Testimonies
Why kneel?
How has kneeling to receive Christ impacted your faith?
“It is a more profound experience…”:
"The Archdiocese of Hartford is looking to restore altar rails in all the churches. Our Pastor has already responded by adding two kneelers at daily Mass at St Catherine's so we can choose to kneel to receive the Eucharist. And we have an altar rail at Sunday Mass at St. Philip's. I absolutely love it. It is a more profound experience of receiving Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist."
Marie P. - Broad Brook, CT
“The Creator is here with us. How can we not kneel before him?”:
"As an Evangelical Protestant I was holding back on converting to the Catholic Church. The logic, the Church Fathers, the historical continuity all pointed to the veracity of the Catholic Church being what she claims. I was still holding back, though, because of the relational costs of conversion. While attending a daily Mass one day I was suddenly struck by the realization of the reality before me when I saw those kneeling before the Eucharist. Either the Eucharist was a fraud, and therefore kneeling before it was an offensive act of idolatry to God; or it is what the Church claims - Jesus himself, present here with us. And to postpone becoming Catholic would be to miss out on being present in the most intimate way with Divinity. I was at a fork in the road. And I couldn't hold back any longer. The Creator is here with us. How can we not kneel before him? The moment in my testimony took place when the priest said: “Behold, the Lamb of God. Behold him who takes away the sins of the world …” I recall seeing everyone kneeling while these words were spoken.
Although this moment doesn’t refer to kneeling while receiving, I think it’s import toward kneeling when receiving is powerful. If kneeling from a distance, how much more ought we to kneel up close."
Russ W. - Savannah, Georgia
"Catching Fire":
"Years ago our cathedral parish offered Holy Communion at the altar rail. It "happened" to coincide with a time of deep spiritual growth that I was experiencing. I moved away and didn't realize how much I missed receiving while kneeling until I began attending Mass where Holy Communion was administered at kneelers before the altar. A spark was immediately struck and that flame of devotion began to burn brightly again. Today, I would describe myself as one that is on fire and I know without a doubt that receiving Christ in that humble and adoring posture has played an intrinsic role. I pray to Our Lord that others would experience the same.
As far as the decrease in belief in the Real Presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament - if we were to kneel when receiving, it would certainly go a long way to clearing up any doubt about His Real Presence - after all, who kneels to a symbol?"
M. A. - Fort Worth, Texas
“My body teaches my heart”:
“Thomas Aquinas' hymn Adoro te devote adores our Lord hidden from our senses in the Eucharist. Perhaps in addition to "safely" believing the testimony of our ears, St. Aquinas might also have included the testimony of our knees. As a convert to Catholicism, I've found receiving our Lord whilst on my knees helps my body teach my heart the truth my mind can't fully grasp.”
S.B. - Orlando, Florida
"The Archdiocese of Hartford is looking to restore altar rails in all the churches. Our Pastor has already responded by adding two kneelers at daily Mass at St Catherine's so we can choose to kneel to receive the Eucharist. And we have an altar rail at Sunday Mass at St. Philip's. I absolutely love it. It is a more profound experience of receiving Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist."
Marie P. - Broad Brook, CT
“The Creator is here with us. How can we not kneel before him?”:
"As an Evangelical Protestant I was holding back on converting to the Catholic Church. The logic, the Church Fathers, the historical continuity all pointed to the veracity of the Catholic Church being what she claims. I was still holding back, though, because of the relational costs of conversion. While attending a daily Mass one day I was suddenly struck by the realization of the reality before me when I saw those kneeling before the Eucharist. Either the Eucharist was a fraud, and therefore kneeling before it was an offensive act of idolatry to God; or it is what the Church claims - Jesus himself, present here with us. And to postpone becoming Catholic would be to miss out on being present in the most intimate way with Divinity. I was at a fork in the road. And I couldn't hold back any longer. The Creator is here with us. How can we not kneel before him? The moment in my testimony took place when the priest said: “Behold, the Lamb of God. Behold him who takes away the sins of the world …” I recall seeing everyone kneeling while these words were spoken.
Although this moment doesn’t refer to kneeling while receiving, I think it’s import toward kneeling when receiving is powerful. If kneeling from a distance, how much more ought we to kneel up close."
Russ W. - Savannah, Georgia
"Catching Fire":
"Years ago our cathedral parish offered Holy Communion at the altar rail. It "happened" to coincide with a time of deep spiritual growth that I was experiencing. I moved away and didn't realize how much I missed receiving while kneeling until I began attending Mass where Holy Communion was administered at kneelers before the altar. A spark was immediately struck and that flame of devotion began to burn brightly again. Today, I would describe myself as one that is on fire and I know without a doubt that receiving Christ in that humble and adoring posture has played an intrinsic role. I pray to Our Lord that others would experience the same.
As far as the decrease in belief in the Real Presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament - if we were to kneel when receiving, it would certainly go a long way to clearing up any doubt about His Real Presence - after all, who kneels to a symbol?"
M. A. - Fort Worth, Texas
“My body teaches my heart”:
“Thomas Aquinas' hymn Adoro te devote adores our Lord hidden from our senses in the Eucharist. Perhaps in addition to "safely" believing the testimony of our ears, St. Aquinas might also have included the testimony of our knees. As a convert to Catholicism, I've found receiving our Lord whilst on my knees helps my body teach my heart the truth my mind can't fully grasp.”
S.B. - Orlando, Florida
Submit your testimony here:
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Kindly include your first name or first initial, last initial, city and state.
[email protected]
Kindly include your first name or first initial, last initial, city and state.