C
coolcatholicguy
Guest
Does it matter whether I am kneeling, sitting, or standing when I pray? Just wondering. Thanks for any answers.
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R
roveau
Guest
For formal prayer I kneel or stand, just like we do in Massā¦ unless it is not possible to do so, like when lying in bed,sitting, driving, walking, running, swimming etc.
God likes us to pray all the time so any position at all is acceptable in the course of a day or night.
God likes us to pray all the time so any position at all is acceptable in the course of a day or night.
The_Reginator
Active member
I try to pray humbly whenever possible.
(I keep a jar of humility beside the bed for emergencies.)
I usually pray sitting as that is what I do a lot of.
I will get down on my knees at times if I feel the prayer requires it. This happened between Ascention Thursday and Whitsunday as I prayed the novena the Holy Ghost.
Part of this is the Act of Consecration to the Holy Ghost begins:
āOn my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnessesā
(I keep a jar of humility beside the bed for emergencies.)
I usually pray sitting as that is what I do a lot of.
I will get down on my knees at times if I feel the prayer requires it. This happened between Ascention Thursday and Whitsunday as I prayed the novena the Holy Ghost.
Part of this is the Act of Consecration to the Holy Ghost begins:
āOn my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnessesā
J
JReducation
Guest
The Spiritual Masters have always encouraged prayer, period. The posture is not important as long as it is conducive to prayer for the individual. Even at mass, the question was put to Cardinal Arinze if one must kneel after communion. He siad, āNo. The faithful should be allowed to kneel, sit or stand, according to their own needs.ā
Saints who did a lot of walking: Mother Teresa, Francis of Assisi, Vicent de Paul, Louise de Marilla, Elizabeth Ann Seton, just to name a few, prayed while walking. Thos saints who had the opportunity to pray in chapels or in their private quarters often knelt. Some even prostrated.
As St. Teresa of Avila says, āPrayer is a conversation between two friends.ā
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
Saints who did a lot of walking: Mother Teresa, Francis of Assisi, Vicent de Paul, Louise de Marilla, Elizabeth Ann Seton, just to name a few, prayed while walking. Thos saints who had the opportunity to pray in chapels or in their private quarters often knelt. Some even prostrated.
As St. Teresa of Avila says, āPrayer is a conversation between two friends.ā
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
O
Oneofthewomen
Guest
I will share the best advice I have ever received on the subject~
Pray as you can, not as you canāt. All that matters is that you pray!
Peace be with you on your journey!
Pray as you can, not as you canāt. All that matters is that you pray!
Peace be with you on your journey!
T
thistle
Guest
It makes absolutely no difference what your praying position is. The key is praying and not whether you do it kneeling, sitting, standing, walking, running or whatever.Does it matter whether I am kneeling, sitting, or standing when I pray? Just wondering. Thanks for any answers.
D
diggerdomer
Guest
Pray always, pray without ceasing (Luke 21, 1 Thess 5, Eph 6, etc.)Does it matter whether I am kneeling, sitting, or standing when I pray? Just wondering. Thanks for any answers.
S
Shin
Guest
Pray unceasingly. Pray always. This is the goal of Christian life.
So you will pray in every posture, but that does not mean it is not good to pray in different postures and certain times.
You should pray in different postures too. Postures aid prayer. There are postures that are more appropriate for certain times and events.
It is very helpful to kneel, to make prostrations, and so forth.
The Nine Ways of Prayer of St. Dominic illustrate this.
For penance often prostrations used to be given, and a certain number of. So it is good for your penance to repeatedly stand and kneel, or to make prostrations, or to beat the breast, etc.
This actions of the body will help your soul to pray and be in a state to pray better on certain occasions.
Donāt become obsessed with posturesā¦ but do make good use of them.
Kneel when you can, when making spiritual Communions, and if you do not physically do so in spirit. Do prostrations for penance. Beat the breast, perhaps even to the pain for penance. Wake up that stony heart.
Stand for long periods of time in prayer, though you are weary. There are many ways that these traditions can aid your soul.
āIf my Lord God permits that I be always tempted to the end of my life, I will never consent, but I will stand firm.ā
And when she has made this resolution, she will go to prayer with as much fervor as she can and say with her heart and her mouth: āMy Lord, sweet Jesus Christ, through that infinite and ineffable love which made you stand bound to the cruel torment of the pillar and sustain the fierce and cruel blows of your enemies for my salvation, I pray that you give me such strength that, with the help of your grace, I can achieve victory over my enemies and with patience sustain this and every battle that they can launch against me.ā
And then let her bow about one hundred times more or less, as she is able, at the name of Jesus, invoking him always.ā
St. Catherine of Bologna
So you will pray in every posture, but that does not mean it is not good to pray in different postures and certain times.
You should pray in different postures too. Postures aid prayer. There are postures that are more appropriate for certain times and events.
It is very helpful to kneel, to make prostrations, and so forth.
The Nine Ways of Prayer of St. Dominic illustrate this.
For penance often prostrations used to be given, and a certain number of. So it is good for your penance to repeatedly stand and kneel, or to make prostrations, or to beat the breast, etc.
This actions of the body will help your soul to pray and be in a state to pray better on certain occasions.
Donāt become obsessed with posturesā¦ but do make good use of them.
Kneel when you can, when making spiritual Communions, and if you do not physically do so in spirit. Do prostrations for penance. Beat the breast, perhaps even to the pain for penance. Wake up that stony heart.
Stand for long periods of time in prayer, though you are weary. There are many ways that these traditions can aid your soul.
āIf my Lord God permits that I be always tempted to the end of my life, I will never consent, but I will stand firm.ā
And when she has made this resolution, she will go to prayer with as much fervor as she can and say with her heart and her mouth: āMy Lord, sweet Jesus Christ, through that infinite and ineffable love which made you stand bound to the cruel torment of the pillar and sustain the fierce and cruel blows of your enemies for my salvation, I pray that you give me such strength that, with the help of your grace, I can achieve victory over my enemies and with patience sustain this and every battle that they can launch against me.ā
And then let her bow about one hundred times more or less, as she is able, at the name of Jesus, invoking him always.ā
St. Catherine of Bologna
J
Joe_Kelley
Guest
An old Jesuit, one of the original brand, once told us: if you want to do penance then select a position that is uncomfortable; if you want to pray, chat with God, then get comfortable and focus on the conversation, not your discomfort. Donāt mix the two.
M
Moscati
Guest
Whatever works, really. I love the āpray without ceasingā idea, but I get so distracted sometimes! Iāve found that kneeling helps me with thatāthe posture of my body seems to tell my brain that āthis is prayer timeā, and Iām able to focus.
Oddly enough, I also tend to have a lot of success praying while swimming laps. Go figure.
Oddly enough, I also tend to have a lot of success praying while swimming laps. Go figure.
The_Reginator
Active member
Thatās great advice. I do a little of it myself, and I find that it helps to focus my mind.
G
Groundskeeper
Guest
I like to kneel, but I have some knee issues and lately Iāve been noticing more discomfort in my knees. In fact today while praying the rosary I had to get up off my knees and sit down. I like to offer up any discomfort I feel in my knees, but I have to be smart about it toā¦I have a physically active job and need my knees to be as healthy as possible!
H
Hesychios
Guest
The First Ecumenical Council in 325AD mandated standing in the liturgy at certain specific times on the calendar. It was the common posture for Christians in that time.
Forasmuch as there are certain persons who kneel on the Lordās Day and in the days of Pentecost, therefore, to the intent that all things may be uniformly observed everywhere (in every parish), it seems good to the holy Synod that prayer be made to God standing.
Canon 20 Nicea 325AD
I think walking qualifies as standing, some might think differently. A lot of Catholic priests and monks pray standing or walking as I have noticed.
Outside of the Pentecost season during the week I suppose one may ***Pray as you can, not as you canāt ***as an earlier poster (Oneofthewomen) has stated.
It is good to pray without ceasing.
http://www.saintelias.com/foto/big/gdbrrdom_icon.jpg
Forasmuch as there are certain persons who kneel on the Lordās Day and in the days of Pentecost, therefore, to the intent that all things may be uniformly observed everywhere (in every parish), it seems good to the holy Synod that prayer be made to God standing.
Canon 20 Nicea 325AD
I think walking qualifies as standing, some might think differently. A lot of Catholic priests and monks pray standing or walking as I have noticed.
Outside of the Pentecost season during the week I suppose one may ***Pray as you can, not as you canāt ***as an earlier poster (Oneofthewomen) has stated.
It is good to pray without ceasing.
http://www.saintelias.com/foto/big/gdbrrdom_icon.jpg
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