Sacred Signs
by Romano Guardini

STANDING

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 His being, and, in His 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 is speaking and

you are answering him. 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. A man on his feet can come or go at once. He can take

an order on the instant, or carry out an assignment the moment he

is shown what 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 her 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.