Pentecost Sunday and the Octave of Pentecost and in the votive Mass of the Holy Spirit In the Maronite Catholic Church, there is an evocative ceremony of genuflection on the feast of Pentecost. The congregation genuflects first on the left knee to God the Father, then on the right knee to God the Son, and finally on both knees to God the Holy Spirit. Genuflecting to a bishop From the custom of genuflecting to kings and other nobles arose the custom by which lay people or clergy of lesser rank genuflect to a prelate and kiss his episcopal ring, as a sign of acceptance of the bishop's apostolic authority as representing Christ in the local church, and originally their social position as lords. Abbots and other senior monastics often received genuflection from their monks and often others. Genuflecting before greater prelates (i.e. Bishops in their own dioceses, Metropolitans in their province, Papal Legates in the territory assigned to them, and Cardinals either outside of Rome or in the church assigned to them in Rome) is treated as obligatory in editions of the Caeremoniale Episcoporum earlier than that of 1985; during liturgical functions according to these prescriptions, clergy genuflect when passing before such prelates, but an officiating priest and any more junior prelates, canons, etc. substitute a bow of the head and shoulders for the genuflection. The present Catholic liturgical books exclude genuflecting to a bishop during the liturgy: "A genuflection, made by bending the right knee to the ground, signifies adoration, and therefore it is reserved for the Most Blessed Sacrament, as well as for the Holy Cross from the solemn adoration during the liturgical celebration on Good Friday until the beginning of the Easter Vigil." But outside of the liturgy some continue to genuflect or kneel to kiss a bishop's ring. Though it is frequently asserted that genuflections are to be made on the left knee when made to merely human authorities, there is no such prescription in any liturgical book. Image gallery See also Agonoclita Bowing Christian prayer Kowtow Marriage proposal Prostration Salah Seiza Sign of the cross Squatting position Tebowing Veneration Warschauer Kniefall References Eucharistic devotions Gestures of respect Kneeling Worship Bowing