One of the hardest mysteries to comprehend known to humans: The Holy Eucharist. If you think about it, the belief in the Eucharist is a pretty mysterious thing. It is something that no, we don't fully understand, but yet it is totally and completely 100% true.
I was contemplating this mystery earlier as I was sitting in front of the Blessed Sacrament in Adoration earlier this morning. I have been to a variety of different types of Masses and Churches (Although I have never been to a Latin mass... But it's on my list of things to do!) And the difference in the way people approach the mass is tremendous. I've been to masses where the people sit, stand, and kneel at the different 'normal' times, and I've also been to masses where the people wouldn't kneel at all, or even masses where the people sat for the whole mass.
It is my personal belief that all those who are able should be kneeling during certain parts of the mass. (During the Consecration and right after the Lamb of God.) And this is why: If we could fully understand what is right before us, would we even think for a moment about standing? Right before our eyes is the very essence, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of the one who gave us the ability to stand.
If we could fully understand and all the 'blinders' were taken from our eyes to see the True Presence without a single grain of doubt would we be able to stand, or would we be too in awe of what is before us that it literally makes us weak. After all, if God stopped thinking about us for one moment, just one moment, we would cease to exist. We cannot exist without Him. Talk about power.
But even with all that power, God chooses to come down to us in the simple forms of bread and wine. He chooses to remain simple, because if He was to totally reveal Himself to us, we would be in such awe, and so petrified by His presence. He leaves it up to us to choose Him, because if He totally revealed Himself, there would be no choice for us. We would just automatically accept him.
That being said, why do we treat the Eucharist as if it is something totally normal? It is truly a divine gift from God, to be treasured, to be honored, and to be given the most profound respect by us humans.
That's why I choose to kneel at Mass. (and why I think everyone who is able should do likewise.) The Savior of the world is fully physically present before my eyes, (and enters inside of my very beings.) and deserves as much respect as I can possibly give Him in my human frailty..
God Bless you all,
Catherine
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