otjm…I won’t requote all that you criticized in my previous post, but there is no denying the fact that both the orans and handholding were lay initiated mostly by the charismatics in the late 60’s and early 70’s. To introduce such things not previously used, no matter how sincere and innocent the intentions, were bold actions not resembling the humilty usually expected of Catholics in the past.
We agree on the source. As to humility, having had many friends who were Charismatic, I have found them to be largely very humble people (any group will have its strays). If anything, I think they suffer from an overdose of enthusiam for the Lord.
Although the US is a mixed population, we seem to have a good deal of ancestory among the northern nations of Europe, and we seem to have a good streak of formality and not a little bit of need for clearly defined personal space; we don’t like to be too physically close to people. In addition, there seems to be a need for restraint of enthusiasm.
Were they bold? Yes, I would say so, and while they seemed more obvious, I remember the comments - anything but charitible and Christian - about their boldness and enthusiasm for Christ and the Faith, and their willingness to express their Faith. They made some people really uncomfortable, especially the crowd that saw faith, and its expression as a very personal and private matter. You know, the group that would rather die than say out loud “I really love the Lord”.
The bottom line is that God loves all of us, whether we are more like the Germans and the Brittish, or like the Italians and the Greeks (hey, I saw Zorba the Greek when it first came out!). And I am inclined to believe that He loves us whether we hold our hands together, fingers up or interlaced, or hold the hand of the person next to us, or hold our hands in the orans position. I think He is much more interested in how much attention we actually pay to the Our Father as we say it than He is interested in the posture we take at the moment.
Frankly, my position is that I know pretty much don’t get excited by the issue, and if someone wants to hold hands as a sign of unity, fine. If they want to not hold hands because they find it distracting, that’s just all right by me too. I have bigger fish to fry.
Let me put it in context. Archbishop Chaput, not one I would call a liberal, has said that it is simply unregulated - there is no specified posture for the hands during the Our Father - and those who do not hold their hands palms together should not be criticised, and those who choose to do so palms together should not be required to do otherwise, and each should be charitible to the other.
I said I have bigger fish to fry. A close friend of mine was sexually abused by a priest when he was 18; the priest got him drunk and abused him… He is on his second nevrvous breakdown (and by the grace of God has a wife who is sticking with him). The settlement is not going to make him whole; it will not resolve his nervous breakdown; it will not grant him peace of mind and heart; and it is part of the reason that my Archdioces has gone bankrupt.
When I pray the Our Father, I think of him, and I am very mindful of the part where I say “for give us our trespasses”.
I would suggest that we all might be better off if we quit spending so much angst on where our hands are, and a little more time praying. Someone is disturbed by the postures? Then, as my grandmother would say, “Offer it up”. Offer it up for him; if you choose not to, offer it up for the reconcilliation with God for the priest who abused him; and if that doesn’t work for you, offer it up for the poor souls.
