Showing reverence for Christ in the Eucharist

I offered to provide my parish with some Sunday bulletin fillers that would help people become more aware that we're celebrating the Year of the Eucharist. Most of them will likely be quotes from the early Church Fathers on the Eucharist, just so people can get a real feel for how little has changed in 2000 years. But this is my first offering. It stems from my frustration at watching people come into Mass on Sunday and do that barely-dipping-my-knee-down-an-inch-or-two genuflection; or worse, genuflecting to the altar or (!) to the statue of Mary and then blithely walking past Jesus in the tabernacle without so much as a nod.

Showing Reverence for Christ in the Eucharist

Things we do frequently can easily become merely routine. Sometimes we may engage in a particular behavior for so long that we’re no longer aware of why we’re doing it. For those reasons, this Year of the Eucharist is a fitting time to take a few moments to review the basics behind the gesture of genuflection.

Genuflection is a special sign of reverence reserved only for the presence of Christ in the Eucharist. It’s an allowable option for the solemn veneration of the cross during the Good Friday liturgy, but that’s the sole exception to the general rule that we genuflect only in the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Bows are another way we can show reverence for something, which is why we bow to the altar and to the Book of the Gospels, both of which are symbols of Christ. But there’s nothing merely symbolic about the presence of our Lord in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is Jesus Christ himself -- body, blood, soul, and divinity. That’s why genuflection is reserved as a special gesture by which we show reverence for this unique presence of the Lord in our midst.

So, practically speaking, when should we genuflect? We should genuflect in the direction of the tabernacle when we first enter the church, before taking a seat in the pew. We should also genuflect anytime we walk past the tabernacle, as a way of acknowledging Christ’s presence there. Given the layout of our church building, we all need to be aware of that point when we enter or exit using the doors nearest to the tabernacle. Remember, it’s not the altar to which we are genuflecting -- a bow is appropriate when passing the altar -- but to the presence of Christ reserved in the tabernacle. We also should remember to genuflect in the direction of the tabernacle as we exit our pew and leave the church building.

Of course, if we have physical limitations that make genuflecting difficult or impossible for us, a bow can be substituted in its place. But for those of us who are physically able to genuflect, we should try to be aware of when and why we do it and we should take care when performing our genuflection. Try not to do it too hurriedly. Sometimes it helps to offer a brief prayer to Christ as you genuflect. We’re showing our reverence to a Person, to Christ himself, and not to an object, so why not speak to Him as you do so? Some people like to make the sign of the cross, pray the Jesus Prayer, or even just say something as simple as “Hello, Jesus.”

Our Holy Father wants this special Year of the Eucharist to deepen our awareness of and love for Christ in our midst. We should look at genuflecting as one way to thank Jesus for the awesome gift of His presence in the Eucharist.