Altar boys or girls?
Who’s image do they contain?
Since the beginning...
To kneel or to stand?
Is one way more reverent?
Either way is grace...
Bless the hand or tongue?
How shall we receive the Lord?
He did really Rise...
- Gary Edward Geraci
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Author:
Gary Edward Geraci (
Offline) - Published: April 23rd, 2018 17:35
- Comment from author about the poem: I’m just happy Pope Francis has been talking about this lately. As ridiculous as it sounds, sadly “it” (I’ll blame it on “Wormwood”) has caused division and strife within my own extended family. Christ did not intend this - this we can say for sure.
- Category: Haiku
- Views: 17
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Comments4
all we can do is push forward. it keeps going on no matter what.
Amen!
The world keeps spinning. Until the fire comes.
A loving, cleansing kind of fire I hope....
Doh! I've come acrossa few people - so busy genuflecting, bowing, crossing themselves, they look like they're doing some mime show or something. They will be all worn out before the service has hardly started. Maybe it's their physical exercise for the day!
Sat next to someone one day in church. he went into over-drive with the above things!
I've never really felt led to cross myself, so I suppose I'm not going to start now. Can be meaningful, but folk are not more super-spiritual if they do it.
Yes, I see the same within my own congregation (and try my darnedest not to be judgemental). I’ve made some progress by rationalizing that each person (or culture) has their own way of showing devotion and reverence. I should hope those only making a “show of it” would eventually progress, through grace, to a more sincere position of devotion. “Fake it to you make it” isn’t all that bad of an idea if it opens up a person, previously closed, to God’s grace.
Thanks Gary. This person was over-doing it, as if he had a nervous tic or something. He put in 'extra' bows, kneelings, crossings of oneself. It nearly drove me potty!
Also, a standing through Communion (if able - our service book says), can be reverential. But in another ways it conveys impatience I think. Are we all waiting to run out the door at the end, and not bothering to sit down and wait a while?
Ah hah! The message we get from the theologians in the know regarding Catholic transubstantiation (you won’t find this in Scripture) is that the real presence of Christ remains in our body for about 10 minutes after consumption. Consequently, we show greater reverence to our Lord by sitting (or kneeling) and contemplating His presence for a few more minutes after the service has ended. We both will agree that rushing out immediately after the service may not be the most reverential thing to do.
Thanks Gary. We differ about transubstantiation. A note in service book says 'Please remain standing if you can'. Some are aged about 90, so have to sit! There seems an element of 'rushing' by standing throughout the main preparation. Yet it could be seen as reverence, I suppose, as can kneeling too.
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