From Gert’s Catholic Library
How should we act when going to be with someone important? Well, there is no one more important than the living God! With that in mind we should have remembered that we came to be with the most important person we know; and dressed accordingly.
When we enter the main part of the church (the nave) from the entry way (gathering place) we should dip our forefinger of our right hand in the holy water font and make the sign of the cross. This is a manual recalling of our baptism. It should be done with reverence, thoughtfulness, and gratitude. We are in effect blessing ourselves in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Walking into the church we are about to pray the greatest prayer any Christian can pray – the Mass. Before entering a pew we should genuflect and make the sign of the cross toward the tabernacle at the right of the altar. The tabernacle contains The Blessed Sacrament – the Real Presence of Jesus Christ. This is an act of adoration and should make us mindful that we are in the Presence of God.
Upon entering a pew we should kneel, make the sign of the cross, pray to God, and reflect on where He is in our lives. We should especially try not to distract others if we see they are praying. Kneeling and facing the tabernacle is a good way to build an awareness of God’s presence in our lives. Our bodies are cooperating in this act and helping us acknowledge that this is not “business as usual,” but rather that something important is happening here.