Wanting to receive the Body of Christ kneeling

[Shin]

If your pastor tells you to receive standing, do so. He isn’t asking you to do something sinful. Obedience is always more pleasing to God than doing our own will. Having a battle of wills with the priest at communion time can’t be pleasing to God.

I always think that, when planning to receive kneeling, it’s polite to tell the person following you that you plan to do so. This could be done when leaving the pew.

I have never had any difficulty with anyone behind me, and it is certainly an unnecessary and rather discouraging idea to have to do that, which one should not.

As for priests who say no, it is not within the realm of their authority to say no to it. It is not always a good thing to obey a priest who tells you to be less reverent to God. There are priests who will tell you to do all sorts of unwise things, and who break the laws of the church’s liturgy themselves.

So… ‘Always obey’ in regards to someone who can only advise you is something for someone who has made that commitment to a very good spiritual director, and people like that are rare in these times of great corruption.

There are priests who will tell you to kneel, so, remember that when faced with one who does not, and obey those.

 

[angelsdefendus]

I went to a professional school where we kneeled to receive communion even in the N.O. There wasn’t anyone that stood to receive that I can recall.

When I moved across the country to Alaska, where kneeling is non-existent for reception I was kinda lost and went through a similar internal struggle. What really changed my mind was reading “The Spirit of the Liturgy” by then Cardinal Ratzinger.

The section on postures forever changed how I “acted” in Mass.

 

[geniejd]

I too am having the same desire to kneel to receive Holy Communion and have been for the past three weeks. Last Sunday my priest approached me and told me that standing was the “accepted norm” and that kneeling was not allowed. I was so upset but I knew deep in my heart that he was wrong. I looked for my answer on the website run by a devout priest friend and found a letter written in 2002 (adoremus.org/Notitiae-kneeling.html) which states that no priest can refuse to distribute Holy Communion to a communicant if they choose to receive kneeling. Also see this reference from the Vatican website for instructions on priests inability to refuse a kneeling coomunicant. vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20040423_redemptionis-sacramentum_en.html (specifically section 91)

While I too do not want to get in a “fight” with my priest, my original desire to receive the Body of Christ while in a position of penitence and reverance still burns within me.

Do not listen to those weak individuals who tell you to submit to the will of priests who wish to squash your devout desires. Please remember that not all priests act with the best of motivations. Continue to pray to the Lord for perserverance in your faith and I will continue to pray for mine.

 

[Adeodatus]

Is the Tridentine Latin Mass offered in your area?

 

[Brendan]

I went to a professional school where we kneeled to receive communion even in the N.O. There wasn’t anyone that stood to receive that I can recall…

That is standard at our parish. We still use the communion rail.

 

[brotherhrolf]

I too am having the same desire to kneel to receive Holy Communion and have been for the past three weeks. Last Sunday my priest approached me and told me that standing was the “accepted norm” and that kneeling was not allowed.

How quickly it is forgotten that we knelt to receive Communion up until the mid-70’s when the last of the Communion rails were torn out. I don’t recall Vatican II calling for this and, as many have shown, it cannot be forbidden.

 

[Malkin71]

Well I asked my priest today if it was ok. He advised me the he would prefer that I woulndt. He advised me of what the bishops have said and told me that I would be a dirtraction and could also hold up the line.

If this is what the pries has said then so be it. I asked and did what I felt the Lord had told me. Thank you all for your answers.

I would print out the ruberics. Then do this in order polietly.

1. Talk about recieving Holy Communion with your Priest. You have already done.
2. Write a letter to your Priest with the printed out ruberics and ask for a reply.
3. If the answer is still no. Photocopy all the doccuments and send the copies and a letter to your Bishop and ask for a response.
4. If this fails keep going higher up the ladder. It will take some time. In the end. You might bring good change to your Parish.

 

[Malkin71]

If your pastor tells you to receive standing, do so. He isn’t asking you to do something sinful. Obedience is always more pleasing to God than doing our own will. Having a battle of wills with the priest at communion time can’t be pleasing to God.

I always think that, when planning to receive kneeling, it’s polite to tell the person following you that you plan to do so. This could be done when leaving the pew.

Obedience to a point. The Vatican says otherwise. A person can recieve Holy Communion kneeling if they chose. If not it is a Liturgical Abuse!

What about the Bishops and Priests who are not Obedient to the Pope or the Church? Is pleasing God or their own will more important?

 

[Brendan]

If your pastor tells you to receive standing, do so. He isn’t asking you to do something sinful. Obedience is always more pleasing to God than doing our own will.

Obedience actaully does not come into play here.

Obedience ( per Aquinas) is the Virtue by which we conform our wills to the will of one who has the authority to issue commands.

The priest does not have authority to issue commands on this subject, so it is not an issue of obedience.

If you look at the relevant documents from Rome, you will see that one who kneels is not being disobedient. This is not word games, but actual fact. And the reason for that is Aquinas.

Rome is the commanding authority, not the local priest, or even the local bishop. Therefore the obedience is due to Rome.

You are correct that God loves obedience, but God does not call us to give misplaced obedience. Nor does He enjoy it when we do.

 

[Lycorth]

Tell your priest, just to let him know what you want to do so you don’t have any awkward between the two of you at the moment of communion and then, if you want to make sure people aren’t giving you a second look, arrange to go last. Most people will be too busy getting back to their seats, being in prayer or fussing with their belongings to pay you much mind, I would think.

That’s just the advice I would have given.

I prefer to kneel as well, but I can only attend OF Masses, where things move a little quickly during Communion. I always received on the tongue when I was a practicing Catholic before the last three years when I fell out of the Faith, and when I make my Confession and am cleansed of mortal sin, I will do so again. It’s up to us to bring traditional reverence into ordinary life, and Ordinary Form Masses, whenever we can, until such time as the finest traditions become once again commonplace.

Good luck and God bless!

 

[damooster]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t the GIRM say that standing while receiving is the norm in the US?

1. The priest then takes the paten or ciborium and goes to the communicants, who, as a rule, approach in a procession.

The faithful are not permitted to take the consecrated bread or the sacred chalice by themselves and, still less, to hand them from one to another. The norm for reception of Holy Communion in the dioceses of the United States is standing. Communicants should not be denied Holy Communion because they kneel. Rather, such instances should be addressed pastorally, by providing the faithful with proper catechesis on the reasons for this norm.

I personally prefer to kneel while I’m receiving, but the posture has been decided for me and I wish to be obedient. If the OP’s pastor requested that he not kneel to receive Holy Communion, he must be obedient. That’s why I go to the TLM when I can!

 

[Brendan]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t the GIRM say that standing while receiving is the norm in the US?

I personally prefer to kneel while I’m receiving, but the posture has been decided for me and I wish to be obedient. If the OP’s pastor requested that he not kneel to receive Holy Communion, he must be obedient. That’s why I go to the TLM when I can!

There have been a number of responses from Rome on how that should be interpreted.

ourladyswarriors.org/liturgy/kneeling.htm

Of most interest to your question is the third

As the authority by virtue of whose recognitio the norm in question has attained the force of law, this Dicastery is competent to specify the manner in which the norm is to be understood for the sake of a proper application. Having received more than a few letters regarding this matter from different locations in the United States of America, the Congregation wishes to ensure that its position on the matter is clear.

To this end, it is perhaps useful to respond to your inquiry by repeating the content of a letter that the Congregation recently addressed to a Bishop in the United States of America from whose Diocese a number of pertinent letters had been received. The letter states: “… while this Congregation gave the recognitio to the norm desired by the Bishops’ Conference of your country that people stand for Holy Communion, this was done on the condition that communicants who choose to kneel are not to be denied Holy Communion on these grounds. Indeed, the faithful should not be imposed upon nor accused of disobedience and of acting illicitly when they kneel to receive Holy Communion”.

 

[Lutheranteach]

As an aside, at the Lutheran Church I attend communion is done kneeling, and its not continuous. A group approaches, kneels at the rail, receives communion and a blessing. The next group comes up, etc. As a little kid, I hated that as it seemed to take soooooooo long. Now, it seems right.

 

[damooster]

As the authority by virtue of whose recognitio the norm in question has attained the force of law, this Dicastery is competent to specify the manner in which the norm is to be understood for the sake of a proper application. Having received more than a few letters regarding this matter from different locations in the United States of America, the Congregation wishes to ensure that its position on the matter is clear.

To this end, it is perhaps useful to respond to your inquiry by repeating the content of a letter that the Congregation recently addressed to a Bishop in the United States of America from whose Diocese a number of pertinent letters had been received. The letter states: “… while this Congregation gave the recognitio to the norm desired by the Bishops’ Conference of your country that people stand for Holy Communion, this was done on the condition that communicants who choose to kneel are not to be denied Holy Communion on these grounds. Indeed, the faithful should not be imposed upon nor accused of disobedience and of acting illicitly when they kneel to receive Holy Communion”.

I wish this information would be made to the general public in the form of the GIRM or something. I would love it if I could receive Holy Commuion while kneeling without fear of being “addressed pastorally.” If you do know of such a document, could you pass it along? I would love to carry it around with me.

 

[Brendan]

I wish this information would be made to the general public in the form of the GIRM or something. I would love it if I could receive Holy Commuion while kneeling without fear of being “addressed pastorally.” If you do know of such a document, could you pass it along? I would love to carry it around with me.

Define “general public”

All those statements in the link above are from the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments. That is the dicastery the gives the GIRM its legal force.

These decisions are published in a Vatican journal called “Notatae”, so technically they are public documents, in the same way that legal decisions from a court are public documents.

But they, like court decisions, are legally binding. They are the interpretation of liturgical law by the organization that the Holy See gave that autority to.

So the best thing to do would be aware of those rulings, and, if necessary, be able to provide copies thereof.

 

[damooster]

These decisions are published in a Vatican journal called “Notatae”, so technically they are public documents, in the same way that legal decisions from a court are public documents.

But they, like court decisions, are legally binding. They are the interpretation of liturgical law by the organization that the Holy See gave that autority to.

Thank you. I did not know what Notitiae was, or that it was a binding publication.

I’ll be kneeling for Holy Communion this Sunday!

 

[geniejd]

After reading 06Converts response I wanted to let that person know that the Pope only distributes Holy Communion in the posture of kneeling on the tongue. If the Lord came and stood in front of you today would you not fall on your knees in adoration and reverence. That is what the Holy Eucharist is, It is the Lord presenting himself to us at every Mass. 06Convert should research how standing and in the hand came about. It was the American catholics themselves, not the Church (the Pope) that wanted communicants to receive standing and in the hand. The Vatican then allowed the american bishops to change the norm under the stipulation that anyone who wished to receive in the kneeling position on the tongue would be allowed. Yet another example of the tail wagging the dog in America. Are we so weak that we will allow our faith to be watered down by the desires or modernistic society? I hope that with our new Pope the pendulum swings in the opposite direction.

 

[runner93]

The tile pretty much explains it, I wish to receive the Eucharist kneeling and on the tongue. The deal is that I attend the ordinary mass. All of us receive it standing up on the hand or tongue. I wish to do this because I want to give more reverence and worship to the Lord. I don’t want to this withoug asking my priest if this is OK with him.

The only problem I have with this is that I feel people will look at me hence taking glory and attention away from the Lord. This is the last thing I want, I want to do this because I feel I give more glory to Him by doing this. I just wanted to know your opinions on this. Thanks

I personally just receive it on the tongue because I see myself as unworthy to touch the Host even if I have been forgiven for all of my sins. I would ask your pastor about it and see what happens for there you know?

 

[ljubim]

Thank you. I did not know what Notitiae was, or that it was a binding publication.

I’ll be kneeling for Holy Communion this Sunday!

God bless you!!!
I have been profoundly embarrassed about what I posted earlier about waiting a few months until college to do so (it was an excuse straight from hell). I did it for the first time on morning mass this Thursday, and will do so again tomorrow.
Watch this: Cardinal Arnize it will help, especially if you get lip afterwards and people look at you weird.

 

[LilyM]

After reading 06Converts response I wanted to let that person know that the Pope only distributes Holy Communion in the posture of kneeling on the tongue. If the Lord came and stood in front of you today would you not fall on your knees in adoration and reverence.

The Lord appeared many times to His Apostles - including after His resurrection. They are certainly not shown as uniformly falling to their knees in awe on every occasion. Nor that this is the only posture He accepted from them. On the contrary, He encouraged Thomas to treat His sacred body very familiarly indeed - to touch His wounds and put his hand into Our Lord’s side.

It was the American catholics themselves, not the Church (the Pope) that wanted communicants to receive standing and in the hand.

The Pope is not the Church!

The Vatican then allowed the american bishops to change the norm under the stipulation that anyone who wished to receive in the kneeling position on the tongue would be allowed.

Yes, and the American bishops had every right to request this concession - they are part of the infallible Magisterium too, no? And the Pope had every right to grant their request.

Look at the early ecumenical councils - none of the first seven were called by a Pope, but by secular Emperors!!! So it’s not as though the laity and bishops have no role to play but are only to passively wait around for the Pope and never ask him to grant favours or act in certain ways!

Yet another example of the tail wagging the dog in America. Are we so weak that we will allow our faith to be watered down by the desires or modernistic society?

For a time prior to Vatican 2 Croatia had an indult to say Mass in the preferred language of the Croatian church - Slavonic rather than Latin, unique to my knowledge among the countries of the Latin Rite.

Does the unique concession the Pope made to this country automatically mean that it was a case of the tail improperly wagging the dog? Or of the Pope permitting the faith to be watered down by the desires of a modernistic Croatian society? Or indeed any sort of improper influence over ‘the Church’ on the part of Croatian faithful and bishops (as if faithful and Bishops do not also constitute the Church, but only the Vatican?) Of course not.

Neither need we automatically suspect the worst in the case of CITH.