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Anthony_B
Guest
Is it disrespectful to cross your legs while sitting during adoration?
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Joannm
Guest
Why would it be distrespectful?
I think the answer to this question is more a cultural matter than it is a religious matter.
In most places that I am familiar with, crossing one’s legs (upper leg over upper leg) has no particular significance attached to it. (An exception might be if it caused immodesty such as could be the case if someone is wearing something like a short skirt. But that would be true for any other stance as well.)
But I have heard that within some regional areas, at some time periods, and/or at certain events, that the mere act of crossing one’s legs may have been and might still be considered disrespectful.
Since you are asking the question in the first place it seems that you have some idea that sitting with legs crossed is disrespectful in some circumstances. Either that or someone has told you that it is.
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dancny
Guest
When I visited India a few years ago I was oinformed that to show someone the soles of your feet was disrespectful. That said I don’t think God would be upset.
In my parish we have adoration 24/7. At any time when you enter the chapel you wil find people kneeling and sitting. Some of those sitting might have their legs crossed. It is your time with God. As long as you are not disrespecting the other people in the church or chapel I wouldn’t see a problem.
In my parish we have adoration 24/7. At any time when you enter the chapel you wil find people kneeling and sitting. Some of those sitting might have their legs crossed. It is your time with God. As long as you are not disrespecting the other people in the church or chapel I wouldn’t see a problem.
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zab
Guest
It is like SMHW said- it is a cultural thing. When we were on a Holy Land Pilgrimage, our guide, a Palestinian Christian, informed us that it was an insult there to cross your legs or feet. It had something to do with showing the bottom of your shoe and that would be taken as an insult. But to answer you question, no, it is not necessarily disrespectful in this country to cross your legs while sitting during adoration. But for some reason I do seem to want to correct my posture during prayer, to uncross my legs, not slouch etc.
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Anthony_B
Guest
Thank you all for your replies. I guess somewhere in the back of my head I remember as a child being corrected for crossing my legs at mass. I’m not sure, that’s why I asked.
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Mrs_Sally
Guest
I think the idea is that sitting with crossed legs (either one knee over the other as women usually do, or one ankle over the other knee as men more commonly do) is considered a more casual, relaxed posture. Your mom probably scolded you because she thought you were not being attentive enough which translated to her as respectful.
I also find myself sitting up straighter in Adoration and not wanting to cross my legs as I would more normally/casually sit. However, I don’t think it is truly disrespectful. I do need to change my posture during my hour because the chairs in the chapel are not quite the right height for me to be able to sit up straight both feet on the floor for an hour.
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JerrySeibert
Guest
As long as it is not laying in the floor I doubt any stance is incorrect. It is your time (at peace) with God. Some sit …kneel… sit legs crossed or not. Some have prayer books some others just sit and stare at the Tabernacle.
It is not my place to judge them I am only glad that they are there.
It is not my place to judge them I am only glad that they are there.
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Neil_McFhane
Guest
Well, one could decide to prostrate themselves before the Blessed Sacrament as a sign of submission. Is that common at all? In my church there isn’t really room, but at some retreats where there’s space I’ve seen it done. Anyway, I rambling here
To answer the OP, I guess as long as your focused on Jesus it’s ok. Different postures may be warranted at difference times - It seems fitting to be able to sit at peace before our Lord sometimes.
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WetCatechumen
Guest
Only if you’re in a Middle Eastern church.
One of my friends is being received into the Orthodox church. At Divine Liturgy one week at the Greek Orthodox church he attends, he was scolded by an old Arabic man for resting his foot on his knee because he was showing the sole of his shoe.
He didn’t argue and lowered his foot, but he and I both maintain that because we live in the US, it wasn’t wrong.
Hence, don’t worry if it’s not part of the local culture. However, imagine how you would feel if it were some culture’s custom to sit around with both middle fingers extended. They just think it was comfortable. Wouldn’t that look extremely odd in the middle of Mass?
Food for though.
One of my friends is being received into the Orthodox church. At Divine Liturgy one week at the Greek Orthodox church he attends, he was scolded by an old Arabic man for resting his foot on his knee because he was showing the sole of his shoe.
He didn’t argue and lowered his foot, but he and I both maintain that because we live in the US, it wasn’t wrong.
Hence, don’t worry if it’s not part of the local culture. However, imagine how you would feel if it were some culture’s custom to sit around with both middle fingers extended. They just think it was comfortable. Wouldn’t that look extremely odd in the middle of Mass?
Food for though.
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Cat
Guest
We have a 24/7 Adoration Chapel at our parish.
It is not uncommon to see people prostrate on the ground before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. This seems to be more common among the teenagers, especially the Life Teen Mass participants, and also among the Asian Catholics in our parish.
The Hispanic Catholics will sometimes sit on the floor in front of the Blessed Sacrament.
I can’t kneel for more than a minute or two, so I sit in one of the seats that doesn’t have a kneeler. I think it’s nice that they built the chapel with such seats, so that I don’t have to take up space for someone who wants to kneel for a long time.
It is not uncommon to see people prostrate on the ground before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. This seems to be more common among the teenagers, especially the Life Teen Mass participants, and also among the Asian Catholics in our parish.
The Hispanic Catholics will sometimes sit on the floor in front of the Blessed Sacrament.
I can’t kneel for more than a minute or two, so I sit in one of the seats that doesn’t have a kneeler. I think it’s nice that they built the chapel with such seats, so that I don’t have to take up space for someone who wants to kneel for a long time.
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WetCatechumen
Guest
Your comment about the young ones is interesting. At my parish, it’s about a 50% mix of on the tongue vs. on the hand. I’ve seen lots of situations where the young ones (even as young as seven or so) receive on the tongue, but the parents receive on the hand. It’s very interesting to see this.
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