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Inquiringperson
Guest
Who started this practice and for what reasons?
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Tantum_ergo
Guest
Who started this practice? Nobody knows. Theories range from Charismatic Catholics to “the Protestant influence” to “the lemming effect” to “it’s a beautiful gesture of love and my family has been doing it since before I was born”. . .in essence, ask 100 people this and you’ll get at least 1000 different answers for possibilities but. . .nobody really knows.
For what reasons? Again, nobody knows. Some do it because they love the feeling; some do it because they feel they’ll ‘stand out’ if they don’t, some do it because they grew up with it, some do it because they had NEVER done it and they love the novelty, some do it because ‘everybody does it’ and some because ‘nobody does it and I like to rock the boat’, some do it for the feeling of 'we are ALL Church", others do it because it makes them uncomfortable and they think that being uncomfortable is somehow being more Christ like, some do it without thinking much about it or anything else at all. . . ask 100 people why they do it and as above, get at least 1000 different answers depending on the person. . .
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Inquiringperson
Guest
Interesting.
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Rudolfo
Guest
Actually I believe we do know. This practice began at Marriage Encounter retreats. You can see how that would be natural in that setting, all couples, growing in love and understanding.
However, they “brought it back” to the parishes where it caught on as a thing to do for couples and families and next thing you know the entire parish is doing it. I’m pretty sure it really took off and spread from the Los Angeles Archdiocese.
Cardinal Mahony once made the comment that he disapproved of it, and knowing how few liturgical variations he disapproved of, that is a strong statement.
However, they “brought it back” to the parishes where it caught on as a thing to do for couples and families and next thing you know the entire parish is doing it. I’m pretty sure it really took off and spread from the Los Angeles Archdiocese.
Cardinal Mahony once made the comment that he disapproved of it, and knowing how few liturgical variations he disapproved of, that is a strong statement.
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PiousTemplar
Guest
What about having your hands like the priest? Is that normal ?
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adrift
Guest
It is a discouraged practice. How was it started? I can only answer how it was started in our parish. At mass the presiding priest asked at every mass for us to join hands.
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iwillrisenow
Guest
Ah ha, if this is indeed the case it makes a lot of sense. I can understand why couples and families may want to do it, but as a solo Mass attender 90% of the time, I’m not particularly fond of it (oh, that awkward moment when someone reaches across an aisle or behind him/herself just to keep the chain going)…the words are more than enough of an expression of unity, it seems…but to each his own.
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AveMaria12
Guest
I think it’s better not to have it (No offense) because it emphasizes too much on the “Our” and not on the “Father”. It is supposed to be to God and personally I think it’s deviating a bit from the meaning of the prayer.
I hear that having your hands in the orans position (like the priest) is used in some dioceses to order to adjust slowly from chaining up to the regular (Nothing!
) It’s just a transition thing in that case.
I hear that having your hands in the orans position (like the priest) is used in some dioceses to order to adjust slowly from chaining up to the regular (Nothing!
) It’s just a transition thing in that case.
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At_Trent
Guest
Why did people start holding hands during the Our Father ? Same as most anything, monkey see, monkey do.
It’s not an abuse or a major issue imo. It’s a gesture of unity. But, it’s not in the rubrics. I prefer to fold my hands in the standard way, palm to palm.
One time at Mass, a small child, probably 6 or 7 years was next to me in the pew with her family, and she tapped me on the arm and offered her hand at the start of the Lord’s Prayer. I glanced at her father and he smiled and nodded. How could I refuse ?
It’s not an abuse or a major issue imo. It’s a gesture of unity. But, it’s not in the rubrics. I prefer to fold my hands in the standard way, palm to palm.
One time at Mass, a small child, probably 6 or 7 years was next to me in the pew with her family, and she tapped me on the arm and offered her hand at the start of the Lord’s Prayer. I glanced at her father and he smiled and nodded. How could I refuse ?
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TimothyH
Guest
Aaaaaaaw! GROUP HUG!!!One time at Mass, a small child, probably 6 or 7 years was next to me in the pew with her family, and she tapped me on the arm and offered her hand at the start of the Lord’s Prayer. I glanced at her father and he smiled and nodded. How could I refuse ?
Do I hear someone sining Kumbaya?
-Tim-
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adrift
Guest
I have asked in other threads an official definitionn of abuse. It is my understanding that anything not authorized in the Girm is by definiition an abuse. The rubics as you note do not say everyone hold hands. Imho this does qualify as an abuse but not one to get upset about. I was discussing thiis with a priest recently and he said it is discouraged. But the message hasn’t got out and there are many who are attached to it. The only time I am bothered by it is when the priest holds hands with the servers.Why did people start holding hands during the Our Father ? Same as most anything, monkey see, monkey do.
It’s not an abuse or a major issue imo. It’s a gesture of unity. But, it’s not in the rubrics. I prefer to fold my hands in the standard way, palm to palm.
One time at Mass, a small child, probably 6 or 7 years was next to me in the pew with her family, and she tapped me on the arm and offered her hand at the start of the Lord’s Prayer. I glanced at her father and he smiled and nodded. How could I refuse ?
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ElToro
Guest
Probably the same reason you likely cross yourself in a manner reversed from ancient times – because the laity was trying to emulate the clergy.
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At_Trent
Guest
Aaaaaaaw! GROUP HUG!!!
Do I hear someone sining Kumbaya?
-Tim-
You won’t hear me singing it !
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At_Trent
Guest
Yea, it’s the things that happen in the Sanctuary that kind of make me raise an eyebrow as well.
Hopefully, the new missal will overshadow some of this stuff.
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ProVobis
Guest
It could be. I have seen clergy (and whoever else is in the sanctuary) holding hands during the Our Father and the rest just seem to follow suit.
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Saburo
Guest
I’m usually standing next to someone who a few minutes ago had his finger in his nose. I’m not a big fan of holding hands. I’m not even a big fan of shaking hands. Fortunately, the bird flu a few years back has caused a lot of people to adopt the habit of simply bowing. In fact, we were told to bow only and not shake hands at the height of the panic.
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familyof4
Guest
Getting my kids to stop holding hands, or standing in Orans posture was a bit of an ordeal. They do this every Friday in children’s mass. A priest once said if you want to see what you should be doing with your hands at that time during the mass, watch the deacon. His hands are held together in prayer-- and so are mine!
Now, getting people to understand why holding their hands aloft or mimicking the priest is bad form is a whole other ball of wax! In our parish, we have been having work shops almost every weekend for several months to prepare people for the changes coming in November. Our vicar is taking the opportunity to educate people about the different parts of the mass, the significance of each part, each gesture, etc. Hopefully come November, more people will be following the rubrics.
A priest once said if you want to see what you should be doing with your hands at that time during the mass, watch the deacon. His hands are held together in prayer-- and so are mine!Now, getting people to understand why holding their hands aloft or mimicking the priest is bad form is a whole other ball of wax! In our parish, we have been having work shops almost every weekend for several months to prepare people for the changes coming in November. Our vicar is taking the opportunity to educate people about the different parts of the mass, the significance of each part, each gesture, etc. Hopefully come November, more people will be following the rubrics.
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ProVobis
Guest
Maybe if everyone feels forced to read along in their missalettes, that might tie up hands long enough so they’re not as tempted to hold someone else’s. Just a thought.
One of the reasons I’ve tried to get them to retranslate the Our Father to make it closer to the Latin. Or say it in Latin.
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adrift
Guest
We can hope that when everyone has the missalettes learned they won’t want to break the habit of not holding hands.
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jsaldar
Guest
I don’t do it, but It doesn’t bother me to see others do it. Shows unity, i’d rather see that than people being unfriendly.
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