Please help this new Catholic know when to kneel for consecration?

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mommamaree

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In my parish, we have so overgrown our church that we are forced to celebrate Mass in the parish hall instead. So with no kneelers, and the room being packed with chairs, and it often being standing-room-only (praise the Lord for the great numbers in our parish), most of the participants stand throughout the entirety of consecration. Now, there actually is plenty of room for individuals who prefer to kneel during consecration, and some people do. As a new Catholic (confirmed this past Easter), I have had a challenging time discerning the appropriate time to kneel, because I cannot always spot an older Catholic whose postures I can model. This summer, we have been blessed with a wonderful seminarian who I could easily see and follow for the traditional postures. But he has to return to seminary next week, and I have not yet internalized the model that he provided about the proper times for kneeling and bowing.
So, can anyone give me some direction about when kneeling is the proper posture. And I do realize that in certain situations, kneeling is not a requirement, such as bleacher seating and for certain health issues. I am aware of the difficulty some people have with kneeling (after all, I am currently seven months pregnant!). I just want some direction on when I MAY kneel during consecration, but I don’t want anyone thinking that I am judging other’s hearts by the fact that they are not kneeling in our special circumstances. It is obvious from when I am able to attend smaller Masses in our church that kneeling is done in unison there, when we have pews with kneelers.
Anyway, I digress…
I would greatly appreciate any clarification that more mature Catholics can provide. Thanks!
 
In the US it is the norm to kneel from after the Sanctus until the the Our Father, for which everyone stands.

The norm is for everyone to kneel again after the Lamb of God, but in many diocese, including my own, the norm is for everyone to stand. I believe that this is ultimately up to the Bishop of the diocese.

Here is a link to the GIRM (General Instruction of the Roamn Missal), it can answer all of your questions. usccb.org/liturgy/current/GIRM.pdf

Peace be with you on your journey!!
 
You can buy a missal that will explain everything to you during the Mass. An online one you can look at is here (notice [kneel] and [stand] in small type): catholic-resources.org/ChurchDocs/Mass.htm

Generally, in the US you kneel after the Holy, Holy (Sanctus) then stand after the Great Amen (just before the Our Father).

Communion is different at every church, but usually you kneel after the Lamb of God (Agnus Dei), then stand to leave your pew to take communion, then return to your pew and kneel for prayer. When you stop kneeling and sit depends. I wait until the tabernacle is closed, some wait until after the communion hymn, some just sit after they’re done praying. In some churches, people return to their pew and stand, then everyone sits together.
 
You kneel at the start of Consecration when the priests starts with, “on the night He was betrayed…”

And you keep kneeling until the great Amen, which is immediatley after the priest prays the doxology, “Through Him, with Him, in Him…”

If the space doesn’t allow for kneeling and everyone is just crowded in standing, bow whenever the priest raises the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.
 
ConstantineTG said:
You kneel at the start of Consecration when the priests starts with, “on the night He was betrayed…”
Click to expand...
In the US you kneel before then (OP is apparently in the US):

People: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

–Kneel–

Priest: …Epiclesis
Priest: …Institutional Narrative (including “on the night He was betrayed…”)

People: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

Priest: … Anamnesis, Offering, and Intercessions

Priest: Through him, with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever.

People: Amen

–Stand–
 
=mommamaree;6929433]In my parish, we have so overgrown our church that we are forced to celebrate Mass in the parish hall instead. So with no kneelers, and the room being packed with chairs, and it often being standing-room-only (praise the Lord for the great numbers in our parish), most of the participants stand throughout the entirety of consecration. Now, there actually is plenty of room for individuals who prefer to kneel during consecration, and some people do. As a new Catholic (confirmed this past Easter), I have had a challenging time discerning the appropriate time to kneel, because I cannot always spot an older Catholic whose postures I can model. This summer, we have been blessed with a wonderful seminarian who I could easily see and follow for the traditional postures. But he has to return to seminary next week, and I have not yet internalized the model that he provided about the proper times for kneeling and bowing.
So, can anyone give me some direction about when kneeling is the proper posture. And I do realize that in certain situations, kneeling is not a requirement, such as bleacher seating and for certain health issues. I am aware of the difficulty some people have with kneeling (after all, I am currently seven months pregnant!). I just want some direction on when I MAY kneel during consecration, but I don’t want anyone thinking that I am judging other’s hearts by the fact that they are not kneeling in our special circumstances. It is obvious from when I am able to attend smaller Masses in our church that kneeling is done in unison there, when we have pews with kneelers.
Anyway, I digress…
I would greatly appreciate any clarification that more mature Catholics can provide. Thanks!
Click to expand...
PLEASE KNEEL after the Santus [Holy, Holy, Holy"] until the call to the Lords’ Prayer; and again after receiving the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus in Holy Communion.👍
 
Back in the good ole days (and now in select parishes where it is still offered)…when all there was, was the TLM, the Bells made it very clear to everyone in attendance as to when to kneel…I can’t wait for the day when the TLM is offered once again in every parish
mommamaree said:
In my parish, we have so overgrown our church that we are forced to celebrate Mass in the parish hall instead. So with no kneelers, and the room being packed with chairs, and it often being standing-room-only (praise the Lord for the great numbers in our parish), most of the participants stand throughout the entirety of consecration. Now, there actually is plenty of room for individuals who prefer to kneel during consecration, and some people do. As a new Catholic (confirmed this past Easter), I have had a challenging time discerning the appropriate time to kneel, because I cannot always spot an older Catholic whose postures I can model. This summer, we have been blessed with a wonderful seminarian who I could easily see and follow for the traditional postures. But he has to return to seminary next week, and I have not yet internalized the model that he provided about the proper times for kneeling and bowing.
So, can anyone give me some direction about when kneeling is the proper posture. And I do realize that in certain situations, kneeling is not a requirement, such as bleacher seating and for certain health issues. I am aware of the difficulty some people have with kneeling (after all, I am currently seven months pregnant!). I just want some direction on when I MAY kneel during consecration, but I don’t want anyone thinking that I am judging other’s hearts by the fact that they are not kneeling in our special circumstances. It is obvious from when I am able to attend smaller Masses in our church that kneeling is done in unison there, when we have pews with kneelers.
Anyway, I digress…
I would greatly appreciate any clarification that more mature Catholics can provide. Thanks!
Click to expand...
 
mommamaree said:
In my parish, we have so overgrown our church that we are forced to celebrate Mass in the parish hall instead. So with no kneelers, and the room being packed with chairs, and it often being standing-room-only (praise the Lord for the great numbers in our parish), most of the participants stand throughout the entirety of consecration. Now, there actually is plenty of room for individuals who prefer to kneel during consecration, and some people do. As a new Catholic (confirmed this past Easter), I have had a challenging time discerning the appropriate time to kneel, because I cannot always spot an older Catholic whose postures I can model. This summer, we have been blessed with a wonderful seminarian who I could easily see and follow for the traditional postures. But he has to return to seminary next week, and I have not yet internalized the model that he provided about the proper times for kneeling and bowing.
So, can anyone give me some direction about when kneeling is the proper posture. And I do realize that in certain situations, kneeling is not a requirement, such as bleacher seating and for certain health issues. I am aware of the difficulty some people have with kneeling (after all, I am currently seven months pregnant!). I just want some direction on when I MAY kneel during consecration, but I don’t want anyone thinking that I am judging other’s hearts by the fact that they are not kneeling in our special circumstances. It is obvious from when I am able to attend smaller Masses in our church that kneeling is done in unison there, when we have pews with kneelers.
Anyway, I digress…
I would greatly appreciate any clarification that more mature Catholics can provide. Thanks!
Click to expand...
If everyone else kneels, then you should kneel.
 
diggerdomer said:
If everyone else kneels, then you should kneel.
Click to expand...
Diggerdomer,
I think you may have misunderstood my question. In the church during Mass, it is quite easy for me to follow along with the appropriate postures. However, the only Sunday Mass that is small enough to pack inside the church is the LifeTeen Sunday evening Mass. All the rest must be celebrated in the parish hall, which doubles as a basketball court during the week. So I cannot kneel when everyone else in kneeling, because only a few people continue to kneel in the parish hall Masses. It is permissable for us to kneel there, just not required. And I have a hard time spotting someone with pronounced postures in a room of a thousand people.

To everyone else who answered,
Thank you. I think I may understand better about what are the times for kneeling, but I am going to reread my book about the Mass that I was given in RCIA. I don’t recall it specifically addressing postures, but at least it will help me to continue to develop my understanding of the Mass so that I will be able to use your instructions here to determine when I should kneel. Thanks!
 
mommamaree said:
To everyone else who answered,
Thank you. I think I may understand better about what are the times for kneeling, but I am going to reread my book about the Mass that I was given in RCIA. I don’t recall it specifically addressing postures, but at least it will help me to continue to develop my understanding of the Mass so that I will be able to use your instructions here to determine when I should kneel. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Do you have a missal? That should tell you when to kneel if you follow along during Mass.
 
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