Hand Shake of Peace

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John Yurich:
I never shake hands during the hand shake of peace becaause I do not wish to catch anybody else’s germs.

John
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This seems to be a common objection to shaking the hands of others at Mass, and it is so wrong!

Don’t you realize that there are germs all over the place? On the pew, on the seat, on the Holy Water font (in the Holy Water) …

But there is no reason to be so squeamish. If we were to succeed in avoiding all those germs, we would weaken our immune system! Take, for instance, cold germs. The only ones that cause us to get a cold are the ones we haven’t built up immunity against. We need some exposure to germs to prevent us from getting sick.

It’s a bit like when my kids were small, they wanted to run around barefoot (we live in the tropics) and my M-I-L was always harping at them to keep their slippers on. Anytime they went barefoot for any length of time they got a cold.

Finally, I put my foot down and insisted - no slippers in the house or in the yard. They got one cold, and after that, no more from that cause.

When we moved to where we live now (we are a block from the sea) they would play on the beach, jump in the sea in their clothes, come back out, let the wet clothes dry on them, do the whole thing over again… And never caught cold, despite the widely held belief that getting wet and cold and staying in the wet clothes would lower your immune system and leave you vulnerable to germs and viruses.

It’s what you are used to. So - shake hands with everyone and don’t worry about getting germs on you. They’re on you anyway!
 
Prometheum_x said:
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. "You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash on another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. (John 13:12-17 NIV)

"Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ " (Matt. 25:37-40)

While it is good to have concern for avoiding disease, we can ill afford to do so at the expense of loving others.

If I do not shake hands with the homeless man sitting near me in church, who will? Touch is such an important way of expressing love. Infants deprived of being touched will die.

As well, not only are we reaching out and touching our neighbor, stranger though they may be, we are also reaching out and touching Jesus.
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What can I say…you and I are of one mind concerning the Sign of Peace 👍

I’ll just add the following: our Lord only gave one commandment of his own during his ministry. Everyone knows what it is. “34 A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another.” (John 13). How much did Jesus love us? He died for us.

Now, if I’m supposed to love others enough to die for them, then at least I could start by shaking their hands and wishing them peace.

Oh, and a final note…what’s the worst that could happen from catching a germ? You get sick, die, and go to Heaven as a martyr for the faith! Why would anyone complain about that? 😃
 
I will not comment on the suitability of the ‘sign of peace’ during Holy Mass, however reading some of these posts I see there are a lot of people suffering obsessive compulsive disorders. People too scared to shake the hands of another speaks of rudeness and lack of manners.
Dont americans shake hands upon greeting a friend or stranger anymore?
God bless
 
I’m not one to get sick, so I just shake hands like I would with everyone else. I do not like excluding people.
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Windmill:
Shake hands, then avoid touching my face until I can get to a sink and wash my hands off after Mass.
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My mother would love you for that one, she has been saying that forever. “Eamon, don’t touch your face during cold season, that’s the easiest way to get sick.” Oh well, it works…well.

Eamon
 
Shaking hands is very moderate to what they use to do. Back in the early church, they gave each other kisses. Then it went down to a hug, then to a measly hand shake. I don’t think it is to much to shake hands.
 
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CreosMary:
I will not comment on the suitability of the ‘sign of peace’ during Holy Mass, however reading some of these posts I see there are a lot of people suffering obsessive compulsive disorders. People too scared to shake the hands of another speaks of rudeness and lack of manners.
Dont americans shake hands upon greeting a friend or stranger anymore?
God bless
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Really? I know a woman who never shakes hands with anyone because she suffers severe arthritis and even a gentle handshake causes an excruciating level of pain.

Rudeness? Lack of manners? I’m not blessed to be able to read people’s hearts so I really can’t say for sure why anyone would or would not shake hands. :whistle:
 
I’ve never liked the hand-shaking thing – it reminds me too much of politicians glad-handing each other. I would much prefer to bow, or to use the bowing-like gesture described by Digitonomy.

I do shake hands, though. I don’t worry too much about germs – since I’m way up in the choir loft, singing with the choir, I only shake hands with other choir members, and anyone who is too sick probably won’t be up there – you can’t sing very well with a honking cold.

About those hand sanitizer gels – does anyone else feel “funny” about using them right there in church? They are quite aromatic, and the scent travels quickly – everyone around you will know you’re using it. I always think it will look like “I can’t wait to wash these peoples’ germs off of me.”
 
I guess that I am in the minority here. I really think that the sign of peace is beautiful.
 
The “Sign of Peace” as it is called now after Vatican II-was from the time of St Justin called “the Kiss of Peace” as a sign of Unity

Romans

16Salute one another with an holykiss. All the churches of Christsalute you.

17 Now I beseech you, brethren, to mark them who make dissensions and offencescontrary to the doctrine which you have learned, and avoid them

Corinthians

19 The churches of Asiasalute you. Aquila and Priscillasalute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house, with whom I also lodge.

20 All the brethrensalute you. Salute one another with a holykiss.

Later this was changed for obvious reasons to a kiss between the Deacon and the Priest or celebrant.

How this became a handshake after Vatican II is beyone me, and is against scripture
 
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mommy:
I love the sign of peace. I like reaching out to those around me. If I’m ill, I will just nod and smile, but if someone else is ill, and they reach, I take it. I just wash my hands thoroughly after mass. I figure I come in contact with millions of cold and flu germs a day anyway, at least this comes from a good thing.
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This is my approach, too. 🙂
 
I dont worry much about it because our liturgy, AU, does not call for the shaking of hands.We are kneeling from the start of the Sanctus, stand to go to communion, come back and continue kneeling until the recessional hymn.
The Latin Mass at 6PM that we celebrate also does not call for the
shaking of hands.
I worry about it only when I have to go to a different parish. Then I will exchange with only those around me, gingerly if sombody has a cold. Personally what I have done in the past if I have a cold, I would just hold a hankerchief in my hands, turn to other people, smile, and softly say “The peace of christ”, nod my head and turn to another person and do the same. I think they knew that I didnt want to shake hands and possibly spread my germs to them.
 
Yeah, I know the holy kiss is in the Scripture, but it still disturbs me in the mass whenever they try to put it in there.
 
It doesn’t bother me; I’m not too worried about germs–I can always stop and wash my hands after Mass if I am. I did have a woman on Saturday ask me not to squeeze her hand b/f we shook. The only time I’ve not shaken hands was my first time to Mass after I had pretty major surgery. I needed both hands on the pew in front of me to stand up, but I was too stubborn to sit down!
 
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Exporter:
In this post I think I see that the majority does not like the sign of peace.

I would propose that the ones who like the SOP ARE DEMOCRATS or at least LIBERALS. They are they ones who like the the new innovation in the Mass, and are more likely to be charismatics.
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Well, I am rather traditionalist in my view of the mass (I want more Latin, etc.), and I am certainly not a democrat–but I do actually like the sign of peace. I grew up in an old-fashioned Catholic family–my father resented the changes in the mass and continued to attend only so we could get a break on tuition at the parochial school; we never participated; at the sign of peace he looked straight ahead and scowled (and of course we children followed the example); mass was a totally anonymous exercise. As I got older I grew to think how un-Christian it semed not to want to make even this token gesture of love and community to my fellow Catholics sitting next to me.

Now, that being said, I do have some problems not with the sign of peace itself but with the placement and execution. The handshake (or even the polite bow) does break up the solemnity of the liturgy of the eucharist. I would much prefer if the SOP were moved to another part of the mass–perhaps nearer the homily or credo, or near the beginning of the mass (before the penitential rite?), or even AFTER communion but before the final blessing (communion ends, we would be invited to stand, to shre a sign of fellowship, the receive the final blessing). I also agree with other posters that too often priests rush the liturgy into the Agnus Dei while the sign of peace (or the “jamboree” as my wife calls it) is still going on. This is a problem of execution, not of the rite itself.
 
Vox Borealis:
Now, that being said, I do have some problems not with the sign of peace itself but with the placement and execution. The handshake (or even the polite bow) does break up the solemnity of the liturgy of the eucharist. I would much prefer if the SOP were moved to another part of the mass–perhaps nearer the homily or credo, or near the beginning of the mass (before the penitential rite?)
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I agree…I have always felt a great let down at the SOP, an interruption as I prayerfully travel toward the reception of Communion. I have always thought that it would “feel right” to have the SOP at the end of the penetential rite…confess our sins and then share the Peace of Christ with family and neighbors.

Just my own feelings, probably way off base liturgically…

Joe
 
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