The Sanctity of Standing While At Mass

Romano Guardini
1927

The respect we owe to the infinite God requires of us a bearing suited to such a presence. The sense that we have of the greatness of God’s being and, in God’s eyes, of the slightness of our own is shown outwardly by our kneeling down to make ourselves small. But reverence has another way of expressing itself. When you are sitting down to rest or chat and someone to whom you owe respect comes in and turns to speak to you, at once you stand up and remain standing so long as he or she is speaking and you are answering. Why do we do this?

In the first place to stand up means that we are in possession of ourselves. Instead of sitting relaxed and at ease, we take hold of ourselves; we stand, as it were, at attention, geared and ready for action. Persons on their feet can come or go at once. They can take an order on the instant or carry out an assignment the moment they are shown what it is that is wanted.

Standing is the other side of reverence toward God. Kneeling is the side of worship in rest and quietness; standing is the side of vigilance and action. It is the respect of the servant in attendance, of the soldier on duty.

When the good news of the gospel is proclaimed, we stand up. Godparents stand when in the child’s place they make the solemn profession of faith, children when they renew these promises at their first communion. Bridegroom and bride stand when they bind themselves at the altar to be faithful to their marriage vow. On these and the like occasions we stand up.

Even when we are praying alone, to pray standing may more forcibly express our inward state. The early Christians stood by preference. The orante, in the familiar catacomb representation, stands in the long flowing robes of a woman of rank and prays with outstretched hands, in perfect freedom, perfect obedience, quietly attending to the word and in readiness to perform it with joy.

We may feel at times a sort of constraint in kneeling. One feels freer standing up, and in that case standing is the right position. But stand up straight: not leaning, both feet on the ground, the knees firm, not slackly bent, upright , in control. Prayer made thus is both free and obedient, both reverent and serviceable.