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GesturesBowing
There are other gestures that intensify our prayer at Mass. For example, during the Penitential Rite, when we pray the Confiteor (“I confess”), the action of striking the breast at the words “through my fault” can strengthen awareness that our sin is indeed our fault. In the Rite of Peace, we express through our handclasp or embrace that we are committed to sharing Christ’s peace. It is an expression of our desire to live in communion with one another. Thus it is appropriate that before we share in Holy Communion, the sacrament of unity, we make this symbolic gesture with those around us.
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Bowing is a gesture of reverence. We recognize the altar as a symbol of Christ, and so we stop and bow to it whenever we pass in front of it. The priest and all the ministers bow to the altar after processing to the sanctuary at the start of Mass. In the Creed, we bow at the words that commemorate the Incarnation: “by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary and became man.” This gesture signifies our profound respect and gratitude to Christ who humbled himself to share our human condition in order to save us. Home | About Us | Ministries | Schedules | Religious Education | Calendar | The Mass | Contact Info St. Denis Church |