Lamb of God/"beating" on chest

[atara]

Why do people tap or “beat” their chest during the Lamb of God? I’m talking about during Mass.

 

[laszlo]

This:

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

or this:

Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.
Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.

I never had seen beating of chest on the first, on the second that is the expression: I am a sinner.

 

[JustaServant]

I think what you are talking about is when the congregant gently ‘beats’ his or her chest during the raising of the Host and Chalice. As near as I can tell it is an old custom. I see many do it, including myself.

 

[Batfink]

Striking one’s chest is a gesture of repentence and sorrow for one’s sins/begging for God’s mercy. It is prescribed at certain points in the Mass (e.g. during the I Confess) and commonly done at other points during the Mass (e.g the Lamb of God), most often in conjunction with the phrase ‘Lord, have mercy’.

See this thread for a previous discussion on this topic.

 

[Barbkw]

Luke 11:9

“…Ask, and what you ask for shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and the door shall be opened to you.’ …”

 

[AJV]

Why do people tap or “beat” their chest during the Lamb of God? I’m talking about during Mass.

It used to be one of the prescribed gestures in the Latin Mass before 1969, and so many people learnt it then, or copy their parents or grandparents. If you atten a Latin Mass offered using the 1962 missal, you will see this.

The reason was as a gesture of gesture of sorrow, compunction or unworthiness. Another place it was commonly done was during the “Lord I am not worthy”

 

[atara]

Yes,
It was in the “Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, HAVE MERCY ON US.” ETC.

So, this is not something perscribed or mandatory NOW?

 

[puzzleannie]

Why do people tap or “beat” their chest during the Lamb of God? I’m talking about during Mass.

because we were taught to do this by Sr. Ann Millicent back in 2nd grade when we made our first communion (before Sputnik, like, really old).

 

[turtleoompa]

I strike my chest at the penitential rite ( through my fault), at the Lamb of God ( grant us peace) and with the Lord I am not worthy to receive you. I was taught this by my parents in the 60’s and it has meaning for me. Don’t know if the last two are in the rubrics. Oh, at at the raising of the Host and then again at the raising of the chalace.

 

[mexilad]

It used to be one of the prescribed gestures in the Latin Mass before 1969, and so many people learnt it then, or copy their parents or grandparents. If you atten a Latin Mass offered using the 1962 missal, you will see this.

The reason was as a gesture of gesture of sorrow, compunction or unworthiness. Another place it was commonly done was during the “Lord I am not worthy”

I remember seeing my mother, grandmother and other elders doing this. They were pre-vatican II Catholics and grew up with the Latin mass. I still do this and get funny looks very similar to the looks I give people when they try to hold my hand during the Lord’s Prayer.

 

[PbloPicasso]

Actually, it is prescribed in the rubric for the Penitential Rite, just as bowing is prescribed during the recitation of the Nicene Creed at “was conceived by the Holy Spirit …”.

 

[Vico]

Why do people tap or “beat” their chest during the Lamb of God? I’m talking about during Mass.

Humility! That the insolent pride of the sinful heart be healed. It is the same for the Mass when saying “I have sinned through my own fault,” the rubrics of the Mass, Penitential Rite A, are to strike your breast. It it from the Extraordinary Form. Domine non sum dignus (I am not worthy, O Lord).

Luke 18:13-14 (NAB) But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

 

[PbloPicasso]

Actually, it is prescribed in the rubric for the Penitential Rite, just as bowing is prescribed during the recitation of the Nicene Creed at “was conceived by the Holy Spirit …”.

I should have added that the tapping on the chest is a sign of humility. We could call it an act of piety. It’s a heart felt symbol of the way we feel about failing God and each other.

 

[Chatter163]

It is also commonly done thrice during devotions:

—Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have mercy on us. (3x)

—O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary (once for each adjective)

—O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. (3x)

 

[JerrySeibert]

Wow,
Awesome, I always wondered this as well. I did it because dad did, and that’s all I knew. And I have done so for years. 38 of them since as a matter of fact since he passed. Thank you for the answer.

 

[Seatuck]

The new translation of the Mass will include this version of the Penitential Rite:

The Penitential Rite
I confess to almighty God
and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have greatly sinned
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done and in what I have failed to do,

And, striking their breast, they say:

through my fault, through my fault,
through my most grievous fault;
therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin,
all the Angels and Saints,
and you, my brothers and sisters,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.
-or-

 

[Aramis]

I strike my chest at the penitential rite ( through my fault), at the Lamb of God ( grant us peace) and with the Lord I am not worthy to receive you. I was taught this by my parents in the 60’s and it has meaning for me. Don’t know if the last two are in the rubrics. Oh, at at the raising of the Host and then again at the raising of the chalace.

I was taught it by Dominican priest-friars in the 70’s.