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To: NYer
From Cardinal Ratzinger's, The Spirit of the Liturgy, Ignatius Press, 2000

The expression used by Saint Luke to describe the kneeling of Christians (theis ta gonata) is unknown in classical Greek. We are dealing here with a specifically Christian word. With that remark, our reflections turn full circle to where they began. It may well be that kneeling is alien to modern culture -- insofar as it is a culture, for this culture has turned away from the faith and no longer knows the one before whom kneeling is the right, indeed the intrinsically necessary gesture. The man who learns to believe learns also to kneel, and a faith or a liturgy no longer familiar with kneeling would be sick at the core. Where it has been lost, kneeling must be rediscovered, so that, in our prayer, we remain in fellowship with the apostles and martyrs, in fellowship with the whole cosmos, indeed in union with Jesus Christ Himself.
[highlights added.]

59 posted on 05/28/2006 1:01:23 PM PDT by vox_freedom (Fear no evils)
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To: vox_freedom; All

In that section, Cardinal Ratzinger said:

"Worship is one of those fundamental acts that affect the whole man. That is why bending the knee before the presence of the living God is something we cannot abandon." Page 191

And, more importantly, he also said:

"The inability to kneel is seen as the very essence of the diabolical." Page 193

Fr. Tran and Bp. Brown would do well to ponder these statements by our Holy Father, especially the second one. It seems to be quite clear and unambiguous!


90 posted on 05/29/2006 6:56:14 AM PDT by nanetteclaret (Our Lady's Hat Society)
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