Today at adoration. . .

[mark_a]

. . . . as another adorer got up to leave, he kneeled down and touched his head to the floor for several seconds, rose and did the sign of the cross, then left.

Is this a cultural thing unfamiliar to the Roman Church?

Thanks in advance.

 

[FickleFreckled]

I’ve seen older Asian Catholics do that, even outside of Adoration, when they’re praying before the Blessed Sacrament.

 

[Chatter163]

I saw an American woman at my parish do it last night at adoration.

Why would you ask if it is “unfamiliar to the Roman Church”" That was an odd question, to say the least.

 

[DonaNobis_Pacem]

I saw one woman do so last night at First Friday Adoration, both before she entered a pew to pray and when she was leaving. I myself have done it before, and it doesn’t seem “foreign” at all. In fact, it seems to be done as a gesture of reverence; as one would prostrate themselves before a temporal king in former times, so it is done at adoration as a way of showing reverence to the Eternal King.

 

[Lead_Me_Home]

This is called genuflecting.

 

[Zundrah]

People at my parish kneel before they sit on a bench, why do they do this?

 

[Freshman88]

This is called genuflecting.

Genuflecting is when you kneel before entering and leaving your pew, or passing the Tabernacle. Sometimes a double knee genuflection is done before the exposed Blessed Sacrament.

What the OP is describing is prostrating and it is done by a soon to be priest during ordination (although the ordained is laying completely flat, unlike the description in OP) or is often performed before the exposed Blessed Sacrament. It is a wonderful practice and I encourage everyone to try prostrating yourself before the Lord in the exposed Sacarament. And yes, it is a Roman practice.

Also, asking if it is unfamilar to the Roman Church seems to be an appropriate question because we should always be weary of bringing non-Roman practices to the Roman rite or even non-Christian practices for that matter. Prostrating seems to be unknown in some circles and to wonder if it is a Christian or Catholic practice doesn’t seem that unreasonable. The practice of prostrating is more normaly associated with other faiths and especially with Islam, and I could see how one might wonder if this is a Christian practice or not.

 

[Freshman88]

People at my parish kneel before they sit on a bench, why do they do this?

That practice is known as genuflecting. We genuflect by lowering our right knee to the ground and making the sign of the cross as a sign of respect and devoution to the Blessed Sacrament that is held within the Tabernacle. Beyond genuflecting before entering the pew, we should also genuflect everytime we pass the Tabernacle.

Another practice in this venue is bowing everytime we pass the altar when no Tabernacle is behind the altar. Otherwise if there is a Tabernacle behind the Altar we would genuflect.

 

[Zundrah]

That practice is known as genuflecting. We genuflect by lowering our right knee to the ground and making the sign of the cross as a sign of respect and devoution to the Blessed Sacrament that is held within the Tabernacle. Beyond genuflecting before entering the pew, we should also genuflect everytime we pass the Tabernacle.

Another practice in this venue is bowing everytime we pass the altar when no Tabernacle is behind the altar. Otherwise if there is a Tabernacle behind the Altar we would genuflect.

I have seen this too at the tabernacle, I am too embarrassed though to do it! But surly it is only wierd to me and yet they would think nothing of it right? I feel like they will stare at me or something… I am so shy…

 

[bpbasilphx]

. . . . as another adorer got up to leave, he kneeled down and touched his head to the floor for several seconds, rose and did the sign of the cross, then left.

Is this a cultural thing unfamiliar to the Roman Church?

Thanks in advance.

I don’t know how common this is in the Latin Church, but in the Byzantine tradition, it’s called a prostration, and is very common, especially during Great Lent, but not on Sunday.

It used to be the custom of doing a double genuflection before the Exposed Sacrament–that is, kneeling on both knees and bowing the head moderately; this is basically a modified prostration.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

I don’t know how common this is in the Latin Church, but in the Byzantine tradition, it’s called a prostration, and is very common, especially during Great Lent, but not on Sunday.

It used to be the custom of doing a double genuflection before the Exposed Sacrament–that is, kneeling on both knees and bowing the head moderately; this is basically a modified prostration.

We teach the CCD students here to do a double genuflection and bow when entering and leaving the adoration chapel. The vast majority of the adults I see going in and out also do this. Really the expections have been older folks who perhaps can’t get down on one knee let alone both.

Dh and I do prostrate ourselves especially upon leaving the chapel after our weekly holy hour. It is very humbling.

 

[RosaryCrusader]

It is someone’s private devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. Saints, when alone, would often pray with arms extended in the form of a cross in front of the Blessed Sacrament or lay prostrate on the ground. Since the Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ we pay him reverence. Someone kneeling, touching their head to the floor is only an increased sign of respect than the bare minimum of genuflecting on both knees and a bow.

 

[mark_a]

Why would you ask if it is “unfamiliar to the Roman Church”" That was an odd question, to say the least.

I guess it was presumptuous of me the think that since I have not seen the gesture before, that it must not be traditionally Roman Rite.

My bad.

 

[Susan_Calvin]

. . . . as another adorer got up to leave, he kneeled down and touched his head to the floor for several seconds, rose and did the sign of the cross, then left.

Is this a cultural thing unfamiliar to the Roman Church?

Thanks in advance.

Everyone in my parish does this during adoration. I’ve actually only rarely seen anyone not do it. I have no idea if its more common in some parts of the world than others (I live outside the USA), but everyone does it here and this a Latin rite parish.

 

[jmcrae]

. . . . as another adorer got up to leave, he kneeled down and touched his head to the floor for several seconds, rose and did the sign of the cross, then left.

Is this a cultural thing unfamiliar to the Roman Church?

Thanks in advance.

I see people doing that all the time. The only thing preventing me from doing the same is that my body is not quite that flexible - if I put my head to the floor it raises my behind up off the ground, so I just do the double-genuflexion and bow, with the sign of the cross.

 

[Mattapoisett64]

I guess it was presumptuous of me the think that since I have not seen the gesture before, that it must not be traditionally Roman Rite.

My bad.

Don’t think you were bad at all. In 62 years of New England-flavor Catholicism, including parishes run by several religious orders, I have never, ever seen the touch-head-to-the-floor gesture done by the faithful at adoration or at any other time – only the priest during the profound prostration on Good Friday. Maybe this is a regional thing?

 

[elts1956]

People at my parish kneel before they sit on a bench, why do they do this?

After I genuflect and enter the pew, I first kneel before sitting to show my respect and awareness that Christ is present in the Eucharist in the Tabernacle.

 

[JohnPaul64]

I was at my hour of adoration last week and a guy came in in shorts and flip l flops told me he was taking his wifes place for her hour, set his Sheetz soft drink and candy bar down on the table sat down, never even genuflected, announced he was going to the rest room. He came back sat down again without genuflecting again . I did my genuflection and left. I felt guilty leaving the Lord to this because he was the last hour of the day so I assume he was putting the Eucharist in the tabernacle. I hope he wiped the chocolate off his hands

 

[paperwight]

We teach the CCD students here to do a double genuflection and bow when entering and leaving the adoration chapel. The vast majority of the adults I see going in and out also do this. Really the expections have been older folks who perhaps can’t get down on one knee let alone both.

Dh and I do prostrate ourselves especially upon leaving the chapel after our weekly holy hour. It is very humbling.

Look, I’m not saying that Our Lord isn’t worthy of the most we can give Him, of course not, But as a point of fact, the double genuflection is no longer required, strictly speaking, I think you’ll find.

Sorry, I don’t have the source doc to hand, but it was brought up some time ago.

 

[Zundrah]

After I genuflect and enter the pew, I first kneel before sitting to show my respect and awareness that Christ is present in the Eucharist in the Tabernacle.

Well… that says it all!

Christ is not present in the Eucharist!

I had no idea that this is what they were kneeling to! Now that I know this I can safely say that I will never do it myself.