Our former Bishop in Cleveland instructed all the faithful to do a posture of hands-up-don’t shoot, during the Our Father. The current Bishop has not instructed otherwise. Apparently this is how some ancient Christians showed praise to God.
This is very true of the Cleveland Diocese which is where I live. We go to various Catholic Churches in the Diocese for Mass and only a few, not surprisingly the ones that offer the Latin Mass, kneel during Communion. I once was told that Cleveland and one other Diocese have this.
No way, José! It is an abuse, but by and large the clergy have bigger fish to fry. However, these two articles should help give some clarity.
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Our Diocese printed something about this and people will just not listen. They going to to what they want to do.
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You raise your arms to point outward and open your hands face up. I was involved in some really new agey stuff in the '70s, and opening your palms up or outward was an expression of power. You could feel it spiritually and physically. When i used the orans position during Mass i felt power and pride, and i dont use it now.
“no other person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority” ([Sacrosanctum Concilium]
It is not in the GIRM and thus should not be used. Same thing for holding hands during the Lord’s Prayer. A priest is adding to the liturgy when he asks the congregation to hold hands even to crossing the aisles to do so.
It’s OK if done at a prayer meeting or a gathering at home but NOT during Mass. If priest would only stick to the Rubrics lot’s of problems could be avoided. I at times attend a mass where the two priests are not from the US. They are very reverent and they look up when celebrating Mass and start the Mass with the sign of the cross. Others start with saying “Hi! , How’s everyone doing today?” It just seems like a party to them and looking and smiling at the congregation during the Eucharistic prayers. STICK TO THE RUBRICS. Make the Mass as reverent as possible.
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The whole point of the rubrics is so that we are all doing what we are supposed to be doing instead of everybody doing their own thing. Imagine how much more power our Masses would have if we behaved as the Body of Christ, doing only what we are supposed to do (and nothing added) as a whole! Satan would be blown away! Instead, this person wants to do what the priest is doing and that person doesn’t want to sing and the other person doesn’t understand why they actually have to move their mouth in prayer and can’t just stand there with their arms folded. After a lecture on the Rubrics, I had to give up a long cherished Sign of the Cross during the Penitential Rite, guess what? I didn’t die just because I stopped doing my own thing.
The GIRM points out what we are supposed to be doing and nothing else so that our prayers have as much power as possible, too bad we don’t listen.
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Don’t do it. Its for the priest to do while he says mass.
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That is the way I was taught. I was raised Catholic and was born in 1955, so my history is fairly long. I guess that’s why you might find my reply long too.
I noted the changes occurring beginning in 1969. That seems to be when the “progressive” changes started and the church felt it was including the people in the mass. They also started bringing guitars into the mass and the songs became more of a “popular culture” sort of music. I suppose they felt the younger generation would feel more involved.
Many of the younger people my age that I knew were pretty much turned off and felt the Holy Mass, the beautiful and reverent Latin Mass, as we grew up with and knew it, was disappearing. There were others who enjoyed the new experience and felt more involved.
I know we’re supposed to follow the teachings of our Popes, but I still prefer the Holy Mass down in Latin. It seems so much more spiritual, in my opinion. For me, I feel that the old way is still better than the new. Maybe it’s because I’m old and kind of settled in my ways. I gain more inspiration from the Latin Mass, but I grew up with it. Others who didn’t may find it difficult to understand, and therefore to appreciate.
Worshipping the one, true God is the point. However someone is comfortable in the way they worship God is not really the point. The main point of the Holy Mass is that worshiping God is done, provided the person worships reverently and is seeking and gaining the truths of Our Lord, Jesus Christ.
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Hi all! Newbie here and first post. I would like to offer some scriptural support for the posture: The orans posture of prayer has a Scriptural basis in 1 Timothy 2:8: “I desire, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument”.
St. Paul sure supported it for all, not just clergy.
Love in Christ,