Kneeling Versus Standing

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nickybr38

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I am struggling a bit with this whole receiving in the hand thing.

It bothers me a little bit that the local Lutherans and the local Anglicans both kneel to receive communion. They are not even receiving the true flesh and the true blood and yet they kneel. They take a position of humility before our Lord. And yes, I understand that inward humility is more important then outward but sometimes the outward can be a reflection of the inward.

Of course I know we shouldn’t look to our separated brothers and sisters for ideas on how to do things but on the same hand there they are, on their knees before their king… just as Scripture says: Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess…

And here we are, on our feet, holding out our hands.

I suppose, depending on culture, neither position is superior to the other but in the western culture the kneeling position seems to me to be the more humble position.

I don’t know. I’m just really struggling with this. On the one hand we are being taught unity through uniformity but on the other hand I have a very hard time receiving our Lord in my hand and on my feet. It shouldn’t be difficult, and yet it is. There isn’t really an answer for all of this I suppose.

I am unwilling to be the only knee that falls and the only one to not receive as everyone else is. I do believe that we should be united (and unity can be expressed through uniformity as our Bishop has been teaching us)… I also believe this isn’t about my comfort, so how do I overcome my discomfort?

Any advice?

PS: I wasn’t sure where to post this… ): I know there are a lot of people on this forum who don’t understand why receiving in the hand would be an uncomfortable thing so I thought the people who frequent this part of the forum might have a bit more sympathy for my difficulty. I get lost really easy around here. Sorry guys.
 
nickybr38 said:
I am struggling a bit with this whole receiving in the hand thing.

It bothers me a little bit that the local Lutherans and the local Anglicans both kneel to receive communion. They are not even receiving the true flesh and the true blood and yet they kneel. They take a position of humility before our Lord. And yes, I understand that inward humility is more important then outward but sometimes the outward can be a reflection of the inward.

Of course I know we shouldn’t look to our separated brothers and sisters for ideas on how to do things but on the same hand there they are, on their knees before their king… just as Scripture says: Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess…

And here we are, on our feet, holding out our hands.

I suppose, depending on culture, neither position is superior to the other but in the western culture the kneeling position seems to me to be the more humble position.

I don’t know. I’m just really struggling with this. On the one hand **we are being taught unity through uniformity **but on the other hand I have a very hard time receiving our Lord in my hand and on my feet. It shouldn’t be difficult, and yet it is. There isn’t really an answer for all of this I suppose.

I am unwilling to be the only knee that falls and the only one to not receive as everyone else is. I do believe that we should be united (and unity can be expressed through uniformity as our Bishop has been teaching us)… I also believe this isn’t about my comfort, so how do I overcome my discomfort?

Any advice?

PS: I wasn’t sure where to post this… ): I know there are a lot of people on this forum who don’t understand why receiving in the hand would be an uncomfortable thing so I thought the people who frequent this part of the forum might have a bit more sympathy for my difficulty. I get lost really easy around here. Sorry guys.
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Unity can be acheived through uniformity I guess. The Nazis believed it as did other totalitarian groups.

It is however not necessary. I fail to understand how everyone standing or kneeling or laying down, for that matter, or doing anything at all at the same time expresses true unity. It may look like unity to an outsider looking in, but I somehow doubt that it is true unity to those involved.
 
The Lutherans and Anglicans kneel to receive. The Eastern Catholics and Orthodox stand to receive. Who would you rather be associated with? 😉
 
I have a very hard time receiving our Lord in my hand and on my feet. It shouldn’t be difficult, and yet it is.

]

Dear One,

May I suggest that you not be concerned about the physical aspect of how you receive. Just receive him with your heart.

Blessings - Chochy
 
nickybr38 said:
I am struggling a bit with this whole receiving in the hand thing.

It bothers me a little bit that the local Lutherans and the local Anglicans both kneel to receive communion. They are not even receiving the true flesh and the true blood and yet they kneel. They take a position of humility before our Lord. And yes, I understand that inward humility is more important then outward but sometimes the outward can be a reflection of the inward.

Of course I know we shouldn’t look to our separated brothers and sisters for ideas on how to do things but on the same hand there they are, on their knees before their king… just as Scripture says: Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess…

And here we are, on our feet, holding out our hands.

I suppose, depending on culture, neither position is superior to the other but in the western culture the kneeling position seems to me to be the more humble position.

I don’t know. I’m just really struggling with this. On the one hand we are being taught unity through uniformity but on the other hand I have a very hard time receiving our Lord in my hand and on my feet. It shouldn’t be difficult, and yet it is. There isn’t really an answer for all of this I suppose.

I am unwilling to be the only knee that falls and the only one to not receive as everyone else is. I do believe that we should be united (and unity can be expressed through uniformity as our Bishop has been teaching us)… I also believe this isn’t about my comfort, so how do I overcome my discomfort?

Any advice?

PS: I wasn’t sure where to post this… ): I know there are a lot of people on this forum who don’t understand why receiving in the hand would be an uncomfortable thing so I thought the people who frequent this part of the forum might have a bit more sympathy for my difficulty. I get lost really easy around here. Sorry guys.
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I understand where you are coming from. Having attended a Methodist church that kneeled during communion, it seems less reverent to stand and receive on the hand.

I don’t kneel but I do receive on the tongue. I think receiving in the hand is irreverent. (probably start something with that phrase.)

It would be hard in my crowded parish to kneel, and I frequently struggle with being the only one doing something, though at times I am the only one receiving on the tongue.

The more you learn about the Eucharist, the more you want to show respect and honor.

God bless.
 
Get over it. You should accept standing or kneeling in your parish church as an act of obedience to the Pastor. He is the one, following his Bishop, that sets the norm for his parish.
Do not be concerned what people in other religions do; be only concerned that you are properly reverent to our Lord and to the priest who is saying Mass.
Such concerns are usually the distractions and temptations of the evil one who is trying to discourage you.
As for receiving in the hand or on the tongue, when you go up to the priest simply hold your hands closed in the attitude of prayer, open your mouth and stick out your tongue. I guarentee you will receive Communion on your tongue without any repercussions.
As for feeling uncomfortable while receiving Communion for any reason other than sin, offer it up as a personal sacrifice to the Lord. You will find that the feeling of angst will pass quickly.
 
Mike30 said:
Unity can be acheived through uniformity I guess. The Nazis believed it as did other totalitarian groups.

It is however not necessary. I fail to understand how everyone standing or kneeling or laying down, for that matter, or doing anything at all at the same time expresses true unity. It may look like unity to an outsider looking in, but I somehow doubt that it is true unity to those involved.
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Amen. What our brothers and sisters think of us matters not one bit. The Pharisees were very big on physical postures. Did their insistence upon physical gestures affect their interior life one bit? The Lord knows our heart. We have the opportunity to kneel before our Lord for an hour straight at adoration, if our heart is so disposed.
 
nickybr38 said:
I am struggling a bit with this whole receiving in the hand thing.
It bothers me a little bit that the local Lutherans and the local Anglicans both kneel to receive communion. They are not even receiving the true flesh and the true blood and yet they kneel. They take a position of humility before our Lord. And yes, I understand that inward humility is more important then outward but sometimes the outward can be a reflection of the inward.
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Immaculata90 said:
Two things on unity. One, this unity can be achieved not only with our brothers and sisters that are physically present in the church with us, but also all of those around the world. Many people in other parts of the world receive kneeling–and you would be united with them. Also, there is unity in our tradition of 2,000 years. Through receiving the Eucharist we are united with all the saints and faithful that have received since the beginning of the Church. Pretty cool, right? All of those people, up until the last 50 years or less all received kneeling. So in kneeling, you are uniting the church, maybe just not necessarily with those immediately surrounding you.
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I have received kneeling since I saw a very young teenage girl kneel to receive the Lord. I figured that if she had the courage to do what most everyone else was afraid to do then I would kneel also. since then we have about 40% of the parish kneeling.
 
ConstantineTG said:
The Lutherans and Anglicans kneel to receive. The Eastern Catholics and Orthodox stand to receive. Who would you rather be associated with? 😉
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I’ve never seen Anglicans kneel to receive; always standing when I’ve been dragged along to anglican services by friends.

And locally, most of the lutherans receive in the hand while standing. (One parish does use a communion rail… and individual commnion cups… kneeling, receiving in the hand. But that parish also voted several times to become a Catholic parish as soon as a Catholic version of the LCW was done…)
 
Aramis said:
I’ve never seen Anglicans kneel to receive; always standing when I’ve been dragged along to anglican services by friends.

And locally, most of the lutherans receive in the hand while standing. (One parish does use a communion rail… and individual commnion cups… kneeling, receiving in the hand. But that parish also voted several times to become a Catholic parish as soon as a Catholic version of the LCW was done…)
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We kneel, but one local Episcopal church has to stand due to the fact that they purchased a church from the Roman Catholic diocese where the altar rail had been removed. Many in the congregation were so upset about this that they brought in a kneeler for those who wished to use it.
 
Aramis said:
I’ve never seen Anglicans kneel to receive; always standing when I’ve been dragged along to anglican services by friends.

And locally, most of the lutherans receive in the hand while standing. (One parish does use a communion rail… and individual commnion cups… kneeling, receiving in the hand. But that parish also voted several times to become a Catholic parish as soon as a Catholic version of the LCW was done…)
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I haven’t seen them receive at all. I’m just going by what was posted.
 
ConstantineTG said:
The Lutherans and Anglicans kneel to receive. The Eastern Catholics and Orthodox stand to receive. Who would you rather be associated with? 😉
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I like this. Would we accuse those who we are in full communion with of being irreverent to the Eucharist? Of course not. What Anglicans or Lutherans do is of no matter to us.
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Aramis:
I’ve never seen Anglicans kneel to receive; always standing when I’ve been dragged along to anglican services by friends.
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Not all Anglicans do but some do. I recall when I was a child people stood for communion but when I went to church with my mother a while ago they kneeled. Perhaps it varies by parish.
 
🙂 Lots of good advice. Thanks guys.

Side note, the Anglican and Lutheran community in my area are considered very ‘traditional’ and/or old school, if you will. They receive kneeling, believe in confession, pray to the saints, etc. etc. etc. I’ve had to attend the Lutheran services for family functions (baptisms, confirmations) and really except for the fact that they knelt externally it was very much like the Mass (of course with a few minor changes).

I’m a new Catholic so I’ve had a few internal struggles but I work through them after thinking them out.

I will talk to my Father about receiving on the tongue. This might actually help with some of my issues. Standing vs. kneeling really does seem to be a cultural thing. I know that in standing can be considered the more prayerful position. I suppose because of my background kneeling is the more prayerful position in my head. I just have to reorient my thinking and retrain my body.

I understand I shouldn’t be focused on the physical aspects… but my knees kept wanting to fall and I keep fighting to keep upright. ): Physically it’s a battle so I need to think it through. It’s part of the retraining.

PS: I’ve been meaning to talk to Father about receiving on the tongue for awhile but something keeps holding me back. Blah. I guess I just need to push through…
 
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