Genuflection gone?

[mrs_abbott]

Ok, I know I haven’t been the best Catholic and haven’t been attending Mass like I should but I went this Christmas and noticed that folks don’t genuflect anymore.
Even the priest bows and doesn’t genuflect. I genuflected, since that’s what I’ve been taught to do since I was a little girl.
Is it like this in anyone else’s parish?
I was taught that genuflecting showed great reverence and respect.

 

[Brendan]

Genuflect when?

If you are entering or leaving a pew and the Tabernacle is visible, you are to genuflect towards the Tabernacle. If not, one bows towards the Altar.

During the Creed, we all bow at the words of Incarnation (“By the power of the Holy Spirit,…”)

The exception is Christmas and the Annunciation, when everyone is to genuflect then.

 

[baltobetsy]

I try to make the charitable assumption when people bow instead of genuflecting, that they have bad knees.

That’s a little difficult when it’s a 12-year-old altar server! I often imagine stopping the young fellow and asking (1) if he has bad knees, and (2) if he knows to Whom he is showing reverence.

Betsy

 

[az_4_faith]

If the tabernacle is present (lit sanctuary lamp next to it) in the sanctuary, we are to genuflect upon entry to our pew, right knee to the ground, or as far as our tired old knees can go. Those who are infirm or unable to genuflect for whatever physical reason are to bow. Many priests do have bad backs or knees and for that reason, they bow. If the tabernacle is not present, we are to bow.

This hasn’t changed. We’ve just gotten lazy.

 

[scylla]

You are not the only one who has not been or isn’t the best Catholic.

I have been there and have been a horrible Catholic, there were times I just came in late mosied on down and left early. No genuflection, not paying attention or really caring what was going on. I didn’t know what the Catholic faith really was until about 2 years ago.

This is common these days to varying degrees, as the last 30 or so years have been devastating to people’s faith, so many of us in our teens never learned much of anything of the faith.

So even though we are each responsible for our own salvation, there are many who have not been taught what it really is to be Catholic and how special it is. It is like the parent who just gives junk food to the kids and then they suffer from being in poor health with bad teeth.
This is what a huge amount of Catholics are these days, big kids with poor faith and bad expression of what they barely know.

I try not to worry about it as it will drive you crazy. Just first worry about how you express your faith and your personal salvation and one person at a time will be converted.

As I have said before there are many Bishops\Priests and laypeople who do not believe in the real presence. You can tell this by their expression of their faith. If they truly believed they would be offerin Mass as much as possible, confession as much as possible, preaching the faith\piety and working hard to save souls. You would see it in how they reverently offer Mass and adore the Blessed Sacrament.
You will see this with some Bishops\Priests and Laypeople but nowdays they are fewer. So try and help people regain their belief in Jesus as many really don’t truly believe. If they believed they would act like it.

In Christ
Scylla

Or maybe bad knees have become the norm.

 

[JesuXPIPassio]

I believe the original poster was referring to genuflection within the context of the Christmas Midnight Mass.

For Christmas (I’m not sure if all the Masses of the day or just Midnight) and for the Feast of the Conception of Christ on 25 March, we are suppused to genuflect during the Creed when it refers to Jesus becoming Flesh.

I went to the local Cathedral here for Mass and they didn’t do it either, even though the missalettes they hand out specifically said to. Last year, the Bishop did Mass and specially told us during the homily to genuflect in the Creed, yet when the time came just minutes later, nobody did it.

So, there you go.

Meanwhile, during the rest of the year, I still never see people genuflect toward the Altar, and I don’t notice anyone bowing during the regular part of the Creed. I think it’s a wide problem of people not being fully educated with how to properly do this all. That’s why we have the problem of Catholics who receive the Eucharist without even believing in it. My goodness – if you go somewhere and they serve bread and wine, but they tell you it isn’t really bread and wine, and you can’t even come to a consensus on what it is, don’t take it. Even more so, since they say it’s the body and blood of someone. It makes no sense to eat it if you don’t believe in it.

It’s all just a catechetical problem. Everyday Catholics should be made better aware of it all. I bet most Catholics don’t even know why we abstain and things like that.

Genuflect when?

If you are entering or leaving a pew and the Tabernacle is visible, you are to genuflect towards the Tabernacle. If not, one bows towards the Altar.

During the Creed, we all bow at the words of Incarnation (“By the power of the Holy Spirit,…”)

The exception is Christmas and the Annunciation, when everyone is to genuflect then.

 

[the_phoenix]

Well, I sure genuflected and looked silly doing it at Midnight Mass at a relative’s parish out of town. They moved the tabernacle during the year, so I genuflected towards the wrong altar! The good news is, the tabernacle is now prominently right in the front of the church where it should be. Just call me "Wrong Way … "

 

[MusicMan]

Father and I are the only ones who bow during the Creed. There was NEVER any catechesis in our Diocese regarding this when the current GIRM was implemented four years ago. I am pleased to see him bowing.

I genuflected on Christmas, he did not. I know why he didn’t, or at least I can surmise why, and I was just glad to see him bow at the appropriate time with a full church there to see his example.

I wish my parents, who were visiting for the holiday and live in a Diocese where there was excellent catechesis regarding the “reintroduction” of bowing/genuflecting during the Creed, would have bothered to at least bow.

 

[mrs_abbott]

Genuflect when?

If you are entering or leaving a pew and the Tabernacle is visible, you are to genuflect towards the Tabernacle. If not, one bows towards the Altar.

During the Creed, we all bow at the words of Incarnation (“By the power of the Holy Spirit,…”)

The exception is Christmas and the Annunciation, when everyone is to genuflect then.

I guess I should have specified. I’m talking about genuflecting just when entering the pew or when crossing the church and going by the altar. The priest didn’t genuflect ONCE during Mass.
I just didn’t know if any one else was experiencing this at their parishes.
I know that it’s not doctrine or dogma to genuflect but I would think that even if the people weren’t properly instructed to genuflect that at least the priest would.
I guess I was just surprised and shocked when I went to Mass this Christmas and saw absolutely NO ONE genuflect!

 

[anamchara]

Ok, I know I haven’t been the best Catholic and haven’t been attending Mass like I should but I went this Christmas and noticed that folks don’t genuflect anymore.
Even the priest bows and doesn’t genuflect. I genuflected, since that’s what I’ve been taught to do since I was a little girl.
Is it like this in anyone else’s parish?
I was taught that genuflecting showed great reverence and respect.

Your right, people do not genuflect like they once did. I went to the down town cathedral for noon mass today and notice a lot more genuflecting, guess it’s just not seen as much in the parishes.

 

[KCT]

I can never know specifics about someone’s health (or bad knees , but I’m always touched when I see an old person, priest or lay, genuflect towards the Tabernacle. With so many younger people not genuflecting, the old ones who do make a wonderful statement, IMO. —KCT

 

[mrs_abbott]

I can never know specifics about someone’s health (or bad knees , but I’m always touched when I see an old person, priest or lay, genuflect towards the Tabernacle. With so many younger people not genuflecting, the old ones who do make a wonderful statement, IMO. —KCT

Oh, I know there are older folks who just can’t genuflect, as they might not be able to get back up or seriously hurt themselves. The people I observed not genuflecting were younger, even the priest was young. I just thought it seemed like it took away from some of the reverence at Mass.

 

[scylla]

It is not dogma or doctrine to do this when you enter a pew.

What it is, is a reflection of our belief or acknowledgement of authority and truth.
Here is an example,
I stop at a stop sign because I acknowlege the authority the government holds in putting it there.

What it seems like is we ignore the stop sign as if it doesn’t even exist, kinda like an ambulance would do when it is an emergency. People take the exception and make it a rule.

Eventually everyone doesn’t even acknowlege the authority the sign has over them and just continue on their way and possibly get angry if someone points it out to them.

This is the way many people practice their faith these days, they might even get offended, if you point out that they should genuflect. They even try and make a point that it is not required but something we do. A “tradition”, but what is a tradition but a reflection of truth, not just something we do for kicks.

Is respect for Jesus required and how do we show it? This is the question that needs to be asked and thought about. Do we look to see what we can do or what we should do.

Too many people these days look to see what is the least possible to do and not what they should do for Jesus. This is reflected in the lack of respect people have for Church and the general ignorance of the faith.

God Bless
Scylla

 

[CatholicNick]

I try to make the charitable assumption when people bow instead of genuflecting, that they have bad knees.

That’s a little difficult when it’s a 12-year-old altar server! I often imagine stopping the young fellow and asking (1) if he has bad knees, and (2) if he knows to Whom he is showing reverence.

Betsy

Is there a Tabernacle in the Sanctuary?

 

[BlyssfulDreamer]

Or maybe bad knees have become the norm.

Tell ya what…you take my knees and back for a day and see what you have to say about it. I bow when I enter and leave the pew…a very profound bow…and when i kneel my derriere rests on the edge of the pew…but I pray the Rosary daily and I attend daily Mass and I attend Holy Hour as it is offered once a week…so maybe…just maybe the Lord will give me a “pass” for not genuflecting and maybe not being able to get up. I DO get on both knees if I am at Exposition and I am quite a sight trying to get up. I know the Lord isn’t judging me…too bad humans with human frailities are…

:heart:Blyss

 

[puzzleannie]

many of us live in parishes or dioceses where tabernacles have been moved to side chapels, side altars, or are otherwise not even visible when you enter the Church, so we have gotten out of the habit of genuflecting, since the proper gesture toward the altar is a profound bow (not a bob of the head). When we move to another part of the country, and are pleasantly surprised to see an actual tabernacle, it may take us a while to get our groove back (or by that time we are too old and decrepit to genuflect and get back up again–and remember it may not be the knees, it may the the hips or back). Let us be charitable and assume anyone not genuflecting is just doing what was taught in their former parish or diocese, or is a crumbling wreck of his former self (like me).

 

[netmilsmom]

Tell ya what…you take my knees and back for a day and see what you have to say about it. I bow when I enter and leave the pew…a very profound bow…and when i kneel my derriere rests on the edge of the pew…but I pray the Rosary daily and I attend daily Mass and I attend Holy Hour as it is offered once a week…so maybe…just maybe the Lord will give me a “pass” for not genuflecting and maybe not being able to get up. I DO get on both knees if I am at Exposition and I am quite a sight trying to get up. I know the Lord isn’t judging me…too bad humans with human frailities are…

:heart:Blyss

My sister had a knee replaced about a year ago and had a bad surgery. She is in the same boat.

Genuflecting is one of those things that I look at differently the older the person is.

And let me tell you,every year that passes by, the younger that age bracket gets!!!

 

[mnowlin1]

I believe the original poster was referring to genuflection within the context of the Christmas Midnight Mass.

For Christmas (I’m not sure if all the Masses of the day or just Midnight) and for the Feast of the Conception of Christ on 25 March, we are suppused to genuflect during the Creed when it refers to Jesus becoming Flesh.

I went to the local Cathedral here for Mass and they didn’t do it either, even though the missalettes they hand out specifically said to. Last year, the Bishop did Mass and specially told us during the homily to genuflect in the Creed, yet when the time came just minutes later, nobody did it.

So, there you go.

Meanwhile, during the rest of the year, I still never see people genuflect toward the Altar, and I don’t notice anyone bowing during the regular part of the Creed. I think it’s a wide problem of people not being fully educated with how to properly do this all. That’s why we have the problem of Catholics who receive the Eucharist without even believing in it. My goodness – if you go somewhere and they serve bread and wine, but they tell you it isn’t really bread and wine, and you can’t even come to a consensus on what it is, don’t take it. Even more so, since they say it’s the body and blood of someone. It makes no sense to eat it if you don’t believe in it.

It’s all just a catechetical problem. Everyday Catholics should be made better aware of it all. I bet most Catholics don’t even know why we abstain and things like that.

I guess i didn’t know to genuflect at midnight mass…but thankfully the two priests did. Sadly though…noone else did. I also never see anyone bow during the creed either. I agree that it’s a catechetical issue.

 

[netmilsmom]

I guess i didn’t know to genuflect at midnight mass…but thankfully the two priests did. Sadly though…noone else did. I also never see anyone bow during the creed either. I agree that it’s a catechetical issue.

It is!
Our Wonderful Pastor (God Bless him and grant him long life) told us before he started. We all genuflected.

At the 7:00pm Holy Mass, one of the other priests (God Bless him as well - he has the best Fire and Brimstone Homilies) did not remind us and I forgot to genuflect. I felt bad.

Hey and welcome to CAF.

 

[mnowlin1]

It is!
Our Wonderful Pastor (God Bless him and grant him long life) told us before he started. We all genuflected.

At the 7:00pm Holy Mass, one of the other priests (God Bless him as well - he has the best Fire and Brimstone Homilies) did not remind us and I forgot to genuflect. I felt bad.

Hey and welcome to CAF.

Thanks! Heres a question… Is it wrong to enter the church and turn away from the altar towards the Tabernacle which is in a side chapel and genuflect…or is this either disrespectful or inviting the ire of someone?