Kneeling Together: Philosophical Reflections on the Embodied Experience of Holy Communion

I have been reflecting on the experience of kneeling at the altar rail to receive Holy Communion; I’m pondering the embodiment of spiritual, ethical, and relational dimensions and how this sacred act unfolds as a profoundly human and divine encounter, mediated through our very bodies.

Paul Ricoeur invites us to see the act of receiving Communion as a moment of attestation—a bodily affirmation of our identity as members of the Body of Christ. His notion of narrative identity offers a framework for understanding how this act weaves our individual stories into the larger narrative of salvation history. Kneeling at the altar rail, we enact a posture of humility and receptivity, joining our personal narratives with the communal story of the Church. Extending our hands or opening our mouths to receive the bread symbolizes a trustful openness to the divine gift, embodying Ricoeur’s idea that faith involves a lived, relational trust grounded in the stories and symbols that shape our self-understanding.

Richard Kearney deepens this reflection by emphasizing the carnal and relational nature of the sacrament. For Kearney, the Eucharist is an encounter that begins in the flesh. Our bodily engagement—kneeling, tasting, touching—is central to the hermeneutics of the sacred. He highlights the tactile dimensions of the experience: the feel of the bread on our tongues, the sound of the minister’s voice, and the proximity of others kneeling in shared vulnerability. These sensory elements underscore the incarnational theology at the heart of the Eucharist, where the Divine is encountered through the material and sensuous. In Kearney’s terms, this is a moment of “carnal hermeneutics,” where meaning is embodied.

Mark Johnson’s insights into embodied cognition add another layer to this reflection. In The Meaning of the Body, Johnson emphasizes how our bodily experiences shape our understanding of abstract concepts like grace, forgiveness, and communion. Kneeling at the altar rail isn’t just a physical posture; it’s a metaphor for submission and openness, grounded in the embodied dynamics of human experience. Consuming the bread and wine engages our senses, creating an aesthetic and emotional experience that imprints the sacrament’s meaning on our bodies. For Johnson, this sensory engagement isn’t secondary but foundational to how we understand and internalize the grace offered in the sacrament.

Ethically, the act of receiving Communion carries significant weight. Ricoeur’s emphasis on otherness reminds us that the Eucharist isn’t a private act but a communal one, binding us to the Divine and one another. Kearney’s focus on carnal vulnerability reinforces this ethical dimension—as we kneel and receive, we recognize shared dependence and mutual responsibility. The altar rail becomes a place of relationality, where we encounter the sacred and shared fragility and dignity of our fellow believers.

Ricoeur, Kearney, and Johnson illuminate the experience of Holy Communion as a deeply embodied act where narrative, relationality, and sensory engagement converge. Kneeling at the altar rail, we participate in a drama that is at once deeply personal and profoundly communal. Through our bodies, we encounter the sacred, receive grace, and are drawn into the ongoing narrative of God’s redeeming love—a narrative inscribed not just in words but in flesh and blood.