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Dear Martha,
I come from the baby boomer generation, and I too, like many from that generation, was raised to have a reverence for the Blessed Sacrament. (At that point in my life though a lot of my religious education was via Benedictine monastery visits I made.)
Until I was physically unable to, I would receive kneeling, altar rail or no altar rail. The Church is very clear in its documents:
- “Inaestimabile Donum", Instruction Concerning Worship Of The Eucharistic Mystery, Forward, No. 12, that the faithful can receive the Blessed sacrament standing or kneeling.
- (Redemptionis Sacramentum, March 25, 2004, #90, 91, 92)
At one parish I kneeled with no altar and the celebrant refused to distribute Communion to me. Later I made a call to my local diocese to tell them about this incident and the bishop ended up calling and talking to that priest, after which I had no problems receiving the way I wanted to.
While Eric is correct, I think it is very sad that the voting bishops of that time (in the 60s and 70s) made a push for communion in the hand, which, in my opinion opened the Most Blessed Sacrament to abuse and sacrilegious acts.
That said, to this day, if you have a similar incident as I did, call (or write) your local bishop so he is aware that a priest is prohibiting reception of the Blessed Eucharist, kneeling.
Mike
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