What's NOT WRONG About Bowing to the Priest at Mass?

 

A friendly response to Catholic Apologist Patrick Madrid

It is entirely true that bowing to the priest during the entrance procession is not a prescribed gesture in the Roman Missal, and it is not an ancient universal custom of the Roman Rite.

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) discusses bows to the altar, bows at certain prayers, bows to the Blessed Sacrament, and other liturgical gestures, but it does not direct the congregation to bow to the priest during the entrance procession, nor during the recessional. However, neither does it forbid members of the faithful from doing so, nor caution them against so doing.

So Where Did the Custom Come From?

In many parishes, before and after Vatican II, local customs developed in which:

- Altar servers bowed to the priest as a sign of respect for his office.

 

- Members of the congregation nodded or bowed when the priest passed.

 

- Servers or choir members stood and bowed when the celebrant entered the sanctuary.

These customs reflect respect for the ordained ministry rather than a formal liturgical requirement. They appear to have developed from broader Catholic and European traditions of showing honor to clergy, monks, bishops, and other ecclesiastical superiors. They are devotional or customary practices rather than part of the universal rubrics of the Mass. While neither prescribed nor required, they are not prohibited, nor is anything wrong with them.

Why Some People Might Choose to Bow to the Priest

(And, to be clear, we're not talking about a profound, "from the waist" bow, rather a slight and simple nodding forward of the head only.)

Catholic theology recognizes that the priest acts in persona Christi capitis ("in the person of Christ the Head") when celebrating the sacraments. Because of that sacred office, some people bow to the priest as a sign of respect for Christ's ministry exercised through him.

Appropriate or Inappropriate?

It is appropriate provided it is understood as a sign of respect and not as a required part of the Mass.

A brief nod or bow toward the celebrant (which, again, is what we are talking about) is not contrary to Catholic practice. But no one is obliged to do it, and no one should teach or imply that it is required by the Roman Rite nor by tradition. Neither should anyone teach or imply that it is wrong or prohibited.

Historical Note

If you're old enough to remember the pre-Vatican II liturgy, you may recall more frequent bows among servers and clergy. In the older ceremonial books there were many prescribed bows exchanged among ministers during the liturgy. Those bows were generally part of the ceremonial interactions among clergy and servers, not actions expected of the congregation. Some present-day customs of bowing to the priest likely descend from those older ceremonial practices.

So...

If you see people bowing to the priest during the entrance procession and/or the recessional, you're seeing a local (or perhaps personal) custom of respect, not a practice that is required by the Catholic Church. 

There's Nothing Wrong With It. 

 Miracles and Materialism

“There is only one intelligent reason why a man does not believe in miracles and that is that he does believe in materialism.” 

—“Miracles and Death,” St. Francis of Assisi, by G.K. Chesterton

© 2025 by Michael F. Lee
Originally published by Decided Excellence Catholic Media, October 2025

Have you, or anyone you know or have spoken with, ever said or wondered “why don’t we see miracles today?” Many seem to hold that miracles, if indeed they ever happened at all, simply do not happen anymore. 

This attitude may be due at least in part to the understandable debunking of myths and fairy tales undertaken by parents as their children age and develop. God forbid that a 9-year-old lets it slip that he or she believes in Santa Claus or the tooth fairy! 

If you couple this debunking with the oft-repeated adage, “God helps those who help themselves,” you have the vaccine needed to inoculate children against belief in the miraculous, whether intended or not. 

And what does the debunking offer in place of the forbidden beliefs? Sadly, what it often offers is a belief in materialism— after all, gold is reality! 

Mr. Chesterton, who happily retained his belief in dragons and in brave knights who slew them, would caution us against being too easily convinced of the materialist gospel. For he knew well that miracles happen every day, most notably on every Catholic altar, and that we only fail to see them because we’re focusing on accumulating perishable material things. 

 ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

“Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they were defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven” (Revelation 12:7-8, RSV2CE).

 

Other than the Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph, the saint who is perhaps the most sought out and invoked in times of trouble is Saint Michael the Archangel. He is specifically mentioned five times in the Bible; three times in the book of the prophet Daniel, once in the Epistle of St. Jude (describing an event presented in Zechariah 3:1), and once in the Book of Revelation (12:7-8). 

In Daniel, St. Michael is described as a great and mighty prince, a reinforcement and a bulwark, and as a guardian of God’s people. In Jude (and in Zechariah), he is seen disputing directly with Satan over the body of Moses, and in the Book of Revelation, it is St. Michael who leads the angelic host in battle against Lucifer and the other fallen angels. 

Unlike most saints, Michael (whose name means “who is like unto God?”) has no human story—no date of birth, no parents and siblings, no biographical information that gives insight into his upbringing and character. Angels are completely different from—and in most ways superior to—human beings, and St. Michael is seen as their “commanding officer.” 

St. Michael does, however, have some history among us. He is recorded as having appeared to more than a few people, including St. Joan of Arc, St. Aubert, Diego Lázaro de San Francisco, Pope Saint Gregory the Great, and Bishop Alfonso Puccinelli. He is also mentioned as being the most frequently appearing saint during the Rite of Exorcism, often making his entrance precisely at the moment of deliverance, as he did in the actual exorcism upon which the movie, The Exorcist, is loosely based. 

While not an apparition, per se, St. Michael was seen in a vision by Pope Leo XIII in 1884. In the vision, the Holy Father saw a spiritual battle between St. Michael and Satan. Also in this vision, Satan was heard boasting to God that he could destroy the Catholic Church, and God was heard giving Satan permission to try…for a time. Pope Leo was so deeply struck by this vision and the clarity of it that he composed the prayer that most of us now know as the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel: 

“Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray: and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into Hell Satan and all of the other evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.” Amen†  

This prayer was recited at the end of every celebration of the Holy Mass from 1886 to 1964. This practice was generally terminated after the 2nd Vatican Council, but then restored in practice by Pope St. John Paul II. While it is not required to be said after Mass, many parishes (and even some entire dioceses by decrees of their bishops) have again made it a regular practice. 

Given that St. Michael has neither a birthdate nor a date of death, you might wonder how he ended up with September 29th as his feast day (now shared with Saints Gabriel and Raphael). 

St. Michael’s feast day was chosen because September 29th commemorates the dedication of the Church of Saint Michael, on the Via Salaria outside of Rome, in the 6th century. The Feast of St. Michael is also known historically as Michaelmas and celebrated in thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest. 

St. Michael is revered as the patron saint of police officers, soldiers, first responders, grocers, bakers, and— appropriately—fencers (sword-fighters). He is also invoked as the defender and protector of the Catholic Church. 

St. Michael the Archangel, pray for us!

© 2025 by Michael F. Lee
Originally published by Decided Excellence Catholic Media, Sep. 2025

 

What is an Icon?

Referring of course to religious icons, rather than the same word as used in the world of information technology, icons are sacred images that are intended to assist us in veneration and worship. 

The word “icon” comes from the Greek eikōn, meaning simply, “image.” Interestingly, in the familiar story of St. Veronica wiping the face of Jesus (6th Station of the Cross) and discovering that the image of His face was left on her veil, we may note that her name, “Veronica,” literally means “true image.” 

In the Byzantine Catholic Church, as well as in the other Eastern Rites (and in the Orthodox Churches) icons play a prominent role. While we of the Latin Rite (“Roman Catholics”) are more accustomed to having statues in our churches, chapels, offices, and homes, our Eastern brethren give such places of honor to the holy icons. 

To the Byzantine Catholic, the holy icon is much more than simply a picture, a piece of art, or a “painting” (please don’t call them that). Holy icons aren’t even produced in the same way as our western sacred art (paintings and statues). 

The process of producing an icon involves prayer, meditation, fasting, and even, perhaps, penance, in order that the iconographer might faithfully respond to the Holy Spirit. The actual process that we, in the west, might refer to as “drawing” or “painting,” the iconographer refers to as “writing.” He or she writes an icon. 

It is somewhat common to hear iconographers say that they really don’t know if the icon they’re writing is finished yet. They relate to it more as if it is a living thing. They wait and pray, and seek God’s voice as to when their work has been completed. 

The typical way of venerating or reverencing an icon is to make a profound bow before it, make the Sign of the Cross, and—if permitted—kiss the icon on the hand or foot depicted. Some also kiss their fingertips and then gently touch that hand to the icon.

© 2025 by Michael F. Lee
Originally Published by Decided Excellence Catholic Media, Sep 2025.

Saint Joan of Arc - Feast Day May 30th

Jeanne le Pucelle (Joan of Arc), one of five children of Jacque d’Arc and Isabelle Romée, was born on January 6^th, 1412 – the Feast of the Epiphany – in the village of Domremy in the northeast of France.

Along with her siblings, Joan was carefully trained in the various household duties.  Near the end of her life, Joan would declare, “In sewing and spinning, I fear no woman.”  Though she would one day be hailed as the savior and national heroine of France, she was at heart a simple, well-brought up, peasant girl who was never afforded the opportunity of learning to read or write.

Almost nothing for certain is known of her childhood, except for glimpses of her piety and behavior gleaned from the testimony given during her “Process of Rehabilitation” (Nullification trial), 25 years after her death. In these few testimonies we see a young girl who had a pronounced love of prayer, attendance at the Holy Mass, frequent reception of the Sacraments, solicitude toward the sick and the poor.  Neighbors of the family testified that “She was so good, that all the village loved her.”

During Joan’s early life, the “Hundred Years War” was going on between England and France, with entire French provinces being lost.  The weak and ineffective French government offered no real resistance. Eventually, most of France (north of the Loire River) was in the hands of the English. The “Dauphin” (crown prince) of France, Charles VII believed his situation was hopeless, so he spent himself in frivolous pastimes removed from the fighting lines.

At the age of 14, Joan began to hear voices that she believed were divine messages. The first of these came to her, accompanied by a bright light, while she worked in the family’s garden. From that day on, she kept a vow of virginity and strove heroically to live a Godly life.  Over the next two years, the visions grew more frequent, and included St. Michael the Archangel, St. Margaret, and St. Catherine of Alexandria. At length, these heavenly visitors revealed to Joan that her divine mission was to save France.  God was calling her to take Charles to be crowned king at Rheims – and to drive the English from the country. After being ridiculed in her first attempt to gain access to the Dauphin, Joan protested, but the voices insisted, “It is God Who commands it!”

In 1429, Joan was finally granted permission to see the Dauphin.  He was unsure of her, so he disguised himself and had her brought in.  Though she had never met him previously, Joan immediately identified him. 

Thanks to Joan’s faithfulness, Charles was crowned king on July 17^th, 1429.  In a failed battle the following year, Joan was taken prisoner by the Burgundians.  Charles and his ministers never made any effort to free her and return her to France.  Later, the Burgundians turned Joan over to the English, who had her tried and condemned as a sorceress and heretic by a court of the Inquisition. On May 29^th, 1431, Joan was officially condemned and at 8:00am the following day, she was burned at the stake, with her last word being the Holy Name of Jesus.  25 years later, a re-trial (process of rehabilitation) was convened by order of the pope at Avignon. Joan was vindicated, and her original trial condemned.

 Joan was beatified on April 18^th, 1909, by Pope St. Pius X, and canonized on May 16^th, 1920, by Pope Benedict XV, establishing May 30^th as her feast day.  She is venerated as the patron saint of prisoners, people ridiculed for the Faith, soldiers, and people in need of courage.

St. Joan of Arc, Pray for us that we may bravely live our Catholic Faith!

"Joan of Arc is a wild and wonderful thing enough, but she is much saner than most of her critics and biographers. We shall not recover the commonsense of Joan until we have recovered her mysticism."

–G.K. Chesterton, Illustrated London News

[Image: Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres: Joan of Arc at the Coronation of Charles VII]

It's Time for Your Medicine

 

I know that Lent isn't "just about giving up things," but...

It very much is...ALSO...about giving up things. Mortification and penance are important medicines for our souls. We're sinners, and the giving up of things -- such as we do with fasting and abstinence -- is part of the "prescription" assigned by the Church and enshrined in Scripture.

Let's not be too easy on ourselves this Lent. It's not "self-abuse" to examine our lives and decide to forego one, two, or several "good things" out of love for God and in order to "medicate" our souls.

Lent begins this Wednesday.

Take some dedicated time today and decide what you will set aside until the celebration of the Resurrection of the Lord.

The Church requires fasting (an actual reduction in the amount of food we consume) on only two days; Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Abstinence from the eating of meat (warm-blooded flesh) is required on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and on all Fridays of Lent.

That is the MINIMUM.

Your own freely chosen sacrifices are your love-offering to God.

We all need the good fruits of Holy Penance.

[photo credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/.../File:Envy-fasting...]

 “THE HOLY FAMILY IS IN DANGER OF INSULT; NOT EVEN BECAUSE IT IS HOLY, BUT MERELY BECAUSE IT IS A FAMILY.” 

~ G. K. Chesterton – New Witness, December 10th, 1920 

Read that again please and take note of the date on which it was published. The longer I am a student of Mr. Chesterton’s writings, the more often I find myself marveling that he seems to be—in a sense—timeless. 

What he wrote in 1920 could just as easily have been written by someone this week, as we all know that the family is under attack. Perhaps more subtly at times the attack on the family takes the form of disregard. As corporate, educational, and governmental entities cancel the words husband, wife, mother, father, son, and daughter, one can easily imagine that the very word family will also be jettisoned. 

Of course, the attack on the family is an attack on God, who is revealed to us as a family—The Most Holy Trinity. Jesus Christ is conceived in the womb of Blessed Mary and is born into a family. Jesus sends the Apostles forth to baptize us into His family, the Church. 

So yes, as Mr. Chesterton said, the Holy Family endures insult “merely because it is a family.”