From the Parish Leaflet about Communion at liturgyoffice.org.uk/Resources/GIRM/In_Communion/ICResources.html#Parish it has:
“The Church asks us to make a sign of reverence as we go forward to receive Holy Communion. Our Bishops have stipulated that in England and Wales the sign we are to make is to process reverently together. This is a challenge! How do I process? Mindful and respectful of others?”
 
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