Mass: standing after mystery of faith

[ratio1]

so which is actually the most common in the world? [kneeling or standing after Mystery of Faith]

 

[Phemie]

i’ve only been attending catholic mass for 5 decades

what is the “mystery of faith” ?

i just do what every one else does (kneel, sit, stand…) maybe i am a dummy…

“The Mystery of Faith”, the “Memorial Acclamation”, what the priest says right after the Consecration and to which we respond, “We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.”

In some parishes we stand at that point, in others we don’t.
In the Pastoral Notes issued by the CCCB when the new GIRM was promulgated we find this

The General Instruction invites the assembly to stand for the Eucharistic Prayer, except for the Consecration. Maintaining the “laudable” practice of kneeling throughout the Eucharistic Prayer is also appropriate. The decision is the responsibility of the Conference of Bishops.
• Standing during the sung acclamations allows the assembly to sing them properly and respects their intrinsic nature.

 

[Spyridon]

maybe i am a dummy…

LOL.

No, you’re just not a liturgical geek like some of us.

The “Mystery of Faith” (“Mysterium Fidei”) or “Memorial Acclamation” (in the older Mass translation prior to 2011) is the part of the Eucharistic Prayer when the Priest says “The Mystery of Faith:” and then all respond with either “We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.”
or “When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your death, O Lord, until you come again.”
or “Save us, Savior of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.”

 

[CelticWarlord]

In the parish where I most often attend, there is a variety of people kneeling and standing during most of the set times, there doesn’t seem to be any sort of pattern to it in my observations. I have one very bad knee so sometimes I just stay standing.

 

[Spyridon]

That’s not good either.

As far as individual parishes are concerned, either everybody should kneel together or sit together.

It is the Pastors responsibility that if he sees half the people kneeling and half standing to correct that problem. The Liturgy is not a free for all Quaker meeting - it’s a codified series of rituals.

The ones who can’t stand or kneel for various reasons can sit.

 

[CelticWarlord]

I would say the great majority of the people are doing one or the other. One might say there are stragglers during the move from one position to the other. On the other hand, I feel it likely that some may be deeply in prayer or meditation and do not immediately become aware that the service has moved on. I would hate to see it become an issue, though. I spent a good many years in a legalistic cult. If anyone had approached me during my first few times at Mass and said, “you are not loving God in the approved manner” because I was not kneeling or standing at the right time, I would never have gone back.

 

[Spyridon]

anyone had approached me during my first few times at Mass and said, “you are not loving God in the approved manner” because I was not kneeling or standing at the right time, I would never have gone back.

That would be absolutely a horrendously wrong way to do what I suggested.

My suggestion would be for the Pastor to gently remind the congregation before Mass gets under way by saying something like “just a reminder to all, it is the current practice of this parish for all to kneel during the Eucharistic prayer. For those who can’t or don’t want to kneel, feel free to stay seated. Thank you.” Also print the same reminder in the bulletin for a few weeks.

 

[CelticWarlord]

I have no doubt that it if it should ever be done, that it would follow the gentle reminder which you suggested. Please understand that although I am 20 plus years removed from the organization I mentioned, I still often see religious hierarchies through that lens. The Catholic Church has never betrayed any trust, it’s just a perspective that still presents itself, having dealt with just such approaches in the past.