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Author Topic: Communion and genuflecting  (Read 983 times)

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Offline Miseremini

Re: Communion and genuflecting
« Reply #10 on: March 25, 2026, 10:48:44 AM »
It appears in the late 1800's and early 1900's (possibly before and after) it was the custom in north America to genuflect both before and after receiving at the rail.
The screen shot below comes from
https://archive.org/details/catholicbeliefpr00mcga/page/54/mode/2up
page 54 of the book Catholic Belief and Practice 1910.  It is the same in the 1899 sixth edition.




It should be noted that back then few people received Communion regularly.  Even by the 1950's less than 15% received on Sunday.
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Offline Maria Dolorosa

Re: Communion and genuflecting
« Reply #11 on: March 25, 2026, 12:52:05 PM »
Quote from: Miseremini on March 25, 2026, 10:26:40 AM
I agree, especially about the lunette, but the congregation has no way of knowing.
I watched Mass yesterday from Poland, the same SSPX church where women and men sit separate, and they not only genuflect before kneeling at the rail but also after.  It did seem to slow things down.
Usually a Church always has the Blessed Sacrament present in the Tabernacle, otherwise every time Communion would be distributed, one would have to extinguish the sanctuary lamp. Moreover, regular, weekly Benediction after Mass (as occurs in many chapels) would not be possible unless the Holy Eucharist was always in the Tabernacle. 
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Offline Comrade

Re: Communion and genuflecting
« Reply #12 on: March 25, 2026, 01:18:23 PM »
Quote from: Maria Dolorosa on March 25, 2026, 12:52:05 PM
Usually a Church always has the Blessed Sacrament present in the Tabernacle, otherwise every time Communion would be distributed, one would have to extinguish the sanctuary lamp. Moreover, regular, weekly Benediction after Mass (as occurs in many chapels) would not be possible unless the Holy Eucharist was always in the Tabernacle.
Why would you extinguish the lamp during communion? All the consecrated hosts in the ciborium during distribution is the Blessed Sacrament.
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Offline Miseremini

Re: Communion and genuflecting
« Reply #13 on: March 25, 2026, 01:19:32 PM »
Quote from: Maria Dolorosa on March 25, 2026, 12:52:05 PM
Usually a Church always has the Blessed Sacrament present in the Tabernacle, otherwise every time Communion would be distributed, one would have to extinguish the sanctuary lamp.
Of course they do, but for the purposes of this thread, the priest might have that ciborium with him distributing Communion.

Quote from: Maria Dolorosa on March 25, 2026, 12:52:05 PM
Moreover, regular, weekly Benediction after Mass (as occurs in many chapels) would not be possible unless the Holy Eucharist was always in the Tabernacle.
  Also I've read that the priest consecrates a second host at Mass on the day of Benediction as they are not allowed to have a consecrated host kept for any length of time (that's why they distribute from the ciborium in the Tabernacle before the one they've just consecrated.)

So in a parish church the Blessed Sacrament will always be in the Tabernacle except when the priest is distributing Communion it could be empty.

Quote from: moneil on March 25, 2026, 09:54:45 AM

  • The tabernacle may contain a pyx for Communion calls.
In the churches I've done sacristy work, pyxs are kept in the sacristy never in the tabernacle for the same reason as stated above for the lunette. 
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Offline Comrade

Re: Communion and genuflecting
« Reply #14 on: March 25, 2026, 04:59:22 PM »
Quote from: Miseremini on March 25, 2026, 10:48:44 AM
It appears in the late 1800's and early 1900's (possibly before and after) it was the custom in north America to genuflect both before and after receiving at the rail.
The screen shot below comes from
https://archive.org/details/catholicbeliefpr00mcga/page/54/mode/2up
page 54 of the book Catholic Belief and Practice 1910.  It is the same in the 1899 sixth edition.




It should be noted that back then few people received Communion regularly.  Even by the 1950's less than 15% received on Sunday.
This book is very interesting, especially regarding the postures during Holy Mass.

Quote from: Miseremini on March 25, 2026, 01:19:32 PM

  Also I've read that the priest consecrates a second host at Mass on the day of Benediction as they are not allowed to have a consecrated host kept for any length of time (that's why they distribute from the ciborium in the Tabernacle before the one they've just consecrated.)
  
The host used for the monstrance is a different size. If the priest forgets to consecrate the right one, then benediction doesn't happen. Also, I was taught the tabernacle veil alone that signifies the presence of the Blessed Sacraments. Lamps can run out and it is not custom in every altar to have a Sanctuary candle.
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