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flarz
Guest
I recently moved and now attend a church with no kneelers. Everyone stands during the Eucharistic Prayer and Consecration, which feels wrong to me. Would sitting be a more reverant posture?
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the_phoenix
Guest
Personally, if I attended that parish, I would kneel on the floor for the Consecration as well as after receiving Communion.
~~ the phoenix
~~ the phoenix
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netmilsmom
Guest
The back of our parish is seats in the hall. They open up accordian walls and poof, there’s 300 more seats, but no kneelers.
Coats make great kneelers on tile floors. I can take the kneeling on the cold tile (I have a more,shall we say matronly figure) but my girls have bony knees. We even brought those garden pads to kneel on for Good Friday devotions (those are three hours).
Everyone kneels except those will leg problems.
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mnowlin1
Guest
For years my parish stood during the consecration. About 2 years ago there was a letter from the Archbishop to our pastor stating that we were to kneel to be in accord with recent Vatican statements. They installed many new kneelers and now it has become a much more reverent event. Standing always seemed a little disrespectful to me…so I would likely find myself kneeling anyway.
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rwoehmke
Guest
Before 1980 I had never attended Mass where I did not kneel for the Eucharistic Prayers and Consecration. About 1980 our parish started to stand through the whole period and we continued doing so until about five years ago. I honestly was never able to say that one position felt any more reverent than the other. About five years ago our Bishop finally said to kneel and we did without anyone getting all bent out of shape. My legs have gone south on me so I can stand, but not kneel. I have to sit which I was told is preferable for the handicapped, but which I have to say does not feel as reverent and respectful as standing. There was a brief period before the Bishop spoke up when a young assistant pastor got some to kneel while evryone else stood. In my opinion that was worse than everyone doing either one or the other and led to more strife among the parish members than I can remember for any other disagreement.
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Andreas_Hofer
Guest
Of kneeling, standing, and sitting, the third option is the least reverent.
In the ambiguity typical of our times, the GIRM says that congregations may stand instead of kneeling if sufficient reason exists, but doesn’t give much guidance at all. That means Catholics in the developing world kneel on bare cement sometimes while in the USA having to kneel on plush carpet would cause most people to think there was sufficient cause to stand.
In the ambiguity typical of our times, the GIRM says that congregations may stand instead of kneeling if sufficient reason exists, but doesn’t give much guidance at all. That means Catholics in the developing world kneel on bare cement sometimes while in the USA having to kneel on plush carpet would cause most people to think there was sufficient cause to stand.
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Catholig
Guest
flarz,
I second the statement that if the parish can’t get kneelers or whatever people could just kneel on the floor. I don’t think it’d be such a big deal really. Do you?
Catholig
I second the statement that if the parish can’t get kneelers or whatever people could just kneel on the floor. I don’t think it’d be such a big deal really. Do you?
Catholig
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palmas85
Guest
Having served Mass for years, I became quite used to kneeling on the floor, so it really doesn’t bother me. As an aside, I have been to many churches in the Philippines:thumbsup: , Mexico and Central America that did not have kneelers at all anywhere, yet everyone knelt with no complaints or apparent problems in doing so.
It is also not at all uncommon in those countries for people to crawl from the confessionals to a space in front of the tabernacle to say their penance after confession, or for some personal devotion to crawl up the steps into the church and all the way to the Altar, prostrating themselves several times along the way. Don’t see much of that in the U.S. do you?
Come to think of it, they actually do that in New Orleans also at the St. Roch Chapel where they have had numerous cures over the years. Oh well, New Orleans always was a different sort of place than the rest of the country at large…
It is also not at all uncommon in those countries for people to crawl from the confessionals to a space in front of the tabernacle to say their penance after confession, or for some personal devotion to crawl up the steps into the church and all the way to the Altar, prostrating themselves several times along the way. Don’t see much of that in the U.S. do you?
Come to think of it, they actually do that in New Orleans also at the St. Roch Chapel where they have had numerous cures over the years. Oh well, New Orleans always was a different sort of place than the rest of the country at large…
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HailMary
Guest
Standing is actually the traditional way the Eastern rite Catholics pray and we stand during the Rite of the Eucharist in the Chaldean rite. Don’t worry about feelings, they come and go. Both are reverent.
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netmilsmom
Guest
Wow!!
They are serious. God Love them!
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Beno
Guest
It is my understanding that in Europe, standing is still the prevalent posture during the Eucharistic Prayer and that this posture was common in all Cathedrals and houses of worship for many centuries before pews and kneelers ever came into being. I believe that standing is an ages old posture with the idea that you stand at attention before royalty (in this case, Christ the King) as a sign of respect. If you recall, we also stand at the invitations to pray which are made by the priest when he says: “Let us pray”. It is here in the United States that kneeling is the norm during the Eucharistic Prayer. It is pretty much assumed that if there are pews or seats in permanent houses of worship, then there ought to be kneelers as well, even if they are in the form of positionable cushions. From what I understand, if there are no kneelers, then the people ought to stand. Sitting would be an unacceptable posture during the Eucharistic Prayer. Here is what the General Instruction for the Roman Missal (GIRM) says:
In two churches here in town that had/have temporary worship spaces, the people stood/stand during the E.P. However, there is one church here that does have a permanent building in which the congregants sit in individual seats and the people sit during the E.P. even when the floor is plushly carpeted and there are small cushions that can be removed from the bottom of the seat in front of each seat. I believe that our bishop insisted that they install kneelers to bring them into postural compliance.
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JMJDevotee
Guest
We don’t have kneelers either. My family and one other parishoner (who is 94 this past Oct.) are the only ones that kneel. I just can’t stand there looking at Christ on the Cross and not feel humbled…so I kneel…
Pax Vobiscum
Pax Vobiscum
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HailMary
Guest
Since we are talking about kneeling and standing, it is fitting to mention the Stylites, and in particular St. Simeon
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buffalo
Guest
Kneel on the floor.
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hoosiertoo
Guest
I much prefer kneeling on the floor and will often do so if alone in the pew whether or not there is a kneeler. It’s easier on me for some reason.
We stand after receiving.
I usually don’t genuflect, as I was told by Fr B that a deep bow was properly reverent.
I generally sit when in prayer, or less often stand. I very rarely kneel to pray.
We stand after receiving.
I usually don’t genuflect, as I was told by Fr B that a deep bow was properly reverent.
I generally sit when in prayer, or less often stand. I very rarely kneel to pray.
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jmcrae
Guest
This is exactly what I have done, when finding myself in a church that has no kneelers.
In one parish, the pews were spaced so closely together that I had to get out into the aisle to kneel, which I did. The priest made no comment, so I assume he didn’t object strenuously - he had inherited the parish from a previous “wreckovator” so it was probably not his idea to have the pews spaced so closely together that a person couldn’t kneel properly.
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JudieK
Guest
I also do a profound bow before receiving communion, but me and my family are the only ones who do so. Everyone else does a barely perceptible nod, or nothing. I thought a bow was required, but I think someone said a nod is all that’s required. I also feel wrong taking communion in the hand, but I think that’s just a personal hang-up I have.
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palmas85
Guest
I think that the US Bishops actually said that a nod of the head was sufficient. Pretty sad situation.I also do a profound bow before receiving communion, but me and my family are the only ones who do so. Everyone else does a barely perceptible nod, or nothing. I thought a bow was required, but I think someone said a nod is all that’s required. I also feel wrong taking communion in the hand, but I think that’s just a personal hang-up I have.
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tmw
Guest
Kneel on the floor or run to another parish.
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chrisb
Guest
At my Parish we stand and bow just like the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox have done for 1000 years…
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