Posted on 09/02/2017 7:01:15 AM PDT by Salvation
Q: I’ve read where outstretching our hands (like the priest at the altar) when responding in the Mass and when praying the Our Father are not acceptable acts. Are we to raise our hands at either of these times?
Tricia, via email
Monsignor Charles E. Pope
A: While the gestures of the priest at Mass are rather clearly prescribed throughout the liturgy, prescribed gestures for the faithful are minimal. There is an occasional directive to strike the breast at the Confiteor, or to bow at one point in the Creed. But there is no mention of particular gestures for the faithful during the Our Father. Thus we are not discussing a strict violation of liturgical norms if a member of the faithful extends his or her hands outward or upward during the Lord’s Prayer. Such a gesture is common in many cultures when praying, whereas in other cultures and times folded hands is more common.
What should be avoided is a sense of equivalence between the gesture of the lay faithful and that of the priest-celebrant. The priest is in a unique role in the liturgy. He is exercising a ministerial and priestly function in the person of Christ the Head. Thus, in Christ, he prays on behalf of all and, in Christ, to the Father.
Additionally, while the Lord’s Prayer is a prayer said jointly by the celebrant and lay faithful, the Eucharistic Prayer is said only by the celebrant (and concelebrating priests). Therefore, it is one thing to extend one’s hands during the Our Father, but to do so during the Eucharistic Prayer is not appropriate.
As for extending hands when one is responding to prayers, this seems more in the realm of a friendly gesture. Here, too, culturally speaking, some people are more prone to gesticulation than others. If one naturally gestures back at the greeting of the celebrant, there seems little harm in that as long as it does not mean that the person is denying any distinction between the celebrant and himself.
Monsignor Pope Ping for OSV column.
The handholding during the Our Father and the outstretched hands come from a Canadian liturgist who turned out to be a homosexual and got it going because he could. I do neither of these actions.
Me neither
He doesn’t mention the gesture of pointing a finger at your child, followed by a cross-your-throat move. This means, “If you don’t stop that right now, you will be in a world of hurt when we get home.”
That one’s not officially recognized, but is lawful nevertheless because it enjoys the status of immemorial custom.
Pope Francis:
>>On the contrary, traditionalist ideology has a faith like this [the pope makes a gesture of putting on earmuffs]. “The benediction should be done like this. In Mass, fingers should be like this, with gloves, like before …” What Vatican II has done with the liturgy has been something truly grand, because it has opened worship of God to the people. Now the people participate.<<
LOL sometimes you get the Look that’ll do it :)
Jesus would be concerned about where the heart is, not the hands.
Me, I detest the so-called “sign of peace”. IMO homosexual influence in the liturgy began with Vatican II.
Celebrant provoking laughter during the homily or calling for applause, leaves me cold, too.
Right up there with, “Would all fathers (or mothers) please stand?” OR...”Would all fathers please come up to the sanctuary to be recognized?”
Wife & I are childless FWIW.
The hand-holding is a liturgical abuse. It should not be done. The same with the “orans” position......it is only for the priest.
Preach!
I have read, though I can’t remember where, that the hands-extended thing is a sacerdotal posture, reserved to the clergy.
“I did that NEVER and if someone asked me to hold hands I said, “No.” It’s very simple, isn’t it?”
Simpler than I. I said, “If I wanted to be a protestant, I would go down the street and be a protestant.”
Too wordy, probably.
More than once my Mother gave me a look during Mass that caused my watch to stop running.
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