Genuflection at the Altar on RECEIVING THE SACRED ELEMENTS
|
20/11/09 There are many servers and congregation members who
receive at the Altar Rail and Genuflect after receiving |
|
|
DAB 21/11/09 |
|
I was always taught that as the consecrated elements were still in the priest's hands , or on the altar, within the sanctuary, a genuflection at the altar rail is right & proper. DAB (Hon Life Member) |
|
Craig Aburn 21/11/09 |
|
Terry - I quite agree with you! Craig Aburn |
|
21/11/09 |
|
Well
done Terry! To me the practice of genuflection after reception has
always been “High Church” rather than a Catholic practice. As a somewhat
arrogant teenager I was always rather contemptuous of “middle of the
road” clergy who used to (and still do) pinch catholic practices and use
them to make their services more of an event and yet deny vast swathes
of catholic teaching. I always thought this to be rather dishonest. A
genuflexion immediately after reception of the Holy Sacrament to me
definitely falls into this category. |
|
MHG - 25/11/09 |
|
Interestingly enough we were always taught to genuflect at the Altar
rail before receiving as well as after receiving – after which it is not
necessary to bow to the Altar upon leaving or returning to your pew or
at the Chancel step. |
|
25/11/09 |
|
I can understand Terry's argument, but I think it raises more questions. For example :- after receiving, and becoming a Tabernacle of the Sacred Elements, how long does one retain that honoured status? I would have said "forever", so in that case one would never need to genuflect again. So what happens when we enter Church the next day - or the next week - to receive Communion again? Are we still a Tabernacle of the Sacred Elements? If not, when did we cease do be so? My instinctive feeling is that it's churlish to receive the Sacramental presence of Christ and then to return without some act of reverence, so I personally will continue to genuflect to the consecrated elements which are still in the Priest's hands or on the Altar. |