Posted on 11/12/2006 8:16:37 AM PST by sionnsar
“As touching kneeling, crossing, holding up of handes, knocking upon the brest, and other gestures: they may be used or left as every mans devocion serveth without blame.” Thus states the first and second Edwardian Books of Common Prayer. It is unclear to me if this statement is directed principally to celebrants and officiants or to all participants; but it witnesses to a time when ritual gesturing was still very much alive in the life of the Church.
Since becoming Catholic I have been surprised by one difference between Latin-rite Catholic worship and Anglo-Catholic worship: the latter is more active. Contemporary Catholics simply do not involve themselves in the liturgy through ritual gestures. This is odd, given the encouragement of Vatican II of “full and active participation” in the liturgy. In the good ole days, the celebrant was rubrically mandated to perform all sorts of ritual gestures. In The Shape of the Liturgy, Dom Gregory Dix relates that his “grandmother, a devout Wesleyan, believed to her dying day that at the Roman Catholic mass the priest let a crab loose upon the altar, which it was his mysterious duty to prevent from crawling sideways into the view of the congregation.” The reform of the liturgy eliminated most of the gestures of the celebrant, with the laity now imitating his ritual inactivity, resulting in a disembodied, static, boring liturgy of words, words, and words.
But Catholic worshippers can help improve the liturgy now, immediately, without waiting for the eschatological reform of the reform. All they need do is take a page from the Anglo-Catholic playbook and start gesturing like mad. Suddenly you will find yourself worshipping more fully and more actively, despite the liturgy, despite the celebrant, despite yourself. The first place to begin is with the sign of the cross. Why restrict yourself to the opening invocation, gospel, and closing blessing? Live on the edge! Push the ritual envelope! Make a gratuitous sign of the cross! I know. It feels wild and irresponsible, but be of good courage and step out in the freedom of the Spirit. Cross yourself! But when, you ask. Okay, I know it’s helpful to have some suggestions. Fortunately, Anglo-Catholics have blazed the trail—or perhaps more accurately, remembered the trail—for all of us. In addition to the three occasions mentioned above, Anglo-Catholics also make the sign of the cross at the conclusion of the Gloria in exclesis (”in the glory of God the Father”), at the conclusion of the Nicene Creed (”the life of the world to come”), at the Benedictus qui venit (”Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”), at the consecratory elevations, and at the presentation of the Holy Gifts to the congregation. And this is just the beginning. Once you have mastered these difficult gesturing moments, look for other opportunities within the liturgy to cross yourself.
After you experience the joy of crossings, you may then want to take a step into the exciting world of bowings. Just think to yourself: “at the name of Jesus …”
Be bold. You don’t need a rubrical command. You don’t need the permission of the priest. Gesture!
"And don't forget to call out "Amen!" when the priest says something right!
And raise your hands and sway, as the Spirit moves ..."
Oh my; what would Patrick say? M is for...MONTANISM! :)
P is for Pentecostal :-).
I was there too, not so long ago.
Is that "E(H)-men!" or "Awe-men!"? *\;-)
I'm not in ECUSA now. I am attending an Episcopal Missionary Church. It's like night and day.
Do tell!
AAAAAAYYY - MEN!
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