What do I do when the sign of peace is overdone?

[delucajmj]

Apparently someone has told the ushers in my church to give everyone the sign of peace when they are leaving the pews to go up to Communion. It is so distracting and I just walk by with my hands folded in prayer. Can someone tell me exactly what the normal practice of this ritual is so that I can put it on an index card and hand it to the usher instead of shaking his hand? Where could I find the exact wording? I was told once that it was intended only to the person on the right and the person on the left.

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (2002) states:

The rite of peace follows, by which the Church asks for peace and unity for herself and for the whole human family, and the faithful express to each other their ecclesial communion and mutual charity before communicating in the [Blessed] Sacrament.

As for the sign of peace to be given, the manner is to be established by conferences of bishops in accordance with the culture and customs of the peoples. It is, however, appropriate that each person offer the sign of peace only to those who are nearest and in a sober manner (GIRM 82, emphasis added).

Nevertheless, it is not appropriate to hand someone a scolding when he offers to you his hand as a gesture of peace. Rather than give the instruction from the GIRM to the ushers, I recommend giving it instead to your pastor and asking him to give the ushers appropriate instruction. In the meantime, it is fine to keep your hands folded in prayer when going up for Communion; but I also recommend that you keep your eyes trained on the usher’s face as you exit the pew and smile politely at him before entering the line. If you don’t happen to notice that someone has his hand extended to you below your line of sight, you cannot be considered rude for ignoring it.