Before Entering a Catholic Church The first thing youll see people doing is dipping their finger in some water and then crossing themselves. This water has been blessed by a priest or deacon, and is called holy water. When people bless themselves with holy water, they are remembering their baptism. Making the sign of the cross is done quite often by Catholics, so you should make sure you know how to do this. First, you touch your forehead with a finger of your right hand, saying, In the name of the Father, then touch your lower chest, saying, the Son, next touch your left shoulder, saying, and the Holy, and finally touch your right shoulder, saying, Spirit. Whenever you hear the priest say, In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, everyone crosses themselves. The priest doesnt always cross himself, but sometimes makes the sign of the cross in the air, several inches in front of him. When he does this, hes blessing everyone, and you simply cross yourself. If you go to an Eastern church, youll notice they cross them selves from right to left instead of left to right. This is actually the older tradition, and we dont really know why it changed in the Roman Church; although there are a few theories. As well, Eastern Christians cross themselves every time the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are mentioned, and theyre mentioned quite often in the Divine Liturgy. Before everyone takes their seats, youll usually see them bow, dip their knees a bit, and some even bounce a knee off the floor. This is one gesture that many Catholics do without knowing why theyre doing it or how to do it properly. What theyre doing (or should be doing) is called genuflecting. The correct way to do it is by touching your right knee to the floor. You genuflect because the Real Presence of Christ is present in the tabernacle, and genuflecting is an act of adoration to His Real Presence. The basic idea is that you bow to the altar, and genuflect to the tabernacle. The tabernacle is a locked box where the Body of Christ is kept for adoration and in reserve to give to the sick that cant attend Mass. Most newer or renovated churches have the tabernacle off to the side or in another room, and you can usually find it by looking for a red light that looks important. In older churches, the tabernacle is right in front of everything. If the tabernacle is in front of you, genuflect to it, otherwise, just bow to the altar. Remember, whenever youre walking around the church and you pass in front of the tabernacle, genuflect to it. As well, whenever you pass in front of the altar, bow to it. Genuflecting is a Roman thing. Eastern Christians bow and make the sign of the cross when they pass in front of the tabernacle. As well, the tabernacle is always on the main altar in Eastern churches. Genuflecting is basically momentarily kneeling, and in the East, kneeling is an act of penance. In the West, kneeling can be an act of penance, but it can also be an act of adoration, which is what genuflecting to the tabernacle is all about. Not everyone is able to genuflect due to health issues. If youre unable to genuflect, you can make a profound bow, that is, a bow from the waist. If youre unable to make a profound bow, you can just bow your head. And, if youre unable to bow you head, you can simply lower your eyes. Do whatever you can to make a sign of reverence and adoration. Before Mass starts, youll see some people kneeling. Theyre simply getting ready for Mass by praying. You can either sit or kneel as you pray. During this time before Mass starts, you should remain silent as others pray. This silence should be observed in the [main part of the] church, in the sacristy, in the vesting room, and in adjacent areas. The only exception to this silence is if those performing music ministry practice the response to the Psalm with the congregation.
Posted on: Sun, 06 Jul 2014 06:23:51 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015