Hand gestures during prayers

[tamccrackine]

A new friend of mine inquired if I was a Byzantine Catholic because during our Rosary, I would do the sign of the cross during the Glory Be’s and also strike my breast upon the words “O Clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary”.

I honestly picked this up from my old Polish grandmother who I know was a very devout Roman Catholic. I still don’t know the reasons she did it (therefore I do it) other than nothing more than sheer “tradition.”

Anyone else hear that this is from the Byzantine tradition or am I doing something wrong?

 

[Lainey63]

You’re not doing anything wrong. My grandmother also did the same as you and many times I do as well. I also see many people at church when the Rosary is said do the same. Maybe that person just doesn’t know…not everyone were blessed with awesome grandmothers like ours!

 

[Joannm]

Maybe it is a cultural thing. I have never seen it done.

 

[Lainey63]

Maybe it is a cultural thing. I have never seen it done.

Really? Where are you from? I’m from New England…

 

[thunderballs75]

A new friend of mine inquired if I was a Byzantine Catholic because during our Rosary, I would do the sign of the cross during the Glory Be’s and also strike my breast upon the words “O Clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary”.

I honestly picked this up from my old Polish grandmother who I know was a very devout Roman Catholic. I still don’t know the reasons she did it (therefore I do it) other than nothing more than sheer “tradition.”

Anyone else hear that this is from the Byzantine tradition or am I doing something wrong?

I go to a Melkite Catholic Church on Thursdays usually for vespers. I don’t know about the striking the breast during the Salve Regina. But I do know that during the Glory Be we always make a sort of bow and do the sign of the cross (in the Eastern Christian fashion which is right to left).

 

[stuart12]

I also make the sign of the Cross during the ‘Gloria Patri’ whilst reciting the rosary, and strike my breast three times at the end of the ‘Salve Regina’. I don’t know where I picked it up from, as I am a convert from a non-Catholic household. I must have seen someone do it, somewhere. I have also noticed that many others here in Scotland don’t do it either.

 

[Joannm]

Really? Where are you from? I’m from New England…

I am from NYC area from an Italian background, but I have been around Irish, German, Hispanic and others and in my 55 years have never seen it.

 

[Lainey63]

That’s interesting, I am Irish but I have seen it & many people here are from NY as well. I am 47.

 

[r4j]

I’m 48 from MA and I remember, as a kid, striking our breast 3 times during the Lamb of God. I don’t do that any longer but I see a few folks doing it at our parish.

 

[w_stewart]

A new friend of mine inquired if I was a Byzantine Catholic because during our Rosary, I would do the sign of the cross during the Glory Be’s

Here in the Philippines, some do that same. I suspect we inherited such tradition from the Spaniards.

 

[jgaryCNC]

I am in my eary 40’s. I grew up in a mostly Italian parish near Pittsburgh, PA. When I was a pretty young kid, our priest retired, and we got a new one. Names escape me at the moment. Anyway, the old priest lived on for a while, but when he passed he asked that a few “old” traditions be restored. One was a the communion rail. The other was that we end mass by reciting a prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, and Hail Holy Queen. I never formally learned either prayer as a kid, however I do remember all of the people my parents’ generation and older would strike their breast three times at the end.

John.