Kneeling

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wondrousgnat

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When I go to mass I usually try to take a pew behind an older person. Almost all of them kneel during appropriate times (even the 94 year old man). Those who don’t kneel I assume have arthritis, bad hip, etc.

Those who are under 40 are different. Only about half of them kneel. And what I find very annoying is that they sit all the way back in the pews. Crowding out the people behind them who are trying to kneel. At least this is what happens in my parish and I was very irritated at mass yesterday.

I wonder what goes through these people’s minds when they see those who are 40, 50, even 60 years older kneeling when they won’t.
 
wondrousgnat said:
When I go to mass I usually try to take a pew behind an older person. Almost all of them kneel during appropriate times (even the 94 year old man). Those who don’t kneel I assume have arthritis, bad hip, etc.

Those who are under 40 are different. Only about half of them kneel. And what I find very annoying is that they sit all the way back in the pews. Crowding out the people behind them who are trying to kneel. At least this is what happens in my parish and I was very irritated at mass yesterday.

I wonder what goes through these people’s minds when they see those who are 40, 50, even 60 years older kneeling when they won’t.
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What goes through my mind is God and my relationship to Him, not what other people are doing or not doing. If we get annoyed at little things, what will happen when big thing befall us?
 
In my experience they are not catholic and are vitising. Some come week after week and never kneel because they are not catholic and depending on where they come from they do not think it’s important.
I guess just be happy they sit in the back!
 
So you did not explain why you don’t kneel. Do you lean all the way back in the pew forcing back the kneeler behind you? Is that how you show your respect for fellow Catholics who are trying to worship? What was going through my mind yesterday was the 30-something lady’s pony tail in my face and the discomfort in my back because I was leaning backward while kneeling.

And, no, they are not sitting in the back pew in my parish. They are leaning back forcing back back on the elderly kneelers behind them. And they do go up for communion.
"Every knee shall bow."
 
When I am confronted with this situation, I’ll just “sit forward” like Lutherans do. I sit on the edge of the seat, with my knees as close to the kneeler as I can get them.

Alan
 
Let us see exactly what Vatican Council II really does say regarding this subject…

General Instructions:
Chapter II:
  1. A bodily posture common to all who are present is a sign of their unity with each other as a congregation; it expresses the mental attitude and dispositions of those taking part and enhances them.
  2. To achieve this bodily posture the faithful should heed the directions given to them in the course of the celebration by the deacon, the priest, or other assistant. Unless some contrary instruction has been given, they should in all forms of the Mass, stand from the moment the priest enters or reaches the altar until the end of the Collect; also at the Alleluia before the Gospel; during the Gospel itself, the Creed and the Prayer of the Faithful; in addition from the Prayer over the Gifts until the end of Mass except where indicated below.
    They should sit during the readings which precede the Gospel and during the Responsorial Psalm; for the homily, and during the Preparation of the Gifts; also when it seems fitting, during the silence which follows the distribution of Communion. But unless impeded by lack of space, density of the crowd or other reasonable cause, THEY SHOULD KNEEL DOWN FOR THE CONSECRATION.
 
Have you spoken to your priest about the situation? Maybe he can do a little “coaching” before Mass begins.
 
Like you mentioned before, try watching where others are doing the kneeling and then pick a place behind them. That seems the best alternative, like sitting behind pre-Vatican II people.

Before Vatican II, this was never a problem. But I know what you mean because occasionally I find myself tring to adjust. And when I do I just make a prayer out of it and tell Jesus that he owes me one. (when I say that I always duck first).

Just a thought.
 
What goes through my mind is God and my relationship to Him, not what other people are doing or not doing. If we get annoyed at little things, what will happen when big thing befall us?
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:thumbsup:
I’m in my 50’s and not able to knell. I have had 2 total knee replacements. I sit on the edge of the pew w/ my knees as close to the kneeler as possible. 😉
 
How can you get annoyed at them, when you dont even know them, they may have a legit reason for not kneeling, like maybe there not Catholic or maybe they got knee problems, which i thing our Lord would understand that, besides maybe you should focus less on them and more on God at Mass 👍 just my 2 cents. God bless
 
wondrousgnat said:
So you did not explain why you don’t kneel. Do you lean all the way back in the pew forcing back the kneeler behind you? Is that how you show your respect for fellow Catholics who are trying to worship? What was going through my mind yesterday was the 30-something lady’s pony tail in my face and the discomfort in my back because I was leaning backward while kneeling.

And, no, they are not sitting in the back pew in my parish. They are leaning back forcing back back on the elderly kneelers behind them. And they do go up for communion.
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 "Every knee shall bow."
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I am 50 and I am physically unable to kneel. I DO worry that people will think I’m being rude. I do try to sit forward so the people behind me can be comfortable so if you were in the front, it looks like I’m kneeling. I wish I could kneel. I actually look forward to being in heaven and being able to kneel and worship the way I long to do.

Most of the parish knows I cannot kneel, but I still feel bad at Adoration when I have to bow, I cannot kneel on both knees like most people do. I do see a couple others who cannot kneel so I’m not alone, but I do try to move foward in the pew so that those behind me are comfortable and don’t think I’m being rude.

Lorrie
 
Stylites said:
What goes through my mind is God and my relationship to Him, not what other people are doing or not doing. If we get annoyed at little things, what will happen when big thing befall us?
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👍👍👍👍
 
Why is it important why the people are sitting? It doesn’t matter; they are. The only thing that matters is how we react.

And if they are impeding us from kneeling, as the good information from wondrousgnat showed, then that means we don’t have to kneel.

We need to focus on our own behavior and what we are doing. We don’t have any reason to doubt that others – even though we don’t understand their behavior – are not sincerely here to worship God, and within their own limitations this is the best they can do. Why they do what they do is irrelevant to anything we need to know to decide how to respond.

Sitting forward on the pew works for me, that we at least the person behind me can still kneel.

Alan
 
When they don’t kneel, I just start coughing and breathing heavily…they usually move forward after that. 😉

God bless,
Bryan
 
fred_conty said:
Like you mentioned before, try watching where others are doing the kneeling and then pick a place behind them. That seems the best alternative, like sitting behind pre-Vatican II people.

Before Vatican II, this was never a problem. But I know what you mean because occasionally I find myself tring to adjust. And when I do I just make a prayer out of it and tell Jesus that he owes me one. (when I say that I always duck first).

Just a thought.
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Before Vatican II, there were probably not nearly as many non-Catholics attending Catholic Mass.
 
I’ll tell you what goes through my mind. “Nothing”. I would assume they are like me with two bad knees, a dislocated one, and one with arthritis. Just because you don’t see their handicap doesn’t mean they don’t have one. So I would never assume anything if I didn’t see them kneeling.
 
chemoangel said:
I’ll tell you what goes through my mind. “Nothing”. I would assume they are like me with two bad knees, a dislocated one, and one with arthritis. Just because you don’t see their handicap doesn’t mean they don’t have one. So I would never assume anything if I didn’t see them kneeling.
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👍
 
wondrousgnat said:
Let us see exactly what Vatican Council II really does say regarding this subject…

General Instructions:
Chapter II:
  1. A bodily posture common to all who are present is a sign of their unity with each other as a congregation; it expresses the mental attitude and dispositions of those taking part and enhances them.
  2. To achieve this bodily posture the faithful should heed the directions given to them in the course of the celebration by the deacon, the priest, or other assistant. Unless some contrary instruction has been given, they should in all forms of the Mass, stand from the moment the priest enters or reaches the altar until the end of the Collect; also at the Alleluia before the Gospel; during the Gospel itself, the Creed and the Prayer of the Faithful; in addition from the Prayer over the Gifts until the end of Mass except where indicated below.
    They should sit during the readings which precede the Gospel and during the Responsorial Psalm; for the homily, and during the Preparation of the Gifts; also when it seems fitting, during the silence which follows the distribution of Communion. But unless impeded by lack of space, density of the crowd or other reasonable cause, THEY SHOULD KNEEL DOWN FOR THE CONSECRATION.
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This is beneficial how??? We all KNOW this…but some people are unable to kneel or aren’t Catholic and visiting. Should we tell them to get lost? I CAN’T kneel.

I do have a good suggestion for the OP: Sit in in the front row. I do and never have to worry about peope in front of me or heads in the way. I love it, would never sit anywhere else–I admit I started doing it because I hated it when the cup ran out --but now I find I pay better attention and no one’s head is in the way. I do sit forward so those behind me can kneel but sometimes sitting forward does hurt too–so maybe those who aren’t kneeling really can’t.

Lorrie
 
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