LITURGY MATTERS: A modest gesture of love

By Michael McKenna, Archdiocesan Master of Ceremonies

Did you know that the Church teaches that we should bow our head at the name of Jesus, and more especially in the Liturgy?

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal governing our liturgical postures and gestures in the Mass states at 275: “A bow of the head is made when the three Divine Persons are named together and at the names of Jesus, of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of the saint in whose honour Mass is being celebrated.”

Widely practiced for centuries, the bow witnesses to an interior desire to honour Jesus, and express our love, respect, and adoration for the Name above all names by which salvation is given. Sadly, despite its profound theological and spiritual significance, its contemporary observance is increasingly less evident.

Originating in the early Church, the practice is based on St Paul’s Letter to the Philippians: “God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every other name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend … and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord ….” (Phil 2:9-10).

Constitution 25 of the Second Council of Lyons, held in 1274 and convened by Pope Gregory X, who professed a keenness that some physical gesture be done to honour Jesus’ name, decreed that: “Each should fulfill in himself that which is written for all, whenever that glorious Name [Jesus] is recalled… everyone should bend the knee of his heart, which he can do even by a bow of his head.”

Jesus teaches that His name is a source of grace, power, and unity. Throughout the Church’s history, the name of Jesus has been invoked for healing, protection, and deliverance from evil. The saints and mystics of the Church have long testified to its power in spiritual warfare and in moments of trial.

To bow one’s head at the holy name of Jesus is no empty ritual but a valuable spiritual discipline.  Indeed, as a liturgical action uniting body and soul in devotion, it is a profound act that reflects a spiritual disposition witnessing to a deep respect and love for the person of Jesus Christ.

Beyond its liturgical function, in a culture that often neglects or misuses the sacred, this small purposeful act becomes a quiet proclamation of faith to the world.

So let us bow our heads – not out of liturgical habit but out of acknowledgment and love for the person of Jesus Christ. May our simple act go some way to making reparation for the often-irreverent use of His holy name in our world, and by our observance may it help shape our worship, our words, and our witness.