Told we must stand after the Agnus Dei

[twf]

Regarding the OP, if the bishop has asked the faithful to remain standing, I would strive to do so… yet it does seem unnecessarily “rigid” for the priest to take individuals aside to enforce this norm.

 

[JanetF]

I was only commenting on the fact that I have seen some seemingly fit (mostly young people) - no crutches, cains, or braces of any kind - who for whatever the reason do not kneel or seem to make a half-hearted effort at kneeling.

Therein lies the problem. “Seemingly fit”…I’m 53, no crutches, no cane, no braces, but a knee that just will not tolerate kneeling with all my weight on my knees for longer than 2-3 minutes, due to an injury when I was in my 20’s.

 

[YourNameHere]

Sorry Janet. I did not mean to offend. You are a good person. And 53 is still young, in my book. Thanks for your forgiveness.

 

[Pup7]

Your thoughts shoudl be elsewhere during the Mass.

Well to be fair if it’s announced in the middle of the service it could be a bit distracting and disturbing.

I’m a brand new Catholic and standing would seem weird to me, and an announcement would distract me.

 

[JanetF]

You didn’t offend me, I just wanted to point out that we can’t always see why people may not be doing what we believe they should be doing…I’m guilty too, I close my eyes during the Our Father and after I get back from Communion so that I don’t get all judgy about other people holding hands and/or chewing the host…Nothing to forgive!

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Our parish was recently told that we now must stand after the Agnus Dei until everyone has received Communion.

What do they do to you if you kneel instead? Throw you out?

I’ve been in parishes where people were told they “must stand” after Communion until everyone has received. What actually happens is that a lot of people choose to kneel instead and still others sit because some of these churches are pretty big and an elderly person who is up front is very likely not going to be able to stand for as long as it takes for everyone to receive.

I haven’t seen any objections to people in the pews doing what they are comfortable doing.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Other who kneel during the mass do not kneel properly, but kind of prop part of their posterior on the pew seat.

This has come up before. As someone who often has to prop my posterior, it’s due to a combination of things including back trouble and the spacing and arrangement of the pews, the kneeler, my height, and my bust. These things combined do not always allow me to kneel properly “up straight” for long periods of time. It is necessary to rest a litlte sometimes or to arrange myself in a position that works with the kneeler and pew and available space.

I have been working on this and trying to kneel up straight more often and longer. I can actually do it very well in some churches where things are spaced in a way that is not putting a strain on my back or mashing the pew in front of me into the sensitive areas of my chest.

However, sometimes, like last night when I went to a Mass immediately after a 5-hour drive and I was tired and emotional, I need to prop my posterior in order to rest my back. The Lord knows I meant no disrespect and further knows that this can happen when I am concentrating in prayer and not thinking about my posture because I am thinking about something in the prayer, or whether my loved one is in heaven.

I would suggest you not be so judgmental about how people kneel in the pews. I would also wonder why you are even noticing this since you should be focusing on what is going on up in the sanctuary and it is not something that makes noise or otherwise causes a distraction.

 

[Pup7]

What do they do to you if you kneel instead? Throw you out?

Yeah really. I wondered this.

I just had a procedure on my feet two weeks ago and I’m medically not to stand for prolonged periods. I’m even permitted to wear athletic shoes in uniform until July so my feet can properly heal. I was actually more than happy when it was time to pull out the kneelers myself! And I look perfectly able bodied and nowhere near my actual age.

 

[pianistclare]

Again, it’s not mandatory.
Just do what one is accustomed to.

 

[Dovekin]

About 10 years ago the US bishops discussed this issue. They have a handout about it at http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-wor...t/the-reception-of-holy-communion-at-mass.cfm

“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.”

It is my understanding that “Communion” means while the Church receives Communion, not simply while the individual receives, but I could be wrong. The principle is that unity of posture symbolizes our unity as members of the one Body of Christ. This is not irreverence in any way, but truly can be more reverent than kneeling. Read Matthew 8:8-9.

 

[1ke]

It is my understanding that “Communion” means while the Church receives Communion, not simply while the individual receives

No, this means literally the person receiving.

 

[deMontfort]

I feel ya. My knees are a hot mess. I can’t even genuflect properly. I DO kneel during the consecration (I’m stubborn) but I can’t use the kneelers and I have to exit the pew to pull it off.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

My knees work okay, but when I do the two knee genuflection at Adoration, the left one pops so loud you can hear it in the next block. Given that the Adoration chapel is really silent, it’s very noticeable. I offer it up.

 

[Phemie]

OraLabora:

In Canada, and most of the world, we only kneel through the Consecration and we rise at the Mystery of the Faith. The US is the exception to the rule, not the standard.

In the UK, we kneel after the Agnus Dei.

I’m in Canada and while it’s true that our GIRM follows the universal GIRM and requires us to kneel only for the Consecration, it does add, as does the Universal one, that it’s laudable to kneel for all of the EP and after the Agnus Dei. What I’ve found in my travels is that parishes differ greatly in their practices, from the kneeling only for the Consecration to kneeling for all of the EP and after the Agnus Dei and after Communion. It all seems to depend on the Pastor.

We (well, at least 95% of us) didn’t kneel at all for about 13 years because our former Pastor was badgered into making an announcement that we were no longer to kneel. I was there for the entire process so I know how it went down. Our last Pastor from 2013 to 2016 asked Parish Council at one point why we didn’t kneel. We told him.
He said “How can I change that?”
“Tell them to kneel, when, and for how long.”
“It’s going to be that easy??”
“Oh, yeah, they’ve all been waiting for the order to be rescinded.”
The next week we were kneeling for the entire EP. We don’t kneel after the Agnus Dei, well most of us don’t,

At the Basilica parish “down the road” (585 km down the road but truly the closest parish with a priest) they only kneel for the Consecration, at the one 7 minutes down the road from the Basilica they don’t kneel at all. As I recall at the Archdiocese they only kneel for the Consecration.

Nobody has said word one about what posture to assume once we return from Communion. I’d say here about 90% kneel for at least a few moments. Fr. purifies the vessels at the altar so we have time to pray before he goes back to the chair.

 

[Dovekin]

“It is difficult for some of us to embrace this emphasis on Mass as the action of a community rather than an individual act of my own faith and piety, but it is important that we make every effort to do so… Baptism has joined us to Christ and to one another as the vine and its branches. The life of Christ, the Holy Spirit, animates each of us individually, and all of us corporately and guides us together in our efforts to become one in Christ.”

The passages like this are what led to my comment. Thanks for clearing it up.

 

[Julie507]

I am in a season of life which makes kneeling difficult. I have lots of knee pain too. A lack of kneeling or perhaps, kneeling half way does not necessairly indicate sloth. I encourage charity and grace instead condemnarion.