When to sit?

[mardukm]

Hello. I am an Oriental Catholic, so I don’t often attend a Latin Mass. But I have attended several. Today, I attended a Latin NO Mass, and I have a question (btw, the best Homily I’ve heard on the Eucharist in my life!!!).

In other Masses I have attended, during the Eucharistic Liturgy, the participants normally remain standing for communion and sit ALONG WITH THE PRIEST AFTER the Gifts have been properly disposed (not “disposed” as in “thrown away,” but you know what I mean). I always assumed that the participants remain standing out of respect for the Sacramental presence of Christ.

Today, the priest had not even finished disposing of the Gifts, and the congregation had already sat down.

Was that proper?

Blessings,
Marduk

 

[Phemie]

After Communion is received the people may stand, kneel or sit as they wish. That is Rome’s decree. It tends to vary by parish. In mine, most people sit, some kneel and a handful (including me) stand singing the Communion hymn as we were asked to do several years ago. Most of us are seated once the last person has received. A few will stay kneeling until the Tabernacle door is closed.

 

[mardukm]

Short of physical infirmity, what purpose is there in sitting during communion? I can understanding kneeling or standing in the Lord’s Presence, but sitting?

Blessings

 

[Phemie]

Short of physical infirmity, what purpose is there in sitting during communion? I can understanding kneeling or standing in the Lord’s Presence, but sitting?

Blessings

One can pray just as well sitting as kneeling so they may very well be praying.

But what I suspect is that for years we’ve heard so much “Jesus is our friend” with little “Jesus is God” that most people of a certain age (say under 40) would think it odd to kneel in the presence of a friend.

 

[mardukm]

One can pray just as well sitting as kneeling so they may very well be praying.

But what I suspect is that for years we’ve heard so much “Jesus is our friend” with little “Jesus is God” that most people of a certain age (say under 40) would think it odd to kneel in the presence of a friend.

May I please have an official reference for this rubric? I’m just finding it hard to accept that sitting while the Body and Blood are still exposed is normal, even if in prayer. Thinking of how our Lord suffered for us, I’m having a hard time imagining the Latin Church (especially with her focus on the suffering of Christ) would permit sitting as an acceptable posture (except for reasons of physical infirmity) during Communion.

Blessings

 

[Phemie]

May I please have an official reference for this rubric? I’m just finding it hard to accept that sitting while the Body and Blood are still exposed is normal, even if in prayer. Thinking of how our Lord suffered for us, I’m having a hard time imagining the Latin Church (especially with her focus on the suffering of Christ) would permit sitting as an acceptable posture (except for reasons of physical infirmity) during Communion.

Blessings

The General Instructions for the Roman Missal says:

1. The faithful should stand from the beginning of the Entrance chant, or while the priest approaches the altar, until the end of the Collect; for the Alleluia chant before the Gospel; while the Gospel itself is proclaimed; during the Profession of Faith and the Prayer of the Faithful; from the invitation, Orate, fratres (Pray, brethren), before the prayer over the offerings until the end of Mass, except at the places indicated below.

They should, however, sit while the readings before the Gospel and the responsorial Psalm are proclaimed and for the homily and while the Preparation of the Gifts at the Offertory is taking place; and, as circumstances allow, they may sit or kneel while the period of sacred silence after Communion is observed.

When the American bishops contacted the Congregation for Divine Worship to ask if that meant that everyone had to remain standing upon returning from Communion the reply confirmed that people were free to sit, kneel or stand when they returned from Communion.

“Numerous inquiries” received by the BCL led Cardinal Francis George, chairman of the BCL, to submit a* dubium* (doubt, question) to the Holy See’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (CDW) on May 26, 2003:
Dubium: In many places, the faithful are accustomed to kneeling or sitting in personal prayer upon returning to their places after having individually received Holy Communion during Mass. Is it the intention of the Missale Romanum, editio typica tertia, to forbid this practice?
Cardinal Francis Arinze, Prefect of the CDW, responded to the question on June 5, 2003 (Prot. N. 855/03/L):
Responsum: Negative, et ad mensum [No, for this reason]. The mens [reasoning] is that the prescription of the Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani, no. 43, is intended, on the one hand, to ensure within broad limits a certain uniformity of posture within the congregation for the various parts of the celebration of Holy Mass, and on the other, to not regulate posture rigidly in such a way that those who wish to kneel or sit would no longer be free.
The BCL Newsletter continues: “In the implementation of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, therefore, posture should not be regulated so rigidly as to forbid individual communicants from kneeling or sitting when returning from having received Holy Communion” (p. 26.emphasis added.)

 

[mardukm]

Thanks for the info! One last question. When and for what purpose did the practice of sitting during communion start? I can understand the biblical rationale for sitting during other times of the Latin Mass (the proper posture for being attentive to the Word), but during communion - though I see it is acceptable - I still fail to see the rationale behind it.

Blessings

 

[EasterJoy]

Hello. I am an Oriental Catholic, so I don’t often attend a Latin Mass. But I have attended several. Today, I attended a Latin NO Mass, and I have a question (btw, the best Homily I’ve heard on the Eucharist in my life!!!).

In other Masses I have attended, during the Eucharistic Liturgy, the participants normally remain standing for communion and sit ALONG WITH THE PRIEST AFTER the Gifts have been properly disposed (not “disposed” as in “thrown away,” but you know what I mean). I always assumed that the participants remain standing out of respect for the Sacramental presence of Christ.

Today, the priest had not even finished disposing of the Gifts, and the congregation had already sat down.

Was that proper?

Blessings,
Marduk

It is a matter of making the altar the center of attention at Mass, and staying entirely in the present moment, which during Mass is rooted in eternity, making not only Our Lord, but also the solemn act of worship that is His Holy Sacrifice itself present. That is why the attention is on what is happening at this Mass, toward the altar, at the altar and from the altar, rather than on the tabernacle.

If a king were hosting a solemn feast for his wedding, at which he gives himself totally and in solemn sacrifice for his bride, with all his court and subjects in glorious array within his banquet room, then it might be protocol that if you ran into the king in say, his audience room (where he would normally be present for his subjects at all other times) that there would not be social exchange between the king and you or any of his other subjects there, out of respect for the solemn occasion taking place in the banquet room. It is not that he isn’t truly present in the audience room. It is that the event in the banquet room eclipses all others, and that while it is going on it is treated as if it were the only event taking place in the entire kingdom, until the king dismisses the solemn celebration.

At least, that is the way I would explain it. And it is a matter of protocol; that is, the rubrics could be written so as to look at the matter a different way. Nevertheless, there are those charged by the king with writing protocol, so obedience binds us to the authority he gave them. The protocol is that the altar is the center of attention during Mass.

 

[OhMalley]

Short of physical infirmity, what purpose is there in sitting during communion? I can understanding kneeling or standing in the Lord’s Presence, but sitting?

Blessings

Over the years I have noticed some people sitting with their face in their hands leaning against the pew back in front of them after receiving communion. I learned on these forums that it’s a posture common in some sects of Protestantism.

It’s a good one too – it really helps to focus the mind. I believe it was St. Thomas Aquinas who said he had to be comfortable to pray his best. For me many times that is sitting…

 

[OhMalley]

Thanks for the info! One last question. When and for what purpose did the practice of sitting during communion start? I can understand the biblical rationale for sitting during other times of the Latin Mass (the proper posture for being attentive to the Word), but during communion - though I see it is acceptable - I still fail to see the rationale behind it.

Blessings

At the Last Supper? I’m not sure if they would have been sitting or recling back then.

 

[EasterJoy]

At the Last Supper? I’m not sure if they would have been sitting or recling back then.

There is absolutely reclining and very relaxed sitting at Passover meals. It is a sign of the freedom given to Israel by God. The first time the Passover meal was eaten, all in Israel were commanded to eat “with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your staff in hand…like those who are in flight.” (Ex. 12:11) Once liberation was won for them by God, Passover became a celebration of that liberation from slavery. Slaves have no leisure when they take their meals; the free do.

I don’t think that the choice of sitting during the sacred silence after Holy Communion has any connotations that are taken from Passover, though. It is more that kneeling can make one’s knees into a distraction; that is, it is hard to forget your body (i.e., yourself) and concentrate on God. Also, if the person in front of you needs to sit, you can find yourself breathing down their necks if you choose to kneel. So some sit in order to give the person in front of them some space. I think the choice of sitting has to do with practical aspects like that. At least, I have never heard anyone say they think sitting is inherently more reverent than kneeling. (I have seen younger people who would normally kneel refrain from kneeling when there are no kneelers and most of the rest of those present are advanced in years, so as to not make the others feel any pressure to kneel when it would be so difficult for them: kind of an “if my betters can’t kneel, I won’t kneel, either” take.)

OTOH, some find they cannot maintain an interior attitude of reverence while sitting. Sitting opens them to distraction from their prayer and does not feel as if it fits the interior attitude of humility that prayer before the Most Blessed Sacrament calls for. They don’t want to forget their bodies, but seek to discipline their bodies into an attitude of prayer, too. Those people tend to kneel as much as their knees will endure, whether at Mass or in adoration. If the person in front of them sits, then, they prefer to remain kneeling, but move to the right or left to give space to the other person.

That is my take on the choices.

 

[mardukm]

At the Last Supper? I’m not sure if they would have been sitting or recling back then.

I don’t think the Apostles at that time were really aware of Who it was before them. We do. I don’t really think there is a biblical rationale for sitting during the communion, though I can understand the idea of being able to focus more on prayer when one is physically comfortable.

However, though I understand it, I can’t say I accept it. What’s a little discomfort when we have before us, really and truly present, our King who endured enormous suffering unto death for our sakes? Can one really apply the quote from St. Thomas to the situation at Church during communion? A lot of people I see sitting during communion are often not praying, but talking to other people.

Well, I’m not here to debate the matter. I just wanted to know the rationale. I prefer to stand, and I respect people who kneel, though I really don’t pay attention to people’s postures during communion. It’s just that while I was praying (standing), the sound of people sitting disturbed my concentration and I was wondering what was going on, since the Gifts had not yet been put away. I simply hadn’t ever seen that before.

Thanks everyone for the discussion.

Blessings,
Marduk

 

[OhMalley]

I don’t think the Apostles at that time were really aware of Who it was before them. We do. I don’t really think there is a biblical rationale for sitting during the communion, though I can understand the idea of being able to focus more on prayer when one is physically comfortable.

However, though I understand it, **I can’t say I accept it. ** What’s a little discomfort when we have before us, really and truly present, our King who endured enormous suffering unto death for our sakes? Can one really apply the quote from St. Thomas to the situation at Church during communion? A lot of people I see sitting during communion are often not praying, but talking to other people.

Well, I’m not here to debate the matter. I just wanted to know the rationale. I prefer to stand, and I respect people who kneel, though I really don’t pay attention to people’s postures during communion. It’s just that while I was praying (standing), the sound of people sitting disturbed my concentration and I was wondering what was going on, since the Gifts had not yet been put away. I simply hadn’t ever seen that before.

Thanks everyone for the discussion.

Blessings,
Marduk

I’m fairly sure they knew by the time of the Last Supper…

I think some people have a very limited understanding of the Mass (particularly from a historical standpoint) and what the different postures mean and do not mean across the Church.

I attend a small Byzantine Catholic parish from time to time. There is a large family of Roman Catholics who sit up front who demand to kneel during the consecration – and they do when everyone else is standing per the rubrics. It really makes no difference what the Eastern pastor has taught or told them, they feel they know what’s best. This same family would be terribly angry if Byzantine Catholics stood during the Mass when everyone else was kneeling (not that it would ever happen) but somehow they and their beloved kneeling is somehow “different.”

I think that applies within the Roman Rite too. No matter what the person, circumstance, etc. kneeling will ALWAYS be superior in the minds of certain people – even if it means disobeying the bishop in some cases…