Page:Low Mass Ceremonial (Burnett).djvu/17

 3. GENUFLECTIONS

As a bodily act of reverence, kneeling, either on one knee or on both knees, includes every kind of bowing, just as a profound bow includes a moderate bow, and therefore in such kneeling the head is not to be bowed. The ordinary genuflection is made by bringing the right knee to the plane upon which the person is standing, and near to the left foot, the head, meanwhile, being held erect. The priest genuflecting in the mass, rises at once after his knee has touched the floor, save that when the Blessed Sacrament is upon the altar his genuflection should be more than usually deliberate. In no case should the priest while he is bending his knee down to the floor, or rising again, move hastily, for, even though the reverential spirit be not altogether lacking in the priest, such hasty and undignified action may have the appearance of an act of derision rather than that of an act of reverence. When a genuflection is made at the altar before the consecration, the hands are placed on the altar beyond the corporal, but after the consecration and before the ablutions they should be placed upon the corporal. When the priest kneels upon both knees (as at the Confession and the prayer of "Humble Access,"), he withdraws his hands from the altar and keeps them joined before his breast while he is kneeling. A genuflection on the right knee is made at each of the following places, viz., in the Creed, at the words, "And was incarnate,....made man"; before and after the elevation of the Host, and before and after the elevation of the chalice; before the words, "By whom and with whom," etc.; at the end of the Prayer of Consecration, after the words, "World without end"; before the fraction of the Host which takes place after the conclusion of the Prayer of Consecration; after the commixture; before the words, "Lord, I am not worthy," etc.; after the priest has communicated himself with the Host and has uncovered the chalice; after he has communicated himself with the Precious Blood; on each occasion when, during the administration of the communion, he replaces the paten, or the ciborium, upon the altar and before he takes up the chalice; and when he replaces the chalice upon the altar and before he takes up the paten or ciborium; after the administration of the communion is ended, and before beginning the Lord's Rh