Fr. John Hardon on genuflecting

Father lectured many times on the Eucharist. He loved praying the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Toward the end of his life it became more and more difficult for him as his mobility was decreasing, but he was so determined. Some time before he became so ill, he lost the feeling in his legs. How could he still walk? We marveled that he still could stand to say Mass and even more that he would still genuflect at each consecration and every other part of the Mass that called for genuflection. It took some time, but he did it.

Father Hardon lamented the fact that so many persons did not see it as necessary to genuflect before the tabernacle containing our Lord Jesus Christ. Granted, there are persons who are unable to genuflect for physical reasons but, those reasons being absent, why not genuflect? During one lecture, Father postulated that if a V.I.P. were to come, people would definitely pay proper respect—so why not give the adoration due to Our Lord present in the tabernacle? However, what really hit me hard and left such a lasting impression was a simple statement he made. He said, “If you cannot bend the knee to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, you cannot bend your will to God's will.”

Marian Catechists