Q: Thank you for this blog! My Pastor “required” me to subscribe to your blog when I started working for him, and I haven’t been disappointed by the wealth of relevant insight.
My question is: After standing to sing the Memorial Acclamation, should the choir kneel again until the Amen or should they mimic the posture of the Deacon and remain standing for the rest of the Eucharistic Prayer? I worry about too much up and down movement becoming a distraction that detracts from rather than adds to the reverence.
Thanks for your time!
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A: Well, my thanks to your pastor!
The GIRM doesn’t really address this question. The deacon’s posture is unique and not meant to set an example for others. GIRM 43 in the US permits standing during the Eucharistic Prayer “on occasion by ill health, or for reasons of lack of space, of the large number of people present, or for another reasonable cause.” I guess you could argue that avoiding a commotion is a reasonable cause for the choir to remain standing. But the other options are for the choir to practice standing and kneeling in unison so that they avoid causing a distraction, or for the choir to sing the acclamation while kneeling.
Blessings on you and your ministry.