Have you ever wondered why some people do not raise or hold their hands during the Lord’s Prayer? I bet some of us think that ignoring the gesture is rude for them to do, but the truth is they were just following the proper liturgical gesture. I can still remember the time I heard a priest say this during a mass, “Nextime, ‘wag niyo itataas ang inyong mga kamay kapag kakanta ng ‘Ama Namin’, pari lang ‘ho ang gumagawa niyan”, That made me wondering, “How come priests are the only ones allowed to raise their hands?”
Raising and holding hands during the Lord’s prayer has been a common gesture among the faithful for a long time. But did you know that doing this is problematic on a theological level?
What is the Orans Posture?
The Orans Posture is a prayer gesture where priests outstretches its arms with palms facing upward. It’s a representative praying on behalf of the others and symbolizes the priest’s role as the “in persona Christi” (in the person of Christ). This posture has been used as a gesture of pleading and supplication since ancient times and was eventually adapted by Christians who identifies this position as the outstretched arms of Christ crucified. This is not new but rather a particular prayer position that has existed since the Early Church and before it. Although the congregation was given the autonomy to use whatever prayer position they may want, doing the Orans Posture during the Lord’s Prayer is not appropriate and should only be gestured by the priest.
Is it appropriate to pray the “Our Father” with the Orans Posture?
According to the document, “Instruction on Certain Questions Regarding the Collaboration of the Non-Ordained Faithful in the Sacred Ministry of Priests” published by the Vatican on Aug. 15, 1997,
“In Eucharistic celebrations, deacons and non-ordained
members of the faithful may not pronounce prayers -e.g
especially the eucharistic prayer, with its concluding doxology -or
any other parts of the liturgy reserved to the celebrant priest.
Neither may deacons or non-ordained members of the
faithful use gestures or actions which are proper to the
same priest celebrant. It is a grave abuse for any member of
the non-ordained faithful to “quasi-preside” at the mass while
leaving only that minimal participation to the priest which is
necessary to secure validity.”
Based on the above statement, pronouncing prayers and doing gestures that should solely be done by the priest should not be copied or done by the deacons and non-ordained members of the faithful during the eucharistic celebration. Going back from the definition of the Orans Posture, this position is a representation of prayers of the community
Therefore, there is no reason for the laity to raise their hands because it is the duty of the priest to represent them.
The Lord’s Prayer is recited/sung during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. In this part of the celebration, prayer and offering are directed to God.
Implementing the extending/holding of hands is a horizontal emphasis on the prayer which contrasts the vertical emphasis. Some may say that the Lord’s Prayer is a community prayer therefore the holding of hands is appropriate to show unity. However, we must keep in mind that the Lord’s Prayer is considered as a community prayer, not because of the visible sign that the faithful are holding or extending their hands but because it is prayed together as the body of Christ.
What does the GIRM say?
The General Instruction for Roman Missal (GIRM) states, “After the Eucharistic Prayer is concluded, the priest, with hands joined, says alone the introduction to the Lord’s Prayer, and then with hands extended, he pronounces the prayer together with the people.”(GIRM 152). The GIRM did not say that it’s wrong for the congregation to do the orans posture nor recommend it. Although there is no clear provision stated at the GIRM regarding the proper posture during the Lord’s Prayer, there are still admonitions from liturgical documents that ought gestures introduced into the liturgy without proper authorization from the church. Some admonitions can be found in the Second Vatican Council’s Sacrosanctum Concilium (2-3) and the Vatican document Redemptionis Sacramentum (45).
Liturgical Disunity
This misconception towards the orans posture leads to a 'liturgical disunity' among the members of the Church. During the Lord’s Prayer, the priest is doing the appropriate liturgical gesture; The Deacon, who is governed by rubrics, does not raise his hands; The members of the laity can be divided into two: Those who are aware and those who are not. Thus, the defeat of liturgical unity.
To be able to achieve and experience a greater unity at Mass, the congregation must be aware and knowledgeable of the proper rubrics. Good Catechism and a thorough explanation of the Sacred Liturgy should be implemented.
Article by: Jian Gabrielle Tato
Photo by: Nica Yalung
Photo Source: Quora & St. Michael Catholic Church California