``WheretheBishopis,thereletthemultitudeofbelieversbe

evenaswhereJesusis,thereistheCatholicChurch''IgnatiusofAntioch,1stc.A.D

PostureandGesture

InaspeechDeliveredattheTwelfthConventionoftheFellowshipofCatholicScholarsin
Philadelphia,Pennsylvania,JohnM.HaasspokeofhowcertainCatholicpracticesmade
suchanimpressiononhimwhenhewasstillaProtestant.Hewroteofhowthe"adverting
toOurLord"manifestintheCatholiccustomofbowingtheheadinhonoroftheReal
PresencewhenpassingaCatholicchurchaffectedhim:
AndotherCatholicscouldsurelyaddinnumerableother[Catholicpractices]:
somesilly,someprofound,someasourceofcomfort,othersthesourceof
lightheartedhumor.CatholicpracticesmakeupthedailylifeofaCatholic
individualandaCatholicsociety.Themorningoffering,theinvocationof
Jesus,MaryandJoseph,thesprinklingofholywateronchildrenatbedtime,
theincantationtoSaintAnthony("Tony,Tony,comearoundsomething's
lostandcan'tbefound"),thepleastoSaintJudetopreventabankruptcy,

thenovenasforasickspouse.Allofthesemanypracticesfillthelivesof
thefaithful,enrich,comfortandorientthem.Oftenitisdifficulttotracetheir
origin.Oftentheoneswhichseemmostintimateandnaturaltoapeople
wereneverevenintroducedbyecclesiasticalauthority.Theyemergedas
natural,faithfilledexpressionsofloveorjoyorthanksgivingorgriefor
desperation.
TheonecharacteristictheseCatholicpracticesallseemtoshareistheir
abilitytoturnpeopleawayfromthemundane,theworldly,theeveryday,and
directthemtowardthesacred,thetranscendent,theeternal.Onecouldbe
travellingonthestreetcarinPittsburghthinkingabouthowtomakenew
salescontactsorhowtopositiononeselftomeetthenewgirlintheoffice
whensuddenly,onthepartofahalfdozenpeople,therewasanadvertingto
anotherreality,anotherdimension,notseparatefromthisrealm,but
permeatingit,leaveningit,makingsenseofit.PerhapstheadvertingtoOur
LordintheBlessedSacramentbythoseonthestreetcarwasonlyfleeting,
withvirtuallynobreakinthetrainofthoughtregardingincreasingsalesor
meetingthenewgirl.ButtheadvertingtookplaceOurLordwas
acknowledgedandimplicitlyatleast,thestatementwasmadethat
increasedsaleswasnoendinitselfandanyfuturewifewould,onewould
hope,bemarriedintheLord.
Belowareinstructionsonsomeofthesewaysof"advertingtoOurLord"bytheuseof
postureandgesture...

Bowofthehead
How: Simplyloweryourchintowardyourthroatandholdamoment
When:

WhenyoupassbyaChurch,bowyourheadandmaketheSignofthe
CrosstohonortheRealPresenceofChristinthetabernacle.
AnytimeyouheartheName"Jesus"(notethat"Christ"isHistitle,
meaning"AnnointedOne"thereisnoneedtobowtheheadatjustthe
mentionoftheword"Christ").Menshouldremovetheirhatsandbow
theirheadswhenpassingachurchorwhenHisNameisspokenthis
practiceisforbothinsideandoutsideofMass.AllCatholicsbowtheir
headsatthesetimes(yes,ifyou'rehavingacasualconversationwith
someoneonthesubwayandyoupassachurchormentionHisName,
youactuallyaresupposedtobowyourhead,removingyourhatifyou
areaman).1
CrossyourselfandbowtheheadwhenthepriestandtheCruciferwalk
downtheaislebeforeandafterMass.AfterMass,asthepriestleaves
theAltar,itisalsocustomarytoprayforhim.(Somemakeaprofound
bowinsteadatthesetimes)
Notcommonlyknownandpracticed:anytimeyouhear"Father,Son,
andHolyGhost(or"HolySpirit")"mentionedtogetheranytimeyou
hearthenameofMaryand,duringMass,whenthenameoftheSaint
inwhosehonortheMassisbeingcelebrated

StrikingoftheBreast
How: Witheitherafistorwiththetipsofthefingers,heldclosetogether,strikeyour
chestoverthehearttoexpressregretandsorrow2

When:

attheMass,formally:ateach"meaculpa"duringtheConfiteoratthe
NobisQuoquePeccatoribus(priest)threetimesduringtheAgnusDei
andthreetimesduringtheDomine,NonSumDignus
informally:atthe"forgiveusourtrespasses"("dimittenobisdebita
nostra")inthe"OurFather"anytimetoexpresspenitenceorremorse
insideoroutsideoftheLiturgy
informally,whenthebellsarerungatConsecrationandtheHostor
Chaliceareraised,bowtheheadandstrikethebreastthreetimes.The
mentalprayeratthismomentshouldbe,"MyLordandmyGod."

Bowatthewaist(or"profoundbow")
How: BowatthewaistinthemanneroftheJapanese(about30oforward)
When:

attheAsprgesatMasswhenthepriestsprinklesthecongregation
withholywater
whentheAltarboyincensesthecongregationduringtheMass
CrossyourselfandmakeaprofoundbowwhenthepriestandCrucifer
walkdowntheaislebeforeandafterMass.AfterMass,asthepriest
leavestheAltar,itisalsocustomarytoprayforhim.(Somesimply
bowtheheadinsteadofmakingaprofoundbowatthesetimes)
whengreetingahierarchwhodoesn'thavejurisdictionoveryou(e.g.,
theBishopofadioceseotherthanoneinwhichyoulive).Asyoubow,
kissthehierarch'sring.Thisbowandringkissingareonlydoneifthe
Popeisnotpresent.

GenuflectiononLeftKnee
How: Kneelonyourleftkneeforamoment,bringingtheleftkneeallthewaytothe

floorandkeepingthebackstraight.Holdforamoment,thenstand.(Theword
ispronounced"jenyouflek'shun")

When: WhengreetingorleavingthePopeorotherhierarchswiththerankofBishop
oraboveandwhohavejurisdictionoveryou(onlywhenthePopeisnot
present)e.g.,totheBishoporArchbishopofyourdiocese,notofa
neighboringdiocese.Duringtheleftkneegenuflection,akissisgiventothe
hierarch'sring.Thenstand.

GenuflectiononRightKnee
How: Lookingatwhatyouaregenuflectingtoward,kneelonyourrightkneefora

momentinthemannerofamanproposingtoawoman,bringingtherightknee
allthewaytothefloor,closetotheheeloftheleftfoot,keepingthebackand
neckerect.Holdforamoment,thenstand.

When:

GenuflecttowardtheTabernaclewheretheBlessedSacramentis
reserved,andeachtimeyoupassinfrontofit(exceptwhenyou'rein
procession,suchasstandinginlineforCommunion,orreturningto
yourseatafterward).Whilethisshould,ononelevel,beamatterof
habit,itshouldn'tbedonethoughtlessly.Remindyourselfwhen
genuflectingtowardtheTabernaclethatyouarekneelingbeforeGod.
Prayingmentally,"MyLordandMyGod"isagoodhabittogetinto
whilegenuflectingontherightknee.IftheTabernacleisnotonthe
Altar,genuflecttowardtheAltarandtheAltarCrucifix.
BeforearelicoftheTrueCrosswhenitisexposedforpublicadoration.
OnGoodFridaytoHolySaturday,aftertheceremonyoftheAdoration
oftheCross,genuflectwhenpassinginfrontoftheexposedCrucifix
ontheAltar.
Beforeenteringorafterexitingyourpewatchurch.

Kneeling(DoubleGenuflection)
How: Kneelonbothknees
When:

anytimetheBlessedSacramentisexposed,toshowadorationand
humility
manytimesduringtheMass:duringthePrayersattheFootofthe
Altar,aftertheSanctus,aftertheAgnusDei,atthealtarrailwhen
receivingCommunion,andattheLastBlessing
duringConfession,insideor,inemergencies,outsideofthe
Confessional
whenreceivingapriestlyblessing,insideoroutsideoftheLiturgy.If
youareunableforsomereasontokneel,thenbowyourhead.
duringprivateprayer(seeSt.Dominic's"FourthWay""ofprayer)

Prostration
How: Keepingyourlegstogether,droptoyourkneesandthenliedownflatonthe
flooronyourface,crossingyourhandsunderneathyourforeheadforminga
"pillow"onwhichtorestyourforehead

When: Prostrations,whichsignifytotalhumilityandpenance,aremadeduringthe

RiteofOrdination,duringritesofreligiousprofession(i.e.,entryintoreligious
orders),aspenanceinreligiousorders,andbyanyoneduringprivateprayer
beforeaCrucifixortheBlessedSacrament.Itisalsooccasionallymadeby
adults,atthepriest'sinvitation,beforetheProfessionofFaithinthesolemn
RiteofBaptism.(SeeSt.Dominic's"SecondWay"ofprayer)

Kisses
How: ToparaphraseLaurenBacallin"ToHaveandHaveNot,"youknowhowto
kiss,don'tyou?Youjustputyourlipstogether...butdon'tblow.

When:

KissingCrucifixesandIcons(2Dor3D):Iniconsthatdepictmore
thanoneperson,kissfirstOurLord(HisFeet,HemofHisgarment,or
hands),thenOurLady(herhandsorveil),thenthetheangelsand
Saints.ToreverenceaCrucifixoriconthatyoucan'treachtoowell
withyourlips,kissyourfingersandthentouchwhereyouwouldkiss.
Kissingringsofhierarchs:seeaboveunder"GenuflectiononLeft
Knee"
Kissingapriest'shands:thepriest'shandsmaybekissedwhen
greetingorleavinghimbecausetheyaloneareabletoconfecttheHoly
Eucharist.TheyarealsokissedonPalmSundaywhenreceivinga
palm(whichisalsokissed).DuringtheMass,thepriest'shandsare
kissedbytheacolytes/altarboys.

Orans
How: Raisearmseitheratyoursidesandwithhandsuptoshoulderheight,orraise
armsupoveryourheadasachildwouldwhenwantinghisfathertopickhim
up

When:

Priestsperformthisgesture(thefirstmethodmentioned)duringthe
Mass.
Laymensometimesadoptthispositionduringprivateprayer.Itshould
notbeusedbylaymenattheMass.(SeeSt.Dominic's"SeventhWay"
ofprayer)3

Formoreinformationonwhentokneel,etc.,duringMass,seetheOrderoftheMass
page.ForaninterestingworkthatshowshowSt.Dominicusedpostureinprayer,
see"TheNineWaysofPrayerofSt.Dominic."
Also,seethespecialpageontheSignoftheCrosswhichwillteachyouaboutthe
differentSignsoftheCrossandwhen,where,andhowtheyaremade.

Footnotes:
1ThecustomofbowingtheheadatthementionofHisNamewasformallywritten
intolawattheSecondCouncilofLyons,A.D.1274,convenedbyPopeGregoryX:
"Thosewhoassembleinchurchshouldextolwithanactofspecialreverencethat
NamewhichisaboveeveryName,thanwhichnootherunderHeavenhasbeen
giventopeople,inwhichbelieversmustbesaved,theName,thatis,ofJesus
Christ,WhowillsaveHispeoplefromtheirsins.Eachshouldfulfilinhimselfthat
whichiswrittenforall,thatattheNameofJesuseverykneeshouldbowwhenever
thatgloriousNameisrecalled,especiallyduringthesacredMysteriesoftheMass,
everyoneshouldbowthekneesofhisheart,whichhecandoevenbyabowofhis
head."
AreligiousSistertoldmeoncethat"backintheday,"Catholicschoolkidswould
sometimesmakeagameofsayingOurLord'sNameasoftenastheycouldinorder
toforcetheirteachingSisterstobowtheirheads.Apparently,gettingthenuns'
headsbobbingupanddownwasasportforthemischievousweeonesLOL
2TheCatholicEncyclopediacitesSt.Augustine(A.D.354430)assayinginhis

SermodeverbisDomini,"Nosoonerhaveyouheardtheword'Confiteor'thanyou
strikeyourbreast.Whatdoesthismeanexceptthatyouwishtobringtolightwhatis
concealedinthebreast,andbythisacttocleanseyourhiddensins?"
ItalsocitesSt.Jerome(ca.A.D.340420)assayinginEzechiel,c.xviii,"Westrike
ourbreastbecausethebreastistheseatofevilthoughts:wewishtodispelthese
thoughts,wewishtopurifyourhearts."
3TheoranspositionisfrequentlydepictedintheartoftheCatacombswherefigures

prayinginthismannerrepresenteddepartedsoulsprayingforthesouloftheone
whosetombthefiguresadorn.TheCatholicEncyclopediasays,"NumerousBiblical
figures,forinstance,depictedinthecatacombsNoah,Abraham,Isaac,theThree
ChildrenintheFieryFurnace,Danielinthelions'denarepicturedaskingtheLord
todeliverthesoulofthepersononwhosetombstheyaredepictedasHeonce
deliveredtheparticularpersonagerepresented."Itgoesontosaythatinadditionto
theBiblicalOransfigures,thereareidealizedfiguresinthat"ancientattitudeof
prayer"whichsymbolizethesouloftheentombedoneinheaven,prayingforits
friendsonearth."Thissymbolicmeaningaccountsforthefactthatthegreatmajority
ofthefiguresarefemale,evenwhendepictedonthetombsofmen."
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