I won’t stand for this!
Standing during the Consecration. (A serious post.)
Where did this come from? (I really do know!) But I don’t like it, I always kneel - the rubrics instruct us to do so. I found a document wherein Fr. Joseph Fessio addressed this issue:
“It is not an insignificant detail. That is why the Church regulates the
posture as well as the words of liturgical celebrations. In this case, the rubric in force is from the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM). no. 21, requiring that people
“should kneel at the Consecration unless prevented by lack of space, large numbers, or other reasonable cause.”
This is the norm—and has been since at least 1201 A.D.—in the Roman Rite. The bishops of the United States of America asked for and received approval from Rome for the congregation to remain kneeling throughout the Canon of the Mass (from the end of the <Sanctus> through the Great Amen) and from the <Agnus Dei> until the
Postcommunion prayer. This remains the norm in the U.S. In fact, in June of 1995 at their annual summer meeting, the U.S. bishops rejected a proposal that kneeling at this time should be optional rather than mandatory.” - EWTN Library
Nevertheless, liturgists like to make up their own rules - read this from the bulletin Fessio is commenting on:
“It has to do with the slow recovery of the importance of the eucharistic prayer in the Mass. We are talking about the prayer that begins with “The Lord be with you,” “Lift up your hearts” and ends with the Great Amen. This is one prayer. It has an integrity of its own; and it is important not to single out one moment or part (such as the moment or words of consecration) as more important than the rest. To underline that integrity it is best to take the same bodily posture during the entire prayer. The eucharistic prayer is basically a prayer of praise and thanksgiving (even if it includes an intercessory part), and as a prayer of praise and thanksgiving it calls for the bodily posture of standing.
Moreover it is a communal prayer, a prayer of the community even if it is proclaimed by the presider. As a communal prayer it calls for all to take the same bodily posture.
At the heart of the sacrament of unity (which the eucharist is) we would not want to be doing different things. It is true that, for a long time, we did not have this appreciation for the eucharistic prayer. The moment and words of consecration were given so much importance that they virtually eclipsed the rest of the eucharistic prayer. Bells would be rung, the choir would not sing, everyone would observe silence, all but the priest would be on their knees. While all this spoke of immense faith and devotion, the disadvantage of that was (in retrospect) that we tended to overlook the rest of that one prayer of which the words of consecration are “only” a part.” - EWTN Library
I know - this is an old tired issue - but lately some bloggers have been reprising old issues, such as everyone going to communion in swimsuits, and chest-bumps and moose-licks during the sign of peace, etc., so I thought I’d throw this into the mix.
“I’m mad as hell and I am not going to take it anymore!” - A quote from C. of A. I think…or was that from ‘Network’?
ANYONE CARE TO COMMENT?
(I have to wonder if that Machu Picchu thing will even be taken seriously – that is if the Pope ever decides to release it!)
June 27th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
I experienced my first non-kneeling Mass at the Newman Center at Mizzou back in ‘88 (my freshman year). I was really taken aback by it and felt so awkward being the only one kneeling that I started standing w/everyone else. Luckily I haven’t been to any parishes locally that stand throughout the Eucharistic Prayer (not that I would join them these days; I totally believe in kneeling & am unapologetic about it); BUT I recently visited a monastic community that stands around the altar in a semi-circle during the Eucharistic prayer. I couldn’t NOT join them (I was there on a discernment visit), and it just felt wrong. The alternative for the monks would be to stay in their choir stalls, turned towards the altar … which for ME is preferable, but … is that enough for me to no longer consider this particular community in my discernment? I don’t know. I’m still praying about it.
June 27th, 2007 at 1:36 pm
Sounds to me like the bulletin writer is more of a control freak trying to enforce uniformity than a leader promoting authentic unity. He needs to learn the difference between the two.
I’m surprised he didn’t take the archaeologistic approach and suggest that the priest should have a bar stool at the altar to sit on, since Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist while seated at a table.
June 27th, 2007 at 1:56 pm
Terry:
Don’t want you to leave the Church, so here’s a comment.
When I lived in WA State, it was hard to find a church that didn’t anger you to distraction (the local priest often came out before Mass to light the altar candles in tennis shoes, chewing gum, and lit the candles with a one of those clicker lighter sticks…but I digress) No one knelt except me. I had more of an overriding sense to kneel (a miracle is happening and God is present before me) than a sense of embarrassment that I was the only one kneeling. After awhile of doing this, a little elderly lady that often sat near me started to kneel, too. Then a few more. I was trying to be inconspicuous about kneeling since I had heard on EWTN or in a Catholic paper, that if you’re going to do things against the grain, even though they may be correct, you should do it in a manner to not draw attention to yourself. Plenty of people I know would’ve have been a great deal more brazen about kneeling, but I wasn’t sure what tack was best.
In the end, I realized I was there to be with God and conducted myself as if I was before God and the heck with what everyone else was doing (or wearing or thinking or …)
BTW: I think I might leave the Church, too ;}
June 27th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
Thanks everyone for your good comments - having waded through my lame attempts at humor!
Don’t worry - I won’t leave the Church - God willing - it worked for one person, so I thought I’d try it in order to get comments.
June 27th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
I’ve never attended a non-kneeler. Didn’t know they existed.
June 27th, 2007 at 7:15 pm
Terry: See, your petulant threats worked!
I prefer to call these posts: Classic.
It’s funny, but I don’t remember Adoro talking about moose licks in her post. But, you could be projecting your lived experience into a post-yet again!
What does EWTN advise for Yoga Masses where everyone has to do the Downward Facing Dog move at the Consecration? What if you can’t do it? How oppressed and EXCLUDED are those folks?!?
Where’s Che when I need him? This sounds like something he can yell at someone about.
June 27th, 2007 at 7:37 pm
Cath - yeah, classic is good, thanks!
Gosh, did I misread Adoro again? I do like chest bumps however - I feel real sportsman-like when I do it.
June 28th, 2007 at 5:39 pm
I heard once from someone at the Basilica that “standing” came from Canada.
What with all the strange liturgical goings on up there, I think that there may be a modicum of truth to that. Their Council of Bishops authorized that practice long before our Council even sat down to talk about it.
And a lot of “progressives” thought it was cool (and “easy on the knees”, no doubt).