This is the central issue. And in order to address this correctly it is important to figure out exactly what reverence is. Reverence is an interior state of a person which they manifest in an exterior manner. It is because reverence is essentially an interior state that it becomes such a subjective, and sensitive, topic. When people start accusing others of being irreverent based on the external actions of those involved it can get dicey because reverence does not consist of external actions (even though it is closely connected with them). So, for the OP and others like him who find this kind of worship troubling, the important thing to realize is that there are many many good Catholics who insist that they find this kind of worship reverent and that they participate in it in a very reverant manner. Are we to assume that they are all lying? Or should we perhaps be willing to widen our horizens and realize that, although we might not be able to participate in this kind of worship in a truly reverant state it is quite possible that others might be able to. The reason being, for us this kind of external activity is not connected with reverance, and, at times, seems contradictory to the kinds of external manifestations which we connecct with reverance. So, when we get too caught up in linking reverance to external signs we lose sight of the fact that ultimately reverance is an internal state. It is possible that there are many people who view these external manifestations as an excellent way to express their reverance. And so, it is natural and fitting for such people to participate in this kind of worship.
Also, before anyone tries to flame me for coming at this with the attitude that externals don’t matter, or to claim that I am saying that absolutely anything goes in front of the blessed sacrament, I assure you I am not. While there is some subjectivity on this issue it is hardly a matter of anything goes. It depends, in a very objective way, on which external actions are truly seen and felt to be external manifestations of reverance by various people. And while it is pretty easy for someone to come along and make a claim that some gesture is a sign of reverance for him when it is just something he made up, it seems harder for a whole segment of our culture to come out and say that they find this particular kind of activity reverant and to all be lying about it and just making it up. (And yes, this was something that was introduced and new at some point, but by now it is something that many people have grown up with. It might be a new culture, but it is still the culture within which many people have been brought up.)
If someone grew up in a culture where reverance is shown through prostration then they will see prostration as the correct sign of reverance, and would likely find people kneeling to be offensive because, to them, it would seem irreverant. Similarly, those who are used to kneeling and silence as the external manifestation of reverance find it difficult to understand how other exterior manifestations could possibly be reverant. People on both sides of this issue need to learn to be understanding of where the others are coming from. Those think it is irreverant need to learn to recognize that it is a sign of reverance from a different culture than they grew up in, those who feel like they are being accused of irreverance need to learn to understand just exactly why others feel they are being irreverant so that they do not overreact but instead can kindly and charitably explain why these differences in forms of worship exist and are both legitimate and reverant for those involved.
