~ Dignity & Decorum ~

Reverence, Piety and Modesty

"Reverence,
therefore, reverence this table,
of which we are all communicants!

Christ, slain for us,
the sacrificial victim who is placed thereon!"

~ John Chrysostom ~
[Homilies on Romans 8:8 [A.D. 391]

“Holiness, sanctity, piety, reverence are all too hard. Besides,
who wants to walk around with a halo on their head?”
~ unknown ~

Bows and genuflections are two of a variety of bodily gestures used by human beings over the centuries to honor individuals and objects in religious as well as secular settings. The respect for military officers is shown in a salute. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal last revised in 2002 (2002 GIRM) presents norms about the actions used to express reverence and respect at Mass, and includes directions about when to genuflect (n. 274) and when to bow (n. 275).

The GIRM (n. 298) reminds us of the ancient tradition of seeing the altar as representing Christ, the Living Stone (cf. 1 Peter 2:4). Because of this association, a bow of the body is prescribed as the normal gesture made toward the altar, as if toward Christ himself. In particular, all the ministers bow toward the altar when they arrive at the sanctuary at the beginning of Mass and at the end of Mass, before leaving the sanctuary. The priest or deacon also bows during other moments during the Mass, for example, when preparing to proclaim the gospel. 2

To GENUFLECT is to 'bow the right knee only', to go down, touching the floor, on one knee. It is the most profound and solemn form of bowing. The next most solemn form of BOW is a profound bow from the waist, with hands held together at the waist in front. Finally there is the simplest form in which the head alone is inclined slightly forward and down.

and bestowed on him the name
which is above every name,
that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth."
(Phil 2:9)

For the person who wishes to worship the Lord with all their heart, with all their soul, with all their mind and with all their strength, worship with the body is both right and natural.

When to Genuflect depends, on one hand, upon the custom of the community and on the other, the solemnity of the occasion. At St. Mark’s, we reserve genuflection for the most solemn times and is particularly appropriate in the presence of God Himself!

The Body of Christ, the Blessed Sacrament, is reserved in the Tabernacle at St. Mark directly
behind the altar. Next to it is a permanently lit red lamp to indicate to us that Jesus is present there. It is appropriate to acknowledge the Lord's Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist with a brief act of worship on entering or leaving the building. Normally a genuflection in the direction of the place of reservation, coupled with a turning of the mind towards Him is enough.

Before seating yourself, it is customary to genuflect in the aisle, next to the row of seats that you are about to enter, while making the sign of the cross, saying to yourself, ”In the Name of the Father (touch the forehead with three fingers of the right hand), the Son (touch the stomach or core of your body with your right hand), and the Holy (touch your left shoulder with the right hand) Spirit“ (touch the right shoulder with your right hand.) Do this again when leaving the row of seats to depart from the worship area. 

Often in modern liturgy, the sense of reverence,
of dignity, of awe, seems to have disappeared.
We have the adage “Familiarity breeds contempt.”
Not that we have contempt for the Eucharist,
but we receive it so often that we can become slovenly.

Two dispositions are absolutely necessary to approach the table of the Lord. The first is faith — deep belief in our Lord who is truly present, body and soul, humanity and divinity who becomes present at the words of consecration and who comes into our lives, into our very beings, assimilates us into himself, through the reception of the Eucharist. That is whom we are receiving. We celebrate what Jesus enacted at the Last Supper and on Calvary. We represent that act to the Father and bring its benefits upon ourselves.

The Eucharist like all the great mysteries of our faith, is not something that one can explain rationally. How can Jesus, how can God, be contained in what appears to be a small wafer of bread? But that’s our strong belief, that Jesus is truly present on our altars. Once we have received him in the Eucharist, he is present in our very persons, in our bodies. We believe that by the reception of the Eucharist we become tabernacles, with our Lord contained within our very selves. That is a marvelous mystery, and that’s the first quality that we have to come with, that deep awareness, that deep faith, that deep belief. That’s what really makes Catholics Catholic. Take away the Eucharist, and we’re like everyone else. There’s no difference.

Out of that faith there has to come a devotion. You know each of us is baptized into the priesthood of Jesus, and one of the ways in which ordinary baptized Catholics exercise that priesthood is by receiving Holy Communion. That is the exercise of a power we have from Christ. It’s an act of worship and so we do it. We come with devotion, we come with humility. We come — how should I put it? — with great reverence and respect. I think that’s what many people complain about in our modern liturgy, the fact that the sense of reverence, of dignity, of awe, has disappeared. But that’s more in our disposition than in anything else.

It is necessary to make some gesture of reverence before receiving the Eucharist.
It may be kneeling, bowing, crossing oneself or some other act.
What is necessary, is to receive with reverence and dignity.
There should not be any genuflections after receiving Holy Eucharist.
At that moment, you don’t want to genuflect to the tabernacle,
because the Lord is within you; you are the tabernacle. 1

The Real Presence of the Lord God Himself comes to us under the appearance of bread and wine. It is Jesus Himself, His Body and His Blood. When you move from your seat to receive the Precious Body and Blood in Communion, remember who is waiting for you at the altar. As you approach the head of each line in procession, please refrain from talking and looking unnecessarily around, and prepare your heart to receive His Life, given for you.

While the person in front of you or beside you receives, bow reverently from the waist, if able, to adore your Lord and God. After you have received the Body and Blood of the Lord, move quietly to retake your seat. No genuflection is necessary when processing to receive Holy Communion, or upon the return to your seat, only thanksgiving to and for Jesus, in the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Although customs may vary tremendously in different parishes there are several points during the
Celebration of the Holy Eucharist and during other times at which it is traditional to bow profoundly or genuflect.

• A “profound bow” is made by the entire assembly during the Creed at the words "by the power of the Holy Spirit ... became man" in honor of the Incarnation of Our Lord. A genuflection is the general custom in Anglo-Catholic parishes, but a profound bow is customary at St. Mark’s.
• At the Words of Institution in the Eucharistic Prayer, at which moments the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ, although one is already kneeling, a bow is customary when the priest genuflects behind the altar.
• During Mass, the priest celebrant genuflects during the institution narrative of the Eucharistic Prayer after he has shown the consecrated host to the assembly as well as after showing the chalice, and then after the exchange of peace right before he shows both species to the assembly when he invites them to Communion.
• Bells are rung while the priest prays for the Holy Spirit to come upon the gifts on the altar, when He lifts the Holy Eucharist, and when He lifts the Chalice of Precious Blood. This is time to adore Our Lord, praying privately expressions of our love for Him, to look upon His Presence among us. When the priest genuflects, it is customary to bow then, rather then when Jesus is elevated for all to see. 
• A bow of the head is prescribed when the persons of the Trinity are named together (as at the sign of the cross),of his mother, and of the saint honored in the liturgy that day.
• More generally, it is prescribed to bow the head slightly at the mention of the name of Jesus, whenever it is heard in Church. This practice not only honors the sacred name, but encourages us to be attentive at all times during the Divine Liturgy.
• Equally traditional is the practice of turning to the Altar and bowing the head as you pass in front of it, honoring the throne of God in Church, the Holy of Holies.
• All genuflect (bending both knees) when adoring the Blessed Sacrament unveiled, as at Expositions.
• All genuflect (bending the right knee only) when doing reverence to the Blessed Sacrament, reserved in the Tabernacle, or lying upon the corporal during the Mass. Mass-servers are not to genuflect, except when the Blessed Sacrament is at the altar where Mass is being said.

• Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist genuflect upon entering and leaving the Sanctuary, but do not bow or genuflect during the distribution of Holy Communion. The same honor is paid to a relic of the True Cross when exposed for public veneration.
• The clergy in liturgical functions genuflect on one knee to the cross over the altar, and likewise in passing before the bishop of the diocese when he presides at a celebration. From these genuflections, however, an officiating priest is dispensed, bowing of the head and shoulders being substituted for the genuflection.
• Outside the celebration of Mass, it is appropriate to genuflect whenever passing in front of the tabernacle.
• On Good Friday, after the ceremony of the Adoration of the Cross, and until Holy Saturday, all, clergy and laity alike, genuflect in passing before the unveiled cross upon the altar.

Practice does vary and there are no hard and fast rules about when to bow, or even how to bow. For many people, unused to bowing, the slightest nod of the head can feel very conspicuous! Just remember, we do these acts not for others, or for others to see, but to express outwardly our reverence and adoration of Our Lord.
External bodily gestures during liturgical actions as well as at other moments of prayer in a church or chapel, by ministers or by any other member of the faithful, continually remind us that human beings worship God not merely through words and thoughts, but with their entire body, soul and spirit. 2

PIETY & Modesty

[Provided in the spirit of service, rather than in the spirit of headmanship.]

Christian spirituality is nourished above all by a constant sacramental life,
since the Sacraments are the root and endless source of God's grace which
believers need to sustain them on their earthly pilgrimage.

The sacramental life needs to be complemented by the values of popular piety,
values which will be enriched in turn by sacramental practice and saved from falling
into the danger of routine. It should also be noted that this spirituality is
not opposed to the social responsibilities of the Christian life.

On the contrary, in following the path of prayer, believers become more
conscious of the Gospel's demands and of their duties towards others.
Through prayer, they are strengthened with the grace they need to persevere in doing good.
In order to mature spiritually, Christians do well to seek the counsel of the Church's ministers or of other persons expert in the field of spiritual direction, which is a traditional practice in the Church.

The Synod Fathers felt that it was necessary to recommend to priests this important ministry.

[Pope John Paul II, Ecclesia in America, 29:4, online, catholicculture.org, 2008]

St. Thomas tells us: "Since we are composed of a twofold nature, intellectual and sensible, we offer God a twofold adoration; namely a spiritual adoration, consisting in the internal devotion of the mind; and a bodily adoration, which consists in an exterior humbling of the body." The good saint goes on to say: "And since in all acts of latria (reverence) that which is without is referred to that which is within as being of greater import, it follows that exterior adoration is offered on account of interior adoration . . . "This interior adoration is the reason for the exterior adoration.

The cloistered nun in a monastery of perpetual adoration comes into the presence of the Blessed Sacrament and instantly expresses her interior devotion by casting herself on her knees before the Lord. Also she knows, if she is wise, that the exterior act of adoration leads to a greater interior devotion. St. Thomas says on this: "We exhibit signs of humility in our bodies in order to incite our affections to submit to God, since it is connatural to us to proceed from the sensible to the intelligible"  (S.Th. II-II, 84, 2).

"The secret is to regard our bodies as beautiful gifts from God, miracles of His handiwork,
chosen by Him to be His living temples on earth and to be glorified forever in heaven." *

As casual dress gains popularity in the summer months, it is important for men and women to be dressed, not for the beach or gym, but for the reverence and respect we hold for one another, in Christ. Please refrain from wearing athletic mesh running tops, tank tops and t-shirts with large images, writing or logos. (SkAT’N Rocks is inappropriate, as is any similar image or design depicting a culture of death, with skulls, dragons, bats, etc.) Shirts with collars and pants are more appropriate for men.

"What a joy it is to meet a person with a happy smile and pure intention, whose modesty shines forth and acts like a window to reveal their personality and particular beauty." *

St. Padre Pio and Modesty

*From: PROPHET OF THE PEOPLE  by
Dorothy Gaudiose  published by Alba House
                          
Padre Pio wouldn't tolerate low-necked dresses or short, tight skirts, and he forbade his spiritual daughters to wear transparent stockings. Each year his severity increased.  He stubbornly dismissed them from his confessional, even before they set foot inside, if he judged them to be improperly dressed.  On some mornings he drove away one after another, until he ended up hearing very few confessions.  His brothers observed these drastic purges with a certain uneasiness and decided to fasten a sign on the church door;

Whenever the Blessed Sacrament is present in the tabernacle, carried in procession, or taken to the sick; whenever the Sacred Host is raised at the Consecration in the Mass, our infallible faith says to us:  “Behold your King! Behold your Redeemer, your Judge, your Creator, your God!”
     If then in the presence of the Most Holy Sacrament we feel no interior devotion and show no exterior modesty, what would someone think? They would say with truth and justice, “That woman does not believe that her God is present there”; or again, “that [man or] woman’s faith is cold and dead.” 
     Who could believe that Jesus Christ is present in this Sacrament and fail to reverence Him?
     In the Holy Eucharist, faith tells us that God Himself is present, He who made all things out of nothing and could destroy them in a moment. He who at the last day will come on the clouds of Heaven to judge the living and the dead.
     If only Catholics will believe this with a lively faith, then our churches will be filled with worshippers, whose deportment will correspond to their belief.  The modest attire, the guarded eye, the bended knee, the meekly folded hands will speak of the conviction of their hearts.  Let Catholics have a lively faith in this Mystery, and our dear Jesus will seldom be left alone. 4

Piety is a Gift of the Holy Spirit.

Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are, according to Catholic Tradition, heroic character traits that Jesus Christ alone possesses in their plenitude but that he freely shares with the members of his mystical body (i.e., his Church). These traits are infused into every Christian as a permanent endowment at his baptism, nurtured by the practice of the seven virtues (modesty, charity, purity, patience, moderation, generosity, and zeal), and sealed in the sacrament of confirmation.

They are also known as the sanctifying gifts of the Spirit, because they serve the purpose of rendering their recipients docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in their lives, helping them to grow in holiness and making them fit for heaven.

The nature of the seven gifts has been debated by theologians since the mid-second century, but the standard interpretation has been the one that St. Thomas Aquinas worked out in the thirteenth century in his Summa Theologiae:

• Wisdom is both the knowledge of and judgment about "divine things" and the ability to judge and direct human affairs according to divine truth (I/I.1.6; I/II.69.3; II/II.8.6; II/II.45.1–5).
• Understanding is penetrating insight into the very heart of things, especially those higher truths that are necessary for our eternal salvation—in effect, the ability to "see" God (I/I.12.5; I/II.69.2; II/II.8.1–3).
• Counsel allows a man to be directed by God in matters necessary for his salvation (II/II.52.1).
• Fortitude denotes a firmness of mind in doing good and in avoiding evil, particularly when it is difficult or dangerous to do so, and the confidence to overcome all obstacles, even deadly ones, by virtue of the assurance of everlasting life (I/II.61.3; II/II.123.2; II/II.139.1).
• Knowledge is the ability to judge correctly about matters of faith and right action, so as to never wander from the straight path of justice (II/II.9.3).
• Piety is, principally, revering God with filial affection (befitting a son or daughter), paying worship and duty to God, paying due duty to all men on account of their relationship to God, and honoring the saints and not contradicting Scripture. The Latin word pietas denotes the reverence that we give to our father and to our country; since God is the Father of all, the worship of God is also called piety (I/II.68.4; II/II.121.1).
• Fear of God is, in this context, "filial" or chaste fear whereby we revere God and avoid separating ourselves from him—as opposed to "servile" fear, whereby we fear punishment (I/II.67.4; II/II.19.9).

These gifts, according to Aquinas, are "habits," "instincts," or "dispositions" provided by God as supernatural helps to man in the process of his "perfection." They enable man to transcend the limitations of human reason and human nature and participate in the very life of God, as Christ promised (John 14:23). Aquinas insisted that they are necessary for man’s salvation, which he cannot achieve on his own. They serve to "perfect" the four cardinal or moral virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance) and the three theological virtues (faith, hope, and charity).

The virtue of charity is the key that unlocks the potential power of the seven gifts, which can (and will) lie dormant in the soul after baptism unless so acted upon.

Because "grace builds upon nature" (ST I/I.2.3), the seven gifts work synergistically (the total effect is greater than the sum of the individual effects) with the seven virtues and also with the twelve fruits of the Spirit and the eight beatitudes.

• The emergence of the gifts is fostered by the practice of the virtues, which in turn are perfected by the exercise of the gifts.
• The proper exercise of the gifts, in turn, produce the fruits of the Spirit in the life of the Christian: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, modesty, self-control, and chastity (Gal. 5:22–23).
• The goal of this cooperation among virtues, gifts, and fruits is the attainment of the eight-fold state of beatitude described by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:3–10).
  

A way of understanding the seven gifts, one that goes back the biblical source material.
The first—and only—place in the entire Bible where these seven special qualities are listed together is Isaiah 11:1–3, in a famous Messianic prophecy:
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.

The seven gifts are designed to be used in the world for the purpose of transforming that world for Christ. Isaiah 11 vividly portrays what these gifts are to be used for: to do what one is called to do in one’s own time and place to advance the kingdom of God.

The specific, personal details of that call do not come into focus until one has:

• realized his very limited, ungodlike place in the scheme of things (fear of the Lord),
• accepted one’s role as a member of God’s family (piety), and
• acquired the habit of following the Father’s specific directions for living a godly life (knowledge).

This familiarity with God breeds the strength and courage needed:

• to confront the evil that one inevitably encounters in one’s life (fortitude) and
• the cunning to nimbly shift one’s strategies to match—even anticipate—the many machinations of the Enemy (counsel).

The more one engages in such "spiritual warfare":

• the more one perceives how such skirmishes fit into the big picture that is God’s master plan for establishing his reign in this fallen world (understanding) and
• the more confident, skillful, and successful one becomes in the conduct of his particular vocation (wisdom). 3

1 Parcher, Rev. Adrian J., “How to Receive the Eucharist.” This Rock (January 1998), online, 23-24, http://www.catholic.com/magazines.asp. [source: www.catholiceducation.org/]. The Rt. Rev. Adrian J. Parcher, O.S.B., is the retired abbot of St. Martin’s Benedictine Abbey in Lacey, Washington.

This Rock, the magazine of Catholic apologetics and evangelization, is published eleven times a year by Catholic Answers Inc., Subscription rates are $29.95 for one year. Subscription requests should be sent to This Rock, P.O. Box 17490, San Diego, CA 92177

2 Dennis C. Smolarski, SJ, excerpts: When Should We Bow and When Should We Genuflect at Mass?, online, seasirvine.org, 2008.

3 Blisard, Frank X.,“The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit”, This Rock (December 2006 ), online, http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/2006/0612uan.asp

4 Müller, THE BLESSED EUCHARIST  p30-31

*Quotes from MODESTY published by Eternal Life 902 Stephan Foster Avenue Bardstown, KY 40004 [source: catholicmodesty.com]