Extended hands in blessing

[jmjconder]

**I have experienced this many times. A group of people want to “bless” a person. They extend their hands forward and sing a blessing (Oscar Meyer song).

I have never felt comfortable with this gesture. Though I know it is good to pray for people -the whole gesture seems weird. Extending hands (does it make the blessing better?) and singing a song to the tune that reminds me of hot dogs.

How has this common gesture come to be so accepted?

Anyone else had this experience?**

 

[Trishie]

I haven’t heard the tune! Not used around here.
But as you say, it’s good to pray for others. Extending the hands could simply be see as a gesture conveying generosity directed towards the person or persons,
however the words, ‘blessing’ usually accompanies the request to extend hands.
It is true that in scripture, lay persons gave blessings, Isaac to Jacob for instance, and the blessing was considered valid and valuable.

 

[anp1215]

Do you mean in Mass? Or at a liturgy? Or just at a random place? Our parish does this sometimes after Mass, for example, when we prayed over the young woman leaving our parish to enter the religious life. But we don’t sing a song. Everyone extends their hand while the priest prays.

I must say that I don’t like it too much because it feels weird and looks like a big Nazi salute or something. But ce’st la vie.