"Through my fault, my most grievous fault"

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goodcatholic

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At Mass:
Do you beat your chest with a clenched fist at the same time, and bow your head?

“Through my fault
through my fault
through my grievous fault.”
(so gesture 3 times)

Is it advisable to do this? Should everyone be doing it?
 
Yet I only see about 10% of people doing this at Mass. And hardly ever see younger ones do it.
 
Yes, for me it’s a return to the prayer as I said it as a child.
 
Our pastor went through the translation changes during the year before they were implemented (2011?) during masses. I don’t see the variability in our two parishes, or when traveling.
 
Yes, and I see more doing so…old practices of devotion that sometimes fade come back when those that used to do it see others continue.
 
I simply cannot do it. It makes me feel too expressive.
 
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When I happen to go to the Ordinary Form I beat my chest during the Confiteor, but when I’m at the Latin Mass I don’t. I do make the Sign of the Cross at the “indulgentiam” part though.
 
The Order of Mass of the Roman Missal has:

"4. … A brief pause for silence follows. Then all recite together the formula of general confession:
I confess to almighty God …
in what I have done and in what I have failed to do,
And, striking their breast, they say:
through my fault, through my fault,
through my most grievous fault;
Then they continue:
therefore I asked blessed Mary ever-Virgin, …:
 
We need a Police Ministry to be watching parishioners, to make sure everyone is doing it. 🙂
Maybe those doing the collection could double up?
 
It could be that some people were never taught to do that…I wasnt.
 
That’s right. Why didn’t my Marist Bother teachers in Elementary School teach me that one?
 
I had no idea this was a thing. I guess you learn something new every day.
 
JohnLilburne said:
The Order of Mass of the Roman Missal has:

"4. … A brief pause for silence follows. Then all recite together the formula of general confession:
I confess to almighty God …
in what I have done and in what I have failed to do,
And, striking their breast, they say:
through my fault, through my fault,
through my most grievous fault;
Then they continue:
therefore I asked blessed Mary ever-Virgin, …:
Click to expand...
I have to say, that reads like only one strike is called for, not three.
Not that it is done in our parish, by and large.
An interesting thing I see an older gentleman do is bow slightly to the left and right when we say ‘and you, my brothers and sisters’.
 
And at that time I remember there were discussions in forums (fora?) about whether we were going back to the triple breast striking or doing it only once. Since I grew up doing it 3 times I simply went back to that practice. I don’t care what anyone else does.
 
I like doing it. I also barely turn my head from the left to the right…slowly…three times…as if ‘shame on me, I really should know better by now’ - nothing dramatic, of course, but I mean it each time. Nobody’s fault but mine.
 
OldCAFMember said:
'O
“goodcatholic said:
At Mass:
Do you beat your chest with a clenched fist at the same time, and bow your head?

“Through my fault
through my fault
through my grievous fault.”
(so gesture 3 times)

Is it advisable to do this? Should everyone be doing it?
Click to expand...
“Beat your chest with a clenched fist”? What a loaded expression, apparently meant to convey a public self-flagellation. The Roman tradition is to gently tap (rubrics say “strike”) one’s breast with one’s hand. And as one sees with the priest at an Extraordinary Form Mass, this is not even a closed fist, but an open hand, extended straight out. It is merely a symbolic gesture.
Click to expand...
 
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