volume 2 - issue 1

Q. - Why do some people hold hands during the Our Father and others don't? I don't really like to but they're always reaching over and taking my hand anyhow. What can I say?

A. - This is seen more and more at Mass these days.

In truth, it came into practice some time ago with converts to the faith who were used to this expression in their own liturgies from before. However, it wasn't a part of ours. The charismatic groups within the church picked it up during their prayer meetings and carried it over into mass and there you have, in a nutshell, how that particular horse got out of the barn.

More than likely a lack of basic catechesis among Catholics on why we do what we do (or what we don't do) helped it spread, along with the fact that it has a sort of universal appeal on the surface of things. The thought that it represents our unity with one another and underlines our familial relationship in the church has a certain draw that cannot be denied amongst parishioners and this is one of the most frequently stated reasons they give for doing it.

be that as it may, it is nowhere within the rubrics for the mass. One can look high and low and find many different gestures and postures prescribed for both the faithful as well as the priest, but you will not find the holding of hands during the Our Father addressed anywhere.

Now - some would like to springboard the issue forward by basing their reasons on an argument of silence. But that doesn't make a lot of sense. There are untold things that the rubrics are SILENT on but we don't introduce any of them as a practice. If we could think up a spiritual reason for rubbing our tummies and patting our heads during that prayer instead, would that be any more appropriate an innovation, just because there's nothing said regarding it?

of course not.

One can debate on whether or not a certain practice could, theoretically, be a beneficial addition to the liturgy but one cannot base its implementation on an argument of silence in the already prescribed rubrics.

moreover, this isn't the way to go about things. If changes need to be made there are methods that the bishops must go through to do it. Unless that happens though one isn't to arbitrarily change things. Even things that weren't addressed to begin with. "The liturgical books approved by the competent authority are to be faithfully observed in the celebration of the sacraments; therefore, no one on personal authority may add, remove, or change anything in them" (Canon 826.1).

the priest's hands (as well as those of any concelebrants') are to be extended in prayer while the deacon is told to fold his. That's it. Does it address the faithful in the pew? No. It doesn't. But one can work from the point of common sense that it would seem odd, at best, for the laity to introduce a posture that even the deacon doesn't join in.

now - in some parishes it goes so far out of kilter that the priest and deacon both abandon the rubrics themselves and hold hands with the servers all lined up between them during the prayer. What can be said of this charitably but pray for them, yes? And if you have a calm temperament, perhaps address this with them in private. But don't expect too much. Once one takes the attitude that they, and not the Holy See, have the right to choreograph the liturgy as they see fit, obedience tends to fly out the stained glass window. And you'll simply agitate yourself trying to bend hard minds to reason.

Look - it boils down to several things.

1.) Rome alone makes the final decisions on how the liturgy plays out. (#22 - Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy) (Canon 838 - Code of Canon Law.)

2.) any new innovations or changes to the liturgy have a method of approval already in the books: a two thirds majority vote of the bishop's conference and final approval form the Holy See. Not spontaneous, unapproved implementation on a personal or parish wide level.

3.) there are theological reasons for what we do (or don't do) during Mass. Perhaps time would be better spent catechizing the faithful to better understand the gestures already in place and what the meanings of them are so that we don't find groups making up their own. Often times people are unaware that the meaning and depth they are seeking to show is already to be found in what the Church has prescribed for them to do but they were simply never told of its purpose.

here is some brief background on this:
The Vatican as well as many bishops in the US frown on this sort of thing. For a variety of reasons. At the top of the list is that there is no precedence for it and that it makes zero sense theologically during the mass. It is distracting, overtly casual and is not symbolic as our sign of unity (although that is the stated purpose of doing). Our pinnacle of our unity and its corresponding sign is our reception of Holy Communion. That is the height and summit of both the mass and our union.

No one really has the right to introduce innovations to the liturgy. Not the laity, not even the priest.

Until and unless Rome makes some final decision regarding this one way or another, it would seem, at least on the surface, to be somewhat imprudent if not outrightly arrogant to persist in this practice if one has been informed of its background and status. However, most are not aware of it so don't bust your pewmate over the head on what has to be one of the lesser liturguical abuses out there. If this is all that is wrong at your parish, thank the Lord. Really. It's minor. And usually done in all innocence.

The bottom line though is that we are not at a "service". We are at Mass. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass to be more precise. The Divine Liturgy. This is not our show. This is God's. Mass is something he gives to us, not something we do for him, or God forbid, perform for ourselves and our own preferences and pleasures.

The Church has laid out the liturgy for this in all wisdom and with the guidance of the Spirit. She has two thousand years of spiritual practices to draw from and if she feels it is prudent to make changes she'll do so. Let's not jump the cart.

What you do in your private prayer life is just that, your private prayer life, but mass is to be a unified worship of the members of Christ's Body, the Church. It should spiritually and visually reflect that. If we are all hither and yon with our own ideas and preferences, what does that say about us? There are a lot of things that I myself would like to change - HOWEVER, apart from having no right to do so, I recognize that I am ignorant and lazy. Would not my adaptations reflect that? And if the Church is wise, and holy and preserved by the Spirit, hers will reflect that accordingly too.

On a side note:
another practice that has been much discussed by the bishops is that of giving the faithful the option to use that beautiful posture of 'orantes' during the Our Father (hands out and extended in prayer).

The Italian bishops petitioned Rome and received permission to do so. So their congregations have the option of folding their hands or extending them. Thereby eliminating the whole hand holding business, although it was never as popular overseas as it is here.

The US Bishops felt that they too could eliminate this by possibly offering or even mandating the 'orantes' posture during that prayer, but after much talk it never got up enough steam to get the two thirds majority vote. In other words, that practice has not been approved for use in Mass yet either.

Again, no one is usually aware of it, so don't get weird on people over something like that. And those who are in the know but like to encourage it anyhow tend to bristle at anything that has the slightest scent of submission, patience, or (dare we say it) obedience. So be careful how you put it to them too. Or at least don't be surprised when you're summarily dismissed as a fanatic.

recommended reading section will be up soon......

the rest of the issue will be up shortly.
these docs didn't transfer well so I have to retype all of them.

FYI - the other question in this issue includes genuflection vs bowing your head before you receive holy communion.
hopefully I can get it posted this week with thanksgiving coming up and all.

peace!