When to bow receiving Communion?

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Reformed_Rob

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I have heard 2 different things about this. Heard isn’t the right word, it’s read. When are we expected to bow “prior” to Communion?

I have always done it as the person directly in front of me receives Christ. That way, I make my gesture of reverence and don’t hold up the line. Plus, that’s what most people do at my parish.

But sometimes when I’m at a different parish, the Priest looks at me funny as though I didn’t make a sign of reverence. Which of course I did, but I was behind the person in front of him, so he couldn’t see me.

Should I wait and bow when the other person steps aside?

Not a big deal to me, just wanting to get some of your thoughts
 
I’ve always done it the same as you, in my parish primarily not to hold up the line, but also with certain priests because they have the habit of saying “The Body of Christ” while moving the Host in a direct line from ciborium to where they imagine the mouth to be. I once genuflected in front of the priest and rose to find he was holding the Host on top of my head! Lucky he didn’t let go and lucky the server didn’t place the paten under the host or there would have been an accident.

I think though, if most in the parish are making it immediately before, and the priest distributing communion is evidently used to it, do it immediately before.
 
Reformed_Rob said:
I have always done it as the person directly in front of me receives Christ. That way, I make my gesture of reverence and don’t hold up the line. Plus, that’s what most people do at my parish.
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I do the same thing.
 
Reformed_Rob said:
But sometimes when I’m at a different parish, the Priest looks at me funny as though I didn’t make a sign of reverence. Which of course I did, but I was behind the person in front of him, so he couldn’t see me.
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I understand your concern here – no one wants that look from his/her priest, but, not to discount a priest’s opinion or approval or whatnot, but as long as you actually do it, God knows and that is what really counts.

Personally, my bow is usually just about finishing its “upswing” just as the person in front of me departs from the priest. Not sure if I do it on purpose 😃 or I just get a late start, maybe a little of both, but it’s not always the case and I feel it does the job.

Also, I don’t stand “3 miles” back “ATM style” so it is usually just a couple steps to the priest after my bow – this helps I think from holding up the line. Of course, I’m not so close to the person in front of me that I am “in their business” – the “Eucharistic business” – either. 🙂

Pretty good for a fairly new Catholic too 😛
 
Reformed_Rob said:
I have heard 2 different things about this. Heard isn’t the right word, it’s read. When are we expected to bow “prior” to Communion?

I have always done it as the person directly in front of me receives Christ. That way, I make my gesture of reverence and don’t hold up the line. Plus, that’s what most people do at my parish.

But sometimes when I’m at a different parish, the Priest looks at me funny as though I didn’t make a sign of reverence. Which of course I did, but I was behind the person in front of him, so he couldn’t see me.

Should I wait and bow when the other person steps aside?

Not a big deal to me, just wanting to get some of your thoughts
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It’s a head bow and it is supposed to be done as you say “Amen”.
 
What about when you can’t receive communion yet? Should you still bow?
 
Jennifer_G said:
What about when you can’t receive communion yet? Should you still bow?
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In my personal opinion if you can’t receive Holy Communion, you should not be approaching Communion either. Baptized faithful who cannot receive Holy Communion for whatever reason should remain in the pews in prayer, making a spiritual communion.
 
tee_eff_em said:
What makes you say so?

tee
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The U.S. Bishops:

Sign of Veneration

In a similar way, the General Instruction (no. 160§2) assigns to Conferences of Bishops the responsibility to determine “an appropriate gesture of reverence” to be made before receiving the Blessed Sacrament. Thus, in the dioceses of the United States of America, the communicant is directed by this particular law to "bow his or her head before the sacrament as a gesture of reverence and receive the Body of the Lord from the minister."

It also does not say while the person in front of you receives Holy Communion.
 
Br.Rich_SFO said:
The U.S. Bishops:

Sign of Veneration

In a similar way, the General Instruction (no. 160§2) assigns to Conferences of Bishops the responsibility to determine “an appropriate gesture of reverence” to be made before receiving the Blessed Sacrament. Thus, in the dioceses of the United States of America, the communicant is directed by this particular law to "bow his or her head before the sacrament as a gesture of reverence and receive the Body of the Lord from the minister."

It also does not say while the person in front of you receives Holy Communion.
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I merely note that it also does not say “as [the communicant] says ‘Amen’.”

I myself do not advocate a *precise *time to make the gesture of reverence, since neither have I found any of the rubrics to do so.

tee
 
Jennifer_G said:
What about when you can’t receive communion yet? Should you still bow?
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I always did, to show respect for the Body and Blood. Same thing if you are one who choses to partake of the Body and not the Blood - still bow in passing the cup to show reverence for what is contained.

FWIW, I was only received into the church this past Sept 9th, so I have vivid memories of this!
 
If you can’t receive communion, I was told by a priest that you should still go up for a blessing. You cross both arms with both hands on each shoulder. This also avoids the problem of people trying to pass you while you are praying, or try to get by you while you are sitting. After your blessing you can return and pray. Seems like the best logistics to me.

I was taught after receiving communion to bow to the alter. One priest said you didn’t need to cross yourself after receiving communion, so I don’t.

Sometimes I think we, as Catholics, pay too much attention to the right procedure and not enough to the spirit of which we are doing them in.
 
My pastor said you don’t bow to the back of the person in front of you! As soon as that person steps aside, bow and receive.
—KCT
 
Reformed_Rob said:
I have heard 2 different things about this. Heard isn’t the right word, it’s read. When are we expected to bow “prior” to Communion?

I have always done it as the person directly in front of me receives Christ. That way, I make my gesture of reverence and don’t hold up the line. Plus, that’s what most people do at my parish.

But sometimes when I’m at a different parish, the Priest looks at me funny as though I didn’t make a sign of reverence. Which of course I did, but I was behind the person in front of him, so he couldn’t see me.

Should I wait and bow when the other person steps aside?

Not a big deal to me, just wanting to get some of your thoughts
Click to expand...
In our diocese, we are taught to bow when the person in front of us is receiving. This is for two reasons: 1) we don’t unduly hold up the line and 2) we do not accidentally knock the precious body or precious blood to the floor

This question was addressed by zenit:
Our correspondent refers to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, No. 160, which we quote in full along with the number which follows it:
Code: 
  "When receiving Holy Communion, the communicant bows his or her head  		before the Sacrament as a gesture of reverence and receives the Body of  		the Lord from the minister. The consecrated host may be received either  		on the tongue or in the hand, at the discretion of each communicant.  		When Holy Communion is received under both kinds, the sign of reverence  		is also made before receiving the Precious Blood." 
  
  [No. 161] "If Communion is given only under the species of bread, the  		priest raises the host slightly and shows it to each, saying, 'Corpus  		Christi' (The Body of Christ). The communicant replies, 'Amen,' and  		receives the Sacrament either on the tongue or, where this is allowed  		and if the communicant so chooses, in the hand. As soon as the  		communicant receives the host, he or she consumes it entirely." 
  
  The text does not specify the moment of this bow of reverence and there  		are few other specific norms. The original text does not specify a bow  		but merely refers to an act of reverence to be established by the  		bishops' conference. Some conferences have included the option of making  		either a genuflection or a bow. 
  
  In practice the act of reverence may be made either just before  		receiving or while the person immediately before oneself is receiving.  		It really depends on the number of communicants. 
  
  A small intimate group of faithful can easily make the gesture just  		before receiving the sacred host. But if this gesture, although lasting  		no more that a few seconds, were to be repeated hundreds of times in a  		large parish, then the rite of Communion could be unduly prolonged. This  		practical reason probably motivated the recommendation to perform the  		gesture of reverence while the person in front is receiving Communion. 		
  
  Does this mean that I am really bowing to the person in front of me?  		Personally I think not, because one naturally reverences a person turned  		toward oneself and practically never performs an act of respect toward a  		person who has his back turned away. Thus the natural direction of the  		act of reverence is toward the Eucharistic Christ. 
  
  Finally, this question offers an opportunity to remember the norm that  		the Eucharist must be consumed immediately and before the priest, deacon  		or extraordinary minister of Holy Communion. 
  
  In general, it is necessary for priests to remind the faithful of this  		requirement from time to time, and to insist on its being fulfilled so  		as to avoid unfortunate incidents due to distraction or even willful  		profanation of the Eucharist. ZE05101122
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Br.Rich_SFO said:
The U.S. Bishops:

Sign of Veneration
Thus, in the dioceses of the United States of America, the communicant is directed by this particular law to "bow his or her head before the sacrament as a gesture of reverence and receive the Body of the Lord from the minister."
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Thanks Br. Rich,

What you quoted right there is exactly what I’m trying to do. Actually, I am doing it and everyone else here appears to be doing it as well. I’m just trying to get opinions on the specifics of it. Like I said, not a big deal for me, since as far as I’m concerned, as long as we are reverent in our approach and make the appropriate gesture, we are doing it properly.
 
Carthusianish said:
Also, I don’t stand “3 miles” back “ATM style” so it is usually just a couple steps to the priest after my bow – this helps I think from holding up the line. Of course, I’m not so close to the person in front of me that I am “in their business” – the “Eucharistic business” – either. 🙂

Pretty good for a fairly new Catholic too 😛
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Thanks for your thoughts and encouragement Carthusianish!

One time, after I received Communion, as I stepped to the side, I stepped on this young child’s foot. They were really close behind me and later the mother apologized to me.

In addition to all the Church teachings and things like that, I think it’s so much more interesting to be Catholic than Protestant! How many Protestant Bible only forums would have such an intriguing discussion on something like this, and have funny stories come out of something seemingly so mundane 😛
 
kell0618 said:
In our diocese, we are taught to bow when the person in front of us is receiving. This is for two reasons: 1) we don’t unduly hold up the line and 2) we do not accidentally knock the precious body or precious blood to the floor

This question was addressed by zenit:
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Wow, thank you very much Kell-O !

👍

Very helpful… Also, there is no reason to believe that just because we are bowing and someone happens to be directly in front of us, that we are bowing to that person.

For instance, when we kneel in the pews, we are not kneeling out of consideration for the person in the pew in front of us. Our intention is for our reverence to be directed towards Christ in the Sacrament.
 
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