Praying in the form of the Cross

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jan_Bolbot
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
J

Jan_Bolbot

Guest
Dear All,

Is there a rubic or any standard about laypeople abasing themselves in the form of the Cross in order to pray? There are times when I am alone in the Blessed Sacrament chapel of our parish where I feel a desire to pray this way for a few minutes (laying face down, arms out, legs straight).

Is this permitted?

JB
 
This is how “prostration” is interpreted in the West; they are done differently in the East.

Western ordinands take this posture during the rite.

Nothing wrong with it, but I would recommend your not doing so before others, but only at home.
 
Prostrating oneself --that was the term I was looking for. Thanks!

Our Blessed Sacrament chapel is very private and I only do this when others are anywhere near the chapel. Is there a reason why this is should only be done at home?

JB
 
Jan_Bolbot said:
Prostrating oneself --that was the term I was looking for. Thanks!

Our Blessed Sacrament chapel is very private and I only do this when others are anywhere near the chapel. Is there a reason why this is should only be done at home?

JB
Click to expand...
You might cause wonderment should another find you in this position.

Hopefully, you will be so absorbed in your prayer you might run the risk of being caught.

If you were in a an enclosed religious house where this was normal, I’d wouldn’t be saying it.
 
IMO it’s fine even if others do see you as long as they aren’t disturbed by it and nobody trips over you. I’ve seen this done at adoration at our diocesan charismatic conference and it doesn’t bother me. St. Dominic believed in using many different postures in prayer.
 
I have to admit, if I walked into our Adoration Chapel and saw someone prostrated in the position that you describe, I would first of all scream and jump about ten feet in the air, or maybe start having heart palpitations! Once I recovered, I would feel obligated to approach them and make sure they were alright (not dead or dying).

I work in a hospital, so we don’t take prostrate bodies lightly! We start yelling for help and calling out, “CODE BLUE!”

I think most decent people would check on a body on the floor!. It would be terrible to ignore a body, thinking that the person was just praying, and then discover later that the poor person was actually dying or dead! Eugh. I would probably never go into the Adoration Chapel again, I’d be so upset by the experience!

So I fear that if you prostrate yourself during Adoration, you might end up getting interrupted by people like me, and that would defeat the purpose of such a prayer posture!

I agree with others–use this position in your home. OR wait until you are in Adoration with a group of people who know you. That way, people can inform any well-meaning good Samaritan who walks in and looks concerned that “No, that person lying on the floor is not dead, he’s just adoring the Lord.”

Or if you decide to prostrate yourself in a public setting, at least wear a t-shirt with the words on the back, “I’m not dead, I’m just prostrating myself before the Lord of the Universe!”
 
Cat said:
I have to admit, if I walked into our Adoration Chapel and saw someone prostrated in the position that you describe, I would first of all scream and jump about ten feet in the air, or maybe start having heart palpitations! Once I recovered, I would feel obligated to approach them and make sure they were alright (not dead or dying).
Click to expand...
When I was teaching RCIA (to a class of one person, an LPN), one evening I took her over to church to show her our adoration chapel. We peeked in the window only to find an elderly woman prostrate on the floor. My student almost went into emergency response mode, until I explained to her that Sadie likes to pray prostrate on the floor.
 
We have a few who do. Since they are laying face down I don’t know much about them,but I suspect they may be Vietnamese or Hispanic, we have many of each in the parish. I think it may be more common in other cultures- my background is New England WASP [they became Catholic two generations back when they married Catholic immigrants.]
 
People have done so when I was at adoration. It concerned me for about that long and then I went on about my bidness.

I often read prayers where it states “here prostrate before you” or words to that effect.

I would not do it if I was really tired.

Eddie Mac
 
I’ve tried it, and unless I put my head on my folded arms, I can’t really do it. i have a problem with how to position my head! Either my nose gets smushed, my neck gets tired, or my neck gets bent back if I’m resting on my chin. It’s also uncomfortable if I have to turn my head to the side, and then I feel like a goofball for overanalyzing what I’m doing…😊
 
I would love to but I fear others would think it a display
I often imagine myself in that position during prayer as that is how I feel before God sometimes
:signofcross:
 
JP11 was said to pray with arms out streched for hours when he was well. He was really very mystical, but this has been down played.
 
I’ve seen people in various postures at Adoration and it never bothered me. I just figure that’s their own personal devotion. One time I went to Adoration and right outside the chapel, in front of the statue of the Infant of Prague, a lady was sitting with her feet tucked under her, kind of laying on her arms, crying her eyes out. I hope she got her prayers answered. People just passed by her, in a respectful manner. She must have needed to do that.

I see no reason not to prostrate yourself as long as people aren’t going to trip over you. Most people will mind their own business, but they might wonder about it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top