Kneelers-Not Just For Mass Anymore!
Why have a kneeler at home? Well, one of the things I have come to appreciate since becoming Catholic is the way in which the Mass directs our hearts and minds and bodies to worship God. We genuflect upon entering the sanctuary acknowledging the real presence of Christ in the tabernacle. We kneel during the Eucharistic prayers, we stand during the proclamation of the gospel. We end by kneeling and silently reflecting on the goodness of God to allow us to take Him into us through the Eucharist. We genuflect once again at the conclusion of Mass as we leave the sanctuary, once again honoring the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
So after almost 6 years of worshiping in the Catholic Church, needless to say I have gotten used to kneeling. Something I frankly admit, I did not do as much as I should have in my life BC.(Before Catholic) So why just kneel in prayer during Mass? Bet if I had a comfy kneeler I could put in a hidden area (like my studio in the basement) I might be encouraged to spend a little more time on my knees. After looking up the prices of kneelers on-line, I decided to start a little project. I still need to build and attach the kneeler pads. Here it is so far.
posted by Russ Rentler, M.D. | 6:05 PM
13 Comments:
That is very cool! We saw an ergonomic kneeler in Clyde MO, (where the Benedictine nuns make the hosts for all over the U.S.) and it was very nice, for people like me with low back pain I confess I sometimes have to 'lean' back on the pew a little at Mass, but not always. I love to kneel. It's putting the posture of our bodies in a "HUMBLE" position, where our hearts/minds are supposed to be, too, to receive from God as well as to thank Him. I wish we all still had to kneel at an altar rail, but that's another topic for another time. Rich was telling me the other day about how he used to kneel to say his prayers as a child before bed. I did,too, for a short time, then didn't after a while as I grew up. Sad. I think we should start that up again! I remember C.S. Lewis knelt to say his prayers as a boy (at least he did in the movie Shadowlands) and even as a man. I think it's sad that many don't kneel anymore. In our evangelical days, kneeling was certainly not something anyone did that I ever witnessed. And to think some Catholics in very "liberal" diocese have removed the kneelers! One group of nuns told my friend, Fr. G., that the "don't kneel" during the Eucharistic prayers and swarmed around him after Mass one time, when he had insisted they do (up in Superior WI. diocese in some little town.) 5 of them circled around him and 'let him have it.' Can you believe the arrogance?? Humility is key. Kneeling or bowing during the Creed, (which I've noticed not DO anymore, even though it says in red, i think,there in the margin of the missal "all bow here".) It shows me what a proud and arrogant people we have become, in this 'post-modern' world. We don't humble ourselves before God, but yet expect him to 'dole out' blessings left and right. I have a kneeler too, in our prayer room. It's an old small, low, square footstool that's got a little padding. I put a tiny oriental rug sample piece on it, and it's in front of our Marian shrine. Un OH! Did she say Marian shrine? Idol worshiper! Icon worshiper!! :) Looks great Russ. Good job! Happy kneeling! God will reward you. Every effort we make to become more humble, to grow in humility is a delight to His Heart. Well done!
I would love to do this for my family as well. Please post the plans and instructions, if able. Thanks!
I should have known you would have a kneeler Susie.
The concept of humility is interesting. Our pastor just gave a homily lst week on the ten commandments of "Church etiquette" and emphasized genuflecting, bowing our heads before the Eucharist before receiving in the communion line, etc. Sometimes even if our hearts aren't there yet, the physicality of our gestures is a reminder of what the Mass is all about, and can draw us back.
When we make the sign of the cross on our foreheads,lips and our hearts before the reading of the Gospel, it jolts be back to paying attention and reminds me to pray "Let your words be in my mind lips and heart." How beautiful is that? Not that standing at attention isn't enough of a physical reminder of how important the words of the Lord are.
In my old charismatic congregation, the pastor, an ex-Catholic would sometimes ask the congregation to "Stand at attention for the reading of the Gospel." At the time I thought it was weird, because I had no recollection of that as an ex-Catholic, now I realize that he was making a good point, and revealing his Catholic roots too!
Raulito:
I will post some more pics and if I can give some rudimentary plans, dimensions etc. I'll try, but I am making it up as I go along.
Thanks for checking out the blog .
I had a friend make one for us. :) Nice that you can do this yourself.
Also, I was reading a post via rss from yesterday (Tuesday) and went to comment only to find "Sorry, the blog at convertjournal.blogspot.com has been removed" !
What the...? Do you know about this and what might be up?
I saw that too Owen, and wrote to him, but haven't heard anything. He just came into the Church this past weekend. Maybe its a blogger glitch?
Hope that's all. It looked to be a very good blog - more importantly, I hope all is well with our new brother.
I think it's called a Prie-Dieu.
The blog is back. I heard from someone else that blogger is making changes in cancelling their FTP service so many blogger bloggers are scrambling to reassign images and files. This may have been the case.
kkol-does that mean pray to God?
Cool name for it!
thanks Owen for checking that out.
Cool deal, Russ. I have been meaning to build one of these for myself for like 3 years! Nuts! I have part of the wood for it already. I need to just get goin' on this thing and do it.
"Prie-Dieu....does that mean pray to God?"
Indeed it does!
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