Question:
How should we bow during the communion rite? Do we bow our head or bow from the waist?
Short answer:
“When receiving Holy Communion, the communicant bows his or her head before the Sacrament as a gesture of reverence and receives the Body of the Lord from the minister" (General Instructions of the Roman Missal (GIRM) 160).
More Details:
Prior to 1970, when American Catholics received communion, they would almost always be kneeling at an altar rail and extending their tongue. Since then, though, "the norm for reception of Holy Communion in the dioceses of the United States is standing.... The consecrated host may be received either on the tongue or in the hand, at the discretion of each communicant" (GIRM 160). After living into this new practice for a few decades, it was felt that what was missing was an appropriate expression of reverence on the part of the communicant that is rightly due Christ's True Presence in the Eucharist. After all, it used to be "built in": upon reception of the sacrament, one would already be kneeling, a posture from time immemorial expressing humility, reverence, and honor. Without that, one could more easily succumb to the temptation to move through the line expediently as if lining up to grab free samples at Costco.
Thus, when the Roman Missal was updated in 2003, the Vatican left it up to the bishops of each country to determine an appropriate sign of reverence to be made by the communicant before receiving the Eucharist (GIRM 390). After considering various options, the U.S. Bishops settled on this: "When receiving Holy Communion, the communicant bows his or her head before the Sacrament as a gesture of reverence and receives the Body of the Lord from the minister" (GIRM 160).
Now we can address your question more specifically, Frannie. In Catholic ritual, there are two types of bows; simple and pro-found. A profound bow, also called a bow "of the body," is bowing from your waist. A simple bow is a bow of the head (see GIRM
275). Remember the term fulcrum from high school physics class?
Its the bend point (like an elbow or knee). In a profound bow, the fulcrum is your waist. For a simple bow, the fulcrum is your neck. Why am I being so specific? Because so many people get this wrong, particularly in the communion line. The sign of reverence all American Catholics are asked to perform before receiving communion is a simple bow of the head.
How should we bow during the communion rite? Do we bow our head or bow from the waist?
Short answer:
“When receiving Holy Communion, the communicant bows his or her head before the Sacrament as a gesture of reverence and receives the Body of the Lord from the minister" (General Instructions of the Roman Missal (GIRM) 160).
More Details:
Prior to 1970, when American Catholics received communion, they would almost always be kneeling at an altar rail and extending their tongue. Since then, though, "the norm for reception of Holy Communion in the dioceses of the United States is standing.... The consecrated host may be received either on the tongue or in the hand, at the discretion of each communicant" (GIRM 160). After living into this new practice for a few decades, it was felt that what was missing was an appropriate expression of reverence on the part of the communicant that is rightly due Christ's True Presence in the Eucharist. After all, it used to be "built in": upon reception of the sacrament, one would already be kneeling, a posture from time immemorial expressing humility, reverence, and honor. Without that, one could more easily succumb to the temptation to move through the line expediently as if lining up to grab free samples at Costco.
Thus, when the Roman Missal was updated in 2003, the Vatican left it up to the bishops of each country to determine an appropriate sign of reverence to be made by the communicant before receiving the Eucharist (GIRM 390). After considering various options, the U.S. Bishops settled on this: "When receiving Holy Communion, the communicant bows his or her head before the Sacrament as a gesture of reverence and receives the Body of the Lord from the minister" (GIRM 160).
Now we can address your question more specifically, Frannie. In Catholic ritual, there are two types of bows; simple and pro-found. A profound bow, also called a bow "of the body," is bowing from your waist. A simple bow is a bow of the head (see GIRM
275). Remember the term fulcrum from high school physics class?
Its the bend point (like an elbow or knee). In a profound bow, the fulcrum is your waist. For a simple bow, the fulcrum is your neck. Why am I being so specific? Because so many people get this wrong, particularly in the communion line. The sign of reverence all American Catholics are asked to perform before receiving communion is a simple bow of the head.
Excerpt from Mass Class by Father Dave Dwyer, Copyright © 2022 by David P. Dwyer.
Published by Paulist Press, Inc., New York/Mahwah, NJ. Reprinted by permission of Paulist Press, Inc.
Question:
How should we bow during the communion rite? Do we bow our head or bow from the waist?
Short answer:
“When receiving Holy Communion, the communicant bows his or her head before the Sacrament as a gesture of reverence and receives the Body of the Lord from the minister" (General Instructions of the Roman Missal (GIRM) 160).
More Details:
Prior to 1970, when American Catholics received communion, they would almost always be kneeling at an altar rail and extending their tongue. Since then, though, "the norm for reception of Holy Communion in the dioceses of the United States is standing.... The consecrated host may be received either on the tongue or in the hand, at the discretion of each communicant" (GIRM 160). After living into this new practice for a few decades, it was felt that what was missing was an appropriate expression of reverence on the part of the communicant that is rightly due Christ's True Presence in the Eucharist. After all, it used to be "built in": upon reception of the sacrament, one would already be kneeling, a posture from time immemorial expressing humility, reverence, and honor. Without that, one could more easily succumb to the temptation to move through the line expediently as if lining up to grab free samples at Costco.
Thus, when the Roman Missal was updated in 2003, the Vatican left it up to the bishops of each country to determine an appropriate sign of reverence to be made by the communicant before receiving the Eucharist (GIRM 390). After considering various options, the U.S. Bishops settled on this: "When receiving Holy Communion, the communicant bows his or her head before the Sacrament as a gesture of reverence and receives the Body of the Lord from the minister" (GIRM 160).
Now we can address your question more specifically, Frannie. In Catholic ritual, there are two types of bows; simple and pro-found. A profound bow, also called a bow "of the body," is bowing from your waist. A simple bow is a bow of the head (see GIRM
275). Remember the term fulcrum from high school physics class?
Its the bend point (like an elbow or knee). In a profound bow, the fulcrum is your waist. For a simple bow, the fulcrum is your neck. Why am I being so specific? Because so many people get this wrong, particularly in the communion line. The sign of reverence all American Catholics are asked to perform before receiving communion is a simple bow of the head.
How should we bow during the communion rite? Do we bow our head or bow from the waist?
Short answer:
“When receiving Holy Communion, the communicant bows his or her head before the Sacrament as a gesture of reverence and receives the Body of the Lord from the minister" (General Instructions of the Roman Missal (GIRM) 160).
More Details:
Prior to 1970, when American Catholics received communion, they would almost always be kneeling at an altar rail and extending their tongue. Since then, though, "the norm for reception of Holy Communion in the dioceses of the United States is standing.... The consecrated host may be received either on the tongue or in the hand, at the discretion of each communicant" (GIRM 160). After living into this new practice for a few decades, it was felt that what was missing was an appropriate expression of reverence on the part of the communicant that is rightly due Christ's True Presence in the Eucharist. After all, it used to be "built in": upon reception of the sacrament, one would already be kneeling, a posture from time immemorial expressing humility, reverence, and honor. Without that, one could more easily succumb to the temptation to move through the line expediently as if lining up to grab free samples at Costco.
Thus, when the Roman Missal was updated in 2003, the Vatican left it up to the bishops of each country to determine an appropriate sign of reverence to be made by the communicant before receiving the Eucharist (GIRM 390). After considering various options, the U.S. Bishops settled on this: "When receiving Holy Communion, the communicant bows his or her head before the Sacrament as a gesture of reverence and receives the Body of the Lord from the minister" (GIRM 160).
Now we can address your question more specifically, Frannie. In Catholic ritual, there are two types of bows; simple and pro-found. A profound bow, also called a bow "of the body," is bowing from your waist. A simple bow is a bow of the head (see GIRM
275). Remember the term fulcrum from high school physics class?
Its the bend point (like an elbow or knee). In a profound bow, the fulcrum is your waist. For a simple bow, the fulcrum is your neck. Why am I being so specific? Because so many people get this wrong, particularly in the communion line. The sign of reverence all American Catholics are asked to perform before receiving communion is a simple bow of the head.
Excerpt from Mass Class by Father Dave Dwyer, Copyright © 2022 by David P. Dwyer.
Published by Paulist Press, Inc., New York/Mahwah, NJ. Reprinted by permission of Paulist Press, Inc.
