I have a problem which could be solved by switching Rites, but I like my priest and am spiritually happy at his parish because of the reverence given to the Eucharist. The problem is with my knees. When I was very young I injured one of my knees. I was trying to show off to the girls when I slipped and fell on my right knee. I was in crutches for some time, and then it gave me no problem. That is until a few months ago; it has started to pester me again. Every time I kneel at mass a moment comes when it becomes rather painful.

Is there a way I could show reverence without putting so much pressure on my knee? I have been resting a little on the bench while in a kneeling position. That helps my knees.

Or should I be focusing on the difference between showing reverence and having reverence?

Terry

Your knee problem seems like a legitimate reason not to kneel, why not just kneel for as long as you can and then stand or sit?

The man who had no shoes felt sorry for himself until he met the man who had no feet.

Or perhaps, the woman in the wheelchair.

I am thankful that the Lord has given me pretty good health and joints that work OK, although not quite like a spring chicken anymore.

Perhaps the Lord has me in mind for the vocation of helping other people to stand up and to walk up the stairs. Even harder for some is to walk down the stairs.

There are many who are in your shoes, who face physical limitations as they age.

I think too many of us spend too much time worrying about complying with the rules, and not enough time in gratitude for a good Priest and a faithful Liurgy.

Here I kneel during the Divine Liturgy in three moments: when it is read the Holy Evangelia and when it is read the Creed, then when it is sung Our Father. This regarding the Divine Liturgy.

Sometimes my kneels pain and I stand up. Other people do the same.

The most important is to focus on the words of the Divine Liturgy and bow with your inner heart before Lord Jesus Christ.

There are other Church services, such as the akathist of our Lord (it is a longer service) or the parakleisis of Mot Holy Theotokos. I use to kneel, as all the other souls do. But I cannot stay so long, and I stand up. After a while I kneel again. But always I strive to remember where I am, in the Holy Church, and to be attentive to the service and participate with my heart and mind.

(Psalm 51, 16-17 - KJV)

Also, for the peace of your consciousness, talk to your Father Confessor, explain the trouble and ask blessing not to kneel or kneel less. With measure.

How interesting. This a custom throughout all of Romania or just a specific region? usually standing is a greater homour than kneeling so I am a bit surprised.
In the Ukrainian Orthodox tradition we stand during the Gospel reading, during the chanting of the creed (in unison) and in some parts of Western Ukraine kneel during the Lord's prayer.

Terry you dont need to be legalistic. Just go to the priest of your Latin parish and tell him you have a knee problem and prefer to sit. That simple.
Stephanos I

Father,

I think I will do just that. Sometimes the most basic questions bother me because I do not come from a Catholic family. What would concern me is how my actions before the Eucharist contribute to the spiritual atmosphere.

There are obvious actions which can dampen the prayerfulness, like taking a cell phone call, or talking loudly and socializing before or during mass or divine liturgy. But then there may be subtle actions, like how one dresses, or what one says to the priest before taking the Host (like if they used a Bushism and said, "Right on!"). The subtle actions may not be critical, but when we are in the presence of our Lord and preparing to physically or spiritually partake of the Eucharist, I tend to be careful if in doubt. With a sense of the gravity of the Lord's presence weighing heavily on me, me in my own lowliness, and with the very intimacy of communion, I sometimes I can be concerned over little matters. That said, I come into mass and pray with a deepening joy for graces seen and unseen.

I wish that I could attend a daily mass, but my work schedule does not allow it.

Terry

Terry,

Another possibility is just to lean forward in the pew and rest your elbows on the pew in front of you with hands clasped in prayer.

Joe

Halia,

From what I saw with my eyes, here, near the Danube, or at the Northern monasteries or other zones, people kneel during the Holy Evangelia, the during the creed. Many stay knelt during the epiclesis, then during Our Father.

I do not know an expanded knowledge about all Romania, but here so it is.

Most important is where the heart abides.

M+

Hope you dont think my post was derogatory or negative.
I was just trying to stress, dont worry about it, if you have a legitimate need, I think people and priests will be understanding.
I demand respect at the Eucharistic Sacrifice and I get highly annoyed by those who dont show respect. (Then they get angry with me because I have to rap them on the head.) Most do it in ignorance, I understand that, but then they should graciously receive correction and act accordingly.
You do not know what I go through on a daily basis, in just trying to keep an atmosphere of respect and devotion.
Although I will say that after five years here, things overall have greatly improved, although it takes diligence.
Stephanos I

Father,

I misread your tone, but I do appreciate your advice. You may get along with my priest. He gets rather annoyed in the summer when people come in with shorts, sandals, or revealing tank tops.

The generations are mixed, I try to follow the wiser generations by their good example. One thing they do which not everybody does is wait for our priest to sit down before sitting. At mass half of the parish sits immediately after a prayer, others wait and sit down after the priest sits down. That's a token of respect to our priest, even though I don't believe we are obliged to it.

How do some not show respect?

Terry

With the number of bad knees in my family, I'm borderline paranoid about even the slightest twitch of pain from my knees (and I once injured a knee getting up from a desk . . . and my father didn't want us playing football over knees . . .)

When my knees have been an issue, I've tended to brace myself against the pew to genuflect; this allows my arms to bear my weight instead of the knee. I've also knelt on just the other knee and let my weight be carried by my seat against the pew.

hawk

Father,

Right before the Eucharist, my priest will occasionally, in a reverend yet emphatic manner, announce that this is the most holy part of the Liturgy, and that there should be no talking,(sometimes a problem with children and those who are not receiving) and that all should approach reverendly and prepared...It does work, and has brought a sense of reverence that I have not experienced in all parishes.

Diligence does pay off.

Respectfully,
In Christ our Lord,
Alice

I could make an list which would go on infinitum.
Chewing gum when approaching the holy mysteries, grabbing at them, disrespectful clothing, talking on cell phones. etc.
Terry, waiting to sit until the priest does is not a sign of respect to the priest himself but to Christ of whom he is the alter christus. That is why such things drive me absolutely nuts.
Not because it is disrespectful towards me but Christ. And I find that attitude hard to tollerate.
Stephanos I

Can you imagine a young hispanic man who at the ringing of the bells signaling the consecration to have taken place to say "Pronto". Like he was some Italian answering the phone.
Well I was so incensed that I took the chiborium right with me and stood in front of them and I said, "gentlemen this is a church and such behaviour will NOT be tolerated.

Our priest put a sign on the front doors, it says in large print and with images, "No chewing gum, turn off your cell phones, no such and such dress".

It seems that in the American culture at large, the young are not expected to respect their elders and that many elders do not expect much from the youngins. Public schools too often take the role of parenting. Maybe that has an effect on how young people below the age of 35 behave.

Terry

Father, bless. I thought the original custom was to kneel until the Sacred Mysteries were placed in the Tabernacle. In the Latin Churches in my area, most people stop kneeling after the Tabernacle is closed, a handful wait until the priest sits.

I am forever amazed at the incredible number of saints in the latin rite. I have never attended a mass where everyone did not receive.
Reverence is nonexistent in any catholic churches I have seen in Montana. A convert friend was ordered by the priest to not attend mass if he intended to continue genuflecting before communion, and not to attend mass if he was not going to receive.
I have always been scandalized by the hordes who receive and then head out the door in order to be first out of the parking lot.
I have seen reverence at the church where adoration takes place four days a week. Though even there I was surprised one day when the other person present left without even checking to see if Our Lord would be left alone.
On topic, I bought a contraption I can use to lift myself up from my knees after prayers or after the prostrations in the orthodox church. Sometimes if I kneel that is where I will be unless I can find something to grab on to.

Terry,

How about kneeling on the good knee only, like one when genuflects.

Alice

P.S. Don't switch to the Greek Orthodox church because we too kneel!

Truly scandalous! A sign should be posted in the entrance to the church.

It may have something to do with the casual culture of California...It may have to do with people fulfilling their obligation mid week...but at St. Patrick's Cathedral in NYC, a reverend demeanor prevails every day, and one can hear a pin drop at any given time, even when a Mass is not being celebrated, despite hundreds of people in there at the same time--worshippers, tourists, visitors, volunteers, etc. I always find it most inspirational and a most conducive place to pray...and this solemn beauty and spiritual atmosphere is what I have always related Roman Catholic churches to. There are many factors to why that is not so everywhere, but I believe that one of the greatest is the actual architecture itself.

A sense of history, tradition and grandeur inspires respect, (one just wouldn't feel right being casual and disrespectful in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. either), and modern architecture and interiors simply do not command that same respect--they inspire a sense of the casual...one might compare it to the demeanor one sees of people strolling through the grand art museums like the Metropolitan Museum, the Louvre, etc. vs. those who are strolling through the Guggenheim or some even more modern catastrophes.

Anyway, sorry for going off topic! OOPS!

Alice

Alice,
After five years here people now know I am serious about reverence in the Church. The whole demeanor of people has changed, but we still get the odd occasional one who steps out of line.
Stephanos I

I am sure that in the short and the long run you are most respected and loved for it, though, judging from my own priest, you may not always feel it!

(I guess it is human nature that negative comments about or to us always seem to stick more than the positive ones)

May God bless you in your ministry!

In Christ,
Alice

As a nation, I think that we have lost our sense of reverence. The Liturgy is indeed something sacred and should be treated as such as is the reception of the Holy Mysteries! I have seen places where things are done with reverence and solemnity and then I have seen places where things were a little bit shabby. I do think we really are loosing our sense of reverence and we need to pray and both work on bringing it back! Hopefully I do not sound like an old prude.

Slava Isusu Khrystu!

John Doucette

No, you do not!

Regards,
Alice

Hopefully, the restoration of the Latin 1962 Liturgy will restore a spirit of reverence among Latin Catholics.

We have just begun 48 hours of adoration and intercessory prayer for the Church, the Nation, our Parish and for the World.
Also centering of God's blessing on families, the conversion of sinners and peace.
Already we can see signs of God's work.
Stephanos I

The first time my father had me behind the wheel he took me along what was then called "Blood Alley" in San Jose--at night!

I have driven in New York and Chicago.

I regularly drove LA freeways during the freeway shootings of the late 80's.

I've driven in extreme rain, on ice, and in near-blizzard, in black snow, and in fog so thick I had to open the driver's door to find the dotted line in the road.

I've driven the monster U-haul with the monster trailer down the Rockies with the brakes toasted and the transmission broken and stuck in third gear.

I can handle those. The only place where I'm scared to drive is in an RC parking lot after mass . . .



hawk

Prayer works.

hawk
how about this one Eucharistic radar
- you know just when precisely to walk in the back line, go uo up the line and then turn around and walk out - but oh my youve done your obligation.
Stephanos I

I've seen and never understood that one, too . . . or bringing the big bundle or bags up to Communion so that they don't need to go back to their pew on the way out . . .

I understnd the removal of infants who reach their "use by date" :), and have been that parent, but my wife stayed in with the other kids (I even remember dashing home for diapers when one just couldn't wait to the end of Mass to be changed!).

I just can't understand the need to escape (or the willingness to kill in the parking lot).

(OK, I'll admit to being desperate to get away the Music Mafia more than once, but . . .)

hawk

To report! Great graces already taking place through the adoration and intercessory prayer. We had intended to have a least just two there each hour but there has been as many as 10 to 12 and any given time.
Stephanos I
I recommend this for every parish.
Too bad it isnt an Eastern Catholic custom, it gives so much grace.