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Reverence
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"Keep
my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary. I am the LORD."
(Lev. 26:2)
"Give
to the LORD the glory due God's name. Bow down before the LORD'S
holy splendor!" (Ps. 29:2)
"Let
all the earth fear the LORD; let all who dwell in the world show
reverence. For he spoke, and it came to be, commanded, and it
stood in place. The LORD foils the plan of nations, frustrates the
designs of peoples. But the plan of the LORD stands forever, wise
designs through all generations." (Ps. 33:8-11)
"A
king is not saved by a mighty army, nor a warrior delivered by
great strength. Useless is the horse for safety; its great
strength, no sure escape. But the LORD'S eyes are upon the
reverent, upon those who hope for his gracious help, Delivering
them from death, keeping them alive in times of famine." (Ps.
33:16-19)
"All
the nations you have made shall come to bow before you, Lord, and
give honor to your name." (Ps. 86:9)
"Enter,
let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the LORD who made
us." (Ps. 95:6)
"Exalt
the LORD, our God; bow down before his footstool; holy is
God!" (Ps. 99:5)
"But
the LORD is in his holy temple; silence before him, all the
earth!" (Hab. 2:20)
"Sing
and rejoice, O daughter Zion! See, I am coming to dwell among you,
says the LORD. Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on
that day, and they shall be his people, and he will dwell among
you, and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.
The LORD will possess Judah as his portion of the holy land, and
he will again choose Jerusalem. Silence, all mankind, in the
presence of the LORD! for he stirs forth from his holy
dwelling." (Zech. 2:14-17)
"Therefore,
we who are receiving the unshakable kingdom should have gratitude,
with which we should offer worship pleasing to God in reverence
and awe." (St. Paul, Heb. 12:28)
"Indeed,
the spirits of prophets are under the prophets' control, since he
is not the God of disorder but of peace. As in all the churches of
the holy ones, women should keep silent in the churches, for they
are not allowed to speak, but should be subordinate, as even the
law says. But if they want to learn anything, they should ask
their husbands at home. For it is improper for a woman to speak in
the church. Did the word of God go forth from you? Or has it come
to you alone? If anyone thinks that he is a prophet or a spiritual
person, he should recognize that what I am writing to you is a
commandment of the Lord." (St. Paul, 1 Cor. 14:32-37)
"It
is my wish, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting
up holy hands, without anger or argument. Similarly, (too,) women
should adorn themselves with proper conduct, with modesty and
self-control, not with braided hairstyles and gold ornaments, or
pearls, or expensive clothes, but rather, as befits women who
profess reverence for God, with good deeds. A woman must receive
instruction silently and under complete control. I do not permit a
woman to teach or to have authority over a man. She must be quiet.
For Adam was formed first, then Eve. Further, Adam was not
deceived, but the woman was deceived and transgressed. But she
will be saved through motherhood, provided women persevere in
faith and love and holiness, with self-control." (St. Paul, 1
Tm. 2:8-15)
"But
I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, and a
husband the head of his wife, and God the head of Christ. Any man
who prays or prophesies with his head covered brings shame upon
his head. But any woman who prays or prophesies with her head
unveiled brings shame upon her head, for it is one and the same
thing as if she had had her head shaved. For if a woman does not
have her head veiled, she may as well have her hair cut off. But
if it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head
shaved, then she should wear a veil. A man, on the other hand,
should not cover his head, because he is the image and glory of
God, but woman is the glory of man. For man did not come from
woman, but woman from man; nor was man created for woman, but
woman for man; for this reason a woman should have a sign of
authority on her head, because of the angels. Woman is not
independent of man or man of woman in the Lord. For just as woman
came from man, so man is born of woman; but all things are from
God. Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God
with her head unveiled? Does not nature itself teach you that if a
man wears his hair long it is a disgrace to him, whereas if a
woman has long hair it is her glory, because long hair has been
given (her) for a covering? But if anyone is inclined to be
argumentative, we do not have such a custom, nor do the churches
of God." (St. Paul, 1 Cor. 11:3-16) [Note: The exemption
above is for those women who wish to be argumentative.]
"Reverence,
therefore, reverence this table, of which we all are communicants!
Christ, slain for us, is the Sacrificial Victim who is placed
thereon!" (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church, c. 392 A.D.)
"The
Sacrifice of the Mass is truly the Sacrifice of Calvary made
present among us, a sacrifice at which we should dare to be
present only in a spirit of the utmost reverence and the most
abject humility, conscious of our unworthiness in the presence of
the all-holy God." (Davies)
"With
what humility should we assist at Mass, if we realized that our
guardian angel was kneeling beside us, prostrate before the
majesty of God! With what eagerness should we not ask him to offer
our prayers to Jesus Christ!" (St. John Vianney)
"Let
us be like the holy angels now. If you wish to place your son in
the court of a king or bishop, you will have to begin to teach him
court manners beforehand. So it is with us: if one day we are to
be in the Angelic Court, we must learn how, while we are still
here, the manners of the angels." (St. Vincent Ferrer)
"Therefore,
kissing your feet and with all that love of which I am capable, I
implore all of you brothers to show all possible reverence and
honor to the most holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in
Whom that which is in the heavens and on the earth is brought to
peace and is reconciled to the all-powerful God (Cf. Col
1:20)." (St. Francis of Assisi)
"And
it is fitting, indeed in this age it is specially important, that
by means of the united efforts of the devout, the outward honor
and the inward reverence paid to this Sacrifice should be alike
increased. Accordingly it is our wish that its manifold excellence
may be both more widely known and more attentively
considered." (Pope Leo XIII, "Mirae Caritatis",
1902 A.D.)
"In
order for hope to abound, Catholics must find Holy Mass celebrated
with all the reverential vigor of a grand battle (for it is the
grandest battle, between Our Lord and Satan), with the majestic
solemnity of something come down to us from Heaven, and with the
transporting beauty befitting the perfect glory of Christ's sacred
humanity nailed to the Cross." (Perricone)
"Certainly,
then, the more a Christian is aware of the holiness and the
divinity of this heavenly Sacrament [of the Eucharist], the more
careful he should be not to receive it without great reverence and
sanctity, especially since we read in the Apostle the fearful
words: 'He who eats and drinks unworthily, without distinguishing
the body of the Lord, eats and drinks judgment to himself' (1 Cor.
11:29)" (Council of Trent)
"Since
the whole mystery of our salvation is comprised in this sacrament,
therefore is it performed with greater solemnity than the other
sacraments. And since it is written (Ecclesiastes 4:17): 'Keep thy
foot when thou goest into the house of God'; and (Ecclesiasticus
18:23): 'Before prayer prepare thy soul,' therefore the
celebration of this mystery is preceded by a certain preparation
in order that we may perform worthily that which follows
after" (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and
"greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
"And
whereas it beseemeth, that holy things be administered in a holy
manner, and of all holy things this sacrifice [of the Mass] is the most holy; to
the end that it might be worthily and reverently offered and
received, the Catholic Church instituted, many years ago, the
sacred Canon [of the Latin 'Tridentine' Mass], so pure from every error, that nothing is contained
therein which does not in the highest degree savour of a certain
holiness and piety, and raise up unto God the minds of those that
offer. For it is composed, out of the very words of the Lord, the
traditions of the apostles, and the pious institutions also of
holy pontiffs." (Council of Trent, 1562 A.D.)
"If there is anything divine among
man's possessions which might excite the envy of the citizens of
heaven (could they ever be swayed by such a passion), this is
undoubtedly the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, by means of which
men [e.g. priests], having before their eyes and taking into their
hands the very
Creator of heaven and earth, experience, while still on earth, a
certain anticipation of heaven. How keenly, then, must mortals
strive to preserve and protect this inestimable privilege with
all due worship and reverence, and be ever on their guard lest
their negligence offend the angels who vie with them in eager
adoration!" (Pope
Urban VIII, "Si Quid
est")
"What
great care is to be taken, that the sacred and holy Sacrifice of
the Mass be celebrated with all religious service and veneration,
each one may easily imagine, who considers, that, in holy writ, he
is called accursed, who doth the work of God negligently; and if
we must needs confess, that no other work can be performed by the
faithful so holy and divine as this tremendous mystery itself,
wherein that life-giving Victim [Christ], by which we were reconciled to
the Father, is daily immolated on the altar by priests, it is also
sufficiently clear, that all industry and diligence is to be
applied to this end, that it be performed with the greatest
possible inward cleanness and purity of heart, and outward show of
devotion and piety." (Council of Trent, 1562 A.D.)
"All the
faithful should be aware that to participate in the Eucharistic Sacrifice is their chief duty and supreme dignity, and that not in
an inert and negligent fashion, giving way to distractions and
day-dreaming, but with such earnestness and concentration that
they may be united as closely as possible with the High Priest."
(Pope Pius XII, "Mediator Dei", 1947 A.D.) [Note: The
Traditional (old Latin) Mass (in use for most of the 2,000 year
history of the Church) stresses active
participation in an internal way between the individual and God,
while the Novus Ordo (New Order) Mass (imposed on the faithful in the 1960's)
emphasizes active
external participation with one's neighbors (and may actually
discourage internal participation). For more information,
regarding the difference between these Masses, try the Latin
Mass / Catholic Tradition Section.]
"[T]here
is a twofold manner of signification in the sacraments, by words,
and by actions, in order that the signification may thus be more
perfect. Now, in the celebration of this sacrament words are used
to signify things pertaining to Christ's Passion, which is
represented in this sacrament; or again, pertaining to Christ's
mystical body, which is signified therein; and again, things
pertaining to the use of this sacrament, which use ought to be
devout and reverent. Consequently, in the celebration of this
mystery some things are done in order to represent Christ's
Passion, or the disposing of His mystical body, and some others
are done which pertain to the devotion and reverence due to this
sacrament." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and
"greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
"Now
the exhortation of the Apostle, 'Let this mind be in you which was
also in Christ Jesus,' requires that all Christians should
possess, as far as is humanly possible, the same dispositions as
those which the divine Redeemer had when He offered Himself in
sacrifice: that is to say, they should in a humble attitude of
mind, pay adoration, honor, praise and thanksgiving to the supreme
majesty of God. Moreover, it means that they must assume to some
extent the character of a victim, that they deny themselves as the
Gospel commands, that freely and of their own accord they do
penance and that each detests and satisfies for his sins. It
means, in a word, that we must all undergo with Christ a mystical
death on the cross so that we can apply to ourselves the words of
St. Paul, 'With Christ I am nailed to the cross.'" (Pope Pius
XII, "Mediator Dei", 1947 A.D.)
"Nothing
is greater or holier than the unbloody sacrifice of the Mass, in
which the body and blood of Christ are offered to God for the
salvation of all. Holy Mother the Church has always been careful
and diligent in order that the Mass be celebrated by priests with
clean and pure hearts. It should be celebrated with the proper
splendor of sacred ceremonies and rites so that the greatness of
this mystery will shine forth all the more even from external
appearances. This will also arouse the faithful to the
contemplation of divine things hidden in such an admirable and
venerable sacrifice. And with like solicitude and devotion, the
same most holy Mother has never ceased to urge, exhort, and
influence her faithful sons to frequently attend this divine
sacrifice with due piety, veneration and devotion. She teaches
that they must at all cost be present at it on all holy days of
obligation, with their minds and eyes religiously intent on that
from which the divine mercy and an abundance of all good things
might be acquired." (Pope Pius IX, "Amantissimi
Redemptoris", 1858 A.D.)
"Reverence
for this sacrament consists in fear associated with love;
consequently reverential fear of God is called filial
fear...because the desire of receiving arises from love, while the
humility of reverence springs from fear. Consequently, each of
these belongs to the reverence due to this sacrament; both as to
receiving it daily, and as to refraining from it sometimes. Hence
Augustine says (Ep. 54): 'If one says that the Eucharist should
not be received daily, while another maintains the contrary, let
each one do as according to his devotion he thinketh right; for
Zaccheus and the Centurion did not contradict one another while
the one received the Lord with joy, whereas the other said: Lord,
I am not worthy that Thou shouldest enter under my roof; since
both honored our Savior, though not in the same way.' But love and
hope, whereunto the Scriptures constantly urge us, are preferable
to fear. Hence, too, when Peter had said, 'Depart from me, for I
am a sinful man, O Lord,' Jesus answered: 'Fear not.'" (St.
Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian
in the history of the Church")
"If
it is unbeseeming for any one to approach to any of the sacred
functions, unless he approach holily; assuredly, the more the
holiness and divinity of this heavenly sacrament are understood by
a Christian, the more diligently ought he to give heed that he
approach not to receive it but with great reverence and holiness,
especially as we read in the Apostle those words full of terror;
He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh
judgment to himself. Wherefore, he who would communicate, ought to
recall to mind the precept of the Apostle; Let a man prove
himself. Now ecclesiastical usage declares that necessary proof to
be, that no one, conscious to himself of mortal sin, how contrite
soever he may seem to himself, ought to approach to the sacred
Eucharist without previous sacramental confession. This the holy
Synod hath decreed is to be invariably observed by all Christians,
even by those priests on whom it may be incumbent by their office
to celebrate, provided the opportunity of a confessor do not fail
them; but if, in an urgent necessity, a priest should celebrate
without previous confession, let him confess as soon as
possible." (Council of Trent, 1551 A.D.)
"Once
the true nature of the Mass is grasped, once there is a true
understanding of what takes place when a priest of God pronounces
the awesome words of consecration, it is not hard to understand
why the most solemn moments of the Sacrifice take place behind the
Iconostatis in the Eastern Church. It is, indeed, a matter for
wonder that any priest dares to pronounce the words or that the
laity dare to be present when he does. There is a passage in the
ancient liturgy of St. James which expressed perfectly the
attitude which sinful men should adopt in the presence of this
mystery, an attitude epitomized perfectly by the manner in which
Mass was celebrated by the close of the ninth century, but which
is found totally deplorable by
[certain people of today]. The passage reads: 'Let all mortal flesh be silent, and
stand with fear and trembling, and meditate nothing earthly within
itself: for the King of kings and Lord of lords, Christ our God,
comes forward to be sacrificed, and to be given for food to the
faithful; and the bands of angels go before Him with every power
and domination, the many-eyed cherubim, and the six-winged
seraphim, covering their faces, and crying aloud the hymn,
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.'" (Davies)
"[W]e
on our part are bound to show to God, as our Lord, the highest
reverence, and, as He is our greatest benefactor, the deepest
gratitude. But how many are there who at the present day
acknowledge and discharge these duties with full and exact
observance? In no age has the spirit of contumacy and an attitude
of defiance towards God been more prevalent than in our own; an
age in which that unholy cry of the enemies of Christ: 'We will
not have this man to rule over us' (Luke xix., 14), makes itself
more and more loudly heard, together with the utterance of that
wicked purpose: 'let us make away with Him'; nor is
there any motive by which many are hurried on with more passionate
fury, than the desire utterly to banish God not only from the
civil government, but from every form of human society. And
although men do not everywhere proceed to this extremity of
criminal madness, it is a lamentable thing that so many are sunk
in oblivion of the divine Majesty and of His favors, and in
particular of the salvation wrought for us by Christ. Now a remedy
must be found for this wickedness on the one hand, and this sloth
on the other, in a general increase among the faithful of fervent
devotion towards the Eucharistic Sacrifice, than which nothing can
give greater honor, nothing be more pleasing, to God. For it is a
divine Victim [Christ] which is here immolated; and accordingly through
this Victim we offer to the most blessed Trinity all that honor
which the infinite dignity of the Godhead demands; infinite in
value and infinitely acceptable is the gift which we present to
the Father in His only-begotten Son; so that for His benefits to
us we not only signify our gratitude, but actually make an
adequate return." (Pope Leo XIII, "Mirae Caritatis",
1902 A.D.)
Also
See: The
Holy Eucharist (Gen'l. Info.)
| Holy
Eucharist (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
| Holy
Eucharist / Mass (Basics / Misc.) | Proper
Behavior in Church | Kneeling
/ Prostrating / Bowing / Genuflecting (Church Talk Reflections) | Church
Talk Reflections
| Mass
is a Sacrifice / The Mass & Calvary | The
Real Presence / Transubstantiation | The
Holy Eucharist Should Be Handled Only By Priests | Lay
'Eucharistic Ministers': Why Not?
| Communion
in the Hand: Why Not? | Holy
Communion Should Be Denied to Those Who Obstinately Persist in
Manifest Grave Sin | Proper
Role & Behavior of Women (Priests & Vocations Reflections)
| Communion
of the Laity Under One Species | The
Holy Eucharist (Classic Encyclicals) | Holy
Mass / Sacred Liturgy (Classic Encyclicals)
| Sacred
Music (Classic Encyclicals) | Latin
Mass / Catholic Tradition | Latin
Mass / Catholic Tradition (Reflections)
| Free
Resources (Incl. Printable Fliers) | Reverence
/ Honor to God (Topical Scripture)
| Fear
of God / Fear of the Lord (Topical Scripture)
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