Genuflection on left knee permissable?

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sbriton

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My wife has difficulty genuflecting on her right knee and has, for the past couple years, genuflected on her left knee. This is mainly entering and exiting the pew. I’ve always been taught that if you can’t genuflect on your right knee, then you should bow toward the altar, rather than use the left knee. She believes it doesn’t matter and she would rather genuflect wrongly than not at all.

Is what she’s doing permissible or should she be bowing instead?

Simon
 
I’ve always done it with my left knee for some reason. I don’t know why, but it’s just easier for me to do it that way.
 
Genuflection on the left knee is normally for respect of the Pope , Bishop’s , Cardinals. God gets genuflection on the right knee or both knees during exposition.

We only genuflect before entering a pew when the tabernacle is in view. If it is not then we do a profound bow toward the altar.

My opinion is that if your wife can only genuflect on her left knee then that is ok. If even that could possibly put her off balance then a profound bow and sign of the cross would be wonderful also.
 
No scruples my friend.
The pharisees and radtrads would send you to the pit, but I have seen many people with the same problem.

Just a little background though. The left knee was traditionally for kneeling before a bishop.
 
Pro_Domina said:
No scruples my friend.
The pharisees and radtrads would send you to the pit, but I have seen many people with the same problem.

Just a little background though. The left knee was traditionally for kneeling before a bishop.
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Good points but I was taught that the left knee was for human royalty (Bishop, King, Queen etc.) and the right knee was for God. Have no way of proving that though :cool:.

Brenda V.
 
Correct.
Just I imagine most Americans have never seen a member of a monarchy, except maybe the Pope, and well then what is the possibility of that happening.
But none the less, correct. Human dignitaries.
 
It sounds as though your wife’s reason is a good and pious reason. And not any attempt to show less respect to God. I would not under those conditions consider it a sin. If it were what would it be venial or mortal.
 
Can’t fish around for it right this second, but Michelle Arnold answered a woman who was wondering if one could cross one’s self with the left hand. Her answer said that if it was possible to do so with the right, do it with the right, but if there was some reason why the left had to be used, then by all means, it is the heart and devotion behind the action, not some magical gesture that is rendered invalid by using the “wrong” side.

I assume this would hold true for genuflecting as well.
 
sbriton said:
My wife has difficulty genuflecting on her right knee and has, for the past couple years, genuflected on her left knee.
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perfectly acceptable, in fact she does not need to genuflect at all if it causes her difficulty.
 
I often switch knees that I genuflect with. In fact in our parish there is one place where it actually is better for me to use the left knee. I can’t explain why without a diagram of our strange layout of the church…but it works much better with the left and other times the right.
 
Feedmysheep said:
Can’t fish around for it right this second, but Michelle Arnold answered a woman who was wondering if one could cross one’s self with the left hand. Her answer said that if it was possible to do so with the right, do it with the right, but if there was some reason why the left had to be used, then by all means, it is the heart and devotion behind the action, not some magical gesture that is rendered invalid by using the “wrong” side.

I assume this would hold true for genuflecting as well.
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Well I would not do it just cause anyhow.
The left hand is used for maledictions as well…😉

But on another note, the way most people kneel is sloppy at best.
I don’t know why everybody thinks reverence means looking like a crippled with his neck turned to the side and his head down with the firmness of a sea cucumber.

Firm, decisive movements combat that "softness"in catholics.
 
sbriton said:
My wife has difficulty genuflecting on her right knee and has, for the past couple years, genuflected on her left knee. This is mainly entering and exiting the pew. I’ve always been taught that if you can’t genuflect on your right knee, then you should bow toward the altar, rather than use the left knee. She believes it doesn’t matter and she would rather genuflect wrongly than not at all.

Is what she’s doing permissible or should she be bowing instead?

Simon
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She won’t be condemned to Hell for using the left knee. Let’s not get too carried away. Faith and salvation does not depend on which knee you genuflect with.
 
I’m left-handed. I’ve never thought about it. When genuflecting with the right knee, does that mean the right knee goes down on the floor?

I remember one of the Patrician Brothers correcting my thumb when praying, to right over left. Sound men.
 
Pro_Domina said:
Well I would not do it just cause anyhow.
The left hand is used for maledictions as well…😉

.
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Catholics do not invoke maledictions, as it is a sin, so the question does not arise. It is extremely difficult to train a strongly left handed child to cross with the right hand (we had two children recently w/o the use of right hand) and there is nothing inherently wrong with it.
 
thistle said:
She won’t be condemned to Hell for using the left knee. Let’s not get too carried away. Faith and salvation does not depend on which knee you genuflect with.
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No? I’ve heard that then purgatory consists of standing on the right leg while the left is whacked alternately by two devils.
 
puzzleannie said:
Catholics do not invoke maledictions, as it is a sin, so the question does not arise. It is extremely difficult to train a strongly left handed child to cross with the right hand (we had two children recently w/o the use of right hand) and there is nothing inherently wrong with it.
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Who told you that? In fact a priest has the duty to properly curse that which is persistantly wrong.
A communist leader who is executing Catholics will certainly be a subject of mine.

I know the story of a german priest who was against the building of a disco near the church and pronounced a malediction upon the building.

A couple of weeks later when it was opened it colapsed on everyone in there.

And before (I don’t know about now) when a religious would make their vows a very strong malediction was given to those who would interfere or pervert this vocation. It was pretty strong.
Something like be he cursed when sleeps, cursed when he wakes, cursed when he walks, cursed when he sits…

Get the picture?
 
"It is extremely difficult to train a strongly left handed child to cross with the right hand (we had two children recently w/o the use of right hand) and there is nothing inherently wrong with it."

I’m left handed. I think you can easily learn to bless yourself with your right. That’s what I do. It’s a simple movement.

It’s not something I think I’d leave to personal choice. The word ‘left’ in Latin is literally *‘sinister’ * (‘right’ is ‘dexter’).
 
of course it is. normally as has been said the right knee to the floor is for worship for God, but am sure God will not give you a black mark because of something you can’t help. Your wife should not worry about people standing by waiting to accuse her of doing something ‘‘unlawful’’, its the effort and inward reverence that counts. God Bless.
 
puzzleannie said:
Catholics do not invoke maledictions, as it is a sin, so the question does not arise. It is extremely difficult to train a strongly left handed child to cross with the right hand (we had two children recently w/o the use of right hand) and there is nothing inherently wrong with it.
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I agree, but would like to gently take exception to the statement about left handed children. Much of my family, including me, are left handed.We do an assortment of things with our right hands just because it is easier to go with the flow, and not usually too hard if one starts out that way. As far as the knee question goes, I hope no one takes offense if I genuflect on the left knee from time to time. I am getting to an age where one or the other isn’t working so well, but I still want to show reverence to our Lord.
 
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