while back our Bishop told our parish (diocese?) that we should stand after receiving Holy Communion until everyone was done and the priest sat down and then we could kneel and pray if we wanted to in that bit of silence. Quite ridiculous to say the least. Anyhow, we did that for some time, but I can't remember what happened. Everyone just started to kneel again and now pretty much no one ever stands after receiving Communion. I would ask your priest to tell you exactly where this directive is coming from. I have a very hard time believing this is universal and required.
The best I can figure out (from the GIRM online) is that the bishops have the final say regarding postures at different parts of the mass. So - maybe that's a directive from your bishop. I was always taught that we continued kneeling in prayer until the tabernacle was shut.
I am completely ignorant of all things GIRM. I can only tell you that here, we return from Communion, (some of us) kneel, and when Father closes the Tabernacle, we return to our seat. Is standing a greater sign of respect than kneeling, or something? Either way, much greater reverence is being shown to the Blessed Sacrament among us, than sitting.
"GIRM, No. 43, caused some controversy. It affirms that the faithful 'may sit or kneel while the period of sacred silence after Communion is observed.'
"Some liturgists, and even some bishops, interpreted this text to mean that nobody should kneel or sit until everybody had received Communion. The resulting debate led Cardinal Francis George, president of the U.S. bishops' Liturgy Committee (BCL), to request an authentic interpretation from the Holy See on May 26, 2003.
"Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, responded to the question on June 5, 2003 (Prot. N. 855/03/L):
"'Responsum: "Negative, et ad mentem" [No, for this reason]. The mens [reasoning] is that the prescription of the Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani, no. 43, is intended, on the one hand, to ensure within broad limits a certain uniformity of posture within the congregation for the various parts of the celebration of Holy Mass, and on the other, to not regulate posture rigidly in such a way that those who wish to kneel or sit would no longer be free.'
"Having received this response, the BCL Newsletter commented: 'In the implementation of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, therefore, posture should not be regulated so rigidly as to forbid individual communicants from kneeling or sitting when returning from having received Holy Communion' (p. 26)."
Of course you must do what your Bishop has you do.
In our parish, and throughout this diocese, the common practice is, we kneel after reception of Communion, and all remain kneeling until our Pastor is completely finished with the post communion duties, and then goes to the presider's chair to sit for a quiet relfection time. We then quietly sit along with him in continued silence.
6 comments:
while back our Bishop told our parish (diocese?) that we should stand after receiving Holy Communion until everyone was done and the priest sat down and then we could kneel and pray if we wanted to in that bit of silence. Quite ridiculous to say the least. Anyhow, we did that for some time, but I can't remember what happened. Everyone just started to kneel again and now pretty much no one ever stands after receiving Communion. I would ask your priest to tell you exactly where this directive is coming from. I have a very hard time believing this is universal and required.
God Bless!
The best I can figure out (from the GIRM online) is that the bishops have the final say regarding postures at different parts of the mass. So - maybe that's a directive from your bishop. I was always taught that we continued kneeling in prayer until the tabernacle was shut.
http://www.adoremus.org/0703Kneel.html
This question was argued among the bishops and then put to the CDW - and Cardinal Arinze responded. You can read it in full here.
This is a few years old, but I do not think this has changed in the last 4 years.
I am completely ignorant of all things GIRM. I can only tell you that here, we return from Communion, (some of us) kneel, and when Father closes the Tabernacle, we return to our seat.
Is standing a greater sign of respect than kneeling, or something? Either way, much greater reverence is being shown to the Blessed Sacrament among us, than sitting.
"GIRM, No. 43, caused some controversy. It affirms that the faithful 'may sit or kneel while the period of sacred silence after Communion is observed.'
"Some liturgists, and even some bishops, interpreted this text to mean that nobody should kneel or sit until everybody had received Communion. The resulting debate led Cardinal Francis George, president of the U.S. bishops' Liturgy Committee (BCL), to request an authentic interpretation from the Holy See on May 26, 2003.
"Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, responded to the question on June 5, 2003 (Prot. N. 855/03/L):
"'Responsum: "Negative, et ad mentem" [No, for this reason]. The mens [reasoning] is that the prescription of the Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani, no. 43, is intended, on the one hand, to ensure within broad limits a certain uniformity of posture within the congregation for the various parts of the celebration of Holy Mass, and on the other, to not regulate posture rigidly in such a way that those who wish to kneel or sit would no longer be free.'
"Having received this response, the BCL Newsletter commented: 'In the implementation of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, therefore, posture should not be regulated so rigidly as to forbid individual communicants from kneeling or sitting when returning from having received Holy Communion' (p. 26)."
This is an interesting question.
Of course you must do what your Bishop has you do.
In our parish, and throughout this diocese, the common practice is, we kneel after reception of Communion, and all remain kneeling until our Pastor is completely finished with the post communion duties, and then goes to the presider's chair to sit for a quiet relfection time. We then quietly sit along with him in continued silence.
Blessings,
Denise
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