I read on the Adoremus website that it was a gesture originally started in Alcoholics Anonymous, and picked up by the charismatic movement within the Church. But I’m not sure how they determined this.
Some find it distracting to hold hands or think that it takes away from the Mass. Well, it sounds to me like people are being distracted by the confusion of “do we hold hands or not?” Or the “I like to hold hands but the person next to me doesn’t.” I agree we need to have clarification from the Holy Father.
So is it all about Christ or all about the person who wants to “share the love”. Where is the compassion for those who want to commune with Our Lord at this time?
Yes, however it is apparent that not everyone is clear on it. Some people just don’t know and I feel it should be addressed. There has been hand holding during the Our Father in EVERY parish I have ever attended including the parish I attend now. Some priests do it for crying out loud! :crying:
Amen!
That’s not entirely true, and you know it.
Would you please cite the source from which you got this? I’m not calling you a liar, I would just like to know where you found this.
I think you are taking what I said out context. I was showing the differences between Catholics and protestants. Not the difference between liberal Cathoics and those of us who practice the Orthodox Catholic faith. Liberals would love to see changes in how we celebrate the Mass. The point I was making is that it is what we believe, not how we worship, that seperates us from our protestant brethern. I will concede that we do worship differently than protestants, but that is not what truly seperates us.
Ok, but our Faith is sacramental faith. That is, it is a faith of OUTWARD SIGNS. So while your point is well taken, you can’t ignore the visible WAY we worship, the visible actionable WAYS in which we show reverence, the visible WAY we focus on the altar, (rather than the congregation) at the high point of the Mass. Does that make sense??
I agree 100%. As a “cradle Catholic” who has returned after many years away, I find myself distracted by the changes in the Mass itself and the general demeanor of those attending the Mass.
Hey Mike. What does your wife think of the EWTN mass? Just curious.
I see what you are saying. And you make a very good point. It is here where my experiences come into play. I have never seen the joining of hands to be a distraction during the Mass. Others may, and that’s fine, but personally I have never been faced with that dilemma. I see the joining of the hands during the Our Father the same way the Church saw, that with the preist turned away from the congregation, that we all (preist and congergation) joined together in offering the Sacrifice of the Mass. So it’s another way of everyone as a community offering up the Scarifice of the Mass.
She won’t watch it. when she walks through the room I’ll point out something like, “see this is how Mass is supposed to be done.” My sweetie replies with a snarky “maybe you should be out acting like a Christian instead of hiding in here watching it on TV.”
I’m so sorry. She has the Modernist thread in her. But we love them as they are. My hubby is a Presbyterian and doesn’t understand any of what my girls and I do. (although I catch him talking to his family like an old catholic, bragging about knowing some Latin).She won’t watch it. when she walks through the room I’ll point out something like, “see this is how Mass is supposed to be done.” My sweetie replies with a snarky “maybe you should be out acting like a Christian instead of hiding in here watching it on TV.”
she says I’m being brainwashed. I tell her that maybe my brain needs a good scrubbing.
Anyway you’ve got a beautiful church. I do get to Detroit a few times a year. In Kansas City there is a Croatian Catholic church my neighbors go to that supposed to be quite traditional. I keep meaning to visit and someday I will.
Mike
