I learned a long time ago; religion is mankind’s way of trying to get closer to their god. I am a cradle Catholic, a seeker of the truth, and Solutionary for the Faith. This means, I am not Catholic just because my parents were. I have been researching various faiths since I first began questioning my spirituality as a young man. Through forty plus years of research and extensive study, my findings have only bolstered my love for the church Jesus founded and that love has compelled me to a life of sharing the truths that I have found.
I have many non-Catholic friends who have also questioned their own faith. They attend Catholic services like baptisms, weddings, funerals, or other special events that might include a Mass. A common question they all have is, “What prompts Catholics to stand, kneel, and sit? It seems confusing.” Some have called it “Catholic Calisthenics”. I tell them, they are not alone, many Catholics, don’t fully understand why we do these things, they just go with the flow. Personally, I have to know the why.
When we stand, sit, or kneel at Mass, we do so as One; using our mind, body, and soul. The word catholic means universal. We come together, each a different person yet become one body. Every Roman Catholic Mass, in every country, all around the world will follow the same format. Just like in everything we do; our actions help to affirm our beliefs.
The Mass, a ritual dating back to the second century, is beautifully arranged with each element having a different posture and a reason for that posture. We stand at the beginning and end of Mass because we are coming flawed and going forth renewed and forgiven. Standing reflects action, we are coming to worship our God or going out into the world to profess our love for God, his people, and our selves. Standing also shows honor and respect. We stand during the reading of Gospel as a sign of respect for the words of Christ, the “Good News” hold a higher place among the rest of the readings because they are directly related to Jesus’ words. He is the “Word made flesh.” During the time Jesus walked the earth, a teacher or Rabbi was the one who sat down and the students would stand around them, eager to hear their words. Sitting is a posture of relaxation as well as listening and meditation. We sit during the readings and the preparation of the Holy Eucharist because we are being attentive to what is happening in our presence. The early churches did not have chairs or pews, the faithful sat or knelt on the floor. We’ve only had pews for about 500 years. Every faith service known to man, included kneeling as a sign of adoration, humility, and penitence. The practice of kneeling during personal reflection, the Eucharistic Prayer and during Communion reminds us of our need for forgiveness, that we humble ourselves, and show reverence toward the miracle of the true presence of Christ transformed in the species of the Holy Eucharistic. This is also why Catholics genuflect toward the tabernacle when we enter or leave the church. That little golden box houses the real presence of God in the form of the Holy Eucharist.
If this is my last post, I want all to know there was only one purpose for all that I have written; to have made a positive difference in the lives of others.
Anthony “Tony” Boquet, the author of “The Bloodline of Wisdom, The Awakening of a Modern Solutionary”