Guidelines on When to Genuflect, Kneel, or Bow

John William Waterhouse [Public domain], via Wikimedia

Well, our parish last weekend was and probably is now doing it, I mean kneeling from the Consecration prayer until the Great Amen.  I wasn't really surprised because I read recently the proposal from Bishop Socrates Villegas, the CBCP President, having mass-attendees to follow the longer gesture of adoration harkening the same act that was done before the Second Vatican Council.

Now, before we rent our cloaks because we think that the Church is going back to before Vatican II, you are mistaken and you have to think it through.  The logic behind the liturgical gesture is to give much more adoration to the Real Presence of Christ who really is there in the bread and wine, which is not that bad a move and at the most really beautiful. We do all pray though that hopefully the priest does not use the longer Eucharistic Prayer Number 4. However if it does happen, your little sacrifice goes a long way.

To those who have weak knees like myself and disabilities, you can either stand if you can or sit if you can't do both standing and kneeling.  Someone very close to me can't stand more than five minutes in any situation due to a fused hip joint and sits through the whole mass.  She bows while sitting during the Consecration prayer. 

So to make things clear, here are some basic guidelines on kneeling, genuflecting and bowing when inside a church.  Keep in mind that there is so much consideration for those who have great difficulty in genuflecting or kneeling, standing or an honorable bow is a good alternative. 

1. We bow to the altar 

As the table of sacrifice during liturgical rites (mass), we bow to give reverence to the altar especially when the tabernacle is empty.

2. We genuflect when the Blessed Sacrament is in the tabernacle

As the Real Presence of Christ is in the tabernacle, people are advised to genuflect with one knee as soon as we enter the church to give homage to our Lord.

We can know that the Eucharist is inside the tabernacle if the tabernacle lamp or the small red fire-like lamp is on.  When we cross through the center aisle to the other side, we genuflect as well.  During Good Friday and Black Saturday, we also are to genuflect on the unveiled crucifix.

3. We do a double genuflection (both knees) when are adoring the Blessed Sacrament during exposition

This happens especially inside the adoration chapel.  Even if its a chapel with shoes allowed inside we do a double genuflection when we enter the chapel.  





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Sources:

New Advent. Genuflexion. Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved July 27, 2016 from http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06423a.htm

Hoffman, F. How to Genuflect. Our Sunday Visitor. Retrieved July 27, 2016 from https://www.osv.com/TheChurch/Article/TabId/563/ArtMID/13751/ArticleID/16379/How-to-Genuflect.aspx