I know the priest is probably right

[SacredHeartFan]

I am an alter server in our parish. I love my praish to death!!! We have the sacred in mass but we have an awesome rockin’ out youth group and we often meet for praise and worship music in our “prayer pub”. Fr. told me one day while serving that while serving at the alter i only have to geneuflect before mass coming to the alter and after mass leaving, and also if I approach the alter while the Blessed Sacrement is exposed. Is this correct? He is a holy priest and I trust him much but it just seemed odd.

 

[passus]

I am an alter server in our parish. I love my praish to death!!! We have the sacred in mass but we have an awesome rockin’ out youth group and we often meet for praise and worship music in our “prayer pub”. Fr. told me one day while serving that while serving at the alter i only have to geneuflect before mass coming to the alter and after mass leaving, and also if I approach the alter while the Blessed Sacrement is exposed. Is this correct? He is a holy priest and I trust him much but it just seemed odd.

Your priest is correct.

According to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal: If, however, the tabernacle with the Most Blessed Sacrament is present in the sanctuary, the priest, the deacon, and the other ministers genuflect when they approach the altar and when they depart from it, but not during the celebration of Mass itself.

Otherwise all who pass before the Most Blessed Sacrament genuflect, unless they are moving in procession (274).

usccb.org/liturgy/current/chapter4.shtml#sect3

 

[SacredHeartFan]

Your priest is correct.

According to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal: If, however, the tabernacle with the Most Blessed Sacrament is present in the sanctuary, the priest, the deacon, and the other ministers genuflect when they approach the altar and when they depart from it, but not during the celebration of Mass itself.

Otherwise all who pass before the Most Blessed Sacrament genuflect, unless they are moving in procession (274).

usccb.org/liturgy/current/chapter4.shtml#sect3

Thanks!!!

 

[passus]

Thanks!!!

No problem. God bless!

 

[totustuus2345]

OCD moment… it’s altar, sorry

The reason that this is so is because too many genuflections can take the faithful’s eyes off of what is occuring during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and cause people to focus on you serving… The best server is the one that is seen only when needed and dosen’t get in the way.
Are you an alb or cassock & surplice server? I prefer the cassock, I trip over the alb. just curious…

 

[puzzleannie]

I am Fr. told me one day while serving that while serving at the alter i only have to geneuflect before mass coming to the alter and after mass leaving, and also if I approach the alter while the Blessed Sacrement is exposed. .

yes he is right, those who are serving in the liturgy in some capacity genuflect only when the first enter, and when they leave, ususally just before (or after) the processional in unison. During the liturgy they bow when crossing in front of the Blessed Sacrament, or make no motion at all if carrying something like the candles, cross etc.

if the tabernacle is located elsewhere such as in a side chapel, then the ministers do not genuflect, but bow toward the altar when entering and leaving

 

[SacredHeartFan]

OCD moment… it’s altar, sorry

The reason that this is so is because too many genuflections can take the faithful’s eyes off of what is occuring during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and cause people to focus on you serving… The best server is the one that is seen only when needed and dosen’t get in the way.
Are you an alb or cassock & surplice server? I prefer the cassock, I trip over the alb. just curious…

cassock. i wear the size 16 so I noramlly take the surplice off the 20 because i like the longer surplice and the 16 is to short!

 

[Andreas_Hofer]

OCD moment… it’s altar, sorry

The reason that this is so is because too many genuflections can take the faithful’s eyes off of what is occuring during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and cause people to focus on you serving… The best server is the one that is seen only when needed and dosen’t get in the way.
Are you an alb or cassock & surplice server? I prefer the cassock, I trip over the alb. just curious…

I don’t remember too many complaints of distraction from the previous 1000 or so years with lots of genuflections, so that sounds like an explanation that was made up after the fact. IIRC that norm has only been in force since the third edition of the missal came out. My personal theory for the change? - accommodation of the aging priest population

 

[SacredHeartFan]

OCD moment… it’s altar, sorry

The reason that this is so is because too many genuflections can take the faithful’s eyes off of what is occuring during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and cause people to focus on you serving… The best server is the one that is seen only when needed and dosen’t get in the way.
Are you an alb or cassock & surplice server? I prefer the cassock, I trip over the alb. just curious…

yeah sorry! I am a horriable speller!!!

 

[totustuus2345]

I don’t remember too many complaints of distraction from the previous 1000 or so years with lots of genuflections, so that sounds like an explanation that was made up after the fact. IIRC that norm has only been in force since the third edition of the missal came out. My personal theory for the change? - accommodation of the aging priest population

It’s more of a humility thing, and, it’s how Mother Church set up her liturgy, maybe Pope Benedict will introduce more Extraordinary Form elements into the ordinary form like adding more genuflections

 

[Andreas_Hofer]

It’s more of a humility thing, and, it’s how Mother Church set up her liturgy, maybe Pope Benedict will introduce more Extraordinary Form elements into the ordinary form like adding more genuflections

I’m not sure I follow you. I mean, all kidding aside I understand that there was a desire to simplify things such that the ministers would not have to be constantly genuflecting. I don’t think it was a wise desire (if for no other reason than by going to far), but I understand it. But a humility thing? Kneeling before one’s God is, in the Catholic gestural lexicon, more humble and reverent than simply bowing, so if they wanted to be humble they ought to have kept the genuflections. Or else someone is trying to say that it is somehow more humble to show God a lesser form of respect, which would be a pretty tortured concept of humility. Did you have something else in mind?

 

[totustuus2345]

I’m not sure I follow you. I mean, all kidding aside I understand that there was a desire to simplify things such that the ministers would not have to be constantly genuflecting. I don’t think it was a wise desire (if for no other reason than by going to far), but I understand it. But a humility thing? Kneeling before one’s God is, in the Catholic gestural lexicon, more humble and reverent than simply bowing, so if they wanted to be humble they ought to have kept the genuflections. Or else someone is trying to say that it is somehow more humble to show God a lesser form of respect, which would be a pretty tortured concept of humility. Did you have something else in mind?

Nevermind

 

[Chatter163]

I’m not sure I follow you. I mean, all kidding aside I understand that there was a desire to simplify things such that the ministers would not have to be constantly genuflecting. I don’t think it was a wise desire (if for no other reason than by going to far), but I understand it. But a humility thing? Kneeling before one’s God is, in the Catholic gestural lexicon, more humble and reverent than simply bowing, so if they wanted to be humble they ought to have kept the genuflections. Or else someone is trying to say that it is somehow more humble to show God a lesser form of respect, which would be a pretty tortured concept of humility. Did you have something else in mind?

I thought the same thing.