Genuflection

Last updated
Genuflection on one knee, during a Catholic Mass St Maria Sehnde Gottesdienst.jpg
Genuflection on one knee, during a Catholic Mass

Genuflection or genuflexion is the act of bending a knee to the ground, as distinguished from kneeling which more strictly involves both knees. From early times, it has been a gesture of deep respect for a superior. Today, the gesture is common in the Christian religious practices of the Anglicanism, [1] Lutheranism, [2] the Catholic Church, [3] and Western Rite Orthodoxy. [4] The Latin word genuflectio, from which the English word is derived, originally meant kneeling with both knees rather than the rapid dropping to one knee and immediately rising that became customary in Western Europe in the Middle Ages. It is often referred to as "going down on one knee" or "bowing the knee". [5] In Western culture, one genuflects on the left knee to a human dignitary, whether ecclesiastical or civil, while, in Christian churches and chapels, one genuflects on the right knee when the Sacrament is not exposed but in a tabernacle or veiled (conversely, one kneels with both knees if the Sacrament is exposed).

Contents

History

Traditionally marriage proposals use genuflection High Line Nyc Marriage Proposal.jpg
Traditionally marriage proposals use genuflection

In 328 BC, Alexander the Great introduced into his court-etiquette some form of genuflection already in use in Persia, a modification to the tradition of Proskynesis. [6] In the Byzantine Empire even senators were required to genuflect to the emperor. [7] In medieval Europe, one demonstrated respect for a king or noble by going down on the left knee, often remaining there until told to rise. It is traditionally often performed in western cultures by a man making a proposal of marriage. This is done on the left knee.

The custom of genuflecting, as a sign of respect and even of service, arose out of the honor given to medieval kings. In modern times, when the folded flag of a fallen veteran is offered to the family, the presenting officer will go down on his left knee, if the recipient is seated. [8]

In Christianity

Genuflection, typically on one knee, still plays a part in the Anglican, Lutheran, Roman Catholic and Western Rite Orthodox traditions, among other churches; it is different from kneeling in prayer, which is more widespread.

Those for whom the gesture is difficult, such as the aged or those in poor physical condition, are not expected to perform it. Bowing of the head or at the waist, if possible, are common substitutes.

Except for those people, genuflection is still today mandatory in some situations, such as (in the Catholic Church) when passing in front of the Blessed Sacrament, or during the Consecration in the Mass.

In the King James Version of the Holy Scriptures, the verb "to kneel" occurs more than thirty times, both in the Old and in The New Testament. [9]

In front of the Blessed Sacrament

Genuflection is a sign of reverence to the Blessed Sacrament. Its purpose is to allow the worshipper to engage his whole person in acknowledging the presence of and to honor Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. [10] It is customary to genuflect whenever one comes into or leaves the presence of the Blessed Sacrament reserved in the Tabernacle. "This venerable practice of genuflecting before the Blessed Sacrament, whether enclosed in the tabernacle or publicly exposed, as a sign of adoration, ...requires that it be performed in a recollected way. In order that the heart may bow before God in profound reverence, the genuflection must be neither hurried nor careless." [11]

Genuflection to the Blessed Sacrament, the consecrated Eucharist, especially when arriving or leaving its presence, is a practice in the Anglicanism, [1] the Latin Church of the Catholic Church, [3] Lutheranism, [2] and Western Rite Orthodoxy. [4] It is a comparatively modern replacement for the profound bow of head and body that remains the supreme act of liturgical reverence in the East. [12] Since in many Anglican, Roman Catholic and Western Orthodox Churches the Blessed Sacrament is normally present behind the altar, genuflection is usual when arriving or passing in front of the altar at the communion rail.

Only during the later Middle Ages, centuries after it had become customary to genuflect to persons in authority such as bishops, was genuflection to the Blessed Sacrament introduced. The practice gradually spread and became viewed as obligatory only from the end of the fifteenth century, receiving formal recognition in 1502. The raising of the consecrated Host and Chalice after the Consecration in order to show them to the people was for long unaccompanied by obligatory genuflections. [12]

The requirement that genuflection take place on both knees before the Blessed Sacrament when it is unveiled as at Expositions (but not when it is lying on the corporal during Mass) [12] was altered in 1973 with introduction of the following rule: "Genuflection in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, whether reserved in the tabernacle or exposed for public adoration, is on one knee." [13] "Since a genuflection is, per se, an act of adoration, the general liturgical norms no longer make any distinction between the mode of adoring Christ reserved in the tabernacle or exposed upon the altar. The simple single genuflection on one knee may be used in all cases." [14] However, in some countries the episcopal conference has chosen to retain the double genuflection to the Blessed Sacrament, which is performed by kneeling briefly on both knees and reverently bowing the head with hands joined. [14]

As a result of the custom of genuflecting to the sacrament, it is customary in some countries, Germany for example, for people attending mass to genuflect before entering their pew during mass and when leaving it. Though the sacrament in its tabernacle is the "recipient" of this sign of respect, it is almost invariably performed in the direction of the (high) altar, and the crucifix above or behind it as being the most easily recognisable landmark in any church (it is also almost always in close proximity to the tabernacle).

Episcopalian practice

In the Episcopal Church, genuflection is an act of personal piety and is not required by the prayer book. In some parishes it is a customary gesture of reverence for Christ's real presence in the consecrated Eucharistic elements of bread and wine, particularly in parishes with an Anglo-Catholic tradition. [15]

Generally, if the Blessed Sacrament is reserved in the church, it is customary to acknowledge the Lord's presence with a brief act of worship on entering or leaving the building – normally, a genuflection in the direction of the place of reservation. [16]

During the Liturgy

Manuel II of Portugal during Missa de Campanha, c. 1910 Roi Manuel agenouillant.jpg
Manuel II of Portugal during Missa de Campanha, c. 1910

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal lays down the following rules for genuflections during Mass: [17]

During Mass, three genuflections are made by the priest celebrant: namely, after the showing of the host, after the showing of the chalice, and before Communion. Certain specific features to be observed in a concelebrated Mass are noted in their proper place (cf. nos. 210-251).

If, however, the tabernacle with the Most Blessed Sacrament is present in the sanctuary, the priest, the deacon, and the other ministers genuflect when they approach the altar and when they depart from the sanctuary, but not during the celebration of Mass itself.

Otherwise all who pass before the Most Blessed Sacrament genuflect, unless they are moving in procession.

Ministers carrying the processional cross or candles bow their heads instead of genuflecting.

Other genuflections

In the Byzantine Rite, most widely observed in the Eastern Orthodox Church, genuflection plays a smaller role and prostration, known as proskynesis , is much more common. During the holy mystery of reconciliation, however, following confession of sins, the penitent is to genuflect with head bowed before the Gospel Book or an icon of Christ as the confessor - either a bishop or a presbyter - formally declares God's forgiveness.[ citation needed ]

Genuflection or kneeling is prescribed at various points of the Roman Rite liturgy, such as after the mention of Jesus' death on the cross in the readings of the Passion during Holy Week.

A right knee genuflection is made during and after the Adoration of the Cross on Good Friday. [8]

A genuflection is made at the mention of the Incarnation in the words et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto, ex Maria Virgine, et homo factus est ("and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man") in the Creed on the solemnities of Christmas and the Annunciation. [18]

It is common practice that during the recital of the Angelus prayer, for the lines "And the Word was made flesh/And dwelt among us", those reciting the prayer bow or genuflect. [19]

Tridentine Mass

In the Tridentine Mass this genuflection is made on any day on which the Creed is recited at Mass, as well as at several other points:

  • at the words et Verbum caro factum est ("and the Word became flesh") [20] in the prologue of the Gospel of John, which is the usual Last Gospel, as well as the Gospel for the third Mass on Christmas.
  • at the words et procidentes adoraverunt eum ("and falling down they adored him") in the Gospel for the Epiphany, Matthew 2:1-12 (which before 1960 was also the Last Gospel of the third Mass on Christmas)
  • at the words Adiuva nos ... during the (identical) Tract said on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in Lent, except on Ember Wednesday. But no genuflection is envisaged when after Septuagesima the same Tract is used in the votive Mass at a time of Mortality (Missa votiva tempore mortalitatis)
  • at the words et procidens adoravit eum ("and falling down he adored him") at the end of the Gospel for Wednesday in the Fourth Week of Lent, John 9:1-38
  • at the words ut in nomine Iesu omne genu flectatur caelestium, terrestrium et infernorum ("that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth") in the Epistle (Philippians 2:5–11) of Palm Sunday, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on 14 September (and also, before 1960, the Feast of the Invention of the Holy Cross on 3 May) and in the Epistle (Philippians 2:8–11) of the votive Mass of the Passion of the Lord.
  • at the words Veni, sancte Spiritus in the Alleluia before the Sequence on Pentecost Sunday and the Octave of Pentecost and in the votive Mass of the Holy Spirit

In the Maronite Catholic Church, there is an evocative ceremony of genuflection on the feast of Pentecost. The congregation genuflects first on the left knee to God the Father, then on the right knee to God the Son, and finally on both knees to God the Holy Spirit.

Genuflecting to a bishop

From the custom of genuflecting to kings and other nobles arose the custom by which lay people or clergy of lesser rank genuflect to a prelate and kiss his episcopal ring, [21] as a sign of acceptance of the bishop's apostolic authority as representing Christ in the local church, [22] and originally their social position as lords. Abbots and other senior monastics often received genuflection from their monks and often others.

Genuflecting before greater prelates (i.e. Bishops in their own dioceses, Metropolitans in their province, Papal Legates in the territory assigned to them, and Cardinals either outside of Rome or in the church assigned to them in Rome) is treated as obligatory in editions of the Caeremoniale Episcoporum earlier than that of 1985; [23] during liturgical functions according to these prescriptions, clergy genuflect when passing before such prelates, but an officiating priest and any more junior prelates, canons, etc. substitute a bow of the head and shoulders for the genuflection. [12]

The present Catholic liturgical books exclude genuflecting to a bishop during the liturgy: "A genuflection, made by bending the right knee to the ground, signifies adoration, and therefore it is reserved for the Most Blessed Sacrament, as well as for the Holy Cross from the solemn adoration during the liturgical celebration on Good Friday until the beginning of the Easter Vigil." [17] But outside of the liturgy some continue to genuflect or kneel to kiss a bishop's ring. [24]

Though it is frequently asserted that genuflections are to be made on the left knee when made to merely human authorities, [8] there is no such prescription in any liturgical book.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maundy Thursday</span> Christian holiday commemorating the Last Supper

Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday, among other names, is the day during Holy Week that commemorates the Washing of the Feet (Maundy) and Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles, as described in the canonical gospels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Week</span> Calendar date

Holy Week includes the events of Jesus Christ's entry into Jerusalem, the last supper, the arrest, and his death by crucifixion. For all Christian traditions, it is a moveable observance. In Eastern Christianity, which also calls it Great Week, it is the week following Great Lent and Lazarus Saturday, starting on the evening of Palm Sunday and concluding on the evening of Great Saturday. In Western Christianity, Holy Week is the sixth and last week of Lent, beginning with Palm Sunday and concluding on Holy Saturday.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benediction</span> Short invocation for divine help

A benediction is a short invocation for divine help, blessing and guidance, usually at the end of worship service. It can also refer to a specific Christian religious service including the exposition of the eucharistic host in the monstrance and the blessing of the people with it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pontifical High Mass</span> High Mass celebrated by a Catholic bishop

A Pontifical High Mass, also called Solemn Pontifical Mass, is a Solemn or High Mass celebrated by a bishop using certain prescribed ceremonies. Although in modern English the word "pontifical" is almost exclusively associated with the pope, any bishop may be properly called a pontiff. Thus, the celebrant of a Pontifical High Mass may be the pope, any bishop or any other prelate who is allowed to wear pontificals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thurible</span> Metal vessel on chains for burning incense

A thurible is a metal incense burner suspended from chains, in which incense is burned during worship services. It is used in Christian churches, including the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Assyrian Church of the East and Oriental Orthodox, Church of England as well as in some Lutheran, Old Catholic, United Methodist, Reformed, Presbyterian Church USA, and Anglican churches. In Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican churches, the altar server who carries the thurible is called the thurifer. The practice is rooted in the earlier traditions of Judaism dating from the time of the Second Jewish Temple.

Bowing is the act of lowering the torso and head as a social gesture in direction to another person or symbol. It is most prominent in Asian cultures but it is also typical of nobility and aristocracy in many European countries. It is also used in religious contexts, as a form of worship or veneration. Sometimes the gesture may be limited to lowering the head such as in Indonesia, and in many cultures several degrees of the lowness of the bow are distinguished and regarded as appropriate for different circumstances. It is especially prominent in Nepal, India, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, China, Korea, and Japan, where it may be executed standing or kneeling. Some bows are performed equally by two or more people while others are unequal – the person bowed to either does not bow in return or performs a less low bow in response. A nod of the head may be regarded as the minimal form of bow; forms of kneeling, genuflection, or prostration which involves the hands or whole body touching the ground, are the next levels of gesture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eucharistic adoration</span> Christian rite

Eucharistic adoration is a devotional practice primarily in Western Catholicism and Western Rite Orthodoxy, but also to a lesser extent in certain Lutheran and Anglican traditions, in which the Blessed Sacrament is adored by the faithful. This practice may occur either when the Eucharist is exposed, or when it is not publicly viewable because it is reserved in a place such as a tabernacle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church tabernacle</span> Container for consecrated hosts in some Christian traditions

A tabernacle or a sacrament house is a fixed, locked box in which the Eucharist is stored as part of the "reserved sacrament" rite. A container for the same purpose, which is set directly into a wall, is called an aumbry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paten</span> Small plate used to hold Eucharistic bread which is to be consecrated during the Mass

A paten or diskos is a small plate, used during the Mass. It is generally used during the liturgy itself, while the reserved sacrament are stored in the tabernacle in a ciborium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament</span> Roman Catholic and Anglo-Catholic churches display of the Eucharist

Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, also called Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament or the Rite of Eucharistic Exposition and Benediction, is a devotional ceremony, celebrated especially in the Roman Catholic Church, but also in some other Christian traditions such as Anglo-Catholicism, whereby a bishop, a priest, or a deacon blesses the congregation with the Eucharist at the end of a period of adoration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reserved sacrament</span>

During the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the second part of the Mass, the elements of bread and wine are considered to have been changed into the veritable Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. The manner in which this occurs is referred to by the term transubstantiation, a theory of St. Thomas Aquinas, in the Roman Catholic Church. Members of the Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran communions also believe that Jesus Christ is really and truly present in the bread and wine, but they believe that the way in which this occurs must forever remain a sacred mystery. In many Christian churches, some portion of the consecrated elements is set aside and reserved after the reception of Communion and referred to as the reserved sacrament. The reserved sacrament is usually stored in a tabernacle, a locked cabinet made of precious materials and usually located on, above, or near the high altar. In Western Christianity usually only the Host, from Latin: hostia, meaning "victim", is reserved, except where wine might be kept for the sick who cannot consume a host.

The text and rubrics of the Roman Canon have undergone revisions over the centuries, while the canon itself has retained its essential form as arranged no later than the 7th century. The rubrics, as is customary in similar liturgical books, indicate the manner in which to carry out the celebration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eucharist in Anglicanism</span> Holy sacrament of the Eucharist in Anglicanism, a major branch of Protestantism

Anglican eucharistic theology is diverse in thought and practice. Its sources include prayer book rubrics, writings on sacramental theology by Anglican divines, and the regulations and orientations of ecclesiastical provinces. The principal source material is the Book of Common Prayer (BCP), specifically its eucharistic prayers and Article XXVIII of the Thirty-Nine Articles. Article XXVIII comprises the foundational Anglican doctrinal statement about the Eucharist, although its interpretation varies among churches of the Anglican Communion and in different traditions of churchmanship such as Anglo-Catholicism and Evangelical Anglicanism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mass in the Catholic Church</span> Central liturgical ritual of the Catholic Church

The Mass is the central liturgical service of the Eucharist in the Catholic Church, in which bread and wine are consecrated and become the body and blood of Christ. As defined by the Church at the Council of Trent, in the Mass "the same Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross, is present and offered in an unbloody manner". The Church describes the Mass as the "source and summit of the Christian life", and teaches that the Mass is a sacrifice, in which the sacramental bread and wine, through consecration by an ordained priest, become the sacrificial body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ as the sacrifice on Calvary made truly present once again on the altar. The Catholic Church permits only baptised members in the state of grace to receive Christ in the Eucharist.

The Divine Service is a title given to the Eucharistic liturgy as used in the various Lutheran churches. It has its roots in the Pre-Tridentine Mass as revised by Martin Luther in his Formula missae of 1523 and his Deutsche Messe of 1526. It was further developed through the Kirchenordnungen of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries that followed in Luther's tradition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Altar of repose</span> Temporary altar for the eucharist to be used on Good Friday

The altar of repose is a temporary altar where the Communion hosts consecrated on Maundy Thursday during the Mass of the Lord's Supper are placed, or "reserved", for use on the following day, Good Friday.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elevation (liturgy)</span> Christian liturgical practice

In Eastern and Western Christian liturgical practice, the elevation is a ritual raising of the consecrated Sacred Body and Blood of Christ during the celebration of the Eucharist. The term is applied especially to the Sacred Body of Christ (Host) and the chalice containing the Most Precious Blood of Christ being lifted up and shown to the congregation immediately after each is consecrated, in the Mass, both in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church and in the Lutheran Churches. The term may also refer to a musical work played or sung at that time. The consecration has been historically accompanied by the ringing of church bells.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mass of the Lord's Supper</span> Beginning of the Paschal Triduum

The Mass of the Lord's Supper, also known as A Service of Worship for Maundy Thursday, is a Holy Week service celebrated on the evening of Maundy Thursday. It inaugurates the Easter Triduum, and commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples, more explicitly than other celebrations of the Mass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prostration</span> Reverential or submissive posture

Prostration is the gesture of placing one's body in a reverentially or submissively prone position. Typically prostration is distinguished from the lesser acts of bowing or kneeling by involving a part of the body above the knee, especially the hands, touching the ground.

The Seven Churches Visitation is an originally Roman Catholic Lenten tradition to visit seven churches on the evening of Holy Thursday. Following the Mass of the Lord's Supper, the Blessed Sacrament is placed on the Altar of Repose in the church for adoration. During the Seven Churches Visitation, the faithful visit several churches – traditionally seven, very rarely fourteen, sometimes no set number depending upon the particular practice – to pray before the Blessed Sacrament in each church. The Seven Churches Visitation has been done in an ecumenical context, involving Catholic, Methodist, Episcopal, Aglipayan, and Salvationist traditions, among others.

References

  1. 1 2 Allen, John (1 September 2008). Desmond Tutu. Chicago Review Press. ISBN   978-1556527982 . Retrieved 8 November 2012. Devout "high church" Anglicans genuflect as they pass the reserved sacrament.
  2. 1 2 Armstrong, John H.; Eagle, Paul E. (26 May 2009). Understanding Four Views on the Lord's Supper. Zondervan. ISBN   978-0310542759. Lutherans worship Christ wherever he is, including the sacraments, and thus Luther genuflected before the baptismal font and the sacrament.
  3. 1 2 Ingram, Kristen Johnson; Johnson, Kristin J (2004). Beyond Words. Church Publishing, Inc. p. 27. ISBN   0819219738 . Retrieved 8 November 2012.
  4. 1 2 "Customs - Western Orthodox". Saint Mark's Parish Church. Archived from the original on 25 February 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2015. To 'genuflect' (kneel down briefly and then arise) is the Western Orthodox way of venerating the sacrament or the altar. To take your place in church, walk quietly down the center aisle, and then genuflect before moving to the left or right into the pew. The same is done when leaving the pew, either to go up to communion or to leave after the service is over. The clergy and faithful also genuflect or bow when passing by the vessel in which the blessed sacrament is reserved. Another time to genuflect is at these words of the creed: 'Who for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man.'
  5. ↑ "The Sign of the Cross, bowing and genuflecting, what is it?". Oklahoma, US: Saint Paul's Episcopal Church. Archived from the original on 18 February 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  6. ↑ Andrew Chugg, Alexander's Lovers ISBN   978-1-4116-9960-1, p. 103
  7. ↑ James Allan Stewart Evans, The Age of Justinian ISBN   978-0-415-23726-0, p. 101
  8. 1 2 3 "Genuflection — which knee is which?", The Compass, March 19, 2011, Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin
  9. ↑ "Occurrences of the verb "to kneel" in the KJV Bible".
  10. ↑ "St Mary's Roman Catholic Church". www.stmarysgloucestercity.org. Archived from the original on 17 October 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  11. ↑ "Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship", Inaestimable donum, §26, 17 April 1980
  12. 1 2 3 4 Bergh, Frederick Thomas. "Genuflexion". The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 6. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 7 October 2016.
  13. ↑ De Sacra Communione et de Cultu Mysterii Eucharistici extra Missam, 84
  14. 1 2 McNamara, Edward (26 July 2005). "Tabernacles, Adoration and Double Genuflections". ZENIT Daily Dispatch. EWTN. Archived from the original on Jan 14, 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  15. ↑ "Genuflection, or Genuflexion". The Episcopal Church. Archived from the original on Jan 14, 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  16. ↑ "The Sign of the Cross, bowing and genuflecting, what is it?". Holdenville, Oklahoma: St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Archived from the original on 18 February 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  17. 1 2 "The General Instruction of the Roman Missal" (PDF). Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference. May 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 July 2008.
  18. ↑ "Why Do Catholics Do That". Holy Spirit Church. Archived from the original on Aug 14, 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  19. ↑ Looney, Edward. "Promoting the Angelus as an Advent Devotion", Catholic Lane, December 01, 2014
  20. ↑ John 1:1–14
  21. ↑ Canons of the Holy Orthodox Church, American Jurisdiction Archived February 20, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  22. ↑ Stravinskas, Peter M. J. (3 March 1994). The Catholic Answer Book. Our Sunday Visitor. ISBN   9780879737375 . Retrieved 3 March 2018– via Google Books.[ permanent dead link ]
  23. ↑ "Book 1, chapter XVIII of the 1886 edition" (PDF). Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  24. ↑ Baciamano Archived July 5, 2007, at the Wayback Machine

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Genuflexion". Catholic Encyclopedia . New York: Robert Appleton Company.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.