Makeing CHurch Easier

[brianlove84]

Is there a better system of kneeling and sitting we should teach all Christians,because in today’s churches it seems like everyone has forgotten the proper structure of church, or does that just show the unorganizedness of a parish?

Brian
Fontana

 

[jc-servant]

Is there a better system of kneeling and sitting we should teach all Christians,because in today’s churches it seems like everyone has forgotten the proper structure of church, or does that just show the unorganizedness of a parish?

Brian
Fontana

Sometimes there is a difference in what people can choose to do at a certain point in various liturgies because there are optional positions available. If you are speaking of the variety of Christian denominations, good luck on getting more than 30,000 groups to agree on anything except that there is a God.

Sometimes, there is a difference in what a bishop has stated should be the norm in his particular diocese. I’ve noticed that when I visit a particular diocese in another state that the norm there is for everyone to stand during communion until everyone has received. In my diocese, we kneel and then sit or remain kneeling until after the altar is completely cleared. A visitor will likely do what they are used to doing and perhaps later realize that things are not the same as in their home diocese.

At my parish, most people remain kneeling, but of course some people are physically unable to remain in that position such a long time so they will sit sooner.

 

[puzzleannie]

decided to practice what nuns used to teach us - how to kneel and put the kneelers up and down without banging and making noise. no kidding we used to practice this as part of communion preparation and at school Masses principal used a cricket (a hand-held metal clicker) to signal kneelers down, kneel, stand, kneelers up, sit etc.

 

[Like]

decided to practice what nuns used to teach us - how to kneel and put the kneelers up and down without banging and making noise. no kidding we used to practice this as part of communion preparation and at school Masses principal used a cricket (a hand-held metal clicker) to signal kneelers down, kneel, stand, kneelers up, sit etc.

This is the exact same way the School Sisters of Notre Dame taught us in so.TX and for the last couple of months it really has been bothering me at my parish. It seems people bang the kneeler up and down on purpose, like a contest to see who can make the most noise.

 

[Cat]

What is the greater sin–banging kneelers, or judging people that you don’t know?

 

[Like]

That’s just it, I do know most of them.

 

[Brenda_V]

decided to practice what nuns used to teach us - how to kneel and put the kneelers up and down without banging and making noise. no kidding we used to practice this as part of communion preparation and at school Masses principal used a cricket (a hand-held metal clicker) to signal kneelers down, kneel, stand, kneelers up, sit etc.

This sounds so familiar minus the clicker ( - : . Sister Mary Edmund also used to point out the old grey haired women who were praying when we went into the church to practice - these women did not lean back on the pews when kneeling, something I do after Communion so I can rest my head on my arms and not be distracted by those going to and coming from Communion, otherwise, even with my bad knees I kneel up-right!

As for banging kneelers, I don’t hear that too often except that occasional sound of a dropped kneeler - as in it slipped out of your hands - some how the sound is a bit different than a kneeler that hasn’t been put down gently.

My daughters were also taught through CCD during their First Communion practices to do the same and of course I re-enforced it.

I don’t know if this is what the OP is asking about but…there it is.

A side note, something that always bothers me - when we write about people we should say “who” or “whom”, not “that”. This is a so anti-humanizing communication that has slowly snuck into our usage - just so you know, I am not singling anyone out specifically but I have decided that I will start a one woman campaign to see if I can at least change some of our bad habits around all who come in contact with me into including me - I have caught myself doing the same!

Brenda V.