Striking your breast during Lamb of God (3 questions)

[RichSpidizzy]

First:
Is striking your breast during the Lamb of God still an acceptable practice? The Missalette doesn’t mention it (typically the misalette gives direction on gestures such as during the creed when it instructs you to bow when you pray “by the power of the Holy Spirit, he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man”), and I never really see too many people in Church do it anymore, including the priest.

Second:
Is there a specific word during the Lamb of God where you should strike your breast? I know you strike your breast three time for the three lines, but I don’t know if there is a specific point in the line where you should strike your breast. Should it be after you say “Lamb of God” and before “you take away the sins of the world?” Should it be as you say the word “Lamb?” Does it matter at all?

Third:
What is the theological significance of striking your breast during the Lamb of God? Is it to symbolize that in our hearts is where the sin is that Christ takes away for us? Something else?

Thanks in advance for the answers, mostly this is to satisfy my curiosity. I still strike my breast during the prayer (although I’m not even sure how or when I learned thsi custom) and I just wanted to know a little more about it.

A Blessed Advent all!!

 

[LilyM]

First:
Is striking your breast during the Lamb of God still an acceptable practice? The Missalette doesn’t mention it (typically the misalette gives direction on gestures such as during the creed when it instructs you to bow when you pray “by the power of the Holy Spirit, he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man”), and I never really see too many people in Church do it anymore, including the priest.

Of course it’s still acceptable - I see people do it on occasion though I don’t always do it myself. Rather like bowing during those lines of the Creed.

Second:
Is there a specific word during the Lamb of God where you should strike your breast? I know you strike your breast three time for the three lines, but I don’t know if there is a specific point in the line where you should strike your breast. Should it be after you say “Lamb of God” and before “you take away the sins of the world?” Should it be as you say the word “Lamb?” Does it matter at all?

When I do it it’s during the ‘have mercy on us’/‘grant us peace’, for reasons I will explain below

Third:
What is the theological significance of striking your breast during the Lamb of God? Is it to symbolize that in our hearts is where the sin is that Christ takes away for us? Something else?

You may, if you look carefully, see that some people stike their breast during the Confiteor (‘I confess’) and/or the ‘Lord have mercy’ which follows. The gesture is a traditional one which expresses sorrow - in this case sorrow for our sins. Sorrow which we feel in our hearts hence striking the breast. Least that’s the way I’ve always thought of it.

Sorrow for sins traditionally comes together with an acknowledgement of those sins This is why it’s done during the ‘I have sinned through my own fault’.

More significantly, to me, this sort of outward expression of sorrow for sins most often accompanies a request for mercy. Hence striking the breast during the ‘Lord/Christ have mercy’ or in my case the ‘have mercy on us’ section of the Lamb of God.

A Blessed Advent all!!

And to you too :angel1:

 

[hatcheteer]

Oddly enough, I strike on each “Lamb of God,” in sorrow that my sins have caused my God to sacrifice himself for me.

I also strike during the Kyrie, at each “have mercy.”

And finally during the “Domine, non sum dignus”

 

[puzzleannie]

First:
Is striking your breast during the Lamb of God still an acceptable practice? The Missalette doesn’t mention it !

I am an old timer, and still do as I was taught when I made my first communion, when VII was not even a gleam in the papal eye, that is I strike my breast 3 times while reciting the Domine non sum dignus, Lord I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed (we learned it in Latin, don’t know if I can remember it). It may be that the prayer was said three times back then, a lot of Mass prayers were said 3 times in honor of the Trinity, one of the practices simplified in the reform of the Liturgy. We were also taught to strike the breast 3 times during the Confetior (also memorized in Latin) because the “through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault” was the refrain before that prayer, too, was shortened. Don’t recall this gesture with the Lamb of God prayer.

 

[Cranch]

I am an old timer, and still do as I was taught when I made my first communion, when VII was not even a gleam in the papal eye, that is I strike my breast 3 times while reciting the Domine non sum dignus, Lord I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed (we learned it in Latin, don’t know if I can remember it). It may be that the prayer was said three times back then, a lot of Mass prayers were said 3 times in honor of the Trinity, one of the practices simplified in the reform of the Liturgy. We were also taught to strike the breast 3 times during the Confetior (also memorized in Latin) because the “through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault” was the refrain before that prayer, too, was shortened. Don’t recall this gesture with the Lamb of God prayer.

The Domine non sum dignus is indeed still recited three times in the traditional Latin Mass accompanied with a striking of the breast each time:Domine, non sum dignus,

•           ut intres sub tectum meum,*

•           sed tantum dic verbo,*

•           et sanabitur anima mea.*

The English is different than that used in the Novus Ordo Mass:* Lord, I am not worthy*

•         that Thou shouldst enter under my roof,*

•         but only say the word,*

•         and my soul shall be healed.*

The priest and the servers also each strike their breasts three times during the recitation of their separate Confiteors:…mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.
The priest also strikes his breast three times during the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God).

 

[lak611]

I’ve seen several elderly people strike their breasts during the Consecration when the priest elevates the Host and the Chalice. Was this a common practice in the TLM?

 

[puzzleannie]

I’ve seen several elderly people strike their breasts during the Consecration when the priest elevates the Host and the Chalice. Was this a common practice in the TLM?

you got there before me, I still do it, and have done since childhood, we also were taught to say silently, My Lord and My God, although in some parishes here people say it out loud, but this is a fairly recent thing. There is currently no TLM available in the Valley.

 

[lak611]

you got there before me, I still do it, and have done since childhood, we also were taught to say silently, My Lord and My God, although in some parishes here people say it out loud, but this is a fairly recent thing. There is currently no TLM available in the Valley.

I attend a Pauline Mass, and I’ve seen these people in my congregation doing this. I just figured it was something that was taught back when all the Masses were TLM because I never was taught to do that and I’ve never observed anybody born after Vatican II do that. Actually, I’ve only observed people who appear to be in their eighties do that. I asked my parents and they don’t remember ever doing that.

 

[Eileen_T]

you got there before me, I still do it, and have done since childhood, we also were taught to say silently, My Lord and My God, although in some parishes here people say it out loud, but this is a fairly recent thing. There is currently no TLM available in the Valley.

“My Lord and My God, have mercy on me, a sinner!” I raise my eyes to the Glory of God, present Body, Blood, Soul & Divinity in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Then I lower my head in adoration and acknowledgment of my unworthiness.

I pray that reception of the Eucharist will not bring condemnation against me.

I am very aware that Mary considered herself unworthy. How much less worthy am I?

 

[AJV]

First:
Is striking your breast during the Lamb of God still an acceptable practice? The Missalette doesn’t mention it (typically the misalette gives direction on gestures such as during the creed when it instructs you to bow when you pray “by the power of the Holy Spirit, he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man”), and I never really see too many people in Church do it anymore, including the priest.

Second:
Is there a specific word during the Lamb of God where you should strike your breast? I know you strike your breast three time for the three lines, but I don’t know if there is a specific point in the line where you should strike your breast. Should it be after you say “Lamb of God” and before “you take away the sins of the world?” Should it be as you say the word “Lamb?” Does it matter at all?

Third:
What is the theological significance of striking your breast during the Lamb of God? Is it to symbolize that in our hearts is where the sin is that Christ takes away for us? Something else?

Thanks in advance for the answers, mostly this is to satisfy my curiosity. I still strike my breast during the prayer (although I’m not even sure how or when I learned thsi custom) and I just wanted to know a little more about it.

A Blessed Advent all!!

The striking of the breast is not prescribed by the rubrics of the missal (unlike the bowing during the Creed). I think it would be left up to custom.

According to the Traditional rubrics, the breast was struck at the words “have mercy on us” (miserere nobis) and “grant us peace” (dona nobis pacem).

However, in Masses of the Dead, when “grant them rest” (dona eis requiem) was said, the breast was not struck.