Kneeling - Praying - Mary

[PeteZaHut]

Are you supposed to kneel or stand while praying in your own home?

Also, when you see a statue of Mary, is it okay to bow or genuflect?, or are those actions strictly reserved for God?

 

[Holly3278]

I don’t have an answer for either of your questions. However, I often pray while lying down. I don’t think God really cares what posture we take while we pray.

 

[LilyM]

Are you supposed to kneel or stand while praying in your own home?

Also, when you see a statue of Mary, is it okay to bow or genuflect?, or are those actions strictly reserved for God?

We bow to Kings and Queens, heck Jacob bowed to his brother Esau who wasn’t anyone special, so why not to the Queen of Heaven?

And genuflecting? Well, if you were to be made a knight by the Queen of England you better believe you’d kneel!

 

[MH84]

We bow to Kings and Queens, heck Jacob bowed to his brother Esau who wasn’t anyone special, so why not to the Queen of Heaven?

And genuflecting? Well, if you were to be made a knight by the Queen of England you better believe you’d kneel!

I dont think genuflecting to the statue of the BVM is appropriate. There is a fine line between respecting the person behind the image and the image itself.

However, spending time in front of a statue of Mary to help turn your mind to devotional prayer to her is definately okay.

I have in the past often kissed my hand and then pressed it to the feet of statues of Mary in churches, but thinking about it now, it seems a bit strange. But I know that images and statues definately can help one to focus or meditate better.

I kiss the brown scapular I have before and after taking it off. I see no problem with that.

 

[MH84]

I don’t have an answer for either of your questions. However, I often pray while lying down. I don’t think God really cares what posture we take while we pray.

I have lately prayed lying down, but its because of laziness, and am not really comfortable with doing it.

It fine to pray while lying down, but lying down *to *pray is a different story. There is a difference. Especially if the only time you pray at home is when you are lying down. But of course its always better to at least pray.

 

[MH84]

Are you supposed to kneel or stand while praying in your own home?

Seating is okay as well. Sometimes the nature of a prayer may be more better communicated while kneeling or standing. But other posters can advise you better.

 

[KathleenElsie]

Pray always.

So sitting, standing, kneeling (even scrubbing the floors), laying, hopping, skipping or jumping are good positions for prayer.

I bow my head or even a little curtsy (old custom) to the BVM when I pass her image. Walking or driving by.

I also cross myself when I can safely do it when passing a Catholic Church, cemetery or funeral home and say a small prayer.

 

[Joannm]

I usually pray sitting or lying in bed…but sometimes my best prayers are prayed while taking a shower.

 

[StCsDavid]

IMHO, we genuflect before the tabernacle because Christ is actually present. We reserve this action for Him. Blessed Mother is not actually present in the statue so it may not be an appropriate gesture. The statue serves as a reminder of her, much as a photo of a family member might. We don’t genuflect in front of paintings of Christ, do we? This is the same kind of thing.

As to posture during prayer, I would say the best posture is the one that gets you to pray. If standing works, great. If laying down works, super. The key is to pray, pray, and then pray some more. Obviously we have postures for prayer that we use in mass and other public venues, but at home, go with what’s going to get you to pray.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

An old Jesuit once told us that if we are praying as a penance we should kneel; if we are praying to talk to God we should get comfortable. That seems reasonable to me.

 

[LilyM]

An old Jesuit once told us that if we are praying as a penance we should kneel; if we are praying to talk to God we should get comfortable. That seems reasonable to me.

Problem is if I get too comfortable I’m more likely to fall asleep than pray

 

[peary]

Are you supposed to kneel or stand while praying in your own home?

Also, when you see a statue of Mary, is it okay to bow or genuflect?, or are those actions strictly reserved for God?

I don’t think it matters. That would be part of one’s “personal” or private devotion within the confines of one’s home. Personally, I sit when I pray. I cannot genuflect or kneel because of bad knees.You might want to bow your head as a sign of recognition, but remember, it’s a statue, not the “real thing.” It is there to focus our mind on Our Lady and bringing us to Christ our Lord.

 

[Newbie2]

I don’t think it matters. That would be part of one’s “personal” or private devotion within the confines of one’s home. Personally, I sit when I pray. I cannot genuflect or kneel because of bad knees.You might want to bow your head as a sign of recognition, but remember, it’s a statue, not the “real thing.” It is there to focus our mind on Our Lady and bringing us to Christ our Lord.

Yes, same thing with the altar; we aren’t worshiping the altar, right?

 

[ElizabethPH]

At home I don’t think there is a rule. If you want to kneel you can, or stand or sit or lie down. I stand while I pray before a little shrine I have for the BVM while praying the Memorare. And will kneel while praying the Prayer before the Crucifix. Which actually says…‘good and gentle Jesus while before your face I humbly kneel’. Often time I will be in bed while praying this and I just have to get up and kneel down. It all depends on the prayer. As a child we knelt praying the rosary. But today I sit for the rosary; except in church.

 

[ElizabethPH]

I’ve never bowed or genuflected in front of a statue; only upon entering church or right in front of the tabernacle. I have knelt and prayed, and/or kissed my hand and touched a statue of Mary though. And there’s nothing strange or wrong with that AFAIK.