Why would the lectors bow to the altar instead of the tabernacle?

[Dianemtv]

At my church the tabernacle is behind the sanctuary in a special adoration room. The tabernacle can be viewed by most people seated in the pews. I notice that during mass, the lectors bow to the altar on their way to and from the ambo. The tabernacle is behind them. It seems that Jesus is being ignored. Why wouldn’t they bow to Him in the tabernacle?

 

[MusicMan]

Unless they are passing in front of the altar, I cannot understand why they’re bowing in the first place. The readers should go to the ambo, deliver the readings, and return to their seats. If they pass directly in front of the altar, then the rubrics of the Mass indicate that they are to bow.

As the Tabernacle is not in the actual church proper of the building, it is not “in play” as it were. When this situation occurs, genuflecting to the Tabernacle is replaced with a profound bow to the altar.

 

[bov]

Many Catholics don’t know why the do half the things they do in Church. What is really funny is watching parishioners, on Good Friday, genuflecting towards that tabernacle, even though the Eucharist have been removed from the tabernacle. Ignorance is why lectors bow to the altar rather then genuflect to the Lord in the tabernacle.

 

[MusicMan]

If the Tabernacle is not located within the church proper, you do not genuflect to it. You make a profound bow towards the altar.

As for genuflecting during the Mass, here is what the GIRM says about genuflecting:
GIRM 274.:

During Mass, three genuflections are made by the priest celebrant: namely, after the showing of the host, after the showing of the chalice, and before Communion. Certain specific features to be observed in a concelebrated Mass are noted in their proper place (cf. above, nos. 210-251).

If, however, the tabernacle with the Most Blessed Sacrament is present in the sanctuary, the priest, the deacon, and the other ministers genuflect when they approach the altar and when they depart from it, but not during the celebration of Mass itself.

Otherwise all who pass before the Most Blessed Sacrament genuflect, unless they are moving in procession.

A reader really wouldn’t pass by the Tabernacle in most churches in such a way that would require a genuflection, and I’m not certain the rubrics are clear on a demand for them to do so anyway.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

At my church the tabernacle is behind the sanctuary in a special adoration room. The tabernacle can be viewed by most people seated in the pews. I notice that during mass, the lectors bow to the altar on their way to and from the ambo. The tabernacle is behind them. It seems that Jesus is being ignored. Why wouldn’t they bow to Him in the tabernacle?

Because once Mass begins ministers in the Sanctuary or those entering or leaving the sanctuary do not genuflect to the tabernacle.

To be clearer the last part should read: Outside of the celebration of the Mass, otherwise all who pass before…

 

[tee_eff_em]

What is really funny is watching parishioners, on Good Friday, genuflecting towards that tabernacle, even though the Eucharist have been removed from the tabernacle.

Yah, funny.
Or the ones who don’t genuflect to the Holy Cross on Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

tee

 

[PKinsale]

Bowing toward the altar is an act of reverence to the holy relics therein. When one is in church and the Blessed Sacrament is not there, such as at Good Friday, that is totally appropriate and customary, and in churches where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved in a separate chapel.

 

[Aramis]

At my church the tabernacle is behind the sanctuary in a special adoration room. The tabernacle can be viewed by most people seated in the pews. I notice that during mass, the lectors bow to the altar on their way to and from the ambo. The tabernacle is behind them. It seems that Jesus is being ignored. Why wouldn’t they bow to Him in the tabernacle?

During the Mass, the celebrant is bowed to as he is there ad vicarae Christus, as Christ’s vicar. During the consecration and the Gospels, he is in persona Christi, in the person of Christ.

 

[puzzleannie]

At my church the tabernacle is behind the sanctuary in a special adoration room. The tabernacle can be viewed by most people seated in the pews. I notice that during mass, the lectors bow to the altar on their way to and from the ambo. The tabernacle is behind them. It seems that Jesus is being ignored. Why wouldn’t they bow to Him in the tabernacle?

because they have been instructed this way. Without seeing your churhc I can’t answer, but in most churches that have placed the tabernacle in a separate adoration chapel, we should be bowing to the altar, rather than genuflecting, because it is the altar that is actually present in the sanctuary, not the tabernacle.

 

[Dianemtv]

Thank you all for your responses. I think you have cleared this up for me.