Should I genuflect or bow to the tabernacle?
August 4, 2011
Full Question
As a lector, I was told by a new priest at our parish not to genuflect to the tabernacle, but to instead bow to the altar when I go up to read. Our tabernacle is off to one side , so I usually walk up that side, genuflect to the tabernacle, then go up to read. Am I being ridiculous?
Answer
Continue to do as you have been doing. If you saw Jesus standing there, you would not ignore him and then bow to the altar. Nowhere will you find any official Church document directing one to ignore the Presence of our Lord in the tabernacle. Sometimes we priests don’t see the forest for the trees.
