Genuflecting

[duskyjewel]

Yep - and no one was taught that if you chewed the Host your mouth would fill up with blood or that it was horribly wrong to let it touch your teeth.

No one at my Catholic school was as graphic as that, but we were taught NOT to chew the host… still feels wierd to me when I do and I try not to sometimes. I made my First Communion in 1983! So obviously, there are old errors that have not completely died out. (Our pastor once told us a hilarious story about how he spent most of his First Communion day trying to scrape Jesus’ precious body off the roof of his mouth with his tongue. )

Our altar is elevated, and our tabernacle directly behind it. We are fundraising for a new church building, and our pastor has made sure to retain that design. I think that is excellent, because it does avoid the confusion we are discussing.

 

[DanteAlighieri]

So…back to genuflecting:

My mother (who is from another country) and my father (who is a good ol’ fashioned Yankee Catholic) had a disagreement. Mom insists that, when genuflecting, one’s right knee should be lowered; Dad says he’s always lowered his left knee.

I, for one, have never heard anyone anywhere say anything whatsoever about it, that I can recall. Surely my mom taught me to use my right knee when I was little, but I don’t remember it.

In any case, I figured I’d ask you all what you think/know. My gut tells me a) there’s no GIRM or other instruction on this, b) the symbolic value of using the right knee is likely the origin of this preference, and c) people are free to lower whichever knee works best or is most comfortable/natural – sort of like being a left- or right-footed kicker.

Thoughts?

Peace,
Dante

 

[SMHW]

i’m a bit out of practice on this, I admit. But prior to the start of Mass, when the Blessed Sacrament is not on the altar, are we supposed to genuflect toward the altar, or the sacrament? I see people just sort of randomly dropping to one knee…

To get back on topic…

If the tabernacle is visible when one is ready to enter the pews then one genuflects in the direction of the tabernacle.

If the tabernacle is not visible because it is located in a separate chapel then one does not genuflect at all. In this case it is appropriate to bow to the altar instead.

 

[MrS]

So…back to genuflecting:

My mother (who is from another country) and my father (who is a good ol’ fashioned Yankee Catholic) had a disagreement. Mom insists that, when genuflecting, one’s right knee should be lowered; Dad says he’s always lowered his left knee.

I, for one, have never heard anyone anywhere say anything whatsoever about it, that I can recall. Surely my mom taught me to use my right knee when I was little, but I don’t remember it.

In any case, I figured I’d ask you all what you think/know. My gut tells me a) there’s no GIRM or other instruction on this, b) the symbolic value of using the right knee is likely the origin of this preference, and c) people are free to lower whichever knee works best or is most comfortable/natural – sort of like being a left- or right-footed kicker.

Thoughts?

Peace,
Dante

Good thing you only asked for a thought… I don’t have a reference, but…

I seem to remember that the custom was to kneel/genuflect on the left knee to the king, monarch, leader etc… like a knight showing honor to the king.
Then the Church suggested that the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords should not be “equal” to earthly kings… so we use the right knee instead.