Question About Kneeling Prior To Entering Pew

[Laurenrich777]

Hello everyone! I am currently taking RCIA classes at our church and seem to come out of the classes with more questions than answers.
Last night we were learning the order of the mass and after the class we were free to ask questions and such.
One girl asked why Catholics kneel prior to entering the pew.
Our instructor told us that you are required to kneel to the host prior to entering yet someone else said that you pay respect to Jesus, who in our church, is above the alter.
I wish a priest were teaching our class!!

Thanks in advance. I think this forum is great!

 

[netmilsmom]

Hello everyone! I am currently taking RCIA classes at our church and seem to come out of the classes with more questions than answers.
Last night we were learning the order of the mass and after the class we were free to ask questions and such.
One girl asked why Catholics kneel prior to entering the pew.
Our instructor told us that you are required to kneel to the host prior to entering yet someone else said that you pay respect to Jesus, who in our church, is above the alter.
I wish a priest were teaching our class!!

Thanks in advance. I think this forum is great!

There are concecrated hosts in the tabernacle. Understanding that the tabernacle is in the main (some parishes have side chapels) you are not kneeling (genuflecting - one knee) to Jesus above the altar, you are actually genuflecting to Jesus. The hidden Jesus there in the tabernacle.

Look around your church for the tabernacle. It’s the place that the priest puts the concecrated hosts after communion. It should have a candle lit next to it. That is where you genuflect to.

Hope this helps. My hubby went through RCIA last year and even in our very orthodox parish, some things were lacking.

 

[Laurenrich777]

Thank you so much for answering! I think that the mystery of this is so amazing and is so deep that we cannot cover all of it. What a beautiful gift!

Thank you again.

 

[netmilsmom]

Thank you so much for answering! I think that the mystery of this is so amazing and is so deep that we cannot cover all of it. What a beautiful gift!

Thank you again.

No problem!
Congrats and God Bless you on your journey.

CAF people are a saucy bunch when infighting, but a wealth of information. Ignore the infighting. It’s like a big family getting together. There’s always a self righteous Aunt or weird Uncle around!

 

[Cristiano]

I just love when things are kept simple. In the Church where I attend Mass the tabernacle is behind the altar, and because of construction work I enter the church from a side door and I have to walk in front of the altar to get to the pew. I just bless myself with the holy water at the door, kneel in front of the altar and go to the pew without giving my back to the tabernacle (that it is easier if you get there early and sit in the front pews). I found it just simple and reverent. I usually wait for the people to leave the church on the way out because sometimes we have a stampede and I have been pushed over when kneeling.

 

[johnnykins]

Actually what you do is “genuflect” - go down and back up on one knee in one pretty smooth motion (you may pause for a moment at the bottom). “Kneeling” implies going down on 2 knees.

It used to be whenever you passed the tabernacle you would genuflect as a sign of respect for the Lord in sacramental form there. You should still bow when passing the tabernacle - many folks still genuflect. If the Host is exposed it used to be you would kneel and rise. Now a bow or genuflection is all that is required though many still kneel.

It used to be that the tabernacle was always centrally located in the sanctuary - but now that is not always the case.

As to getting into or leaving the pew, the genuflection is still done. When leaving it is often polite to genuflect at the end of the pew if there is a large crowd so as not to cause a traffic jam. . Some folks wait until the crowd thins, but sometimes others may need to leave when you are blocking the way - and again, as a matter of politeness, you may want to move. (I learned long ago not to assume someone has no good reason to leave ASAP. )

In any event it is a wonderful little physical action that calls us to mind that we are in the presence of the Lord.

 

[Cristiano]

Actually what you do is “genuflect” - go down and back up on one knee in one pretty smooth motion (you may pause for a moment at the bottom). “Kneeling” implies going down on 2 knees.

Genuflection, not kneeling:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

One of these days I will write a post with all the correct terminology from beginning to end. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[baltobetsy]

You should always genuflect when you pass in front of the tabernacle containing the Blessed Sacrament. In years past, that meant genuflecting when you entered and left your pew, because the tabernacle was always front and center.

Modern architecture has given us churches with tabernacles anywhere and everywhere, so you really have to look around. Usually, there is a sanctuary lamp (a large candle, often in a red glass container) nearby, indicating that Jesus is present in the tabernacle.

If you cannot see the tabernacle from your vantage point near your pew, then you bow to the altar - a nice deep bow from the waist. Please don’t mindlessly genuflect just because you’re entering or leaving a pew. Putting a little thought into it is a detail of love that is very appropriate.

Betsy

 

[kleary]

Modern architecture has given us churches with tabernacles anywhere and everywhere, so you really have to look around. Usually, there is a sanctuary lamp (a large candle, often in a red glass container) nearby, indicating that Jesus is present in the tabernacle. Betsy

It is not “modern architecture”, but “modernists”.

Pray for the Church…Pray our Pope restores all that has been lost since the 1960’s.

Anyway as you would genuflect always when entering or leaving a pew due to the presence of the Lord in the Tabernacle. If the Tabernacle is not there the Altar of Sacrifice is still there and you would still genuflect to pay respect to It.

Ken

 

[kleary]

It is not “modern architecture”, but “modernists”.

Pray for the Church…Pray our Pope restores all that has been lost since the 1960’s.

Anyway as you would genuflect always when entering or leaving a pew due to the presence of the Lord in the Tabernacle. If the Tabernacle is not there the Altar of Sacrifice is still there and you would still genuflect to pay respect to It.

Ken

Let’s just remove all the confusion and bring the Tabernacle back to the High Altar and restore the High Altar with Mass ad orientum…there would be NO CONFUSION THEN.

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
Ken

 

[Lion]

Genuflection, not kneeling:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

One of these days I will write a post with all the correct terminology from beginning to end. Thanks for the reminder.

You’re imperfect??? Me too!!!
Well met, good friend
Don’t worry about it and Merry Christmas to you and your family

 

[Lion]

It is not “modern architecture”, but “modernists”.

Pray for the Church…Pray our Pope restores all that has been lost since the 1960’s.

Anyway as you would genuflect always when entering or leaving a pew due to the presence of the Lord in the Tabernacle. If the Tabernacle is not there the Altar of Sacrifice is still there and you would still genuflect to pay respect to It.

Ken

In our area we bow to the alter and geneuflect toward Christ in the Tabernacle… I wasn’t born until the 70’s does that make me a bad Catholic Just giving you a hard time…
Merry Christmas to you and your family

 

[Lion]

You should always genuflect when you pass in front of the tabernacle containing the Blessed Sacrament. In years past, that meant genuflecting when you entered and left your pew, because the tabernacle was always front and center.

Modern architecture has given us churches with tabernacles anywhere and everywhere, so you really have to look around. Usually, there is a sanctuary lamp (a large candle, often in a red glass container) nearby, indicating that Jesus is present in the tabernacle.

If you cannot see the tabernacle from your vantage point near your pew, then you bow to the altar - a nice deep bow from the waist. Please don’t mindlessly genuflect just because you’re entering or leaving a pew. Putting a little thought into it is a detail of love that is very appropriate.

Betsy

Great comment about thinking about what we are doing or saying :clapping: …BTW, I use to attend mass at a Basilica and the tabernacle was not on the alter (proper)… far from a modernist architectural design! I think it was due to the idea to a “procession” to the tabernacle, but I’m no expert

 

[Veritas41]

FYI – after the Mass on Holy Thursday and the liturgy on Good Friday, when there are no consecrated hosts in the tabernacle, it is proper to bow to the altar instead of genuflecting when entering/leaving because Christ isn’t present in the Blessed Sacrament.

 

[Lion]

FYI – after the Mass on Holy Thursday and the liturgy on Good Friday, when there are no consecrated hosts in the tabernacle, it is proper to bow to the altar instead of genuflecting when entering/leaving because Christ isn’t present in the Blessed Sacrament.

Yeah… we “kneel” (on both knees!) on the Saturday, right?