What gestures do you make during Mass

[Cristiano]

Did I mentione the tradition that my mother used to follow with us kids?

The smacking on the head of the child that was making disrupting noise!

That started before Vat II and kept going after Vat II.

 

[ProVobis]

or the similar one (upward instead of outward swoop) for “we lift up our hearts”.

But Sursum corda/Habemus ad dominum is literally “Upwards hearts! We hold to the Lord.” No lifting. Ask any first-year Latin student or Pole.

 

[bmadamsberry]

Two particular ones that I do, which aren’t common, are bowing my head at the name of Jesus (although I’ll now start to do it at the three names of the Trinity, the name of Mary, and the name of the Saint-of-the-Mass).

I also bow my head when I say “L-rd, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof.”

I then raise my head and say “but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

This is just my own personal action, of course.

I don’t have a problem with people adding small gestures as long as:

1. It’s not large and/or very distracting; and
2. It is an action that is not suppressed by either the GIRM or the bishop.

 

[Steady_Eddy]

Do others in Ireland kneel through out? I would love to kneel during the whole liturgy of the Eucharist, but I fear it would be too distracting for others. Maybe on a weekday mass if I was in the very back…

Hello again,

There was an elderly couple just in front of me that attended morning Mass for a while and knelt for the most part like myself. They arrived very early too before Mass, and remained for a little while afterwards. They also appeared to be very annoyed (and weren’t afraid to show it) at the appalling behaviour/noise of some people immediately after Mass. These particular people (some of whom are readers and Eucharistic Ministers) spend a lot of time talking around, at back, or just outside the Church. They obviously go to Church to meet other people, and would have all the aforementioned gestures, handshakes etc off to a tee. But all that means absolutely nothing without the proper interior disposition.

 

[constantconvert]

I just cannot understand why one would not be focused on the words “Agnus Dei” and the implication of those words, but choose instead to shake hands.

Nor can I understand why the GIRM doesn’t give us the option of kneeling, especially since we kneel right after anyway! (Doesn’t it seem like way back we used to kneel at the Agnus Dei? Or maybe it was because I lived in another diocese-- is it an option given to the bishops?) Oh, I forgot, you attend the EF, right?

 

[Ohana]

At my vacation parish, the pastor has completely abolished the call for the Sign of Peace (which is a valid liturgical option), but 100% of the assembly still shakes hands while the Agnus Dei is being sung.

In my home parish, one of my fellow choir members was known to show the Peace Sign instead of shaking hands, and the pastor put the kibosh on that; evidently he does not think that is reverent or respectful. YMMV.

Well, the Church is not a democracy. Nevertheless, Catholics sometimes “vote” with our actions. I remember my parents saying with regard to one pastor who was very controversial, “This was our church before he ever got here, and we are staying1” , and they went right along doing things their way. Many moved to another parish at that time.

 

[Moore11]

I make all the prescribed motions but everyone around me makes all the others.
We rarely do the mea culpa, so no breast striking, but there sure are a ton of people who look like they are handing a tall person a tray when the say “and with your spirit” Hand holding for the our Father and the awkward raising of hands at the end with a flirty squeeze. We bow at the Creed and kneel at the consecration. We do a slight karate bow before the Eucharist and sometimes dance to some hand jivey rock songs. Some of those are prescribed, others not.

PS
I make a sign with my thumb slowly going across my neck in a slicing manner at the part of the Mass when my kids misbehave.

 

[losh14]

Given how physical our worship is, and how much the five senses are engaged during hte Mass, I’m not at all surprised to see this a lively thread.

I’d like to share a funny story first and then comment seriously.

As for going along with what others do, like the hand holding, unless it’s really a violation of the rubrics, my attitude is “When in Rome…”

The parish we used to attend was warm and very young, and the Sign of Peace was usually lengthy as everyone knew everyone and hugs were common - the fellowship was exceptional and our priest felt it appropriate to savor such community prior to the Eucharist. One weekend, two parishoners, Brian and John, spent a weekend camping in a rural county and decided to attend Mass locally rather than in our parish. They sat near the front, held hands during the Our Father, and thought nothing of being the only ones in their pew to do so. They hugged during the Sign of Peace, and then noticed that no one else hugged. They in fact looked quite out of place, wearing grubby clothes from camping in a very conservative old wooden church filled with parishoners in suits and dresses. As they walked up to Communion, the priest covered the chalice and shook his head - he thought they were gay! I should note that John told me the story at Mass later that same day.

As to gestures, I think we’ve got some good points that I’d like to summarize together:

I have knelt throughout on occasions, but I don’t like being different or drawing attention to myself, so I might sit for the readings.

Another unrelated point in these innovations is the unity of worship vs following the GIRM. I think it’s kind of a balancing act between wanting to be obedient, but not wanting to offend, distract, or draw attention to yourself.

I don’t have a problem with people adding small gestures as long as:

1. It’s not large and/or very distracting; and
2. It is an action that is not suppressed by either the GIRM or the bishop.

I think that as communal as the Mass is, there’s also necessarily a very personal nature to it. The Mass as a whole is an offering to the Lord but we each bring ourselves and our own walks with the Lord with us. One thing I ought to add is that I make small petitions along with the words of Consecration - after the Bread, “by Thy Body, broken, may I be made whole” and after the Cup “by Thy Precious Blood, may I be made clean”, and I often say an Act of Spiritual Communion. This is because it’s rare that I receive the Eucharist - I’m a celiac so I can only receive the Cup (or risk being ill the next day or two from the gluten in the Host). If I am sick, I won’t take of the Cup in order to protect others (and there have been a few times when I’ve changed my mind after the person in front of me sounds like a case of TB having a smoke). So having that brief time in Spiritual communion is very important when I can’t or don’t receive the Specie.

I also like to kneel for the Rosary of course, whether at home or in Church. Kneeling just seems natural to me, it’s the best posture, and if you’re not improving on something why change it?

… all that means absolutely nothing without the proper interior disposition.

CS Lewis wrote something to the effect that the body’s inclination during prayer ought to to match the disposition of the soul, so that a soul in humble obedience brings the body to kneel, and the soul in vigilance brings the body to stand. Something to that effect. Also, bear in mind that kneeling during Christian prayer is mentioned as early as Phil 2.

 

[cradlecatholic5]

As they walked up to Communion, the priest covered the chalice and shook his head - he thought they were gay

 

[superamazingman]

As they walked up to Communion, the priest covered the chalice and shook his head - he thought they were gay

?

 

[superamazingman]

Here’s the guestures I make when I assist or MC at the altar in the ordinary form. Those gestures not found in the rubrics for the ordinary form are found in the extraordinary form, used in the ordinary form in accordance with paragraph 42 of the GIRM (“Therefore, attention should be paid to what is determined by this General Instruction and the traditional practice of the Roman Rite…”).

• Bow of the head during the confiteor (or from the waist, if the priest does as well)
• turning toward the ambo following the alleluia
• the thrice cross signs before the gospel
• bow during the creed

(standing at the altar as MC assisting with pall and book:

• Kneel at epeclesis
• Stand after consecration of the bread (to remove pall)
• Kneel directly after removing pall
• Stand after the consecration of the wine (to replace pall)
• Remain standing until the end of the canon, helping with page turns and pall removal when needed.

)

• Kneel to receive communion
• Stand to watch for fallen hosts (so that I can place a purificator over the area should one fall)
• Bow from the waist for the final blessing

There’s more, but that’s all I can think of right now.

 

[vz71]

Sign of the Cross at the begining of Mass.

Beats breast x4 during the Kyrie

Beats breast x3 during the Confiteor.

Sign of the Cross after the Confiteor.

Three little crosses before the Gospel.

Beats breast x3 during Angus Dei

Beats breast x3 during the “Dominum non sum dignus”

Sign of the Cross during the blessing.

Three little crosses before the Last Gospel.

Hands folded or palms together the rest of the time.

Wow, it was fun to mentally re-live the Mass for a minute there. Did I forget anything?

What do you all do?

Bow during the two lines of the Nicene Creed,
“and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.”

 

[awsiukiewicz]

With all the hub-bub about holding hands at the Our Father, etc. I was just curious about what people actually practice. Other than the sign of the cross, the only hand gesture I can find in the GIRM are the three small crosses before the Gospel, so I guess all other gestures are innovations.

The only gesture I’m really attached to is the sign of the cross after general absolution. Even though it’s not prescribed, I don’t see how it could be much of a distraction or disrupt the unity of worship.

At weekday Mass I stand apart, so I don’t hold hands at the Our Father, but on Sunday everyone in my parish does it so I do it too. It just doesn’t seem very charitable to refuse someone’s hand.

Sometimes I do the “and with your spirit” gesture, sometimes I don’t.

How about you?

When other parishoners make innovations in the Mass, as far as hand gestures go, does it bother you? The only guy who really bugs me is this old guy at weekday mass, who makes so many gestures, it’s like he’s a New York City traffic cop I’m sure he means well though. he loves God, and he’s probably holier than I am.

 

[awsiukiewicz]

Well, the Church is not a democracy. Nevertheless, Catholics sometimes “vote” with our actions. I remember my parents saying with regard to one pastor who was very controversial, “This was our church before he ever got here, and we are staying1” , and they went right along doing things their way. Many moved to another parish at that time.

I don’t hold hands during the Our Father…I don’t feel any obligation to hold hands during Mass…I miss the Mass of my childhood…I am all about praise, I am all about raising my hands at some camp meeting in praise…I am not ashamed or do I feel embarassed…I actually don’t really see the point in giving the ‘sign of peace’ during Mass…Perhaps I am too rigid…but nebulous chit chat that occurs during and after Mass just proves that our attempt at appease everyone has led to a atmosphere of disrespect for what is happening at Mass…my children attend a private Catholic School (which we love)…and we are very involved in the Parish…On Fridays for the School Mass, these kids atcutally reach across pews and down isles to hold hands…it’s like a circus…this is, as I understand not a rubric of the Liturgy…and it’s just something that evloved…by the way…I am not angry…I am not rude during Prayer…I usually close my eyes and pray the Our Father deeply from my soul…and concentrate on each word…it usually takes a few minutes for everyone to return to their pew and drop their arms…etc…before regaining some degree of reverence for what is taking place…I don’t therefore feel guilty for not holding hands during the Our Father at Mass…sorry …I am "Old School’…PAX