The Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy declared
in its July newsletter: “The bishops of the United States have decided that the
normative posture for receiving Holy Communion should be standing. Kneeling is
not a licit posture for receiving Holy Communion in the dioceses of the United
States of America unless the bishop of a particular diocese has derogated from
this norm in an individual and extraordinary circumstance.”
Since I came into the Church in the Easter of 1999 I have always
received Communion kneeling, but if the Bishops say that the normative way is
now standing then I will stand. If the Bishops said that I must
stand on my head or receive Communion balancing on one leg I would gladly do it.
I guess that I will now have to do the much more difficult task of kneeling my
intellect to Christ when receiving Communion.
