Kneel Before God?

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foolintherain

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My fiance asked me why I kneel when I pray at bedtime. To tell you the truth I hadn’t done this since I was really young. Inbetween those years of youth and now I would pray just anywhere… lying in bed as opposed to kneeling at the bedside. I kind of took a “God is my buddy” approach to praying and “talked” with God. I think I’ve a better, nay; different understanding of God and my relationship with/to Him as one of a child to his Father, servent to his master. I don’t know where the change came on but somewhere I got a better appreciation of all the things that have come to me by His good grace alone. Kneeling seems to just be more appropriate for this kind of relationship, for me, for now anyway.

That is not to say that I only pray when kneeling at the bedside at night though. Truly to worship I think requires a constant state of prayer in the sense that I do not worship at the Mass alone. I worship according to how well I live and specifically how closely I follow His word. I can not spend my life on my knees in prayer but it helps to, at least once in a while, to show that kind of reverence so that I can feel that kind of reverence. Does this make sense?
 
I pray in my car going to work. So its a tad but hard for me to kneel.
But yes I feel its the norm for prayer to show reverance. But not required for a good reason of some sort.
 
I was once told by an old, and faithful, Jesuit - If you want to do penance, do penance: If you want to pray, get comfortable and talk to God. 😉
 
I think the poll is a little unfair. As Foolintherain points out, if the only time we actively pray is while we are on our knees, then I seriously doubt we would be praying to the extent that Our Blessed Lord asks of us (Lk 18:1). Praying the Jesus Prayer and other short prayers that can be said over and over while I’m occupied with other tasks throughout the day has immeasurably enriched my prayer life. I consider this active prayer, even though it would not be apparent to someone else that I’m praying.

I think that kneeling first in spirit and then in body before the Lord, especially before the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, is absolutely essential to everyone’s spiritual life. (Common sense should dictate when it is not appropriate for one to kneel in body… some are not capable, and falling to one’s knees in the break room at work isn’t exactly an appropriate place; one can kneel before God in spirit without bending the knee.)

Posture is a very important aspect of our Catholic Christianity. Our bodies naturally express the direction of our unseen will, intellect and emotions. Posture indicates that there is a connection between the spirit, mind and body. Our devotion to a God who stoops down to take on our humanity demonstrates more eloquently than anything else the inherent dignity and the crucial role that our material bodies play along the road of our pilgrim journey.

Genuflecting, kneeling, nodding one’s head at the mention of Our Blessed Lord’s, the Virgin Mary’s, and the day’s saint’s names are practices that are becoming more and more maligned in our day and age (not to mention an aversion to mortification and reparation). This is very unfortunate as it indicates a growing lack of reverence, a lack of timor Domini—a spirit of awe and wonder before the majesty of God. Piety and timor Domini are both gifts of the Holy Spirit, which tells us they are infused gifts that come from a life immersed in contemplating and striving to cooperate with the will of the Triune God. As I examine my conscience every night, a lack of piety and timor Domini indicates first and foremost that I am away from the Lord, delighting in sin, or am more concerned with my own selfish desires or the anxieties of the world. A lack of piety and timor Domini in general, thus, can indicate a people not contemplating and striving to cooperate with the will of the Triune God. It might also indicate a people steeped in a dangerous humanism that either over-values human beings or under-values God.

I have found over the years that there is a direct correlation between a lack of piety and timor Domini and a lack of reverent communal worship and liturgy. As the meal aspect is over-emphasized to the determent of the sacrificial aspect of the Mass, people have a tendency to see their prayer life as essentially one of fostering fellowship with one another, missing and neglecting the fundamental principle of all fellowship—a participation in the life of the Triune God.
 
As other people said, often I pray kneeling & often I don’t. It took me ages to get used to the idea of sitting when the blessed sacrament is exposed, as a child we always knelt and sitting just didn’t feel respectful. But I do sit now if it’s part of a group adoration & the group sits/stands/kneels at certain points. Plus as a child I wouldn’t have spent more than an hour with Jesus, whereas if you’re spending more than that it’s pretty hard on the knees.
 
outside of Masss I usually pray while walking, sitting waiting for something, or lying down in bed, so kneeling is not really an option. However if I’m in a church or chapel and no Mass is going on, I still kneel to pray if the Blessed Sacrament is there.
 
Dear friend

Dear friend, you make perfect sense to me…

There is no wrong way to conduct your private prayer, if you wish to have your conversations with God seated, lying down, standing or kneeling is up to you, whatever puts you in the best disposed frame of mind is what is right for you.

Obviously there are times when it is right and proper to assume certain bodily positions, as you know, whilst before the Blessed Sacrament and during specific times during the Mass.

But in you own home, car, out on a walk, wherever you are and choose to pray, it is down to you the words you use, the thoughts you transmit and the posture you take and none of this is wrong if it is with the right intent and with love of God. Respect is not always visible to others, the love and respect in your heart is always visible to God. Then again we are not praying wondering what others think and feel of us, we are praying because of what we think and feel of God and what He thinks and feels of us.

Prayer is a private conversation between you and God, it is as individual and unique as your fingerprints. No two people pray to the Father alike. He made us all unique to give to Him our own love and praise. You are doing nothing to worry or be embarrassed about. If your fiance doesn’t understand then let her not understand, you do not have to understand her conversations with God , they are between her and God just as yours are between you and God.

Personally I pray almost all the time, though no-one would know it…sometimes it’s very evident I am praying, I am on my knees and sometimes have a rosary in my hand and sometimes I may be washing the dishes, looks fairly ordianry, but I am praying as I do it and NO-ONE would know…Don’t worry, carry on as you are and go where the Holy Spirit takes you. No-one has the right to ridicule your prayer nor do they have the right to question it.

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa
 
Greetings,
I rarely kneel, actually I only kneel in prayer at Church. Then it is very difficult for me and I find it hard to focus on prayer.

I pray all through the day. While I am at work, when I am at rest and when driving or anytime. Prayer is a constant thing, just chatting with the Lord.

I often wonder when some of these postures became so important. Down through the history of the Church, it was most common to pray standing up with holy hands lifted up to the Lord.

To me, (and this is only one persons opinion) the silliest thing is the palms together one. I tried to find the origine of this one and several sources said a nun thought the posture of Muslims would be best for keeping childrens hands orderly. Most often, it would appear to be Muslim to begin with (certainly not Christian).

Any (name removed by moderator)ut would be fun.
 
Dear Roberta,
Our Lord is described more than once in the bible as kneeling to pray. Here is an example:

Luke 22:39-42

.39 And he came out, and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him.
40 And when he came to the place he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
41 And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed,
42 “Father, if thou art willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”
 
Yes!

Thank you for reminding me of that scripture. Jesus did kneel in prayer here.

I believe in the Synagogue (sheesh, spelling!) it was the custom to stand during prayers just as we do during some prayers at Mass.
In fact, for awhile we stood during all prayers at Mass, even the Communion Prayer. Then we stood during the Communion prayer only during Easter Season and now, who knows! I think the jury must still be out, since we seem to see a little of everything.
 
Hey!

I seem to be very Orthodox, since my favorite posture is standing with hands raised in the Orans position.

Not so out of synch afterall.
 
Another way is using my imagination when kneeling is not possible…I go into the innermost part of me (my heart, my soul???) and see myself prostrate in my little chapel adoring our wonderful God!

Now you can put me away for my active imagination! 😃

Blessings,
Shoshana
 
That is so neat!

Being prostrate before the Lord is very humbling for me and in fact, quite beautiful.

The only place I have ever seen this done, without any self-consciousness is at Charismatic prayer meeting or Conference.
 
Sorry everyone, but I’m about to go off on a bit of a rant here :mad: If there is one thing that gets me upset is being at Mass, and seeing people standing during the Eucharistic Prayer. In the west, kneeling has become the posture of adoration and is even mandated in the GIRM. I don’t know why this innovation of standing has crept into the Roman Rite churches (as I understand, kneeling means something different to our Eastern Rite brothers), and I don’t know what their motivation is, but it always struck me a lazy and disrespectful. I’m not trying to single anyone out, but I really don’t think it’s appropriate.

That also goes for hand holding and the orans posture during the Our Father at Mass. Hand holding, because (at least in the west) it is a gesture of intimacy (especially between a man and a woman). It certainly renders the sign of peace (handshake) meaningless if you have just been holding hands, not to mention that Communion is supposed to be the central expression of intimacy at Mass.

The Orans posture, because it messes up the “signs” imbedded in the liturgy. Everything has meaning in the Mass, even down to the prescribed gestures. The orans posture on one level indicates “teaching authority” during the Mass. What does it say when a priest is in the orans, the deacon is not, but the laity is? In my parish, I also see the laity still in the orans even after the priest no longer is. To me this is sending mixed messages.

There is no provision for either the orans or hand holding in the GIRM, yet there is for kneeling during the Eucharistic Prayer. I find it telling that for the most part, the ones standing are the ones holding hands or in the orans.

Ok, rant over, sorry…
 
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robertaf:
Hey!

I seem to be very Orthodox, since my favorite posture is standing with hands raised in the Orans position.

Not so out of synch afterall.
Click to expand...
I used to pray on my knees all of the time. Then about 2 yrs ago it became so painful that I can only do it for small periods of time; the longest being at Mass. Even more painful is being unable to pray on my knees as I want to do because I wish to honor God. It is embarrasing too, because I’m only 40. But I pray at different times and different places. I especially like to pray until falling asleep. I also have prayed in the Orans position, and I have prayed prostrate alone in my home while praying the Divine Mercy prayer, and when I have kept watch with Jesus in the wee hrs of the morning during Adoration. I think that the main thing, like another person wrote here, is to be kneeling in one’s ❤️ , then lifting it up in offering…

Love,

:angel1: Angelina
 
Kneeling is the correct attitude IMO. If we were subject to an absolute monarch, we would kneel in his/her presence, especially if you wanted something or were pleading for mercy. The reflex of every seer I’ve read about is to drop to their knees when their visions begin, it seems to be the proper position to adopt when in the presence of Heavenly beings. I find that kneeling helps with my breathing, with my back/posture and it helps to focus my mind on the fact that I am raising the mind and heart to God, not indulging self-analysis.
 
Here is what we do in the Byzantine Catholic Church,
We kneel only during the Great Fast (i.e. Lent). We are encouraged to stand the rest of the time as a sign of reverance and glory to God. (Standing is a sign of the Resurrection).
Kneeling is a sign of repentance and forgiveness. INO that’s the way is should be.

We are called as Catholics to ‘pray always’, so does that mean we are on our knees 24/7? Of course not! Pray is spoken and non-spoken, by our works, thoughts, and Everything that we do.

go with God!
Edwin
 
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