Holding and lifting hands during Our Father

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Our local Catholic Radio host said on air that he also does that maneuver.
 
Are those the statues which have visible tooling marks molded in?
 
As I noted, I saw people holding hands during the Our Father in 1965; and it was not until a number of years later that I saw the orans posture. Both go back to the Charismatic Movement. but are separate matters.

And the orans posture goes back to the Old Testament: Psalm 141.

In any event, I suspect the Archbishop has plenty of fish to fry.
 
I usually go to Mass with friend whom I met there. She has a Charismatic background and hold hands during the Our Father and does this other thing a couple times during Mass in response to our priest, where she has palms open, facing upward and replies to Father by slightly raising her hands and slightly thrusting them forward.
I returned to the Church over 12 years ago and don’t remember anyone doing either of these gestures before I’d left.
I joined in with her for years but decided to stop and do things the way I feel most comfortable. She wasn’t happy, but didn’t make a big deal about it.
She’s also a big hugger, something I’ve never been, and hugs her friends during the sign of peace. I have continued doing that, though.
 
otjm said:
As I noted, I saw people holding hands during the Our Father in 1965; and it was not until a number of years later that I saw the orans posture. Both go back to the Charismatic Movement. but are separate matters.

And the orans posture goes back to the Old Testament: Psalm 141.

In any event, I suspect the Archbishop has plenty of fish to fry.
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hmmm… But in 1965 you were not standing for the Our Father at Mass? Or do you mean this was happening in prayer groups?

Perhaps the holding your hands in the Orans position at mass came from the holding of hands you were seeing in 1965?
 
It is dangerous for transplant patients that live on immuno-suppressants so they won’t reject the transplanted organ. We have so many Catholics on these drugs and they suppress the immune system so they can’t fight the germs other people can. They get ignored regarding the dangers of hand holding for them. Many stay home to try to stay well. Hand holding can land them in the hospital- fighting for their life. Maybe it’s time to think about it from the standpoint of healthy or unhealthy for these folks as well as the elderly with so many respiratory issues. Just saying it’s food for thought.
 
Um… you might fry catfish.

Salmon? NOPE!

As Oregon is the most unchurched state in the Union, my comment was reflective of the State. And the state…
 
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It was at a Mass for college students involved in YCS.

And that came from the charismatic movement, as we had several priests who had been involved early on with the charismatic movement.

As to the Orans, I see that more related to the charismatic movement, but slower to spread.
 
I will disagree on one single point of yours. Full Sail brewpub in Hood River serves a fried salmon fish and chips that is amazing!
 
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The palms open and thrust thing is also done by some of the non-charismatic Latino congregations with which I worship, in the context of an otherwise conventional OF Mass.

I don’t do it as it is not my culture or how I was raised to make that gesture but I think they were all taught to do it.
 
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Which they should have. The presumption of expecting a stranger to hold one’s hand is astounding, IMO. Are people not taught basic manners?
 
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Tis_Bearself said:
The palms open and thrust thing is also done by some of the non-charismatic Latino congregations with which I worship, in the context of an otherwise conventional OF Mass.

I don’t do it as it is not my culture or how I was raised to make that gesture but I think they were all taught to do it.
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We’re not Latino, nor is this a Latino community.
 
This is not based on my own preference, but I don’t have time to research where I heard this answer which has satisfied me.

As the priest is leading us in the Mass, part of how he leads us is through gestures. If we’re mimicking all of his gestures, then we’re all trying to lead, which suggests that we each want to go our own way. As a Catholic, I should want to do God’s will, not my own, so that is why we should not mimic the priest’s gestures at Mass.
 
otjm said:
As to the Orans, I see that more related to the charismatic movement, but slower to spread.
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That was always my perspective, but then I was not raised Catholic, so it always struck me as more charismatic. Scripture speaks of lifting of hands, which charismatic takes literally, and the Church takes liturgically. I like that the Church has done in liturgy for centuries what was kind of a new thing among non-Catholics.
 
It’s funny, but I attend a Lutheran church with a contemporary Evangelical style service and NO one holds hands during the Our Father, and the Orans position is only used by about 10 people and ONLY during the praise and worship songs, not the Our Father.
 
Eh well when you live over 20 years in a place where this is the norm at every parish I’d been to in a major US city, I had no idea this wasn’t the norm everywhere.
 
I understand, my response was more to illustrate how strange this whole idea is to me.

It has never been the norm here in Dallas. But it does occur. For a few years, we had an assistant pastor who tried, unsuccessfully to get everyone in our parish to do it. You do see individual families hold hands, and you do see catholic elementary schools do it at school masses. I know of one parish that did it for a while. I actually worked with a friend who went to that parish and he literally made sure he was sitting between his kids every week so that he did not have to hold a stranger’s hand. I know a young lady who lives in the Midwest and went to a parish for a while where everyone held hands. She has severe problems with sweaty palms. She went to the back of the church every week right before the our father, just so she did not have to hold hands.

Occasionally I will be sitting next to someone who reaches out to hold my hands. I just give a subtle nod of my head to indicate no thankyou. Usually works fine, but am still amazed that people think its okay to reach out and hold hands of a stranger. We have no cultural tradition of such behavior. Holding hands is traqditionally rather intimate in our culture. Who the heck ever thought this was proper behavior?
 
I always find it amusing for people to speak about going to Mass (and one might possibly assume they do so at a regular parish) and then start talking about not holding hands with “strangers”.

About holding hands, - I don’t give a fig.

But strangers? Really? How about fellow parishioners? How about members of the Body of Christ? How about people you have seen for (enter the number of years you have been going to the parish here ___)?

Do I know everyone in my parish (which I have been attending since 1990)? No, but I pretty much can pick out the few who may be visiting. Strangers? No, fellow parishioners.

And people are creatures of habit, and the majority of parishioners would give one pause to wonder if people were again paying pew rent. As in, they pretty much sit in the same place week after month after year.

So who thought it was proper behavior?

Parishioners. People who actually do know each other.

Yes, there are many parishes in which few or no one holds hands.

There are also numerous parishes where parishioners hold hands.

And I would lay odds that even in those parishes which do not hold hands, most people are not strangers.
 
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