(Death, Heaven, Purgatory, Hell)
Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults
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Church and Mass Etiquette
A number of Church documents concerning the Eucharistic celebration speak about the ideal of “Active participation”. What does “Active Participation” mean?
Well first of all, it means interior participation; in other words, entering into the liturgical celebration with a sense of expectancy, – with the anticipation of a child about to experience something wonderful and majestic. It means that your mind and heart are awake and alert. Secondly, active participation involves the physical action of standing, sitting, kneeling, walking, talking, and possibly even singing. There has to be a sense of unity between the interior and exterior participation in order to worship properly.
Active participation should be both serious and meticulous. Some may say that following liturgical norms inhibits active participation and fosters rigidity or formalism. Obviously, formalism in the strictest sense should be avoided, as it is empty, in and of itself. At the same time, we should be aware of each and every word or action in order to cross the threshold into the Divine mystery.
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, celebrated correctly, and entered into fully, is most sublime experience imaginable. Here we are instructed on Word of God, contained in the Scriptures and Sacred Tradition of the Church. Christ, the Son of the Living God and the Second Person of the Trinity, allows Himself to be summoned from His throne on high in heaven. By the power given to our priests at the time of their ordination, God manifests Himself in the accidents of bread and wine. Why? Because the Word desires intimacy with His people; an intimacy so profound as to defy description or explanation.
Our Church, invested with the power of the Holy Spirit, provides liturgical norms, designed so as to heighten the experience of all involved. It is incumbent upon us to follow these directives, without exception or reservation. Change or innovation, simply for its own sake, corrupts the intent of the liturgy and must be avoided at all costs. The Holy Mass is a symphony of delight, not a note of which do we have a right to modify in the slightest.
Full participation includes Holy Communion and living a Christian life, day to day. In each of the four Gospels Jesus himself commands his disciples to consume his flesh and blood (see Jn 6.53-58; cf. Mt 26.26-28, Mk 14.22-25, Lk 22.17-19). By receiving Jesus sacramentally, we perfect our communion with God and one another, and this growth of charity is the proper benefit to seek from participation in the Eucharist. Thus, it is appropriate that all Catholics, who are properly prepared, receive Holy Communion whenever we participate in the Mass.
Unfortunately, there is not space enough in this article to provide an in-depth analysis or justification for each and every segment of the Mass, so I will briefly review the Mass beginning with proper attire and progressing from the entrance rite to the dismissal.
Proper Attire
Section 1387 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church simply states: “Bodily demeanor (gestures, clothing) ought to convey the respect, solemnity, and joy of this moment when Christ becomes our guest.”
Since the Church has not issued specific guidelines, common sense should be the rule. People participating in the Eucharist celebration should dress modestly, especially those who serve in the sanctuary. No article of clothing worn should distract others from the central act of worship. T-shirts, jeans, shorts, tennis shoes, low-cut or tight fitting dresses, etc., are all inappropriate. We are attending a banquet, not a picnic and should dress accordingly. Psalm 96, verse 9, sums it perfectly: “Worship the LORD in holy array; tremble before him, all the earth!”
Why do Women no Longer Cover their Heads in church?
The veil is simply a symbol of reverence, which recommends itself on very many levels. Can. 1262.2 of the 1917 Code of Canon law said that women must cover their heads “...especially when they approach the holy table”. But the 1983 Code is silent about this tradition.
This does not mean that the use of the veil is not to be observed or is simply an outdated custom, for the veil has roots in Scripture and Tradition as well.
Christianity has much to say about the dignity of women and their role in the family and in society; women also have an important role in the Church, but one distinct from that of men. Saint Paul gives three reasons why women, by keeping their heads covered, should be externally different from men in 1 Corinthians chapter 11, verses 2-16. Suffice to say that the veil, in this way of thinking, is a symbol of the divine hierarchy established in the relationship of men and women in the bond of matrimony that Paul describes in New Testament terms so beautifully in Ephesians chapter 5. The chapel veil is counter-cultural and in this light, it is therefore a good example.
Be on Time for Mass
We should also make a reasonable effort to be present and seated on time and not leave before the final blessing and recession.[1] Members of the congregation should be friendly, but their conversation should be carried on outside the Church. One should spend the moments before and after Mass in silent personal prayer of preparation or thanksgiving, or at least allow others to do so by avoiding unnecessary talk or any other behavior likely to distract. For Isaiah 56:7 states: “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”
Silence
Silence is a significant part of any well-planned and prayerful liturgical celebration. The new instruction on how to celebrate Mass, the 2003 General Instruction of the Roman Missal, (G.I.R.M.), § 45 States: “Sacred silence also, as part of the celebration, is to be observed at the designated times.[2] Its purpose, however, depends on the time it occurs in each part of the celebration. Thus within the Act of Penitence and again after the invitation to pray, all recollect themselves; but at the conclusion of a reading or the homily, all meditate briefly on what they have heard; then after Communion, they praise and pray to God in their hearts.
“Even before the celebration itself, it is commendable that silence to be observed in the church, in the sacristy, in the vesting room, and in adjacent areas, so that all may dispose themselves to carry out the sacred action in a devout and fitting manner.”
The Importance of Singing
The (G.I.R.M.), §§ 39-40 state: “The Christian faithful who gather together as one to await the Lord's coming are instructed by the Apostle Paul to sing together psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (cf. Col 3:16). Singing is the sign of the heart's joy (cf. Acts 2:46). Thus Saint Augustine says rightly, "Singing is for one who loves."[3] There is also the ancient proverb: "One who sings well prays twice.
“Great importance should therefore be attached to the use of singing in the celebration of the Mass, with due consideration for the culture of the people and abilities of each liturgical assembly. Although it is not always necessary (e.g., in weekday Masses) to sing all the texts that are of themselves meant to be sung, every care should be taken that singing by the ministers and the people is not absent in celebrations that occur on Sundays and on holy days of obligation.
“In the choosing of the parts actually to be
sung, however, preference should be given to those that are of greater
importance and especially to those to be sung by the priest or the
deacon or the lector, with the people responding, or by the priest and
people together.”[4]
Dipping your Hand in Holy Water
When you come into the church building, what is the first thing we do? Don’t we dip our hand into the holy water and make the sign of the cross? We do this for three reasons: 1) in repentance for our sins, 2) for protection against the Evil One, and 3) to remind us of our baptism. When you dip your hand into the holy water font, remember these things, and treasure them.
Sign of the Cross
Nicephorus writes that Saint John the Evangelist blessed himself with the sign of the cross before dying. Saint Paul used this same sign to restore sight to a blind man. Many even affirm that Our Lord Himself taught this sign to the apostles and that he used it to bless them on the day of his Ascension. “The sign of the cross,” says Saint Ignatius of Antioch, a disciple of Saint John, “is the trophy raised against the power of the prince of this world; when he sees it, he is afraid; when he even hears of it, he is filled with terror.” Tertullian in the second century says, “At every fresh step and change of place, whenever we come in or go out…we impress upon our forehead the sign of the Cross.”
When you make the sign of the cross let it be with a real sign of the cross. Do it carefully, deliberately, and with reverence. When we cross ourselves, instead of a small, embarrassed, cramped gesture that gives no notion of its meaning, make a large measured sign, from forehead to navel, from shoulder to shoulder, consciously feeling how it envelopes you. The Sign of the Cross surrounds the deepest mysteries of our faith.
There are many occasions when we make the sign of the cross: with holy water upon entering the church, at the beginning of Mass, and at the preface to the Gospel. We also make the sign of the cross in the rite of baptism, for anointing the sick, for exorcisms and, when we pray throughout the day. The cross of Christ is our only hope, our salvation. So when we make the sign of the cross, which we do many times each day, let’s do it purposefully and with meaning.
Genuflecting Before the Blessed Sacrament
– Bowing Before the Altar
What’s the next thing you do after entering the Church? You walk to your pew, and if the Blessed Sacrament is reserved on the altar, you genuflect; if it’s reserved somewhere else, you make a profound bow to the altar. Bowing and genuflecting are gestures of greeting and submission. What’s the difference?
First, bowing. There are two kinds of bows in use today. First, there’s the simple bow of the head that we do whenever we hear the Name of Jesus. During the Mass, that head bow is also used at the Name of Mary, and the Saint honored at Mass that day; and also at the Consecration.
Secondly, there’s a profound bow, bending the entire body at the waist, touching the knees with the palms of the hand. That bow is used when the deacon asks the priest for a blessing before reading the Gospel. Whenever we pass in front of the altar, when the Blessed Sacrament is not present, we bow as the altar represents Christ.
We also bow when we recite the words of the profession of faith, which refer to the incarnation: “by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary and became man.” All kneel at these words on the solemnities of Christmas and Annunciation.
Genuflecting
Genuflexion (the bending of the knee) is a natural sign of adoration or reverence. It is frequently used in the ritual of the Church. Thus the faithful genuflect in passing before the tabernacle where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved; the priest repeatedly genuflects at Mass in adoration of the Eucharist. The double genuflection is still required before the exposed Blessed Sacrament. Those who make it kneel briefly on both knees and incline the head reverently, hands joined together palm to palm with the right thumb crossed over the left, and held at the breast.
The 2003 G.I.R.M. § 274 specifies that: "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.
“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. above, 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 it, but not during the celebration of Mass itself.”
Liturgical Dance
According to the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, "all dancing, (ballet, children's gestures as dancing, the clown liturgy) are not permitted to be 'introduced into liturgical celebrations of any kind whatever.'" This statement is based on the 1975, document of the Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship titled Religious Dance, An Expression of Spiritual Joy,[5] in which it is described as a "qualified and authoritative sketch" of the subject and said it was to be considered "an authoritative point of reference for every discussion on the matter." This document forbids the use of liturgical dance in the Latin rite Church and there are no exceptions given to this directive.
Standing to Begin Mass
After you make your preparation for Mass – whether kneeling or sitting in the pew – the bell rings, and you stand for Mass to begin. In his book, Sacred Signs, Father Romano Guardini, describes the overall attitude we should display during the Mass:
“The respect we owe to the infinite God requires of us a bearing suited to such a presence. The sense that we have of the greatness of His being, and, in His eyes, of the slightness of our own, is shown outwardly by our kneeling down to make ourselves small… to stand up means that we are in possession of ourselves…Standing is the other side of reverence toward God. Kneeling is the side of worship in rest and quietness; standing is the side of vigilance and action. It is the respect of the servant in attendance, of the soldier on duty.”[6]
When you stand at Mass, don’t slouch over and don’t squirm around. Stand up straight. As the psalmist says, “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10).
Beating the Breast
Next we come to the Penitential rite. The gesture of beating the breast is carried out during the recitation the Confiteor: “I confess to Almighty God, and to you my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do...” Striking the breast at the words “through my own fault.” expresses our repentance physically, in body language. Do it like you mean it, so that the sound echoes.
Sitting
After the penitential rite, you sit down. Now, when we sit down for the readings, the posture of being seated signifies attentive listening, readiness to be instructed. When you sit down during Mass, remember that you’re not sitting in your living room in a lounge chair or a Lazy-Boy. Sit up straight, quietly, reverently. Be still! To listen carefully to the Sacred Scripture requires energy and attention, and our posture should reflect that interior attitude of alertness: listening with the ear of the heart. If this applies to the people in the pew, how much more does it apply to those who are in the sanctuary! The Ceremonial of Bishops says “when the bishop is seated, if he is wearing liturgical vestments, unless he is holding the crozier, he should place his palms on his knees.” Here’s another principle to keep in mind: what is legislated for the superior generally holds for the subject as well. Try sitting that way: quietly, prayerfully, upright. Listen attentively to the speaker and he will respond accordingly.
Folding your Hands
Now we’ve come as far as the Gospel. We stand for the Gospel. The priest makes the sign of the cross on the Book of the Gospels, and then on his forehead, lips, and breast, which everyone else does as well. This signing, by the laity, is a pious gesture, which even though not found in the Roman Missal is found in the 2003 G.I.R.M., §134.
Then what? What do you do with your hands? How about keeping them folded? In the Caeremoniale Episcoporum – The Ceremonial of Bishops published in 1985, there is a paragraph entitled Concerning folding the hands, and an explanation in a note at the bottom of the page that says:
“When it says with hands folded, it is to be understood in this way: palms extended and joined together in front of the breast, with the right thumb over the left in the form of a cross” (#107, n.80).
Kneeling for the Eucharistic Prayer
After the Gospel and the homily, if there is one that day, and after the Preparation of the Gifts, the Great Prayer, called “the canon” or “the Eucharistic Prayer” begins. During this time we kneel. The meaning of this gesture of kneeling is manifold: 1) humble submission before the majesty of God; 2) penance and a spirit of repentance, 3) adoration and reverence in prayer.
Guardini says:
“When you kneel, don’t do so distractedly and carelessly. You’re expressing what’s in your soul! The spirit of your kneeling must be such that interiorly your soul kneels before God in profound reverence.”[7]
The bodily posture of kneeling is above all a sign of reverence for Christ present in the Eucharist. We kneel, not to show how holy we are, but to show how holy He is. Kneel upright with your back strait and your head held erect. Keep your buttocks off the seat.
Thus, the Sacred Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments stated in their 1973 document Immensae Caritatis that: “It is necessary to instruct the faithful that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior and that the same worship and adoration given to God is owed to Him present under the sacramental signs.”[8]
The 1983 Code of Canon Law states:
“Christ’s faithful are to hold the blessed Eucharist in the highest honor. They should take an active part in the celebration of the most august Sacrifice of the Mass; they should receive the sacrament with great devotion and frequently, and should reverence it with the greatest adoration. In explaining the doctrine of this sacrament, pastors of souls are assiduously to instruct the faithful about their obligation in this regard.”[9]
The 2003 G.I.R.M., Chapter 2, § 43 requires that: “In the dioceses of the United States of America, they (the laity) 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.
Holding Hands When Saying the Our Father
The Communion rite begins with the recitation of the Our Father. The 2003 G.I.R.M., § 81, describes the significance of this prayer for the liturgy.
One unauthorized change that has crept into the liturgy is handholding during the recitation of the Lord’s prayer. The Holy See has not ruled directly on this issue. In a response to a query, however, the Holy See stated that holding hands "is a liturgical gesture introduced spontaneously but on personal initiative; it is not in the rubrics."[10] For this reason, no one can be required to hold hands during the Our Father.
Msgr. Peter Elliott excellent book Liturgical Question Box comments on this gesture.
“While there is nothing wrong with a couple holding hands during the recitation of the Our Father at Mass, problems arise when everyone gathered in the church is expected to do this because we know that there is no official liturgical directive for all of us to do so. To encourage everyone to hold hands during the Our Father is an example of private or group piety intruding illicitly into public worship. One cannot impose a personal devotion, even something good.”
The second point to consider, Elliott says, “is whether this practice is appropriate during the Lord’s Prayer. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church, § 2777 and § 2865 explain, this greatest of prayers is an act of adoration of our transcendent Father, followed by seven petitions addressed to Him. This is why the celebrant extends his hands in praise and petition. But everyone ‘holding hands’ does not reflect the meaning of this great prayer of adoration and petition. This is the wrong sign for this prayer because it is too ‘horizontal’.”
I might add that in the course of its discussion of the this question, the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy expressed a strong preference for the orans[11] gesture over the holding of hands since the focus of the Lord’s Prayer is a prayer prayed to the Father and not primarily an expression of community and fellowship.
Sign of Peace
The optional sign of peace should be made without undo noise or commotion. The celebrant, as the guardian of the Eucharist, does not leave the altar and he does not shake hands as shaking hands may contaminate the Eucharistic species.
Agnus Dei – Lamb of God
The Agnus Dei was introduced into the Roman Mass sometime around the end of the seventh century. Pope Sergius I, who reigned from 687 to 701, had decreed “that during the fraction of the Body of the Lord, ‘Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi miserere nobis’– ‘Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us’ should be sung by the clergy and people.”
There seems to be some confusion as to the posture of the people after the Agnus Dei is sung. In most churches in the United States a return to a kneeling position at the “Agnus Dei” especially to prepare for the “Ecce Agnus Dei – Behold the Lamb of God” is the norm. This traditional act is not limited to United States. The 2003 G.I.R.M. has new instructions for kneeling after the Agnus Dei which state: “The faithful kneel after the Agnus Dei unless the Diocesan Bishop determines otherwise.”[12]
Walking up to receive Holy Communion
Walk with dignity with your hands held in a position of prayer at your breast. Pay attention to what you are about to experience. Remember, this may be your last Mass and last reception of the Holy Eucharist.
A Strongly Recommended Act
While the Church requires certain acts of reverence as adoration to the Eucharist, she also recommends others. An act of reverence, immediately before receiving Holy Communion, which has been “strongly recommended” by the Sacred Congregation of Rites in 1967 and repeated by the Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship in 1980, is as follows:
“With regard to the manner of going to communion, the faithful can receive it either kneeling or standing, in accordance with the norms laid down by the episcopal conference: When the faithful communicate kneeling, no other sign of reverence towards the Blessed Sacrament is required, since kneeling is itself a sign of adoration.
“When they receive communion standing, it is strongly recommended that, coming up in procession, they should make a sign of reverence before receiving the Blessed Sacrament. This should be done at the right time and place, so that the order of people going to and from communion should not be disrupted.”[13]
Father Regis Scanlon, comments on this subject in Kneeling and faith in the Eucharist, Homiletic & Pastoral Review (Aug.-Sept., 1994), p. 10: “Now, it appears from the context of the statement that the Congregations are here strongly recommending a genuflection, and not merely a sign of the cross or a mere bow of the head. First of all, the Congregations previously referred to “kneeling” as “a sign of adoration” and secondly, the reverential act which they recommend, if done out of place, would “disrupt” or interfere with “the order of people going to and from communion,” which would not be the case if the recommended act was a mere sign of the cross or a bow of the head.
That this sign of reverence is a genuflection, and not even a full body bow, is supported by the Ceremonial of Bishops. It has just been stated that the Ceremonial reserves the “genuflection” for the “Blessed Sacrament.” Since the Ceremonial is a “model” for all Masses of the Roman Rite throughout the universal Church and since the spirituality of bishops and priests should be an example to the laity, the way the bishop and priests receive the Blessed Sacrament at communion is a “model” for the laity. The Ceremonial states about the Communion of the Mass in which the bishop concelebrates with priests and distributes communion to the priests before saying “Lord, I am not worthy…”:
“After saying inaudibly the prayer before communion, the bishop genuflects and takes the paten. One by one the concelebrants approach the bishop, genuflect, and reverently receive from him the body of Christ.”[14]
Now, if it is proper for priests to come up and genuflect to the Blessed Sacrament prior to receiving communion from the bishop, who also genuflects, it should also be proper for the laity to come up and genuflect to the Blessed Sacrament prior to receiving communion from the priest or Eucharistic minister. The statement by the Church regarding the laity’s reception of Holy Communion should be interpreted consistently with the Ceremonial. The officially “recommended” act of reverence prior to receiving communion, when receiving in a standing position, is clearly a “genuflection”. A genuflection can be replaced by a profound bow only when physical conditions do not allow for the former. This act of reverence before receiving Communion standing is easily planned and does not delay the reception of Communion. The person immediately behind the one receiving the Eucharist makes the reverence while he or she is receiving the Lord.
Receiving Communion
Once you arrive at the sanctuary, what then? It depends, of course, on how the church is designed, whether you kneel at the altar rail to receive communion, or receive standing. I would like emphasize that it is the right of the laity to receive either standing or kneeling.
The following response to questions were published in the November-December 2002 edition of Notitiae, the official publication of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments. This response represents the view of the Holy See on the question of kneeling to receive Holy Communion.
“The Congregation in fact is concerned at the number of similar complaints that it has received in recent months from various places, and considers any refusal of Holy Communion to a member of the faithful on the basis of his or her kneeling posture to be a grave violation of one of the most basic rights of the Christian faithful, namely that of being assisted by their Pastors by means of the Sacraments (Codex Iuris Canonici, canon 213). In view of the law that "sacred ministers may not deny the sacraments to those who opportunely ask for them, are properly disposed and are not prohibited by law from receiving them" (canon 843 ¶ 1), there should be no such refusal to any Catholic who presents himself for Holy Communion at Mass, except in cases presenting a danger of grave scandal to other believers arising out of the person's unrepented public sin or obstinate heresy or schism, publicly professed or declared. Even where the Congregation has approved of legislation denoting standing as the posture for Holy Communion, in accordance with the adaptations permitted to the Conferences of Bishops by the Institution Generalis Missalis Romani n. 160, paragraph 2, it has done so with the stipulation that communicants who choose to kneel are not to be denied Holy Communion on these grounds.”
If you receive Communion-in-the-Hand please do it in the proper manner. The National Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on the Liturgy produced a pamphlet in 1977 entitled The Body of Christ which describes the proper method of receiving communion in the hand.
“You are always free to receive communion on the tongue, but if you should decide to receive in the hand, you should approach the minister of the Eucharist with one hand resting on the other, palm up (ordinarily the left hand uppermost) extended toward the minister. You ought to have your hands uncovered, with no objects in them. Your hands should be extended sufficiently outward and upward so it will be evident that you wish to receive the consecrated bread in your hand. The sacred host will then be placed in your extended hand by the minister after the usual words: “The Body of Christ,” and your customary response, “Amen.” Once the minister has placed the consecrated bread in your hand, step to one side and immediately place the host in your mouth. Only then should you move to receive from the cup (if the consecrated wine is offered) or return to one’s place.”[15]
Think of it! You are about to the receive the Lord God Himself. Be on your guard, therefore, against any lack of reverence. Here is a very practical point. Those who are ordained may take the Holy Eucharist themselves. Those who are not ordained receive the Eucharist; they never take it. Don’t reach for it, wait until the Body of Christ is given to you. And take to heart the words of the centurion: “Lord, I am not worthy….”
Thanksgiving after Mass
Finally, a period of thanksgiving is in order after receiving communion. Inaestimabile Donum, §17 states:
"The faithful are to be recommended not to omit to make a proper thanksgiving after Communion. They may do this during the celebration with a period of silence, with a hymn, psalm or other song of praise, or also after the celebration, if possible by staying behind to pray for a suitable time."
© 2003 – Victor R. Claveau
Part or all of this article may be reproduced without obtaining permission as long as the author is cited.
“Other saints give example of particular virtues,
but the Blessed Virgin gives example of all.”
–St. Thomas