Question about kneeling without a kneeler

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dfp42

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Lately I’ve been noticing a few people in a chapel who opt out of using a kneeler when kneeling. Is this something new or some kinda sacrifice they are giving up for lent? They opt out of putting the kneeler down and just use the bare floor. Anyone ever see this?
 
I’ve seen one person do it, but nobody else. I do remember attending Mass in a chapel that had no kneelers and concrete floors, and EVERYBODY knelt. Boy, was that rough!
 
It’s a penance, obviously only if you don’t have bad knees. There are no kneelers in the choir loft so the choir is always kneeling without kneelers. One of my friends I know is going to daily Mass every day and not using kneelers, that has to be hard on your knees (at Low Mass, which is what we have for Daily Mass, we kneel for most of the time). But I’m sure prior to the invention of kneelers, people just built up callouses.
 
dfp42 said:
Lately I’ve been noticing a few people in a chapel who opt out of using a kneeler when kneeling. Is this something new or some kinda sacrifice they are giving up for lent? They opt out of putting the kneeler down and just use the bare floor. Anyone ever see this?
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I’ve not seen this in my church.Unless there is something wrong with their knees and its better to kneel on the bare floor which seems unlikely I agree it must be some kind of sacrifice.
 
Not sure why they would do that, but at my church there are a few kneelers that are very wobbly and rickety. They move all over the place if you try to use them as a kneeler. I’ve found myself in a couple of those spots and just flipped the broken kneeler up and knelt on the floor. It’s safer that way. And it isn’t any worse on your knees than a kneeler is if you distribute your weight properly and get down and get up properly (one leg at a time.) Kind of hard to flex your feet in shoes, though, and you have to do that to stay properly positioned over your knees. Hyperflexing your knees (putting your body weight back instead of forward) is much worse on your knee ligaments (overstretches them) than keeping your weight forward so that your body posture is straight.

Think of the churches that still have their communion rails in place, there weren’t any pads on the step where you kneeled, and I never heard of anyone blowing out a knee going to communion!

Our parish handyman recently retired and moved south, and while Father is a wonderful pastor and confessor, he isn’t very handy with church repairs, and so far, none of the handymen in our parish have stepped up to the plate and fixed these kneelers!
 
Its a personal choice ; it could be a penance thing or just that maybe its more comfortable without who knows . Personally speaking I would avoid placing myself in discomfort while praying so that my focus is on God not my discomfort . If I felt the need to do penance ; I would fast or do something else. I’m not saying they would be wrong ; just I don’t think it would work for me :confused:
 
dfp42 said:
Lately I’ve been noticing a few people in a chapel who opt out of using a kneeler when kneeling.?
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that is their personal choice. so what. why is it a matter of concern?
 
puzzleannie said:
that is their personal choice. so what. why is it a matter of concern?
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I was simply wondering that’s all. If they want to kneel on the bare floor as a penance that’s fine. I just never seen that before when the option to pull down the kneeler is easier.

I didn’t mean to notice this if it is a penance by them for doing it. It just struck my eye. I know we are not supposed to show off our penances to others though, right?
 
dfp42 said:
I was simply wondering that’s all. If they want to kneel on the bare floor as a penance that’s fine. I just never seen that before when the option to pull down the kneeler is easier.

I didn’t mean to notice this if it is a penance by them for doing it. It just struck my eye. I know we are not supposed to show off our penances to others though, right?
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Some people feel called to go that extra mile to focus on prayer and God better. If you don’t feel called to do this I can see where it would confuse you.

Do you even feel called to kneel, or are you just doing it because everyone else does?

No-one is doing this to show off, friend. It is between them and God and really no-one else’s business. I’m sure it would bother them to know that you are somehow distracted by this, but I hope you aren’t suggesting a call to end this personal practice.

Are they somehow preventing you from using a kneeler? I could see where that would be annoying.
 
The_Curt_Jester said:
I’ve seen one person do it, but nobody else. I do remember attending Mass in a chapel that had no kneelers and concrete floors, and EVERYBODY knelt. Boy, was that rough!
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Our parish underwent an expansion a few years ago, and for 6 months we had Mass in the parish hall.

It was carpet over concrete and most everyone knelt.
 
valentino said:
I’ve not seen this in my church.Unless there is something wrong with their knees and its better to kneel on the bare floor which seems unlikely I agree it must be some kind of sacrifice.
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Or back. I know when I am holding our toddler, it’s actually easier on my back to kneel on the floor. The kneelers put me at the wrong angle for some reason.
 
Brendan said:
Or back. I know when I am holding our toddler, it’s actually easier on my back to kneel on the floor. The kneelers put me at the wrong angle for some reason.
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lol

Yah, even at 3 months pregnant, I found the kneeler squished me uncomfortably into the pew ahead of me. Now at 6 months, forget it. If I think I can get up again, I kneel on the floor (though the grunting, as I rise can be distracting to some).

Still, I know people who kneel on the floor just because, and I find it a little intrusive to question their piety.

Kind of like giving someone a hard time for wearing a head covering.
 
It could be a penance but more often than not I think it is just a matter of personal comfort.

If a kneeler is too close to the pew, it can be uncomfortable for larger people. Likewise, if it is too far from the pew, it can be uncomfortable for taller people. And some kneelers are just uncomfortable, no matter what your physical limitations. Sometimes it works better just to kneel on the floor because you can “control” the kneeling.

Hope that makes sense.
 
I sometimes do it because it is more comfortable for me in our chapel.
 
WOW! Maybe I’m not so weird after all! I often kneel on the bare floor before the Blessed Sacrament. My heart tells me that my pain is nothing like what Jesus endured for all of us. It is something I just had a feeling that needed to be done. I have never seen anyone else practice this. So glad to know I’m not alone.
 
Speaking of kneelers, I made a shocking discovery yesterday at Mass. I went to a different church where they didn’t have communion rails to kneel on, just the hard marble steps. I found it significantly less painful to kneel on the flat ground, than I do on any type of kneeler.
 
It’s easier for me to kneel without a kneeler. I can kneel longer and not be distracted by the discomfort/pain. I actually think kneelers cut off circulation for me. 🤷
 
Speaking as one of those who kneels on the floor, I would like to share my thoughts and :twocents:.

When I attend Mass I use the kneelers provided. When I attend Adoration it is a different story. There are times when I pray before the Lord in Adoration and I feel a sense of awe in His presence at those times, I kneel on the floor 1) as an act of reparation for all the times I did wasn’t prayerful or respectful in Church 2) as a sign of my love for God 3) because I am a sinner and recognise my need for God to touch my heart and soul.

Ps: in the gospel story of the leper, the man knelt before Jesus. he didn’t use a cushion, kneeler, he used the bare floor. :bowdown:.
 
I really don’t mind kneeling on the floor. I almost always do, because I frequently serve, and instead of trying to find a kneeler, move it, and kneel there, I kneel wherever I need to (on ceramic tile). Anyways, on Sundays, there’s no space for kneelers. We actually have to move the ones that are there out of the sanctuary to make room for the many servers.

Long story short, once you get used to it, it’s really no big deal.
 
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