Receiving While Kneeling- A Question, Not A Debate

[cmaD2006]

[quote name='homeschoolmom' timestamp='1325768123' post='2363226']
Well, it's hard to watch where you're going when you're bowing. If you don't expect the person in front of you to kneel, then what you anticipate to happen when your vision is compromised doesn't happen... Regardless, as I said, I don't think that should mean people shouldn't kneel.
[/quote]

Actually there is one way to avoid this ... wait until the person in front of you leaves to bow. The times that I do bow instead of kneel, I bow when I get up in front of the Eucharistic Minister (or, time it such that I let the person leave, bow, then go up to receive). The time difference is really only a second, and to me it makes more sense than bowing to the person in front of me.

But that's my own personal preference. Besides how many times have I've been in line when I'm the ONLY one that bows, and where most people don't do anything (not even the head nod)?

[MissyP89]

[quote name='cmariadiaz' timestamp='1325802101' post='2363607']
Actually there is one way to avoid this ... wait until the person in front of you leaves to bow. The times that I do bow instead of kneel, I bow when I get up in front of the Eucharistic Minister (or, time it such that I let the person leave, bow, then go up to receive). The time difference is really only a second, and to me it makes more sense than bowing to the person in front of me.[/quote]

Yes, I do this. And always leave a space cushion enough for me to bow between me and the person in front of me.

[quote]But that's my own personal preference. Besides how many times have I've been in line when I'm the ONLY one that bows, and where most people don't do anything (not even the head nod)?
[/quote]

And I'm also the only one who does anything. You've seen it. Idly stroll up to receive, idly stroll away... But then again, the catechesis around here smells of elderberries.

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

i don't know Our bishop asked us to bow before recieving and very few do it,maybe none of them read his letter that was given in multitude to each parish. And with the kneeling thing i honestly don't know which is better in a sense for me it's the heart of the matter one must recieve with reverance and in a state of grace kneeling or standing,recieving in the hands or upon the tounge.

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

than again maybe the letter our bishop authorised was only given to the charasmatic congregation <shrugs>

[FutureCarmeliteClaire]

The norm of the U.S. is to stand, but the norm of the Universal Church is to kneel. Nuff Said. Here's a Cardinal on it. I personally do not understand why we would take away reverence, so I choose to kneel because of a personal conviction of reverence.
http://web.mac.com/mr.castillo/True_Faith_TV/The_Cardinals_Corner/Pages/More_on_Kneeling_for_Communion.html
Here is a great guy on it as well.
http://web.mac.com/mr.castillo/True_Faith_TV/Message_to_Able_Bodied_Genuflecters.html

[FutureCarmeliteClaire]

[quote name='EmilyAnn' timestamp='1325756531' post='2363207']
I was always taught to bow before receiving standing. It's second nature to me now. In my parish there are some others who do but most don't. Personally I feel if you're not going to kneel, you should bow. But that's just me.
[/quote]
If I am not mistaken, we are actually required to bow or genuflect or make some sign of reverence before receiving the Eucharist.

[cmaD2006]

[quote name='FutureCarmeliteClaire' timestamp='1325814434' post='2363720'] If I am not mistaken, we are actually required to bow or genuflect or make some sign of reverence before receiving the Eucharist. [/quote]

Yepper. We're supposed to do some sort of sign of reverence. But as MissyP said -- it is a lack of catechesis when people don't.

[FutureCarmeliteClaire]

[quote name='cmariadiaz' timestamp='1325814670' post='2363729']
Yepper. We're supposed to do some sort of sign of reverence. But as MissyP said -- it is a lack of catechesis when people don't.
[/quote]
Very true!

[fides' Jack]

[quote name='dUSt' timestamp='1325702594' post='2362860']
You are allowed to kneel. The norm is to stand.

Listen to your bishop. If he says either way is fine, then choose. If your bishop says that the preferred method is to stand, then stand. He knows his diocese better than us.
[/quote]

I'm still not convinced that we are allowed to kneel. The only official evidence that I've seen says that we can't be denied Communion for kneeling. But that doesn't really address the root of the issue. Can someone prove me wrong?

Of course, as you say, in the end it's up to the bishop.

[fides' Jack]

[quote name='Aloysius' timestamp='1325715648' post='2362968']
the new translation of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal makes it clear that kneeling is actually a legitimate option.

this is the outdated translation, which used to indicate that there was something wrong with kneeling and that pastors should correct people who chose to kneel even though they shouldn't deny them communion: GIRM 160:
"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."

that translation is no more. this is the current translation:
"The norm established for the Dioceses of the United States of America is that Holy Communion is to be received standing, [b]unless an individual member of the faithful wishes to receive Communion while kneeling[/b]"

I recommend printing out both versions so that if any priest or bishop ever tries to tell you that you are not supposed to kneel, you can kindly point them to the change in wording and say that you were under the impression that the General Instruction now perfectly allows it as a legitimate option even if the norm is standing.
[/quote]

For my previous comment - nevermind.

Thanks, Aloysius! I've been waiting for this for some time. I can start kneeling again! Yay!!!

[fides' Jack]

[quote name='Aloysius' timestamp='1325777383' post='2363287']
but the bishops are not commanding anything as far as I can see. when it is said that standing is the norm, that doesn't mean standing is mandated. as the GIRM says: standing is the norm unless an individual member of the faithful wishes to kneel. that indicates to me that the norm is not mandated.

in the past it has been remarked that it may be descriptive rather than proscriptive to talk about standing as the norm. standing is the norm because that's what most people do, if tomorrow everyone changed their minds, then suddenly kneeling would be the norm.

if you would like to kneel, I suggest taking the printed copy of the new GIRM to your priest and pointing it out to him saying "it would seem to me that I am not required to stand, but that I have a valid option to kneel if I so wish. What do you think?" and see what he says.

again, as the current rules stand, it is not in any way disobedient to kneel for communion.
[/quote]

I guess I'm seeing it more like this:

"The norm is whatever you wish to do - receive standing or kneeling".

And not:

"The norm is not mandated".


Still, I have my doubts about whether it's better to stand for the sake of following the wishes of the bishop, and not making a scene, or kneeling out of reverence to Christ.

I think I'm going the way of kneeling out of reverence to Christ, as the Host is Him directly, and the reverence to the bishop is reverence to Christ indirectly.

[EmilyAnn]

[quote name='FutureCarmeliteClaire' timestamp='1325814434' post='2363720']
If I am not mistaken, we are actually required to bow or genuflect or make some sign of reverence before receiving the Eucharist.
[/quote]

That's what I always thought. I had not been to Mass in a long time when I started attending my old parish so I'd forgotten the etiquette. In an RCIA break the priest (knowing my history) came up to me and reminded me of the proper way, and that included bowing. I don't see many people doing it though, which is sad. I think it is something people maybe need to be reminded of.

[Amppax]

[quote name='Aloysius' timestamp='1325767782' post='2363222']
it just seems like people can watch where they're going though... that just seems like it'd be a freak accident, one in a million shot.
[/quote]

Actually little stumbles happen more than you might think. At Franciscan plenty of people receive kneeling, and I've seen a lot of near accidents. That being said, I've never seen anyone fall or get seriously tripped up because of this, and I don't think that this is a legitimate argument against people kneeling to receive. I agree, people can just pay attention to where they are going.

[homeschoolmom]

Putting a little kneeler in front of the priest would solve the problem.