Posture of the faithful during Mass

[hamburglar]

What posture are the faithful supposed to be in during Mass, when nothing is prescribed in the Rubrics? I know that we should follow kneeling, standing, and sitting, but what should we do with our bodies, particularly our hands, when we are standing. I have always had my hand palm-to-palm in front of my chest, because the Mass is a prayer. This is prayer posture for me, so I do that. What are we supposed to do?

 

[NewUlm1976_2000]

but what should we do with our bodies, particularly our hands, when we are standing. I have always had my hand palm-to-palm in front of my chest, because the Mass is a prayer. This is prayer posture for me, so I do that. What are we supposed to do?

There are no set rules for this. You can keep your hands to the side, on the pew in front of you, it is personal preference.

 

[KofC_SirKnight]

What posture are the faithful supposed to be in during Mass, when nothing is prescribed in the Rubrics? I know that we should follow kneeling, standing, and sitting, but what should we do with our bodies, particularly our hands, when we are standing. I have always had my hand palm-to-palm in front of my chest, because the Mass is a prayer. This is prayer posture for me, so I do that. What are we supposed to do?

I have not watched the faithful as to their hands. However, we train the altar servers to hold their hands together as you do, even when they are walking in the sanctuary and not holding anything. It seems to help them with their confidence and stops arm movement to distract from the Celebrant. They tell us that it just makes them feel more at ease.

Richard

 

[John_Lilburne]

No particular position of the hands is directed for the congregation at Mass.

For Mass with a bishop, according to Ceremonial of Bishops, n. 107 “concelebrants and ministers keep their hands joined when walking from place to place or when standing, unless they are holding something.”

A footnote to this has: "“Hands joined” means: “Holding the palms sideward and together before the breast, with the right thumb crossed over the left.” (Ceremonial of Bishops, Liturgical Press, 1989, ISBN 0-8146-1818-9, page 43)

The expression “palms sideward” is an unusual translation of “palmas extensas”, meaning “palms extended”. [The text from Caeremoniale Episcoporum (Liberia Editrice Vaticana, 1995) page 35, footnote 80: “Palmas extensas ac simul iunctas ante pectus habere, pollice dexterae super sinistro in crucis modum posito”. ] This means that the palm is to be extended, so the fingers will be extended and joined together, as well as the palms of the hands.

This general requirement to have “hands joined” by ministers does not appear in the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal, so I would understand it as only applying to Mass with a bishop, following the 2002 GIRM, n. 112: " At a Mass celebrated by the Bishop or at which he presides without celebrating the Eucharist, the norms found in the Caeremoniale Episcoporum should be observed."