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Home , Agnus dei, Lamb of God

WE KNEEL BEFORE , KING OF THE UNIVERSE STM parish will again begin kneeling after the “ of God” () prayer at . It is not clear how our practice of standing developed. Perhaps it started during re-construction of the church when Mass was held in the crowded social hall and there were no kneelers. We will restore the common liturgical practice of kneeling after the “” beginning at all Masses on the Solemnity of Our Lord Christ, King of the Universe, on the weekend of November 25th and 26th. By the norms of the Church, the congregation kneels beginning right after the supplication prayer Agnus Dei (Lamb of God), remains kneeling while the priest prays “Behold the Lamb of God, Behold Him who takes away the of the world,” and continues kneeling while the congregation replies, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul will be healed.” The congregation rises when it is time to proceed to the to receive the Sacrament. The reasons for kneeling reflect our faithful recognition of who Jesus Christ is and the wonder of His Real Presence among us, and are expressions of our privilege to worship Him together in this place!

 Kneeling while the Body and are held up by the priest is an act of worship by which we acknowledge Jesus is the sovereign Lord of our lives.  Kneeling while the priest prays “Behold the Lamb of God. Behold Him who takes away the sins of the world,” acknowledges our gratitude to Christ for His on the Cross that brought salvation and forgiveness of our sins.  Kneeling is an act of humility by us before so incalculably great a gift as the at that point when Jesus invites us to partake of the Bread of Life.  Kneeling together in “a common bodily posture” is a sign of unity at the time of , not only with Jesus, but also with the Communion of Saints, the Church Universal, as well as being “a sign of the unity of the members of the Christian community gathered together for the Sacred Liturgy.”

Sacred Scripture is filled with examples of the faithful kneeling before God, showing how kneeling is “right worship.” For example: o The Lord said: “To me, every knee shall bend…” (Isaiah 45:23) o Jesus said of Himself: “it is written … ‘every knee shall bow to me,’ and every tongue shall give praise to God” (Rom 14:11) o At the eternal banquet of the Lamb, in which the Mass participates, praise and honor upon the Lamb is accompanied by the elders falling down in worship (Rev 5:11-14) o “Let us kneel before the Lord who made us, for he is our God” (Psalm 95:1-7) For all these reasons, restoring to the Mass at STM the practice of kneeling after the “Lamb of God” prayer, as we “Behold the Lamb of God,” will enhance our communal worship of God, provide an opportunity to express our humility before Christ, promote unity within the Assembly and with the whole Church, increase hospitality towards visitors who expect to kneel, maintain consistency with the Church’s norms of liturgical practice, and enhance our conscious, direct encounter with Jesus Christ, in His Real Presence among us during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT KNEELING WHEN WE “BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD”

Q: Why are we restoring this kneeling posture on the Feast of ? A: Kneeling is a posture of homage before the King of the Universe and so this feast is an opportune time to initiate the return to this posture of adoration, fealty, and humility. The Feast of Christ the King is also the one-year anniversary of the close of Synod 16. A key outcome of the Synod is our resolve “... that every person at every level of the Church, through personal encounter with Jesus Christ, embraces his or her identity as a son or daughter of God and, in the power of the , is formed and sent forth as a joyful missionary disciple” (Unleash the , p.3). Beholding the Lamb of God at Mass is a dramatic encounter with Jesus Christ. Q: Why else are we making this restoration now? A: We are about to start the new on the First Sunday of , December 2nd and 3rd, so this restoration is like a new year’s resolution! Advent is also a penitential season in the Church’s calendar, and kneeling is a penitential posture. Advent anticipates Christmas, the birth of Christ before whom, Angels, shepherds, and kings from across the earth also knelt in adoration. Q: Is this a permanent change to the Mass? A: It is a restoration more than a change for us at STM for weekend Masses. But people attending weekday Mass at STM already kneel. It is also not a change at all for any of the other parishes in the Archdiocese of Detroit where kneeling at this time in the Mass has always been common practice. Q: Doesn’t kneeling at other times in the Mass give honor and praise to God? A: Yes, indeed. We also kneel during the Eucharistic Prayer, acknowledging the descent of the Holy Spirit who blesses our gifts of bread and wine. We kneel during the , while the priest says the , “This is my Body” and “This is the of my Blood.” We kneel when we return to our pews after Communion, during a time of contemplative union with Jesus. And we remain kneeling until the Eucharist is returned to the Tabernacle and the priest sits. Q: What if I am not able to kneel? A: Of course some of us have physical limitations that prevent kneeling or standing. In those cases, it is perfectly acceptable to sit. But whether we are kneeling or not, whether or not we have the strength for this position, Jesus is asking for a faithful disposition of our hearts. He is inviting us to encounter Him, to conform our hearts to His, to unite ourselves with Him, and to love the Lord, our God, with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and with all the strength we do have. Q: Are there any practical considerations to kneeling after the “Lamb of God”? A: Yes, one. When we stand after the “Great Amen” to pray the “Our Father” and share the “Sign of Peace,” let’s not raise the kneelers. That way we won’t have to lower them again to kneel after the “Lamb of God” and we can greatly limit the noise. (Any time we move the kneelers, please let’s do so as quietly as possible.)

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