Nobody folds their hands at mass anymore?

[Elizium23]

http://crechehomeschool.org/wp-content/uploads/Praying-Hands.jpg

I join my hands in prayer as I was trained as an altar server; my liturgical rule of thumb is that if we are copying someone else’s gestures and postures, the servers are the best example from the sactuary for the laity.

I am not much of a fan of folded hands because of the way it looks and the way it cuts off my circulation.

 

[patticv]

I went to a Catholic school taught by nuns from 1960-1967. So part of my training was before Vatican I. I was raised by a Catholic mom and a non-denominational dad. I was trained that reverence was how I should show my love and respect to God. I showed reverence by always folding my hands pointing to heaven with my palms together and my right thumb over my left in the shape of a cross.
Also whenever I prayed or heard the word of Jesus, I bow my head.
The sign of the cross is always said without sloppily hurrying
And why is it in every missilette where the nicene creed is written, it states that one should kneel, bow or show some special form of respect when it states that Jesus died. We used to, but not any more. In the many churches I’ve been in the past few years, it just doesn’t happen any more.
I teach kindergarten and I am teaching my little ones what I was taught by my teachers years ago because I think the Catholic Church has lost its expectations for respect.
I teach at a different church than is my parish church. I asked my local priest what is right and expected about those things. He said "it’s a personal issue so people can do what they’d like. Well I really disagree. Someone in power…like our priests, need to hold us all to higher standards. Tell the congregation that we should fold our hands, bow our heads at the sound of Jesus’ name, etc.
Anyhow, today’s homily made me question whether I am fighting a losing battle and “wearing my halo too tightly .” I looked around church this morning and hands were in pockets, at sides, on the pew backs, etc, but I only saw one person with his hands folded like mine pointing to heaven with thumbs crosses. And those going to communion were not any more respectful. The altar servers slumped over, hands never folded, nothing for anyone to model after.
At school, the four grades that have had me before continue to fold their hands like I taught them, and the priest there said that is the preferred way for the congregation to fold their hands and explained why to my kids when I asked. So why aren’t the older people being taught these basic teachings. I realize it’s not Catholic doctrine, but we need to make Church a bit more reverent than going to the movies. How do we expect to be respected as Catholics when we don’t look like we respect God when we visit him in His house?

 

[paperwight66]

The bow is when the Incarnation is mentioned, surely?

 

[grasscutter]

Wow, there are a lot of people on here attacking the OP. It sounded like he was just asking a question, and everyone comes at him with the “you shouldn’t be watching other people at Mass” rebuttal. It didn’t sound like he was denigrating people who don’t fold their hands, but was rather just finding out if there was a proper posture during Mass. And note that it was a friend of his that pointed this out to him, so it wasn’t like he was sitting at Mass staring at everyone condemning them for bad hand placement.

So, to actually answer the OP’s question, there are no set rubrics for how one must hold his hands during Mass, as long as one is not doing anything distracting (waving them around aimlessly is probably not recommended). And no, it’s not a universal thing, but just varies from parish to parish. Who knows, you may even notice a difference between a daily Mass and a Sunday Mass at the same parish.

No attacking that I can see. Question asked and certainly politely and respectfully answered. However, since opinions were solicited all manner of different responses should be expected