Kneeling and Bowing

[rben20]

Hello Catholics,

I have a quick question. Why we kneel in front of the tabernacle? It is the tabernacle and not the altar right? Also, why do we say God’s presence is in the Church? Isn’t it only at consecration when the Lord is truly present? I’m just asking out of ignorance. Thanks

 

[MarkThompson]

Generally, after Mass a portion of the consecrated Eucharist is kept in the tabernacle for purposes like taking to the sick. So the Lord is truly present after the Consecration, after the Mass is over, and for as long as the Eucharist is present there. (A red lamp near the tabernacle should be kept lit while it is.)

Does that answer what you were asking?

 

[TheDoctor]

It is true that God is present everywhere at all times. However, when a consecrated host is in the Tabernacle, God is physically present as well, and it is the physical God that we are kneeling to out of respect and reverence.

Remember that once the bread is consecrated, it becomes the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus for as long as it retains the appearance of bread.

Is this what you were asking about?

 

[rben20]

Yes, thank you both that makes much more sense. I knew God was fully present but I was wondering why we genuflect if the consecration doesn’t happen till later in the Mass. Thank you once again.

 

[scylla]

Yes, we genuflect when we enter the Church to acknowledge the Real Presence of God there in the Tabernacle. Catholic Churches generally have the Eucharist kept for the sick and He is there even before the Consecration. During the Mass our focus is on the Sacrifice taking place, so we sometimes forget that Jesus is usually there already in the Tabernacle.
If the Tabernacle is empty and the light has been extinguished to let us know it is empty we do not kneel.

Jesus is there in the Catholic Church and we kneel in recognition of His Presence. It is also customary in some places to make the sign of the Cross as you pass a Catholic Church to recognize this fact.

God Bless
Scylla

 

[DaughterOfMary6]

When we kneel, we are kneeling in the presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and giving Him the respect and adoration He truly deserves.

 

[newyorkcatholic]

It is true that God is present everywhere at all times. However, when a consecrated host is in the Tabernacle, God is physically present as well, and it is the physical God that we are kneeling to out of respect and reverence.

Remember that once the bread is consecrated, it becomes the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus for as long as it retains the appearance of bread.

Is this what you were asking about?

Minor quibble: God is not physically present in the Eucharist. Truly, really present, but not physically/chemically/visually/molecularly present . This distinction becomes very important when explaining the Real Presence to those who object because physical (or chemical, or visual) tests are consistent with bread instead of human flesh.

 

[dconklin]

I have a little bit of info that is somewhat related to this thread… From what I remember being told at some point along the way, bowing, kneeling and genuflecting comes from the knightly times where a knight would bow before his king in total surrender. With the head bowed forward, the knight is open to his head being chopped off. For us they are signs of our respect and surrender to our King.

 

[Brendan]

It is true that God is present everywhere at all times. However, when a consecrated host is in the Tabernacle, **God is physically present **as well, and it is the physical God that we are kneeling to out of respect and reverence.

That would not be true. Physica only applies to Accidental properties, weight, height, color, taste etc…

The Host does not weight as much as Christ Incarnate, nor is it the same height, nor does it look the same. Those are all Physical properties of Christ that are not present in the Eucharist. Or, as the Angelic Doctor would say, Accidental properties.

Rather, the correct term is that Christ is Substantially present. Which is a much deeper ang fuller reality than mearly being Physically present.

To go back to the OP, Christ is present everywhere in His Divinity. Christ is present in the Eucharist Body, Blood, Soul AND Divinity.

 

[ConstantineTG]

Hello Catholics,

I have a quick question. Why we kneel in front of the tabernacle?

We kneel or genuflect towards the tabernacle because the Precious Body of Jesus Christ is reserved in the tabernacle. Therefore in the tabernacle is the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ.

BUT…

Be mindful. The tabernacle door should be closed (unless someone is taking out or putting in Hosts) and there should be a red light off to the side to signify that there is indeed Hosts reserved in the tabernacle. Otherwise, if the red light is off and the door is open and its obviously empty, we do not kneel or genuflect.

It is the tabernacle and not the altar right?

Normally, yes. Also sometimes there are no Hosts reserved but there is one for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. So once the Blessed Sacrament is placed in the monstrance it is normally placed on the altar. So we genuflect/kneel towards the Blessed Sacrament which is on the altar, but we don’t really genuflect/kneel to the altar, just towards it because of where the Blessed Sacrament is.

Also, why do we say God’s presence is in the Church?

Two things.

1. Jesus is present in the Eucharist, which contains His body, blood, soul and divinity8
2. Jesus promised that whenever 2 or 3 gather in His Name, He is present among them. So when people come together for Mass, even if there is no Blessed Sacrament before the consecration, Jesus is already in the midst of those who gathered.

Isn’t it only at consecration when the Lord is truly present? I’m just asking out of ignorance. Thanks

Refer to #2. Furthermore Jesus also told us that He is present in the least of our brethren. I know there are different types of presence of Jesus, I can’t remember all off the top of my head right now. But He is present in the Eucharist, when at least 2 or 3 gather in His Name, and in the least of our brethren. I think the fourth one is Jesus, being God, is omnipresent.

 

[ProVobis]

Truly, really present, but not physically/chemically/visually/molecularly present . This distinction becomes very important when explaining the Real Presence to those who object because physical (or chemical, or visual) tests are consistent with bread instead of human flesh.

Brendan is right.

Transubstantiation (Catholic belief)

trans (across, over, beyond, through)

• sub (under, inferior, secondary, less than, in place of, secretly)
• stantis (past participle of stare, to stand)

Consubstantiation (Lutheran belief)

con (with, together)

• sub (under, inferior, secondary, less than, in place of, secretly)
• stantis (past participle of stare, to stand)

 

[Acolythus_sum]

Note that the proper reverence before the Most Blessed Sacrament exposed is to kneel on both knees and bow. Just thought I’d throw that out there…

 

[baltobetsy]

I have a little bit of info that is somewhat related to this thread… From what I remember being told at some point along the way, bowing, kneeling and genuflecting comes from the knightly times where a knight would bow before his king in total surrender. **With the head bowed forward, the knight is open to his head being chopped off. ** For us they are signs of our respect and surrender to our King.

What an interesting tidbit! Thank you for that.

Betsy

 

[scylla]

Two things.

1. Jesus is present in the Eucharist, which contains His body, blood, soul and divinity8
2. Jesus promised that whenever 2 or 3 gather in His Name, He is present among them. So when people come together for Mass, even if there is no Blessed Sacrament before the consecration, Jesus is already in the midst of those who gathered.

Refer to #2. Furthermore Jesus also told us that He is present in the least of our brethren. I know there are different types of presence of Jesus, I can’t remember all off the top of my head right now. But He is present in the Eucharist, when at least 2 or 3 gather in His Name, and in the least of our brethren. I think the fourth one is Jesus, being God, is omnipresent.

You can see this in the documents of Vatican II which describe different presences of Jesus at Mass. Of course Jesus is Bodily in Heaven, but He is also God who is omnipresent and present at Mass in several ways.

He is present first of all in the Eucharist which is His Real Presence, which we should adore, kneel to and be ready to receive.
He is present in the Priest\Bishop who presides in the Person of Christ who should be respected and has the ability to bless us and consecrate the bread and wine into the Body and Blood.
He is present in the assembly who make up the Body of Christ in a mystical way and He is the Head of this Body of Christ who are united to Him in our unity of faith. This is explained in Mystici Corporis Christi, very clearly. (where 2 or 3 are gathered in His name)
He is also present in the Word, yet I am still learning about this and am not too sure how to explain this, so if someone can chime in I would appreciate it. * I did not see much of this in what I read but I could have missed it.

There is a warning in Mystici Corporis Christi to recognize the dignity of the people as the Body of Christ but not to fall into the error of equating a divinity to the people. This is common in some circles today as some equate the social\mystical body of Christ to the Eucharist\Jesus, which is wrong. You can read this around #86 of Mystici Corporis Christi

In Christ
Scylla

 

[johnthebaptist1]

When we enter the church we kneel before entering the pew, because Jesus is
truely present in the tabernacle, there is a Host always in the tabernacle, which is
used for Holy Adorartionin ,it is put on the alter,and we stay and talk to Jesus
and tall him what bothering us. We bow to show reverance,that we truly know that
Jesus is present in the tabernacle.
I hope this help,s you understand.:)

 

[DaughterOfMary6]

Minor quibble: God is not physically present in the Eucharist. Truly, really present, but not physically/chemically/visually/molecularly present . This distinction becomes very important when explaining the Real Presence to those who object because physical (or chemical, or visual) tests are consistent with bread instead of human flesh.

What about the Eucharistic Miracles? There were many cases where the host was turned into actual human flesh and the wine into real blood. Please read:

therealpresence.org/eucharst/mir/a3.html