Kneeling before we accept communion

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Rather than a simple bow, I believe that we should kneel on one knee before we accept the sacrament. We are accepting Jesus Christ. Should we not kneel before our Lord and Savior?
 
I see kneeling as the ultimate sign of reverence and worship of the Real Presence. If one cannot kneel, a simple bow will do.
 
If you do and are not at a Communion rail please be aware that those with low vision or engrossed in prayer may not see you ahead of them and you could cause a pile up.
One pastor we had suggested that those wishing to genuflect before they receive be last in line.
 
I think we should reverently receive Our Lord and Savior in a way that is not going to risk either others tripping over us or banging into us or some kind of fumble of Jesus’s Body and Blood. Where I receive there is usually not enough space for people to be bobbing up and down without possible injury, and many of the older people cannot do this. I’m not even sure if I can do it because my knees are not the greatest and I usually need to hold onto something when I genuflect. There is nothing to hold onto in the Communion line.

We need to keep in mind that the Communion line usually has a lot of 65+ year old people in it. A simple trip-and-fall could result in a serious broken hip. Falling into the priest or EMHC could result in Jesus all over the floor.

The custom in my area is you bow before receiving Jesus. That works for me, and most people can do it much more easily and without risking any sort of injury or pile-up or knocking into the person distributing Communion.
 
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Yes we should be kneeling and for those that cannot kneel, due to age or injury, they won’t be ostracized or denied communion simply for standing. I’ve attended a TLM mass and the elderly who cannot kneel are not shunned, the priest simply leans over the rail and places the communion on the tongue of the person who is standing. It’s not that difficult. And I don’t believe that injuries were so common in the past or present, that it had an overwhelming influence on why standing was/is allowed.

Sadly, the issue of standing vs kneeling is no longer discussed in terms of what is more efficacious to us as the laity, but what is merely “allowed now”.
 
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I am so thankful we have altar rails and kneeling is the norm at our parish. The next parish over has a new priest who has brought out kneelers so that those who wish to kneel can kneel and receive on the tongue.
 
I would note the OP is not talking about kneeling at a kneeler for Communion. Most people can kneel at a rail. The rail helps them get up and down. Also, they are not bobbing up and down in the middle of a crowded line. They are kneeling and waiting for the priest. This to me is fine as long as there’s a kneeler or a rail that works for people (see OraLabora’s post in the other thread about the guy who keeps kneeling over at the cloister partition where the priests sometimes can’t see him).

The OP seems to be talking about going down on one knee in the line and then standing up, with no kneeler. This is problematic due to the lack of room, lack of support, and having people constantly bobbing up and down in a crowd situation.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
I would note the OP is not talking about kneeling at a kneeler for Communion. Most people can kneel at a rail. The rail helps them get up and down. Also, they are not bobbing up and down in the middle of a crowded line. They are kneeling and waiting for the priest. This to me is fine as long as there’s a kneeler or a rail that works for people (see OraLabora’s post in the other thread about the guy who keeps kneeling over at the cloister partition where the priests sometimes can’t see him).

The OP seems to be talking about going down on one knee in the line and then standing up, with no kneeler. This is problematic due to the lack of room, lack of support, and having people constantly bobbing up and down in a crowd situation.
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The same principle and logic still applies. I think the understanding was always, for those who can kneel, they should. For those who cannot, then by all means feel free to stand. With standing being allowed, most of the modern parishes were built in a way, that no longer needed to cater to the use of an altar rail. So now the lay Eucharistic Ministers simply go out into the aisles and walkways to administer Holy Communion.

Which by its very nature, now brings up the issue of kneeling in an aisle, with a line of people behind you. So, what we get now is the argument that it is too difficult to kneel, because you’ll disrupt the flow of traffic and potentially lose your balance and cause people to become upset with your desire to kneel in a situation that is not ideal!

Now, when people wish to kneel, they are discouraged because it is not convenient. And when the argument turns to the reverence of kneeling vs standing, the go to argument in favor of standing is always the same.

You should stand because it is allowed now and by kneeling you’re only concerned with your own views on reverence and you are not taking into account those around you and how it could negatively impact them.
 
You can if you want to, nothing wrong. But none of the Apostles did, and there is no record in the very early church of doing it … That said, Nothing wrong with it. I’'ll just have to be careful not to trip over you when I also go to communion…
 
The Church has said that a bow of the head is sufficient.

That is good enough for me.
 
I never see anything good coming out of these discussions. We can all decide among ourselves what people “should” be doing, but we are not the pastor of the church, nor the bishop of the diocese, so we don’t get a say.

The discussions always just turn into a lot of handwringing over the supposed sorry state of the Church.
 
I don’t snub my nose at anyone who wants to stand vs kneel. Fortunately, my parish has kneelers that they bring out to accommodate those who wish to kneel.

Perhaps, my views are too rigid or uncompromising, but it would be wonderful if those who chose to kneel could be assisted by those in line who can see and appreciate the action of kneeling. So instead of being concerned about tripping over someone, our focus would be to help those who wish to kneel. Maybe reach out to steady someone who is trying to stand up or maybe give more room to the person in front of you instead of being 2 feet behind them when they kneel or rise.

Perhaps the practice of kneeling would be more commonplace if we as the laity were taught to facilitate both actions in a way that fosters charity to all involved.
 
I just read a thread where you replied that there was no difference between the extraordinary form and the ordinary form. You said they were both just as reverent and valid so it didn’t matter. Standing or bowing before the Eucharist are both valid yet you are saying kneeling is more reverent? You understand your opinions contradict one another right?
YourNameHere said:
Masses said in Latin are not more reverent. All Masses are the same.
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Just so you don’t think I’m being overly critical, I do agree with your OP 100% but my views are consistent if you read any of my posts on this forum. I pray every day that my new pastor will bring back the altar rail. In the meantime I choose to kneel to receive. My wife is always behind me and knows so there is no chance of disruption and I can get on my knees in the same amount of time as it takes to bow.
 
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The finest form of respect, humility, and reverence is shown by kneeling. Therefore, it is a natural consequence of believing in real presence that one chooses to receive Christ who is divine and omnipotent, while kneeling.
When I kneel for Communion, I show that I am in no way worthy of recieving Him. He is perfect, in contrary I am a sinful person. God himself deserves to see my inferiority concretely.
 
In the US, the Bishops have decided that the common posture is standing, with a bow of the head before receiving.

If you want to kneel, and can do so without disrupting the flow of the Communion line, more power to you, but please stop telling anyone who doesn’t/can’t kneel that they are inherently less reverent.
 
CilladeRoma said:
In the US, the Bishops have decided that the common posture is standing, with a bow of the head before receiving.

If you want to kneel, and can do so without disrupting the flow of the Communion line, more power to you, but please stop telling anyone who doesn’t/can’t kneel that they are inherently less reverent.
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I don’t recall it being an issue of forcing everyone to kneel. It seems like those who chose to stand want to be left to their own choice and not made to feel less faithful for doing so, and I agree with that concern wholeheartedly.

However, why can’t that same acceptance be given to those who want to kneel? It seems like the argument is always telling those who wish to kneel, that they can do so, but only if it doesn’t disrupt the flow of traffic?!?!

Really??? You mean we as the laity can’t find the patience and understanding to help accommodate those who wish to kneel, by not making them feel wrong because now the people in line need to stand for a little bit longer.

How long is too long and what is deemed to inconvenient a situation to endure so as to be able to receive Holy Communion?
 
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The US Bishops have said the standing is the normative posture.
If someone wants to go against the norm, the onus is on them to make sure they are not disrupting and/or putting anyone else in jeopardy.

In my small parish Church, if someone kneels abruptly, there is going to be a collision. Our Pastor has asked that for the few who desire to receive kneeling, they be the last to come up. It has never been a problem.
 
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