Genuflection on left knee permissable?

[Beachcomber]

I don’t genuflect because it is painful (bad knees from a motorcycle accident). I bow and cross myself. After all, it’s one’s heart attitude and I figured if this really bothered anyone, they’d ask me about it and I’d set them straight.

 

[joshua1]

I don’t genuflect because it is painful (bad knees from a motorcycle accident). I bow and cross myself. After all, it’s one’s heart attitude and I figured if this really bothered anyone, they’d ask me about it and I’d set them straight.

If I genuflected on my right knee, i would remain there for the entire mass. I would not be able to get up.

 

[Salonika]

‘sinister’

(‘right’ is ‘dexter’).

This is probably rather off topic and its rhetorical - given the derivation of left as sinister have you ever thought you should become right-handed?

 

[Spirithound]

No? I’ve heard that then purgatory consists of standing on the right leg while the left is whacked alternately by two devils.

Haha, no no my friend. It would take a very long stick to reach the Mount of Purgatory from the 8th circle of hell

 

[Spirithound]

It’s not something I think I’d leave to personal choice. The word ‘left’ in Latin is literally *‘sinister’ * (‘right’ is ‘dexter’).

This is probably rather off topic and its rhetorical - given the derivation of left as sinister have you ever thought you should become right-handed?

“Sinestre” originally meant “left”. The meaning was changed by right-handers who didn’t like us lefties.**

**May not be the exact reason…

 

[SacredHeartFan]

My favorite answer:

If she is trying to show God the reverence he deserves to the best of her capacities and in good fatih, then she is correct in doing so.

 

[Pro_Domina]

Haha, no no my friend. It would take a very long stick to reach the Mount of Purgatory from the 8th circle of hell

Hell and Purgatory are pretty much the same except for:

1. Not eternal
2. No devils
3. Your not a damned soul
4. It occasionally pauses, like when Our Lady or an angel comes to console the souls.

So the main thing I want to highlight is that the punishments are the same. And that it is serious time.
10 mins on Earth feels like 1000 years in Purgatory.
It is a long time and no joke.
Take advantage of plenary indulgences!!!

 

[os_justi]

This is probably rather off topic and its rhetorical - given the derivation of left as sinister have you ever thought you should become right-handed?

Spend 24 hours doing everything with YOUR non-dominant hand – eating, writing, using scissors, using your computer mouse, opening doors, picking things up off the floor, EVERYTHING – and you’ll answer your own question.

 

[Salonika]

“Sinestre” originally meant “left”. The meaning was changed by right-handers who didn’t like us lefties.**

**May not be the exact reason…

But just think of all the occasions in English when left is put down - we are left out, a left handed compliment (is an insult), remainders of food are “left-overs”, there was the bend “sinister” on the shield of an illegitimate knight.

The chosen of God are on God’s right. Jesus sits on God’s right.

Do something correctly and its said you did it right. “Right oh” means yes, I’ll do it.

Won’t go on - you’ll get the point and if I say more some people might think I am hijacking the thread.

 

[Salonika]

Spend 24 hours doing everything with YOUR non-dominant hand – eating, writing, using scissors, using your computer mouse, opening doors, picking things up off the floor, EVERYTHING – and you’ll answer your own question.

and that’s what many left-handers had to do not for 24 hours but for the whole of their lives. Thank goodness it did not happen to me as my parents considered you should go with preference, Dad being a changed lefty with a very bad stutter and Mum not wanting to take the risk that it might happen to me.

I though in my teens that as I knit right-handed I might as well crochet the same way (would have the advantage of being able to follow patterns) but I soon gave up and used my left-hand.

Back on topic - wonder if there less prejudice about genuflecting with the left knee than crossing with the left arm because the later is more visible.

 

[Dempsey1919]

I’ve always genuflected with my left knee hitting the floor. I didn’t know that genuflecting with the right knee was the correct way to do it. I guess I genuflected with my left knee because I am left handed.

I’ll change from now on.

 

[Michael038]

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 would say to bow in this case. Ask your priest to be sure.