May 24, 2009
Why the Various Postures at Mass
And More on Gregorian Masses
ROME, (Zenit.org).- Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward
McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.
Q: I am a catechist and I explain Mass for the young ones. A
question I always encountered and never found any information about
is this: During Mass there are various postures that the community
adopts, and these are adapted according the prayers that are being
said. Many ask the reason why this posture is used at that
particular time. Some of these are obvious: At the start of the
Mass, standing means welcoming the priest who is representing Jesus.
But some of them are not that obvious. So I am sending a list of the
postures that we use in our diocese, so that you can help answer
various questions that many youths and children ask. I am including
even those that are obvious to be sure that I am not mistaken. --
T.B., Malta
A: Our reader provides a list of the postures adopted in his
diocese. As answering each item separately would exceed the
possibilities of this column, I hope he will forgive me if I use a
different method which I hope serves the same purpose.
According to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, No. 43,
the postures adopted by the people at Mass are the following:
"The faithful should stand from the beginning of the Entrance chant,
or while the priest approaches the altar, until the end of the
Collect; for the Alleluia chant before the Gospel; while the Gospel
itself is proclaimed; during the Profession of Faith and the Prayer
of the Faithful; from the invitation, Orate, fraters (Pray,
brethren), before the prayer over the offerings until the end of
Mass, except at the places indicated below.
"They should, however, sit while the readings before the Gospel and
the responsorial Psalm are proclaimed and for the homily and while
the Preparation of the Gifts at the Offertory is taking place; and,
as circumstances allow, they may sit or kneel while the period of
sacred silence after Communion is observed.
"[They should kneel during the consecration from the epiclesis to
the mystery of faith] In the dioceses of the United States of
America, they should kneel beginning after the singing or recitation
of the Sanctus until after the Amen of the Eucharistic Prayer,
except when prevented on occasion by reasons of health, lack of
space, the large number of people present, or some other good
reason. Those who do not kneel ought to make a profound bow when the
priest genuflects after the consecration. The faithful kneel after
the Agnus Dei unless the Diocesan Bishop determines otherwise.
"With a view to a uniformity in gestures and postures during one and
the same celebration, the faithful should follow the directions
which the deacon, lay minister, or priest gives according to
whatever is indicated in the Missal."
The special provision mentioned for U.S. dioceses of kneeling during
the entire Eucharistic Prayer and after the Agnus Dei may be
praiseworthily retained in other places where it is already the
custom of the people. It falls to the national bishops' conference
to make specific adaptations to local needs pending definitive
approval from the Holy See.
Therefore, as can be seen, the fundamental posture in liturgy is
standing. Standing is a natural gesture of respect toward authority.
This is why the assembly stands for the celebrant's entrance and
exit, and during the proclamation of the Gospel, just as the
Israelites stood upright as they listened to God's word. Indeed,
standing was the normal position for Jewish prayer and this custom
passed to Christianity as is witnessed by murals in the catacombs.
Today the faithful mostly remain standing whenever they are
associated to the solemn prayer of the celebrant. The upright
position is that of the heavenly elect as seen in the Book of
Revelation 7:9 and 15:2. The Fathers of the Church considered this
position as expressive of the holy freedom of God's children. St.
Basil in his treatise on the Holy Spirit says that "We pray
standing, on the first day of the week, but we do not all know the
reason. On the day of the resurrection (or 'standing again'; Greek
anastasis) we remind ourselves of the grace given to us by standing
at prayer, not only because we rose with Christ, and are bound to
'seek those things which are above,' but because the day seems to us
to be in some sense an image of the age which we expect …" (Chapter
27).
Because of this relationship with the Resurrection the liturgy
prescribes that certain prayers, such as the litanies of the saints,
are prayed standing and not kneeling on Sundays and during
Eastertide.
Sitting is the posture of the doctor who teaches, of the one who
presides, and so the bishop can preach while seated at his cathedra.
On the other hand, it is the posture of those who listen with
attention. The faithful are therefore invited to sit at some moments
such as the readings, except for the Gospel; the homily; during the
preparation of gifts; and also, if they wish, after communion. Most
ancient and medieval churches did not have pews, but the faithful
were often invited to sit on the floor for the readings and homily
and this was probably a custom from apostolic times as witnessed by
Acts 20:9 and 1 Corinthians 14:30.
Kneeling was originally reserved, above all, for intense personal
prayer, as we see St. Stephen do before succumbing to martyrdom. We
also find saints Peter and Paul using this posture for ordinary
prayer and meditation (Acts 9:24, 20:36, Ephesians 3:14).
However, the liturgy did not initially accept this posture except as
an act of penance. The Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325) forbade
penitents to kneel on Sundays, and St. Basil said that we kneel in
order to show with our acts that sin has cast us to the ground.
Little by little the gesture lost its exclusively penitential
connotation and, especially during medieval times, it took the
additional meaning of profound respect and adoration that is
prevalent today. In this way the act of kneeling during Mass
reinforces the sentiments and attitudes expressed by the upright
position.
Another gesture is that of bowing which also means veneration and
respect and, in some cultures, adoration. The invitation to bow the
head precedes certain blessings and prayers over the people. During
Mass the whole assembly bows the head when Jesus' name is mentioned
during the Gloria and in recalling the mystery of the incarnation in
the creed. In this way the gesture underlines the importance of the
mystery mentioned in the liturgical text.
* * *
Follow-up: Gregorian Masses
After our May 5 column on "Gregorian Masses," a New Jersey reader
inquired: "What is the relationship of a 'Gregorian Mass' to
'Gregorian chant'? Indeed, do these Gregorian Masses use the
Gregorian chant? If so, 30 of such Masses seem unrealistic in the
parish setting, and raise another question: Are these intended to
replace the daily Mass in a parish?"
Actually the only relationship between Gregorian chant and Gregorian
Masses is that both are historically linked to Pope St. Gregory the
Great.
In themselves, Gregorian Masses do not necessarily affect the
liturgy in any way as they refer only to the priest's intention in
offering the Mass. There are no special rites or formulas attached
to Gregorian Masses.
Our reader has a point, however, that Gregorian Masses are rarely
celebrated in parish settings. This is not because of special rites
but because a parish priest would find it very difficult to dedicate
30 days of Masses for one single intention, especially when many
parishioners request Masses.
Therefore Gregorian Masses are usually celebrated in monasteries,
seminaries, priestly houses of studies, and other similar locales
with priests in residence with relatively few pastoral commitments.
These are usually the only ones who can take upon themselves the
commitment to celebrate 30 consecutive Masses for the same deceased
person.
* * *
Readers may send questions to liturgy@zenit.org. Please put the
word "Liturgy" in the subject field. The text should include your
initials, your city and your state, province or country. Father
McNamara can only answer a small selection of the great number of
questions that arrive.
