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Dear NYer,

"I also found the following both interesting and pertinent. While this has not yet spread too far in my parish, I have attended masses where people hold hands during the Our Father.

"'Holding hands during the Our Father has become commonplace, but it is an illicit addition to the Liturgy. Clarifications and Interpretations of the GIRM ["Notitiae" Vol. XI (1975) p. 226] explains:

"'. . .holding hands is a sign of intimacy and not reconciliation, and as such disrupts the flow of the Sacramental signs in the Mass which leads to the Sacramental sign of intimacy with Christ and our neighbor, Holy Communion.'"

There seems to be some difference of opinion on this:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/813707/posts

I'll quote a bit from the article posted on the thread I've cited. The article is by Archbishop Chaput:

"The celebrant invites us to pray the words of Jesus in the "Our Father." This is the prayer Jesus Himself taught us, and because of that, it's the model prayer for the Church. How should we pray it?

"A lot has been said in popular writing about our gestures at this point of the Mass. Do we fold our hands, or hold them outstretched, or hold hands with those around us? Some people have surprisingly strong feelings about this issue. Our answer to this question needs to come from the Church's understanding of this moment in the Mass.

"The priest stands with his arms outstretched as the prayer begins. The assembly should also stand. There are no options for gestures listed in the General Instruction for this part of the Mass. For many persons, folding their hands during the 'Our Father' is the best way to express their prayer. For others, they may hold their hands outstretched. Still others hold hands.

"None of these gestures is mandated or forbidden by the Church. So our guiding principles should be respect for the dignity of the Mass, and respect for the freedom of our fellow worshipers."

sitetest

"None of these gestures is mandated or forbidden by the Church. So our guiding principles should be respect for the dignity of the Mass, and respect for the freedom of our fellow worshipers."

I would interpret that statement to mean, leave me alone. Do not reach over two pews at the sparsely attended daily mass to grasp my hand so that we may stand contorted in some "Twister" type posture. How do you interpret it? I try to sit as distant as possible in those settings, to avoid the indignity.

So our guiding principles should be respect for the dignity of the Mass, and respect for the freedom of our fellow worshipers."

Such a non-statement. Church-ese. He should add, obviously the most dignified posture is with your hands folded as if in PRAYER! That's the way to do it! Any other way is strictly forbidden. Wouldn't it be nice if a heirarch wrote like that?

Armies of Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist; "Eucharistic Ministers"

Here is one more example of Vatican II blown out of proportion. A little help has now become an army of ministers who dip into the cup with their heavily perfumed fingers. Don't know where those hands were before they held the host or cup. Nor do I appreciate sipping the Blood of Christ from a cup which reeks of Old Spice.

110. After the doxology at the end of the eucharistic prayer, the priest, with hands joined, says the introduction to the Lord's Prayer. With hands outstretched he then sings or says this prayer with the people.

111. After the Lord's Prayer, the priest alone, with hands outstretched, says the embolism, "Deliver us."

At the end the congregation makes the acclamation, "For the kingdom."