Receiving Holy Communion with Dignity and Respect

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ProVobis said:
I’ve seen this in practice so that if one is required to bow, if he bows too early he bows to the back of the one preceding him in line, and if he bows too late he might hold up the line.
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I’ve observed this as well. A quick dip of the head when I am finally before the Blessed Sacrament does not seem appropriate, so I generally begin my bow of the head when the person ahead of me steps forward. It may look like I’m bowing to their back, but then sometimes it looks like I’m genuflecting to a pillar when I enter my pew… the reality is what’s most important.
 
Ya know, this gets really confusing for those of us still drying off from our swim across the Tiber. I see people do all sorts of things and that makes me worry i am doing something wrong and offensive.
Now, in RCIA led by our conservative deacon, he said we bow and a bow is from the waist, not a head nod. i bow, i see a few others bow, most nod, some do nothing, many cross them selves, before…after… i dont know what to do so i just bow from the waist, go to my pew, cross myself and pray until the celebrant sits.
It would be so much easier if there would be one rule across the board for RCC. That way if i ever visit another country, i do the correct thing always. Right now i am even afraid of going to another parish in my diocese because things are so different.
 
dee_burk said:
Ya know, this gets really confusing for those of us still drying off from our swim across the Tiber. I see people do all sorts of things and that makes me worry i am doing something wrong and offensive.
Now, in RCIA led by our conservative deacon, he said we bow and a bow is from the waist, not a head nod. i bow, i see a few others bow, most nod, some do nothing, many cross them selves, before…after… i dont know what to do so i just bow from the waist, go to my pew, cross myself and pray until the celebrant sits.
It would be so much easier if there would be one rule across the board for RCC. That way if i ever visit another country, i do the correct thing always. Right now i am even afraid of going to another parish in my diocese because things are so different.
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"The General Instruction asks each country’s Conference of Bishops to determine the posture to be used for the reception of Communion and the act of reverence to be made by each person as he or she receives Communion. In the United States, the body of Bishops determined that Communion should be received standing, and that* a bow is the act of reverence made by those receiving.** These norms may require some adjustment on the part of those who have been used to other practices, however the significance of unity in posture and gesture as a symbol of our unity as members of the one body of Christ should be the governing factor in our own actions*."

usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/order-of-mass/liturgy-of-the-eucharist/the-reception-of-holy-communion-at-mass.cfm

“The people approach the altar and, bowing with reverence, receive Holy Communion. People may receive the Body of Christ either on the tongue or in the hand. The priest or other minister offers the Eucharist to each person saying, “The Body of Christ.” The person receiving responds by saying, “Amen,” a Hebrew word meaning, “So be it” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2856).”

usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/order-of-mass/liturgy-of-the-eucharist/

Based on the two statements above (emphasis added by me) I think you can be quite at ease making either a simple bow of the head or a bow from the waist when receiving, your deacon’s personal opinion not withstanding.
 
dee_burk said:
Ya know, this gets really confusing for those of us still drying off from our swim across the Tiber. I see people do all sorts of things and that makes me worry i am doing something wrong and offensive.
Now, in RCIA led by our conservative deacon, he said we bow and a bow is from the waist, not a head nod. i bow, i see a few others bow, most nod, some do nothing, many cross them selves, before…after… i dont know what to do so i just bow from the waist, go to my pew, cross myself and pray until the celebrant sits.
It would be so much easier if there would be one rule across the board for RCC. That way if i ever visit another country, i do the correct thing always. Right now i am even afraid of going to another parish in my diocese because things are so different.
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However, unity does not mean uniformity.

As to worrying, much of what is (generally) found to be offensive is that which is one differently than everyone else, and done so intentionally.

There is or may be a specific rule for a specific circumstance (here, the act just before receiving, of bowing the head - or as someone put it, “nodding”, which is a bow of the head). One should follow the rule; but no one should be keel hauled for bowing at the waist, for example. Often, there has not been catechesis on the specific (such as bowing the head instead of a profound bow); it could be argued there is a need for more catechesis on the matter(s); but it could also be argued that there is a much greater need for catechesis on our loss of any sense of sin - as exemplified by the minimal number of people who go to Reconciliation even once a month. Something about picking one’s battles…

And while genuflecting is imposing one’s own determination of what is the appropriate reverence a opposed to that which the diocese has legitimately determined it to be, no one should get keel hauled for that either. It has always struck me as a bit bordering on “holier than thou”, but the rest of us need to find something a bit more substantial to fuss about - like the 50,000,000+ abortions. Or the beheading of Christians by ISIS. Or any number of issues that really, in the end, matter.
 
drforjc said:
Not sure how they can halt kneeling when the GIRM specifically allows it.
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I have not looked at the GIRM for a while. Perhaps you could insert the citation to that specific point?

My recollection was that one could not be denied Communion if one knelt for it; and that is not exactly what one would call “allowing it”. Then, again, perhaps the GIRM changes have specifically allowed it - again, please cite.
 
otjm said:
…but it could also be argued that there is a much greater need for catechesis on our loss of any sense of sin - as exemplified by the minimal number of people who go to Reconciliation even once a month. Something about picking one’s battles…

And while genuflecting is imposing one’s own determination of what is the appropriate reverence a opposed to that which the diocese has legitimately determined it to be, no one should get keel hauled for that either. It has always struck me as a bit bordering on “holier than thou”, but the rest of us need to find something a bit more substantial to fuss about - like the 50,000,000+ abortions. Or the beheading of Christians by ISIS. Or any number of issues that really, in the end, matter.
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I’ll have to agree with you there.
 
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