why do we stand after communion now?

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I’m sorry to hear your experience is like that. Where I go, the songs relate to the readings. There is plenty of prayer time. The priest is full of reverence and love of God. We don’t have those large numbers around the altar that you describe; in fact, when there aren’t that many people, it’s just the priest distributing communion, no readers, no servers, just him. Sometimes there is somebody to help with wine, but not always.

We still kneel at communion and I hope we continue to do so. However, I suspect by EasterJoy’s comments that her church is overall reverent and worshipful, just like where I go. That’s why she is able to accept what her pastor and archbishop say, and I respect her for that.

Where I go to Mass, I have to agree with EasterJoy. There is no moment in the Mass that is not for God.
 
When I went to mass tonight, I knelt when I returned from receiving communion

I am so glad I know that I can…people can warble all around me from now on, but I am going to spend that time in private prayer

It feels so good to be able to do it and know I am not being disobedient…thank you
 
redrosetea said:
When I went to mass tonight, I knelt when I returned from receiving communion

I am so glad I know that I can…people can warble all around me from now on, but I am going to spend that time in private prayer

It feels so good to be able to do it and know I am not being disobedient…thank you
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It is good to have false guilt lifted.

As for the “warblers”…they’re in prayer, too, whether they pay attention to the fact or not!

All the same, I think that those whom the Spirit calls to their knees sooner rather than later can be accomodated happily, and with affection!
 
Br.Rich_SFO said:
The Faithful may either stand, kneel or sit. There is no requirement of “unity” of posture after returning from receiving Holy Communion. The time after returning from receiving until the final prayer of the Mass IS in fact a private little “me and Jesus” moment, where each person is lost in private, isolated prayer.
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I agree Brother, but I just received this in a newsletter from our Director of Worship at our parish:
Communion As An ACTIVE Time (David Hass)

The meal sharing of the bread and wine at the liturgy is the climactic ritual action of the Mass. We should continually remind ourselves that this is not a time for private prayer or isolation. When we are invited to someone’s house for a meal, we do not take our food and find a private room in which to feed ourselves. We eat with all who have gathered. At the celebration of the liturgy, communion is a celebration in community with the risen Lord.

Many still view the time of reception of communion as a private moment. We artificially can encourage this when we resort to utilizing only instrumental music, a solo, or a choral selection. We should remember that the church teaches this to be a moment not of individual piety and spirituality or private devotion, but a common meal sharing.

It is important to note that the General Instruction says that the Communion chant (song) has as it’s purpose the intent to “ . . . express the communicant’s’ union in spirit by means of the unity of their voices, to show joy of heart, and to highlight more clearly the ‘communitarian’ nature of the procession to receive communion.” (GIRM 86)

Meditation time, after communion when the priest is done cleaning the vessels, is ideal for private reflection and devotion. (GIRM 88)

So in summary, communion is the procession to receive the Holy Eucharist and the sung acclamation. The time after communion is the time for private prayer and meditation.

I don’t know who David Hass is or what sort of authority he has to interpret the GIRM, but it appears he has taken it upon himself to do so. Personally I prefer to kneel and pray after receiving Jesus, especially since the “sacred silence” after Communion in our parish is little to none, but this piece in our newsletter makes it appear that we should be singing (and perhaps standing) until everyone has received and the communion song is finished.
 
milimac said:
I agree Brother, but I just received this in a newsletter from our Director of Worship at our parish:
Communion As An ACTIVE Time (David Hass)

The meal sharing of the bread and wine at the liturgy is the climactic ritual action of the Mass. We should continually remind ourselves that this is not a time for private prayer or isolation. When we are invited to someone’s house for a meal, we do not take our food and find a private room in which to feed ourselves. We eat with all who have gathered. At the celebration of the liturgy, communion is a celebration in community with the risen Lord.

Many still view the time of reception of communion as a private moment. We artificially can encourage this when we resort to utilizing only instrumental music, a solo, or a choral selection. We should remember that the church teaches this to be a moment not of individual piety and spirituality or private devotion, but a common meal sharing.

It is important to note that the General Instruction says that the Communion chant (song) has as it’s purpose the intent to “ . . . express the communicant’s’ union in spirit by means of the unity of their voices, to show joy of heart, and to highlight more clearly the ‘communitarian’ nature of the procession to receive communion.” (GIRM 86)

Meditation time, after communion when the priest is done cleaning the vessels, is ideal for private reflection and devotion. (GIRM 88)

So in summary, communion is the procession to receive the Holy Eucharist and the sung acclamation. The time after communion is the time for private prayer and meditation.

I don’t know who David Hass is or what sort of authority he has to interpret the GIRM, but it appears he has taken it upon himself to do so. Personally I prefer to kneel and pray after receiving Jesus, especially since the “sacred silence” after Communion in our parish is little to none, but this piece in our newsletter makes it appear that we should be singing (and perhaps standing) until everyone has received and the communion song is finished.
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Actually, his views are not to be taken at all seriously because they come from someone who does not have the same caliber of thought as Pope Benedict XVI. Haas is a songwriter, responsible for such horrid pieces as “Song of the Body of Christ.” Of course, he is going to advocate singing his trite music. Considering the source, I would just ignore it.
 
milimac said:
I agree Brother, but I just received this in a newsletter from our Director of Worship at our parish:Communion As An ACTIVE Time (David Hass)

The meal sharing of the bread and wine at the liturgy is the climactic ritual action of the Mass. We should continually remind ourselves that this is not a time for private prayer or isolation. When we are invited to someone’s house for a meal, we do not take our food and find a private room in which to feed ourselves. We eat with all who have gathered. At the celebration of the liturgy, communion is a celebration in community with the risen Lord.

Many still view the time of reception of communion as a private moment. We artificially can encourage this when we resort to utilizing only instrumental music, a solo, or a choral selection. We should remember that the church teaches this to be a moment not of individual piety and spirituality or private devotion, but a common meal sharing.

It is important to note that the General Instruction says that the Communion chant (song) has as it’s purpose the intent to “ . . . express the communicant’s’ union in spirit by means of the unity of their voices, to show joy of heart, and to highlight more clearly the ‘communitarian’ nature of the procession to receive communion.” (GIRM 86)

Meditation time, after communion when the priest is done cleaning the vessels, is ideal for private reflection and devotion. (GIRM 88)

So in summary, communion is the procession to receive the Holy Eucharist and the sung acclamation. The time after communion is the time for private prayer and meditation.

I don’t know who David Hass is or what sort of authority he has to interpret the GIRM, but it appears he has taken it upon himself to do so. Personally I prefer to kneel and pray after receiving Jesus, especially since the “sacred silence” after Communion in our parish is little to none, but this piece in our newsletter makes it appear that we should be singing (and perhaps standing) until everyone has received and the communion song is finished.
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I also do not know who he is or what authority he has, except that he has no authority to dictate your or anyone elses posture after returning from Holy Communion. The Cardinal responsible for the Congregation on the Liturgy and Sacraments has clearly said not even the local Bishop can dictate your posture after you return from Holy Communion, it is up to you to stand. sit or kneel.
 
I now kneel, and I set in the very front of the church…I don’t think people seem to care, but I feel much better about doing this

Frankly the singing makes a nice backdrop for my prayers…so I guess there is room for both
 
ethelzguy said:
I’ve always knelt until the tabernacle was closed. I will always kneel. If someone looks at me weird, so be it.

But, I’ve never been to Mass anywhere in my life that people didn’t kneel for the EuP and after Communion.

I only read about stuff like that here. :confused:
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This is what my wife and I do. Kneel always. We’ve even been to a Christmas Eve Mass (which is always way more overpopulated than regular Mass) so that we ended up in the parish center with a temporary altar and tabernacle (overflow Mass). No kneelers. When the time came to kneel after the Sanctus and Agnes Dei we instinctively knelt on the hard tiled floor. Same for after receiving Holy Communion. I was sort of surprised nobody else around us did. Everyone else either stood or sat. I will say I felt funny but accepted it in humility and the pain in my knees as penance for my sins (same for my wife). Don’t get me wrong, It’s fine for folks not to kneel in such circumstances IMO, just for us it was natural. That’s all.

At a brand new parish we belonged to that was having Mass in a school cafeteria because we had no building yet (real cafeteria Catholics!! 🙂 ) the pastor supplied little foam pads at the door. Everyone took one and everyone knelt at at the appropriate times. It was such a beautiful thing.

For us, it was always be kneeling unless the Holy See explicitly says stand or sit.

trob
 
I have always knelt after receiving Communion. It is the high point of my day. If I got married that morning, or if I had a child that morning, or if I was elected president of the U.S., it would not be the high point of my day. Receiving Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is, however, the high point of my day. And because of that I kneel.

However. Nobody else kneels, at least those in front of me. I have never looked behind me to see if anyone else is kneeling. To be honest, that would defeat the purpose of kneeling. I am giving my absolute all to God. All of my attention is fixed on Him.

I’ve made up my mind that if my parish priest ever specifically states that I must do anything other than kneel after Communion that I will submit to his authority, but to date he has not.

The liturgy is both communal and personal. I don’t believe that the personal supercedes the communal. But if Jesus knocked on the door of my home, I would open that door and let Him in. And the first thing I would do is give Him the biggest hug I’ve ever given. But I believe that He would beat me to it. He would embrace me first. I wouldn’t even have to ask. God desires intimacy with me much more than I desire it with Him. How astounding is that? Who would you rather know? The most famous movie star? The President of the U.S.? Not only would I rather KNOW the God who created all of us, but I DO know Him! And to think that not only am I in intimate acquaintance with the Creator of all the Universe, but that He gives Himself to me in the Eucharist is astounding. My first response to this is to kneel, in reverence and in gratitude.

How could anyone NOT kneel before their Lord and their Creator and Redeemer? As such, I’m not being rebellious or purposely contrary to the rest of the congregation. To be that way would be sinful. If my parish priest tells me to stand then I will stand and love God no less on my feet than on my knees. But unless told otherwise, I prefer to kneel after communion. I can only hope that my reasons are acceptable to the Church and most importantly to God.
 
milimac said:
I agree Brother, but I just received this in a newsletter from our Director of Worship at our parish:
Communion As An ACTIVE Time (David Hass)

The meal sharing of the bread and wine at the liturgy is the climactic ritual action of the Mass. We should continually remind ourselves that this is not a time for private prayer or isolation.
​
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Oh wow! We got the same message in our bulletin last week! It didn’t have David Haas’ name with it just our music coordinator’s name. But it is almost word-for-word what ours said.

I prefer to think that our unity is found in the meditative state of prayer after receiving Christ. We each are united with Him and, as such, are united with one another. Singing just makes me focus on the words and getting the tune right, not on Jesus.

Sinnergy​
 
We kneel after communion or sit if some cannot physically kneel. I never see anyone stand.

We went to Hawaii last Sept. and everyone there stands during and after communion. I had never experienced this before in a church. I guess each Diocese does something different?:confused:
 
I think the extensive David Hass quote is a perfect example of what I tried to express in my earlier post: he sees the Mass and receiving communion as a dinner party, all about the guests, no attention spared for the HOST, a marvelously perfect word in this context.
 
Sinnergy said:
Oh wow! We got the same message in our bulletin last week! It didn’t have David Haas’ name with it just our music coordinator’s name. But it is almost word-for-word what ours said.

I prefer to think that our unity is found in the meditative state of prayer after receiving Christ. We each are united with Him and, as such, are united with one another. Singing just makes me focus on the words and getting the tune right, not on Jesus.

Sinnergy
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Our “Director of Worship” is essentially the music coordinator at our parish as well. Perhaps they subscribe to the same publication. I alerted ours of the question/answer to Cardinal Arinze that says it is ok to kneel after receiving communion, but haven’t heard back.

My opinion is that true unity among the congregation is unity in Christ. Like moving along the spokes of a wheel to its center, we are more truly united the closer we come to Christ. Whether you stand and sing or kneel and pray (or other permutations) after receiving Jesus, any unity you think you have is false and superficial if it is not a unity that has Christ at its center. I truly feel more united with others as I become more united to Christ in prayer. Sometimes that can occur when we sing a reverent Christ-centered hymn together, but often times (especially when the hymn doesn’t cut it) it occurs in meditative prayer with the One I have just received.

The problem I see with the Hass (Haas?) quote above is that it seems to say that you can either have unity with Christ or unity with each other, communion is the time for unity with each other, and a later time for unity with Christ. First, if it is truly an either/or proposition, no offense to y’all, but I choose Jesus. But more importantly though, why does Hass seem to think it’s an either/or situation? We can have both, can we not?

All that being said, the liturgy is not just a spiritual experience, but a sensory one as well, so I don’t discount the value of some sort of visual representation of our unity. Kneeling together in silent prayer seems like a good way of doing that too.
 
Having served as the director of worship for my cathedral, I take no stock in what David Haas writes because his music takes no stock in what the Church believes. He is more focused in celebrating the community than he is in worshipping God; thus, his priorities are mismatched both in his trite songs and in his article.

I would direct you, instead, to read something that is more doctrinally sound and far superior:
At this point we cannot forget the beginning of the “Decalogue”, the Ten Commandments, where it is written: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me” (Ex 20: 2-3). Here we find the meaning of the third constitutive element of Corpus Christi: kneeling in adoration before the Lord. Adoring the God of Jesus Christ, who out of love made himself bread broken, is the most effective and radical remedy against the idolatry of the past and of the present. Kneeling before the Eucharist is a profession of freedom: those who bow to Jesus cannot and must not prostrate themselves before any earthly authority, however powerful. We Christians kneel only before God or before the Most Blessed Sacrament because we know and believe that the one true God is present in it, the God who created the world and so loved it that he gave his Only Begotten Son (cf. Jn 3: 16). We prostrate ourselves before a God who first bent over man like the Good Samaritan to assist him and restore his life, and who knelt before us to wash our dirty feet. ***Adoring the Body of Christ, means believing that there, in that piece of Bread, Christ is really there, and gives true sense to life, to the immense universe as to the smallest creature, to the whole of human history as to the most brief existence. ***Adoration is prayer that prolongs the celebration and Eucharistic communion and in which the soul continues to be nourished: it is nourished with love, truth, peace; it is nourished with hope, because the One before whom we prostrate ourselves does not judge us, does not crush us but liberates and transforms us.
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This passage comes from the magnificent homily preached by Pope Benedict XVI for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, at the Mass where he made use of the universal norm of receiving Holy Communion kneeling and on the tongue for those communicants who receive Our Lord from His Holiness.

Unfortunately, it seems that those who advocate “standing” after receiving Holy Communion seem to have lost the idea of kneeling before the Lord. Furthermore, here is another quote that drives home the point further:
There are groups, of no small influence, who are trying to talk us out of kneeling. “It doesn’t suit our culture”, they say (which culture?) “It’s not right for a grown man to do this – he should face God on his feet”. Or again: “It’s not appropriate for redeemed man – he has been set free by Christ and doesn’t need to kneel any more”.
If we look at history, we can see that the Greeks and Romans rejected kneeling. In view of the squabbling, partisan deities described in mythology, this attitude was thoroughly justified. It was only too obvious that these gods were not God, even if you were dependent on their capricious power and had to make sure that, whenever possible, you enjoyed their favor. And so they said that kneeling was unworthy of a free man, unsuitable for the culture of Greece, something the barbarians went in for. Plutarch and Theophrastus regarded kneeling as an expression of superstition.
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Aristotle called it a barbaric form of behavior (cf. Rhetoric 1361 a 36). Saint Augustine agreed with him in a certain respect: the false gods were only the masks of demons, who subjected men to the worship of money and to self-seeking, thus making them “servile” and superstitious. He said that the humility of Christ and His love, which went as far as the Cross, have freed us from these powers. We now kneel before that humility. The kneeling of Christians is not a form of inculturation into existing customs. It is quite the opposite, an expression of Christian culture, which transforms the existing culture through a new and deeper knowledge and experience of God.
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Kneeling does not come from any culture – it comes from the Bible and its knowledge of God. The central importance of kneeling in the Bible can be seen in a very concrete way. The word proskynein alone occurs fifty-nine times in the New Testament, twenty-four of which are in the Apocalypse, the book of the heavenly Liturgy, which is presented to the Church as the standard for her own Liturgy.
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This quote comes from Pope Benedict’s book, “The Spirit of the Liturgy.” Judging from Haas content, it seems that he’s probably never read the pope’s book. Even if he had, what Haas wrote is the antithesis of everything the Holy Father has said.

I would just put Haas’ article in the blue recycling bin and run the Holy Father’s comments.
 
benedictgal said:
Having served as the director of worship for my cathedral, I take no stock in what David Haas writes because his music takes no stock in what the Church believes. He is more focused in celebrating the community than he is in worshipping God; thus, his priorities are mismatched both in his trite songs and in his article.

I would direct you, instead, to read something that is more doctrinally sound and far superior:

This passage comes from the magnificent homily preached by Pope Benedict XVI for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, at the Mass where he made use of the universal norm of receiving Holy Communion kneeling and on the tongue for those communicants who receive Our Lord from His Holiness.

Unfortunately, it seems that those who advocate “standing” after receiving Holy Communion seem to have lost the idea of kneeling before the Lord. Furthermore, here is another quote that drives home the point further:

This quote comes from Pope Benedict’s book, “The Spirit of the Liturgy.” Judging from Haas content, it seems that he’s probably never read the pope’s book. Even if he had, what Haas wrote is the antithesis of everything the Holy Father has said.

I would just put Haas’ article in the blue recycling bin and run the Holy Father’s comments.
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Thank you for the quotes from the Holy Father. Yes, I wish that if our director of worship is going to continue putting out newsletters, he’d at least quote the words of a pope, saint, bishop, cardinal, or church father, and not some contemporary pop-liturgist. I guess that explains why we sang Gather Us In as the processional hymn three weeks in a row recently though.
 
The only reason I read this post is because my father-in-law is obsessed, and often angry, about the fact that many congregations in Canada have changed to standing during receiving communion. I’ve spent a good part of this morning looking up the reasoning behind it as I trust my bishop to sheperd his flock and so have gone along with standing quite happily.

What I have especially noticed on all the forums I have visited is how often those wanting to kneel complain about how it upsets them personally whereas those that try to explain the reason behind standing speak in a community minded way and especially of unity. So, on a personal level, I enjoy the unity embraced when our parish stands, in the same way that I used to enjoy kneeling before we were instructd to stand.

I agree with maendem that poor communication is involved - maybe there would not have been so much greivance by those disliking the change if it had been better explained.

However, going back to my reason for being on here. My father-in-law is so concerned with this that it is more his focus than so many more important objectives - such as embracin gthe New Evangelisation and changing our church into a missionary one which will bring the lost people in our area back into the fold (or maybe into it for the first time). I realise how important it is to have good liturgy, but if your bishop has given clear instruction (but maybe not explanation) then can’t we just put our energies into evangelising rather than arguing over one item of the GIRM?
 
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