Praying over people

[guanophore]

Praying “for” is very different than praying “over.”

How do you see that?

I’m not concerned about people praying together in the way described in that passage- but that isn’t what the OP described. The passage didn’t say “the disciples laid hands on Paul and prayed over him”- it says that only Agabus did that. According to tradition, Agabus was one of the 70 disciples, and so the community recognized that this was proper to his role in the community.

Actually, the HS spoke to Him, and instructed him to do it. It is nowhere documented that he was ordained.

Today, that role is fulfilled by those who have been ordained.

The sacrament of the annointing of the sick, yes. There is no reason that the rest of us should be restrained from praying for one another.

If you’re referring to when people assume the orans position during the Mass, then there is certainly something wrong with that.

I believe the Apostle was speaking about prayer outside of the Mass.

What do you think is the function of the laity imitating the orans gesture in Mass? Are they inviting the priest to pray with them?

I think that is outside the scope of this thread.

think they’re raising prayer antennas to boost the signal on their prayers? That’s probably not too far of a jump when you already think that prayer beams can shoot out of your hands.

The power of the HS does work through our hands. It is part of the gifts we receive in baptism.

 

[Oscarthecat]

Many Catholic Charismatic Groups pray in this fashion. The Church has instructed that lay people are not to anoint with oil when praying as it may be mistaken as the Sacrament of Anointing.

Our Baptismal rite indicates that all who are Baptized share in the roles of priest, prophet, and king as befits an adopted child of God and therefore a brother or sister of Jesus Christ. It is obvious that these roles are different from the roles of the ordained priest which is accomplished by a totally different Sacrament.

I have laid hands on and prayed over people for both physical and spiritual healing and can attest that if it be God’s will, healing does take place. Jesus did say where two or more agree in prayer the prayer will be answered. The answer is not always what we want, but what God wants.

Unless you can make a case that God can’t heal people unless your hands are placed on them, then there is no good reason to approximate gestures proper to the priest during the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick.

 

[Oscarthecat]

Thank you for your assurance on this issue. It has resolved for me a troublesome practice. When I expressed my dismay
by stating that as laypersons we are not priests, I was admonished by being told that we all partake of the priesthood by virtue of membership in the mystical body of Christ. I refuted this and proceeded to explain the meaning of consecrattion and ordainatiion. However, the group, en masse, disagreed quite vociferously. If this should occur again, I plan not to participate under group peer pressure to do so. Thank you for confirming me in this regard.
Pasha

I would consider talking to the priest in this group privately to discuss your concerns. If he disagrees with you, then you should talk to his superior. It sounds like that group might benefit from a little oversight.

 

[guanophore]

Unless you can make a case that God can’t heal people unless your hands are placed on them, then there is no good reason to approximate gestures proper to the priest during the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick.

I am not sure that is an appropriate premise, but it is irrelevant, because the laying on of hands is not akin to the gestures used during the Sacrament.

Jesus touched people. He empowered his disciples to do the same,and to heal. To this day, these signs follow those who believe.

 

[guanophore]

Thank you for your assurance on this issue. It has resolved for me a troublesome practice. When I expressed my dismay by stating that as laypersons we are not priests, I was admonished by being told that we all partake of the priesthood by virtue of membership in the mystical body of Christ.

Laypersons are not ordained, but we do all participate in the priesthood of Christ by virtue of our membership in the mystical body of Christ. This is a true statement.

I refuted this and proceeded to explain the meaning of consecrattion and ordainatiion. However, the group, en masse, disagreed quite vociferously. If this should occur again, I plan not to participate under group peer pressure to do so. Thank you for confirming me in this regard.
Pasha

Each man must follow his own office, and it may be that this group does not have a proper regard for the ordained ministers, but it is also true that we are all called to minister Christ to one another, and to the world.

The purpose of the ordained is to equip the saints for the ministry. It is the duty of the laypeople to do the ministry.

 

[Roza]

I was in an AoG church for a few years and granted I still miss it. I knew something was missing, just didn’t know what… then later realized yeah, the real presence. We had members come up for prayer and yeah, other church members would lay hands on them and pray. I don’t think there was anything ‘new age’ about that. We had one member we prayed for that did pass away… I was one that was prayed over and so were others. I understand my leftover eye junk better and I know what else needs to be done… another member had a rare form of Lou Gerhigs (sp?) disease that only lasts up to a year I guess and I went from seeing him in a wheel chair to using braces and walking. Like I said, I did return to Catholicism but yeah, there are things I learned in my time away (and this is solely referring to my time out of the NAM) that I still cherish.

Praying over church members was common.

 

[guanophore]

I was in an AoG church for a few years and granted I still miss it. I knew something was missing, just didn’t know what… then later realized yeah, the real presence. We had members come up for prayer and yeah, other church members would lay hands on them and pray. I don’t think there was anything ‘new age’ about that. We had one member we prayed for that did pass away… I was one that was prayed over and so were others. I understand my leftover eye junk better and I know what else needs to be done… another member had a rare form of Lou Gerhigs (sp?) disease that only lasts up to a year I guess and I went from seeing him in a wheel chair to using braces and walking. Like I said, I did return to Catholicism but yeah, there are things I learned in my time away (and this is solely referring to my time out of the NAM) that I still cherish.

Praying over church members was common.

Death may be the ultimate form of healing.

 

[Roza]

True… and I keep wanting to add more of my own comments but trying to get out of the habit of saying to much.

 

[antimon]

The link you provided is very good indeed. All scripture passages that I looked up in the document point to one thing, asking God for strength in a spiritual way.

Jesus and apostles healed physical diseases too, if you remember, and promised that this would continue. Anointing of the sick is for physical diseases too. So what makes you think that it is about spiritual healing only and certainly not about physical healing? Can you answer this question?