What makes it hard for us to genuflect before our God? We, the lay people, religious nuns and brothers, extraordinary ministers, seminarians, altar servers, church assistants and helpers, even priests, pass before the tabernacle with the sanctuary lamp lit or before the exposed Blessed Sacrament and just do a simple bow when we should genuflect! Sometimes we even just ignore the Divine Presence. What makes it so difficult for us to give due reverence to Jesus who is truly present in the Blessed Sacrament? Are we afraid and ashamed that our fellow "catholics" would accuse us of worshiping and genuflecting before a wafer or cookie? Has genuflecting become a scandal? Are we afraid that they would accuse us of superstition? Is this an "inculturation" thing that prevents us from doing so? If the statues could move, they would already have knelt and worshiped.
Lord, we ask for Your forgiveness and mercy. Teach us to humble ourselves before You, to give due reverence to You, our Lord, our Saviour, our King. Give us the courage not to be afraid and ashamed to kneel, genuflect and give you due reverence when people accuse us of worshiping a cookie when it is really is Your Body, it is really You who Is truly present. Amen.
1 comment:
This is a very true observation. And we who know ought to give example even when it would mean mockery from our ignorant brothers.
Along this line, the practice of making a simple head bow at the mention of the Holy Trinity and the Most Holy Names of Jesus and Mary should also be continued, don’t you think? Though we don’t see his often, the rubrics even of the Novus Ordo Missae says:
275. Inclinatione significatur reverentia et honor quae personis ipsis vel eorum signis tribuitur. Duae species inclinationum habentur, scilicet capitis et corporis:
a. Inclinatio capitis fit cum tres Divinae Personae simul nominantur, et ad nomen Iesu, beatae Mariae Virginis et Sancti in cuius honorem celebratur Missa.
275. A bow signifies reverence and honor shown to the persons themselves or to the signs that represent them. There are two kinds of bows: a bow of the head and a bow of the body.
a. A bow of the head is made when the three Divine Persons are named together and at the names of Jesus, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and of the Saint in whose honor Mass is being celebrated.
-Joseph
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