Dear Catholic brothers and sisters,

There has been some talk and writing recently about the proper posture for receiving Communion. If this topic has captured your attention, you may be interested in reading further.

That we can receive the Eucharist is an amazing gift. We are able to become one with the True Presence of God – His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Could anything be more precious or more humbling? For the recent Feast of the Epiphany, the Gospel (Mt 2:1-12) stated that the Three Kings “prostrated themselves” when they saw the Child – an infant. Prostrating oneself is a very humble posture, which the Kings did before a Baby Who had not yet proven anything!

So as we contemplate our posture to receive Communion, knowing with certitude that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, should we not humble ourselves? Kneeling is universally known as a sign of respect, and is not Our Lord deserving of every ounce of our respect? But what about the “norms” established by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)? If you would like to read more about these norms, this page from the EWTN website will be helpful. 

The “norm” per the USCCB is to stand. So the question is, should we follow the “norm?” This article provides insight into one church’s solution. They re-installed the Communion rail, enabling a much smoother – and faster – procession which allows everyone to position themselves, according to their ability and desire for the holiest act a lay person can enjoy, without interfering with anyone else. 

Even while identifying a norm, the USCCB is clear that Communion may not be refused if the recipient chooses to kneel. However, the matter of obedience could be surfaced. We know the Church was established as, and still is, a hierarchy. Certainly that hierarchy, including the USCCB, has the authority to set guidelines and “norms” for lay people. There are many matters about which we owe the bishops our obedience, about which they deserve our obedience. However, a “norm” is not doctrine, not an order. The communicant has the right to assume a more humbling posture to receive. We are called to serve and honor God first.

For more on the topic of obedience, this article is insightful. It addresses the liturgy rather than the proper position for reception of the Eucharist. But it makes a strong case that Jesus Himself modeled disobedience when circumstances dictated that we must obey God rather than man (based on the writings of Father Henry James Coleridge in his 1886 work The Mother of the King).

As we each continue our spiritual journeys – aiming always for a closer relationship with Jesus, for everlasting life, and to love all people as He does – we encourage you to express your reverence and gratitude for the Eucharist in the way that is most meaningful for you. And we encourage you to learn as much as possible about the full Deposit of the Faith. Allow your actions to be shaped by the unchangeable Truths of our Scripture, Tradition, and Magisterium. If there is any way for the Sag Bridge Mission Society to assist you in this pursuit, please let one of the officers know.

Blessings,

The Officers of the Sag Bridge Mission Society