Orans Posture

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Why do people insist on doing the the orans posture?
Last Sunday I watched as a daughter copied her mother and I thought to myself the mother is passing this abuse to her daughter and has no clue what it even means as if it adds “Prayer Power” or maybe you become “Holier than thou” actually you look rather silly doing it knowing what and where it came from and its to be used by the celibrant of the mass
 
Hello. Could you please tell me what the Orans Posture is…I am clueless! Thanks,

Michelle
 
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msaenz:
Hello. Could you please tell me what the Orans Posture is…I am clueless! Thanks,

Michelle
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Its here
Its where people have their hands out during the prayer
 
In short:

It actually predates Christianity. However its when the celebrant of the mass ie the priest includes the congregation “us” in the prayer by extending his hands outward singular to include the plural you might say
 
I don’t use this posture, but would like to ask a question. What is wrong with somebody extending their hands to heaven in supplication to God?
 
This is from the USCCB
usccb.org/liturgy/q%26a/mass/orans.shtml
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Orans
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http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/images/solidline.gif

Many Catholics are in the habit of holding their hands in the “Orans” posture during the Lord’s prayer along with the celebrant. Some do this on their own as a private devotional posture while some congregations make it a general practice for their communities.

Is this practice permissible under the current rubrics, either as a private practice not something adopted by a particular parish as a communal gesture? No position is prescribed in the present Sacramentary for an assembly gesture during the Lord’s Prayer.

Email us at bcl@usccb.org
Committee on the Liturgy | 3211 4th Street, N.E., Washington DC 20017-1194 | (202) 541-3000 © USCCB. All rights reserved.
 
I see the practice growing in popularity. I was visiting my childhood parish a few weeks ago, and at the early Sunday morning Mass, the majority of the folks prayed that way.

What really scares me is that the pastor, a really well liked guy, lets this happen. He is one of those “make no waves” pastors. I guess that it’s easier to deal with a happy flock.

As for the orans posture for the priest and people, to me, it seems to emphasize the “priesthood of all believers” line of thought.

Reminds me of a local protestant church that has the following on its sign board: “Pastor: John C. Doe, Ministers: All of the people.”

Joe
 
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AServantofGod:
I don’t use this posture, but would like to ask a question. What is wrong with somebody extending their hands to heaven in supplication to God?
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There is nothing wrong with it if done in private prayer.
There is something wrong with it during the Mass. Unlike other gestures for the laity, which are specifically stated in the rubics, this is not. People have taken it onto themselves to mimic the Priest.

Our Lord is right there on the Altar, there is no reason to look to heaven.

The true Orans position as in the art of old, is either with hands held HIGH, above the head and face pointed up or palms directed toward the group as the Priest does. The little, from the waist, palms pointed up is no where near it.
From what I have seen in my area of Detroit, the Muslims pray this way as well as Evangelicals.
Traditionally Catholics fold their hands. In my church, one looks out of place doing the Orans.
As someone stated on another thread, if one states that anything is acceptable if not stated in the rubics then juggling, High Fiving and flicking Bics can be too.
 
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AServantofGod:
I don’t use this posture, but would like to ask a question. What is wrong with somebody extending their hands to heaven in supplication to God?
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It is a position used by the celibrant (priest) and is reserved for the celibrant (see earlier post, UCCB). It became and still is a misguided, uneducated way to “include” the laity in the celebration. It is also a not so subtle form of “feminist” rebellion, where women mimic or copy the movements of the priest as a way to show they are as able or legitimite as a man to be ordained.
 
When I was at Mass a couple of weeks ago, there was a baptism and the priest told everybody to extend their hands the Orans gesture. The intent seems OK, but I don’t think it is the GIRM.
 
netmil(name removed by moderator):
,As someone stated on another thread, if one states that anything is acceptable if not stated in the rubics then juggling, High Fiving and flicking Bics can be too.
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Use common sense. Folded hands is not mentioned in the rubrics, yet of course it is allowed.
from the USCCB site
Is this practice permissible under the current rubrics, either as a private practice not something adopted by a particular parish as a communal gesture? No position is prescribed in the present Sacramentary for an assembly gesture during the Lord’s Prayer.
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At one time there was some talk about the USCCB petitioning Rome to add the orans posture (specifically for the Our Father). For what ever reason, the request was not included in the batch of US adaptations that was submitted for approval.

The reason given was to wean people away who just couldn’t keep their hands to themselves during the Lord’s prayer. (my translation). I don’t have time right now to pull it, but you can read the transcript at the Adoremus website.

It is telling that the Bishops believed that it would need approval in order to be added. So my own interpretation is that, like the hand holding, it can be added on personal initiative, but that the celebrants can’t make it a rule.

As long as noone is grabbing at me, I won’t notice what they are doing with their hands during the Our Father. 😉

The one that bothers me is the “scooping” that some people do for the “and also with you” and the “we lift them up to the Lord”. :confused: It is hard to ignore since they occur during a time when we are focused on Father. Those are clearly an attempt to imitate the gestures of the priest rather than simply assuming a prayerful pose (as some people argue for the Orans).
 
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kmktexas:
Those are clearly an attempt to imitate the gestures of the priest rather than simply assuming a prayerful pose (as some people argue for the Orans).
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No matter what you say, there is no way you could possibly know this. Perhaps you should worry more about yourself than your neighbor.–“Judge not, least you may be judged”
 
The Orans posture is when you hold your hands out palms up. This posture has been found painted or scratched on the walls of the catacombs in Rome over crypts, and predates the folded hands method of praying.

Today, thanks to Vatican II, Bishops can approve or order the use of the orans posture during the ‘our father’ in Mass.

I haven’t utilized it yet, and I have been given dirty looks when I fold my hands during the ‘our father.’
 
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kmktexas:
The one that bothers me is the “scooping” that some people do for the “and also with you” and the “we lift them up to the Lord”. :confused: It is hard to ignore since they occur during a time when we are focused on Father. Those are clearly an attempt to imitate the gestures of the priest rather than simply assuming a prayerful pose (as some people argue for the Orans).
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This is why I object to it. It blurs the distinction between the priest and the people.
 
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OldRiteFan:
It is a position used by the celibrant (priest) and is reserved for the celibrant (see earlier post, UCCB). It became and still is a misguided, uneducated way to “include” the laity in the celebration. It is also a not so subtle form of “feminist” rebellion, where women mimic or copy the movements of the priest as a way to show they are as able or legitimite as a man to be ordained.
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Whereas I agree with you that it is a misguided gesture used by the laity, I disagree with your statement on a “not so subtle form of ‘feminist’ rebellion”. Where this may be the case in some instances in others I’m sure it’s a sincere form of worship, misguided maybe but, nevertheless, sincere.

God is pleased with the heart and not so much with the gestures.
 
rather than simply assuming a prayerful pose
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from the Catholic enc
Among the subjects depicted in the art of the Roman catacombs one of those most numerously represented is that of a female figure with extended arms known as the Orans, or one who prays
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AServantofGod:
God is pleased with the heart and not so much with the gestures.
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…or one who judges the gestures or motives of his neighbor.

Odd that a prayer posture in the pew is distracting and ostentatious, but it is OK to be the only one kneeling in a standing procession.
 
If a nonoffensive prayer posture is distracting then maybe the problem is not with the person sincerely trying to pray but with the person being distracted 'cause they feel everybody has to use the “right posture”.
 
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