I want to kneel while receiving Jesus but no one else does

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kirk_O
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
Glitch? 🤷
We are supposed to respond “Amen” when receiving the Body/Blood of Christ.
This is one of the differences between the OF and EF. One does say “Amen” then at the OF as you say, but not at the EF. This perhaps causes some confusion.
 
The US bishops were allowed to make standing the norm on the condition that those who wished to receive kneeling would be permitted to do so. There is nothing at all disobedient about receiving while kneeling.
And the new, revised norm INCLUDES kneeling, if that is the desire of the communicant.
 
And the new, revised norm INCLUDES kneeling, if that is the desire of the communicant.
I suppose the way it used to be worded contributed to the misunderstanding that there was something wrong or disobedient about receive while kneeling. I think the 2011 GIRM (#160) is clearer about this:
The norm established for the Dioceses of the United States of America is that Holy Communion is to be received standing, unless an individual member of the faithful wishes to receive Communion while kneeling (Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Instruction, Redemptionis Sacramentum, March 25, 2004, no. 91).
It’s too bad that a lot of online info has not been updated to reflect this.
 
Actually, receiving communion kneeling and on the tongue IS the norm! Because of abuses in Europe in the mid 60’s Pope Paul VI, of blessed memory, gave an insult for communion on the hand while standing, ONLY in countries where it then existed. The United States was not one of those countries. The practice has since spread world wide, but the fact thatl everyone does it that way doesn’t make it the norm!!

The fact is that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI insisted on communion on the tongue while kneeling at Papal Masses, and the current Holy Father has continued the practice!

Support communion on the tongue while kneeling, 1,968 years of liturgy can’t be wrong!!!
 
Actually, receiving communion kneeling and on the tongue IS the norm! Because of abuses in Europe in the mid 60’s Pope Paul VI, of blessed memory, gave an insult for communion on the hand while standing, ONLY in countries where it then existed. The United States was not one of those countries. The practice has since spread world wide, but the fact thatl everyone does it that way doesn’t make it the norm!!

The fact is that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI insisted on communion on the tongue while kneeling at Papal Masses, and the current Holy Father has continued the practice!

Support communion on the tongue while kneeling, 1,968 years of liturgy can’t be wrong!!!
I think spell check got you–indult was changed to insult.

Church Militant.com (formerly .tv) has a show called Reception Deception explaining the history of this unfortunate practice. Also, there is an episode of Mic’d Up (St. Michael’s Media) on this subject titled “Communion in the Hand: Church Scandal?” If evidence is examined, one could argue the USA has no indult for Holy Communion being received in the hand.

God Love you
 
Thanks for the edit, INDULT indeed! I am familiar with Church Militant and Michael, great resourse! And you are right, a strong case could be made. The response would be, “but we’ve been doing it that way for years!!” Same, same for; Chapel viels, alter rails, Friday abstainence, Priest facing the People, fastings, the list goes on, and on, AD INFINITUM, AD NAUSIUM!
 
Actually, receiving communion kneeling and on the tongue IS the norm! Because of abuses in Europe in the mid 60’s Pope Paul VI, of blessed memory, gave an insult for communion on the hand while standing, ONLY in countries where it then existed. The United States was not one of those countries. The practice has since spread world wide, but the fact thatl everyone does it that way doesn’t make it the norm!!

The fact is that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI insisted on communion on the tongue while kneeling at Papal Masses, and the current Holy Father has continued the practice!

Support communion on the tongue while kneeling, 1,968 years of liturgy can’t be wrong!!!
I don’t remember where standing for reception of communion was ever an indult. AFAIK it just became the only way to receive after they removed the communion rail or the priest just chose to form communion lines. It might have happened shortly after the communion formula was shortened to “Corpus Christi/Amen”
 
I don’t remember where standing for reception of communion was ever an indult. AFAIK it just became the only way to receive after they removed the communion rail or the priest just chose to form communion lines. It might have happened shortly after the communion formula was shortened to “Corpus Christi/Amen”
Sorry I’ve taken so long to respond. That’s the point ProVobis, there never was an indult for the U.S.! Removing the alter rails and thereby forcing communion in the hand while standing is an example of using one error to justify another greater error. The greater error is rejection of the Real Presence of Our Lord in the Euchsrist.

Venerable Fulton Sheen used to quote St. Augustine to cover things llke this;

"Right is right even if no one is doing it; wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it.”

Just keep on honoring Our Eucharistic Lord by receiving him on your knees and on your tongue.
 
I don’t remember where standing for reception of communion was ever an indult. AFAIK it just became the only way to receive after they removed the communion rail or the priest just chose to form communion lines. It might have happened shortly after the communion formula was shortened to “Corpus Christi/Amen”
There was no indult needed because it was already allowed in the GIRM.

This is explanation from the EWTN site:
The following norm is the universal norm found in the Roman Missal. Note that each Bishop Conference determines the particular norm for its own country. By the general law, each adaptation is then submitted to the Holy See for recognition.
160 The priest then takes the paten or ciborium and goes to the communicants, who, as a rule, approach in a procession.
The faithful are not permitted to take up the consecrated bread or the sacred chalice themselves, and still less hand them on to one another. The faithful may communicate either standing or kneeling, as established by the Conference of Bishops.
Rather than an indult, a Bishops’ Conference that wants standing needs a recognitio.
 
There was no indult needed because it was already allowed in the GIRM.
Wasn’t standing to receive something that come out of the 60’s before the IGMR/GIRM came out? I believe the origins are still being debated.
 
There was no indult needed because it was already allowed in the GIRM.

This is explanation from the EWTN site:

Rather than an indult, a Bishops’ Conference that wants standing needs a recognitio.
The permission has already been granted, and both the current and preceding versions of the GIRM allow for it. The documentation in the 2011 GIRM is:
  1. The Priest then takes the paten or ciborium and approaches the communicants, who usually come up in procession.
    It is not permitted for the faithful to take the consecrated Bread or the sacred chalice by themselves and, still less, to hand them on from one to another among themselves. The norm established for the Dioceses of the United States of America is that Holy Communion is to be received standing, unless an individual member of the faithful wishes to receive Communion while kneeling (Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Instruction, Redemptionis Sacramentum, March 25, 2004, no. 91).
My understanding is that the norm for other countries is to kneel, but the US was given the “recognito” to stand.
 
The permission has already been granted, and both the current and preceding versions of the GIRM allow for it. The documentation in the 2011 GIRM is:

My understanding is that the norm for other countries is to kneel, but the US was given the “recognito” to stand.
The norm in Canada to receive standing as well:
  1. The Priest then takes the paten or ciborium and approaches the communicants, who usually come up in procession.It is not permitted for the faithful to take the consecrated Bread or the sacred chalice by themselves and, still less, to hand them on from one to another among themselves. In the Dioceses of Canada, Holy Communion is to be received standing, though individual members of the faithful may choose to receive Communion while kneeling. When standing before the minister to receive Holy Communion, the faithful should make a simple bow of the head. When receiving Holy Communion on the tongue, they reverently join their hands; when receiving Holy Communion in the hand, they reverently open their hands placing one beneath the other, and they consume the host immediately upon receiving it.
(peterboroughdiocese.org/newmissal/girm.pdf)

Or in French:

onl.cecc.ca/images/stories/pdfs/pgmr_trad_provisoire_cecc_adaptations_3.pdf
 
I don’t think I’ve ever heard a Benedictine say “it’s my right”…
The difference being, if the Abbot has given permission to all of the monks to receive either standing or kneeling, as they so choose, you don’t have one set of monks accusing the kneeling monks of disobedience. Or try and make them stop by claiming 'that is not what we do here", or make claims that “I am the celebrant at this Mass, and I will ban all those who kneel at my Mass”

They simply accept that the Abbot has given the appropriate permission and go on.

So you are quite correct, all the opposition to legitimate directives by the one with authority are quite in opposition to the Rule of Benedict.
 
What should I do? I don’t want to draw attention to myself (hey look at me). I already am one of the very few who receive Him on my tongue. The last thing I want to do is distract people from Jesus.
When someone does something out of the ordinary, then everyone has their own thoughts to deal with. I don’t want to be accused of thinking this or that about you or others like you who kneel when the posture is to stand. And I would hope that you wouldn’t think unkindly of me or less of me because I stand.
 
I find it interesting that both the US and Canadian statements are phrased to include kneeling as part of the norm.

US:
“The norm established for the Dioceses of the United States of America is that Holy Communion is to be received standing,** unless an individual member of the faithful wishes to receive Communion while kneeling.**”

Canada:
“In the Dioceses of Canada, Holy Communion is to be received standing,** though individual members of the faithful may choose to receive Communion while kneeling**.”
 
The difference being, if the Abbot has given permission to all of the monks to receive either standing or kneeling, as they so choose, you don’t have one set of monks accusing the kneeling monks of disobedience. Or try and make them stop by claiming 'that is not what we do here", or make claims that “I am the celebrant at this Mass, and I will ban all those who kneel at my Mass”

They simply accept that the Abbot has given the appropriate permission and go on.

So you are quite correct, all the opposition to legitimate directives by the one with authority are quite in opposition to the Rule of Benedict.
At our abbey all of the monks receive kneeling. If the abbot directed otherwise that would be the case. Of course exceptions are made for ailing monks who cannot easily kneel. There are a handful of non-priest brothers who receive other than at the altar where the concelebrants receive. Most of them are quite elderly, a couple are youngish (late 30s/early 40s) but are often serving as acolytes. A couple of monks are quite handicapped and sit in a part of the sanctuary reserved for them and must receive seated.

There is one elderly monk who could easily star in the “hunchback of Notre-Dame” as he’s so hunch-backed, is very elderly and is very lame, shuffling along with great difficulty. It is quite inspiring to see that he still insists on kneeling on the hard floor (the monks have no kneelers) at the consecration.

One thing a monk will never do is disobey his abbot. Most abbots will decree a uniform standard for this sort of thing, at least those of our congregation.

Personally I think this issue receives way too much attention.

FWIW, I receive standing, in the hand at the abbey. Getting up from kneeling isn’t so easy for me if there’s nothing to grab onto and that’s the case where communion is given, just outside the enclosure gate. If there’s a communion rail, like at St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal, I’ll kneel as most folks do so there. Other than that I don’t sweat it. As a Benedictine I prefer to go with the flow and not stand out from the crowd.
 
It has to be so, since that is what the Vatican has indicated must happen
While this has always been the case, I find it interesting that the wording was changed to make it clearer. This suggests that there was a significant problem with people harassing those who wish to receive kneeling.
 
I think it is pleasing to Christ when we defer to other’s wishes, even if those wishes are not perfect. Especially when those wishes come from those whose position should be respected.

A priest makes an overreaching demand for this and that…so what? Is he commanding you to sin?
This exaltation of “my rights” is a symptom of individualistic modernism run amok, irony noted.

(not saying we don’t have rights, I’m noting that our rights are not to be exalted above proper obedience, root of which is “ob-audiere”, “to listen”. Maybe we fear that obedience leads us to slavery? Is that a well founded fear or is that the deceiver whispering in our ear?)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top