Why do Catholics Touch Their Face Before Reading of Gospel?

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Joe_5859 said:
Your question has already been answered, but your question reminds me of how much we cradle Catholics can take certain things for granted. I would never have thought that someone would find this “mysterious”, but how could you possibly know unless someone, at some time, actually tells you?
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I’m a cradle Catholic, but I somehow managed to not notice/learn about this until one Sunday I thought, ‘Wait, what’s going on here?’ It took me a while to figure it out but I found an explanation on the side bar of one the red books. (I forgot my missal… :o)
I think it said something about knowing, believing, and loving? But it didn’t have the prayer the other people were referencing, I’ve never heard that before.
 
Timidity said:
Prove it, please. A lot of people say this, but I’ve never seen a definitive source document.

It sounds to me like either a private devotion that people make up and then try to pass along as if it’s a liturgical norm, or a discontinued practive from the pre-council days that some people still cling to.

All the GIRM mentions is the people uttering “Glory to you, Lord”.
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We say “Glory toYou oh God” as we make the sign. I was told years ago not that it was a prayer but that the meaning of the 3 signs was “may I keep these words always in my mind, on my lips and in my heart”.
 
Maverick said:
Hello. I took RCIA and converted to the Catholic Church.

One question I still have after six years is this: during Mass right before the reading of the Gospel, I see the people in front of me touching their face in some manner. I cannot tell exactly what they are doing and it would be rude to turn around and watch someone behind me.

So this remains a mystery to me, and I don’t think it was covered in RCIA. It seems to me that people are touching their lips with their hands before the gospel reading, but I am not sure why they are doing this or exactly what they are doing.

Would appreciate an explanation about this. Thanks!
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They cross themselves with their thumb on their forehead, lips, and heart saying, ‘Let your words be on my mind, on my lips, and on my heart that I may proclaim your glory Lord.’
 
Timidity said:
Prove it, please. A lot of people say this, but I’ve never seen a definitive source document.

It sounds to me like either a private devotion that people make up and then try to pass along as if it’s a liturgical norm, or a discontinued practive from the pre-council days that some people still cling to.

All the GIRM mentions is the people uttering “Glory to you, Lord”.
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It is actually an ancient practice. I have an old red missal for the Latin Mass(I am sure anyone who has attended a Latin Mass knows what missal I am talking about.) that says to say the, ‘Let your words by on my mind, on my lips and on my heart that I may proclaim your glory Lord.’ It is note along the side.

Why does it matter anyway? Does the understanding of the liturgy have to be so legalistic that people aren’t even aloud to pray a prayer that isn’t mentioned by the GIRM?
 
jimmy said:
It is actually an ancient practice. I have an old red missal for the Latin Mass(I am sure anyone who has attended a Latin Mass knows what missal I am talking about.) that says to say the, ‘Let your words by on my mind, on my lips and on my heart that I may proclaim your glory Lord.’ It is note along the side.

Why does it matter anyway? Does the understanding of the liturgy have to be so legalistic that people aren’t even aloud to pray a prayer that isn’t mentioned by the GIRM?
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A new convert started the thread and asked what people were doing and what it meant so everyone was chiming in…don’t think anyone is saying a certain “version” of this is right or wrong.
 
BSHoop96 said:
A new convert started the thread and asked what people were doing and what it meant so everyone was chiming in…don’t think anyone is saying a certain “version” of this is right or wrong.
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It should have been explained to the OP durring RCIA. I went through RCIA and it was briefly talked about. I learned much more it seems on my own by researching and asking lots of questions to orthodox priests.
 
Eric_Olsen said:
It should have been explained to the OP durring RCIA. I went through RCIA and it was briefly talked about. I learned much more it seems on my own by researching and asking lots of questions to orthodox priests.
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It wasn’t mentioned at all during my RCIA. But this thread has provided me with a lot of information on the subject. Now I feel I can join in with the others in making this sign of the cross for this part of the Mass.
 
Deconi said:
By the way, Maverick,…

WELCOME HOME!

:cool:
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Thanks! I am happy in my home in the Catholic Church. The Episcopal Church was not meeting my needs, and I am glad I took RCIA and became Catholic.
 
Before the Gospel is heard the people make the sign of a small cross on their forehead, lips and heart, and say “glory to you oh Lord”. The priest or deacon also does something similar. It is symbolically purifiing themselves. This comes from Isaiah 6:1-8 where the seraphim touched Isaiah’s lips with an ember from the alter -

He touched my mouth with it. “See,” he said, “now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.”

In the Roman liturgy, the celebrant at Mass makes reference to this incident just before he reads the gospel.
 
why in the world in gthe US says that were in the Philippine Catholic Church say " Glory to you, O Lord, Jesus the Christ? whats the correct one?
 
Timidity said:
Prove it, please. A lot of people say this, but I’ve never seen a definitive source document.

It sounds to me like either a private devotion that people make up and then try to pass along as if it’s a liturgical norm, or a discontinued practive from the pre-council days that some people still cling to.

All the GIRM mentions is the people uttering “Glory to you, Lord”.
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Not sure right now where to prove this, but we where taught to do this in our RCIA class using documents copyrighted in 1996
 
jmcrae said:
:confused: Sorry, could you rephrase the question?
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oh yes, sorry, i never knew that USA have a diff version saying the words like 'Let your words by on my mind, on my lips and on my heart that I may proclaim your glory Lord. but the Philippine Catholic Church has these words that we need to say "Glory to you, Oh Lord, Jesus Christ then sign of the cross in the forehead, lips and heart ? is this the same?
 
francis24 said:
oh yes, sorry, i never knew that USA have a diff version saying the words like 'Let your words by on my mind, on my lips and on my heart that I may proclaim your glory Lord. but the Philippine Catholic Church has these words that we need to say "Glory to you, Oh Lord, Jesus Christ then sign of the cross in the forehead, lips and heart ? is this the same?
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The way I was taught was that we say “Glory to you, Lord Jesus Chris” then while making the sign of the cross on my head, lips and heart I silently pray “May your word be on my mind, on my lips and in my heart”
 
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