Card.Sarah: St. John Paul II ‘forced his broken body to kneel’ before Eucharist [CATHOLIC CAUCUS]

https://www.lifesitenews.com ^ | June 7, 2017 | Claire Chretien

[NKP_Vet]

MILAN, Italy, June 7, 2017 (LifeSiteNews) – Catholics should follow Pope St. John Paul II's example of kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament, Cardinal Robert Sarah said, noting that the late pope knelt even until his last days.

The cardinal also highlighted St. Teresa of Calcutta's reverence for the Eucharist, noting that she once said nothing brought her more sadness than Communion on the hand.

Sarah spoke Tuesday at the 2017 Sacra Liturgica conference in Milan about "the beauty, appropriateness, and pastoral value" of receiving Holy Communion kneeling and on the tongue. Sarah is the Prefect for the Congregation for Divine Worship, essentially making him the Vatican's liturgy chief.

The Catholic Church teaches that the Eucharist is the literal body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ.

"For if, as St Paul teaches, 'at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth' (Phil. 2:10), how much more should we bend our knees when we come to receive the Lord himself in the most sublime and intimate act of Holy Communion!" said Sarah.

"A disposition of reverence and of awe is absolutely necessary before all things liturgical, before the privileged divine encounter that the liturgical rites facilitate," Sarah explained.

[NKP_Vet]

This is an outstanding article that came out last year. I pray every day that Cardinal Sarah or someone like him becomes the next pope.

[BBB333]

Now THAT was a Pope!

[pepsi_junkie]

Churches used to have a short fence of sorts around the alter that the congregants could go to and kneel and the priest would give them communion. Those started going the way of the dodo in the 70s I guess. The church I attended all my life until I was married had that and they used it until the 1980s because the ancient monsignor woulnd't accept letting people walk up and take it while standing. As a result, that church actually still has the communion rail in place. It's really rare to see that still. I think they stripped away the felt cushion though, it's cold hard marble now where folks would need to kneel.

Without such an architectural feature, having everyone kneel is impractical IMHO. If they want to add it back, I'm supportive. If not though, I think we need to accept that standing is how it will be.

[G Larry]

I have recently made every effort to receive the Host on the tongue ONLY from the 'Consecrated Hands' of the Priest.

Sometimes its too crowded/awkward to position myself in that part of the Church.

I haven't yet moved to kneel to receive, out of concern I'm drawing attention to myself.

[pepsi_junkie]

What I was referring to regarding the altar rail. The church I attended most of my life. That old monsignor that refused to change preserved what is a beautiful church as it was in the 1940s or 1950s when he built it. It's still what I think when I think "church".

I moved when I married and now go to one of those boring 1980s round churches. Sigh.

[Wonder Warthog]

"Now THAT was a Pope!"

Not according to the crowd here who claim there has been no legitimate pope for ??? decades.

[Deo volente]

What church is that?!

Magnificent!

[pepsi_junkie]

That is St Peter’s Church in Merchantville, NJ

[pepsi_junkie]

By the way, this is how it looks this year for Christmas. They always went crazy for Christmas.

[Salvation]

God bless John Paul II.

[Salvation]

**Churches used to have a short fence of sorts around the alter **

Churches used to have a short fence of sorts Communion rail around the alter altar

There, fixed it!

[Salvation]

Don’t worry about yourself or what people will think.

Instead, reverence Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

(Actually, people will admire and imitate you.)