Postures at Mass
by
Father Walter Tappe
Director, Office of Worship
Archdiocese of
Postures at Mass should be in
accord with nature of rites celebrated
Catholic
liturgy calls for the involvement of the whole person—spirit, soul and body.
The bodily postures that the congregation adopts at Mass--whether standing,
kneeling, or sitting--accord with the nature of the rites being celebrated.
Before
Mass begins, members of the congregation or assembly, once they have entered
the church and genuflected in adoration before the tabernacle, normally sit in
silence in their pew, perhaps after kneeling briefly to offer a few preparatory
prayers.
As
Mass begins with the entrance song and procession, all stand in acknowledgement
that Christ, the High Priest, is present in the Eucharistic assembly to lead it
in the worship of His heavenly Father.
The
congregation remains standing throughout the Mass's Introductory Rites: the
Sign of the Cross and Greeting, the Act of Penitence, the Gloria, and the Collect.
These rites dispose the congregation to a grateful and attentive reception of
the word of God that will be proclaimed in the Liturgy of the Word that
follows.
The
congregation sits for the first part of the Liturgy of the Word, namely, for
the first reading, the responsorial psalm, and the second reading. The
congregation sits so that it may comfortably and effectively listen to and
absorb the word of God proclaimed by the readers.
The
congregation stands, however, at the time of the proclamation of the Gospel,
for whereas in the first two readings the word of God is communicated in the
words of the prophets and apostles of the Old and New Testaments, in the Gospel
it is the Word of God Himself, our Lord Jesus Christ, who speaks to the
assembly.
The
congregation sits again to listen to the homily. It remains sitting during the
period of silence after the homily as it reflects upon the word of God it has
heard.
At
the conclusion of this period of reflection, the congregation stands to profess
its faith and exercise its baptismal priesthood by offering prayers and
petitions on behalf of the Church and the world. The Liturgy of the Word
concludes with this Prayer of the Faithful.
All
then sit as the altar is prepared for the Liturgy of the Eucharist. In some
churches, all the members of the congregation rise from their places to bring
their monetary offerings forward for the needs of the Church and the poor.
Selected members of the congregation then bring forward the bread and wine that
will be consecrated in the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
The
congregation stands as the priest invites it to pray that God may accept the
gifts of bread and wine that symbolize the congregation's self-donation to God.
The
congregation remains standing for its prayer, "May the Lord accept the
sacrifice at your hands," and for the Prayer over the Offerings that
follows.
Then
begins the center and summit of the entire Mass, the Eucharistic Prayer. The
congregation stands for the first part of this prayer, namely, for the initial
dialogue between priest and people that includes the exhortation, "Lift up
your hearts," for the prayer of thanksgiving called the Preface that
recounts the marvels of God, and for the acclamation, the Sanctus (Holy, Holy,
Holy) that follows the Preface.
After
the Sanctus, the congregation kneels and remains kneeling for the remainder of
the Eucharistic Prayer. In many places throughout the Catholic world, the
congregation kneels only at the time of the Consecration and remains standing
for the rest of the Eucharistic Prayer. The long-standing custom in the
What
is the meaning of this posture during the Eucharistic prayer? Sometimes, in
liturgical practice, kneeling signifies sorrow for sin, as when one kneels to
confess one's sins in the Sacrament of Penance. At other times it signifies
adoration, as one kneels in front of the tabernacle. The kneeling that takes
place during the Eucharistic Prayer is primarily a posture of profound
self-offering in which the congregation unites itself to the Sacrifice of
Christ enacted on the altar.
At
the conclusion of the Eucharistic Prayer, the congregation voices its
"Amen" to all that has taken place at the altar and then rises for
the Rite of Communion. The congregation stands for the first two components of
this rite, the recitation of the Lord's Prayer and the Rite of Peace. It
remains standing for the Fraction, when the consecrated Bread is broken for
distribution to the assembly, as the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) is sung or
recited.
Then
the congregation kneels again as the sacred Body and Blood of the Lord are
shown to the faithful. Here the kneeling posture is a sign of worship and
fervent petition ("Lord, I am not worthy, . . only say the word . . ").
The
congregation usually remains kneeling until it is time to come forward to
receive Holy Communion. The normal posture for receiving Communion is standing.
As a sign of reverence to our Lord in the sacrament, communicants bow their
heads as the communicant in front of them receives the Sacred Host. The same is
done when receiving the Precious Blood from the chalice.
Customarily,
after receiving Communion and returning to their pew or chair, communicants
begin a period of prayerful meditation. There is no designated posture for this
period of meditation. Some communicants prefer to remain kneeling. Some prefer
to sit.
All
stand for the Prayer after Communion that concludes the Communion Rite. They
may then sit for announcements, but stand again for the final Blessing and
Dismissal that conclude the liturgy. Before departing the church, members of
the assembly customarily genuflect toward the tabernacle.
Thursday, June 3, 2004