Priest's actions during consecration

[SHoJ]

What does the priest leaning forward during the consecration mean / indicate? I noticed they started doing this a few years ago, but I never got around to asking about it.

Thanks!

 

[maltmom]

The Priest at my old church did this. I always thought it was a way of concentrating on the bread and wine during the consecration. His tone of voice would also change.

 

[BcuzISaidSo]

As they speak the words of institution, they bow. Then rise up to elevate the host and chalice.

 

[MaryT777]

That’s an interesting question with great answers. I actually know a Catholic woman who changed Churches because “the way the elderly priest bowed” suggested to her non Catholic Husband he was “worshipping the host”.

Maybe if more people knew this was a bow it would not look so strange to visitors to the Catholic Church. She wasn’t sure why that was changed and noted the same thing, it seemed different than “the olden days”.
Just a thought,
Peace in Christ,
Mary.

 

[fordhamstudent]

The priest bows low to focus on his intention to offer the body and blood of Christ. Correct matter, form, and intention are necessary for a valid Eucharist and the action of the profound bow by the sacrificing priest is how, when saying the words of consecration in a low voice, the priest can form his mental intention to offer the Sacrifice of the Mass.

 

[SonCatcher]

That’s an interesting question with great answers. I actually know a Catholic woman who changed Churches because “the way the elderly priest bowed” suggested to her non Catholic Husband he was “worshipping the host”.

Maybe if more people knew this was a bow it would not look so strange to visitors to the Catholic Church. She wasn’t sure why that was changed and noted the same thing, it seemed different than “the olden days”.
Just a thought,
Peace in Christ,
Mary.

Maybe because he was?

Since the consecrated Host is the Body of the Lord himself and the Words of Institution are the very mechanism by which Christ makes Himself physically present among us in the Mass, any priest should humble himself before one One who made him when they are in such intimate contact.

 

[O_Moriah]

Why a bow? I don’t know. The ritual doesn’t say why.

My guess is that it is a holdover from a reaction to Thomistic theology of the Eucharist which says that that the ‘form and matter’ of the Eucharist are the priests’ words (the form) and the bread and wine (the matter). And so, in order to make sure that the form and matter were properly united, there arose the idea the the breath of the priest had to touch the species (a very materialistic interpretation of the theology). Priests were taught that their breath should be close enough to wine as to cause ripples on the surface. In order to do that, priests bent over, i.e., he appeared to be bowing. To this day, you can see some presiders look like they’re talking into the chalice. Then the widespread practice of bowing became ritualized in the rubrics.

But both the 1985 and 2010 Missal include an instruction to bow, so, it’s not new:

1. In the formulas that follow, the words of the Lord should be pronounced clearly and distinctly, as the nature of these words requires.

At the time he was betrayed
and entered willingly into his Passion,
He takes the bread
and, holding it slightly raised above the altar, continues:
he took bread and, giving thanks, broke it,
and gave it to his disciples, saying:

He bows slightly.

TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND EAT OF IT,
FOR THIS IS MY BODY,
WHICH WILL BE GIVEN UP FOR YOU.

He shows the consecrated host to the people, places it again on the paten, and genuflects in adoration.

1. After this, he continues:

In a similar way, when supper was ended,
He takes the chalice
and, holding it slightly raised above the altar, continues:
he took the chalice
and, once more giving thanks,
he gave it to his disciples, saying:

He bows slightly.

TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND DRINK FROM IT,
FOR THIS IS THE CHALICE OF MY BLOOD,
THE BLOOD OF THE NEW AND ETERNAL COVENANT,
WHICH WILL BE POURED OUT FOR YOU AND FOR MANY
FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME.

He shows the chalice to the people, places it on the corporal, and genuflects in adoration.

 

[Cavaille-Coll]

In the Extraordinary Form, many priests would breathe on the Host during the words “Hoc est enim Corpus meam,” much as Jesus breathed on the Apostles as the Holy Spirit came upon them.

 

[MaryT777]

Why a bow? I don’t know. The ritual doesn’t say why.

My guess is that it is a holdover from a reaction to Thomistic theology of the Eucharist which says that that the ‘form and matter’ of the Eucharist are the priests’ words (the form) and the bread and wine (the matter). And so, in order to make sure that the form and matter were properly united, there arose the idea the the breath of the priest had to touch the species (a very materialistic interpretation of the theology). Priests were taught that their breath should be close enough to wine as to cause ripples on the surface. In order to do that, priests bent over, i.e., he appeared to be bowing. To this day, you can see some presiders look like they’re talking into the chalice. Then the widespread practice of bowing became ritualized in the rubrics.

But both the 1985 and 2010 Missal include an instruction to bow, so, it’s not new:

1. In the formulas that follow, the words of the Lord should be pronounced clearly and distinctly, as the nature of these words requires.

At the time he was betrayed
and entered willingly into his Passion,
He takes the bread
and, holding it slightly raised above the altar, continues:
he took bread and, giving thanks, broke it,
and gave it to his disciples, saying:

He bows slightly.

TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND EAT OF IT,
FOR THIS IS MY BODY,
WHICH WILL BE GIVEN UP FOR YOU.

He shows the consecrated host to the people, places it again on the paten, and genuflects in adoration.

1. After this, he continues:

In a similar way, when supper was ended,
He takes the chalice
and, holding it slightly raised above the altar, continues:
he took the chalice
and, once more giving thanks,
he gave it to his disciples, saying:

He bows slightly.

TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND DRINK FROM IT,
FOR THIS IS THE CHALICE OF MY BLOOD,
THE BLOOD OF THE NEW AND ETERNAL COVENANT,
WHICH WILL BE POURED OUT FOR YOU AND FOR MANY
FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME.

He shows the chalice to the people,

Mary: Thank you for this informative post. I have shown it to my friend whose husband had issues with this gesture as “worshipping the host” This is just the answer I needed so she is going to let her husband read it so he understands better the liturgy.
Peace in Christ,
.

 

[SHoJ]

Thank you for this.

Why a bow? I don’t know. The ritual doesn’t say why.

My guess is that it is a holdover from a reaction to Thomistic theology of the Eucharist which says that that the ‘form and matter’ of the Eucharist are the priests’ words (the form) and the bread and wine (the matter). And so, in order to make sure that the form and matter were properly united, there arose the idea the the breath of the priest had to touch the species (a very materialistic interpretation of the theology). Priests were taught that their breath should be close enough to wine as to cause ripples on the surface. In order to do that, priests bent over, i.e., he appeared to be bowing. To this day, you can see some presiders look like they’re talking into the chalice. Then the widespread practice of bowing became ritualized in the rubrics.

But both the 1985 and 2010 Missal include an instruction to bow, so, it’s not new:

It seems like I’ve noticed it only in the past five years or so, maybe because I used to bow my head during most of the prayer and looked up when I knew he was elevating the Host and chalice.