From Geof : I am reminded of the greeting gesture, which I have not seen in many years, wherein one touches one's head, mouth, and chest, implying, "all that I think, and all that I say, comes from the heart."
Isn't that the traditional Muslim (Arabic?) greeting?
Re genuflection : we were taught (in the dear dead days beyond recall) that one went down on the right knee before God as personified in the host which was housed in the tabernacle of the altar ... and the down on the left knee for all secular persons like Kings, Cardinals et.al.
The genuflection was de rigeur when one came into church, generally performed just before entering a pew. This caused some discombobulation when those of another religion followed a Catholic friend into a Roman Catholic church and nearly tripped over the person when the Catholic suddenly dropped to one knee !
wow
