Beating the chest during Agnus Dei

[Epistemes]

I don’t know if this is the right section to post this, but it seemed the most likely candidate.

At daily Mass, there’s this gentleman, perhaps in his early 40s, who always raises a fist (or lightly beats, perhaps) to his chest each time the congregation says,

“Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.”

Could someone perhaps shed some light on why he does this? What is the significance?

 

[promethius95945]

At daily Mass, there’s this gentleman, perhaps in his early 40s, who always raises a fist (or lightly beats, perhaps) to his chest each time the congregation says,

“Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.”

Could someone perhaps shed some light on why he does this? What is the significance?

I can shed light on this, because I am 24 and I do the same thing. It used to be that just before the priest would say “This is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the World…” that the entire congregation would be kneeling and would strike their chest (over their heart) three times while whispering quietly “Mea Culpa” which means, roughly, through my own fault.

This ties directly in to the following line so that it becomes “Mea Culpa [Through my own fault], Lord, I am not worthy to recieve You but only say the word and I shall be healed.” I think it’s a MARVELOUS tradition and carry it on in every mass I attend.

 

[kell0618]

Striking the Breast:

With either a fist or with the tips of the fingers, held close together, strike your chest over the heart to express regret and sorrow

When? at the Mass, formally: at each “mea culpa” during the Confiteor; at the Nobis Quoque Peccatoribus (priest); three times during the Agnus Dei; and three times during the Domine, Non Sum Dignus

or informally: at the “forgive us our trespasses” (“dimitte nobis debita nostra”) in the “Our Father”; any time to express penitence or remorse inside or outside of the Liturgy

Source

 

[jpjd]

It’s a sign of sorrow.

 

[martinporres]

Epistemes, to add to all said here, this expression while not in the current rubrics probably falls under pious personal devotional practices during mass, like wearing the mantilla or kneeling after communion until the tabernacle has been closed or the vessels have been cleaned – no law requires these, but for various reasons we see them still (historical, familial, learned).

Other things that can fall into this category: signing the cross at the “May Almighty God have mercy on us…” after the Confiteor, at “Blessed is He who comes…” in the Hosanna, at “and the life of the world to come. Amen.” in the Credo.

The only place in the current missal where the congregation is directed to strike the breast is once at the end of “that I have sinned through my own fault” in the Confiteor. Besides standing, sitting and kneeling, the only other rubric direction besides this (I think) is the profound bow, or sometimes genuflection during “by the power…and became man” in the Credo. Everything else is a personal act.

 

[ltbpoe43]

Agree with other posters here.

This is something done in all the parishes I have been to in south Louisiana. And usually by that same age group too - over 40 crowd.

misire renobis

 

[Jamie_Burns]

I don’t know if this is the right section to post this, but it seemed the most likely candidate.

At daily Mass, there’s this gentleman, perhaps in his early 40s, who always raises a fist (or lightly beats, perhaps) to his chest each time the congregation says,

“Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.”

Could someone perhaps shed some light on why he does this? What is the significance?

Many people have transferred the “chest beating” three times from the Domine, non sum dignus… to the Agnus Dei. Including Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict in his book “The Spirit of the Liturgy.”

But it is a personal choice, like crossing oneself at the Misereatur nostri omnipotens Deus … after the Confiteor, or holding hands with your neighbour during the Pater Noster.

 

[yessisan]

I’m 25 and I have done it for as long as I have gone to Mass… maybe because I was raised in Mexico… but if you go to a Spanish Mass that is always done. I have never seen it in a Mass in English.

 

[Aramis]

I’m 25 and I have done it for as long as I have gone to Mass… maybe because I was raised in Mexico… but if you go to a Spanish Mass that is always done. I have never seen it in a Mass in English.

I’m 37, and do so as well. Draws a few odd looks, as I am often standing behind the priest during the Agnus Dei, as I am an EMHC.

 

[palmas85]

It actually is in the rubrics. People just don’t pay attention anymore by and large.

 

[Seatuck]

It actually is in the rubrics. People just don’t pay attention anymore by and large.

Where is it in the rubrics? Can you show me?

What’s really crazy is how no one bows at the incarnation anymore, not even the Priests we have.Only two Priests that I know do it on a regular basis.That is right there plain as day in the missalette.

 

[Teelynn]

I am over 50 and I have done this through my entire life. I don’t remember learning this from the nuns in school, but from my mom at mass.

When my husband and I started going to mass together after we got married, he looked at me puzzled at first until I explained what it meant. He then recalled that yes, in fact his mom did this at mass too. After that we both did this at every mass. Depending on where we’re sitting in Church, (with the younger crowd or older crowd) we both at times get strange looks from people around us. Especially if we go to a parish not our own and it’s a younger parish.

 

[palmas85]

Where is it in the rubrics? Can you show me?

What’s really crazy is how no one bows at the incarnation anymore, not even the Priests we have.Only two Priests that I know do it on a regular basis.That is right there plain as day in the missalette.

In the Penitential Rite, directly after the words through my own fault, the rubrics say

“They strike their breasts”

The word they, means us.

 

[gvogt4]

Where is it in the rubrics? Can you show me?

What’s really crazy is how no one bows at the incarnation anymore, not even the Priests we have.Only two Priests that I know do it on a regular basis.That is right there plain as day in the missalette.

palmas85 already answered the question regarding the location of “they strike their breasts” in the rubrics. I believe that this used to be in the rubrics (definitely not anymore) at the Agnus Dei. I also do this, and with not much company.

I also share your feelings about the bow as well. My Parish does seem to to be a little more faithful to this than the one you described though.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

Striking the breast, not beating it. “Beating” makes one think of Tarzan- hardly a gesture of remorse and sorrow.

 

[palmas85]

Striking the breast, not beating it. “Beating” makes one think of Tarzan- hardly a gesture of remorse and sorrow.

Yes, I tend to agree that many did go overboard with it. Boy did they ever. It was common though for Priests to merely tap their breasts lightly.

 

[cricker]

Other things that can fall into this category: signing the cross at the “May Almighty God have mercy on us…”

I do this (I’m 42). At a young age I was taught that this was the part of Mass when we receive absolution for our venial sins. So at this time, like during absolution after a confession, the Sign of the Cross was appropriate. Don’t know if this is 100% litugically correct, but it always made sense to me …

-Cricket

 

[az_4_faith]

Harkens back to the days of the OT when penitents were clothed in sackcloth and ashes and struck (beat) their breasts in sorrow.

I love how so much in the Mass ties in historically with ages long ago, especially with customs began by our Jewish brothers and sisters.

 

[Aramis]

Where is it in the rubrics? Can you show me?

What’s really crazy is how no one bows at the incarnation anymore, not even the Priests we have.Only two Priests that I know do it on a regular basis.That is right there plain as day in the missalette.

Very Rev. Fr. Leo Walsh, of St. Andrew RCC, also Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Anchorage, recently catechized the parish on that as part of a sermon. More correctly, he pointed out that it is expected, and to do so.

 

[WanderAimlessly]

I am one of the few that does it at my current parish during the Agnus Dei, and Penitential Rite.