I would like to begin to post some
of the important and simple questions and answers may one would like to ask a
catholic either by another catholic or by a non-Catholic. I got these questions
and answers from a site called Catholic Church and would like to share with you
all. Let me begin to answer the first question:
Full Question
In my parish many people at Mass hold their hands up while
praying, like the priest does. I heard that this is an ancient posture of
prayer and that it is good to pray this way. Is this true?
Answer
One can pray in whatever posture one feels is most conducive to
prayer if one is engaging in private, non-liturgical prayer. However, when one
is praying in a liturgical service, such as Mass, there are rules to be
followed.
It is true that praying with arms outstretched is one of the
historic postures of prayer. However, this fact alone does not mean that it is
to be used in any and all circumstances.
Prostrating oneself on one’s face is also a historic posture of
prayer, but neither the priest nor the laity are directed to assume this
posture during a regular Mass. During a Mass where ordinations are taking
place, the candidates for ordination are directed to prostrate themselves
during the Litany of the Saints. However, if people were to assume this posture
willy-nilly, in any Mass, the liturgy could be seriously impeded.
This is why people are supposed to adopt those postures the
rubrics direct them to adopt and not other ones. Switching to a different
posture causes problems in the liturgy, either physically or symbolically.
In the case of the laity praying with arms outstretched, it
causes both physical and symbolic problems in the liturgy.
It causes physical problems because the laity typically sit
right next to each other in pews. If they fully extended their arms, people
would be whapped in the face or knocked out of the pew. If they only partially
extend their arms, everybody gets cramped unnecessarily. Either way, it is not
a good idea, for physical reasons alone, for the laity to begin stretching
their arms out in prayer at Mass.
There are also symbolic problems associated with their doing so.
No matter how the posture may or may not have been used in antiquity, today it
is a priestly posture in the liturgy.
This is repeatedly made clear in the Church’s liturgical
documents. For example, the Ceremonial of Bishops notes: "Customarily in
the Church a bishop or presbyter addresses prayers to God while standing with
hands slightly raised and outstretched" (CB 104).
Similarly, in the Book of Blessings, whenever there is a
blessing which can be performed either by a member of the clergy or the laity,
the rubrics invariably directs that "A minister who is a priest or deacon
says the prayer of blessing with hands outstretched; a lay minister says the
prayer with hands joined" (BB 1999). Over and over again, the rubrics
direct clergy to pray with hands outstretched and laity with hands joined.
Because of the special association praying with hands
outstretched has with priestly office, some dissident elements in the Church
have desired to get the laity into the habit of praying in this posture during
Mass. This furthers the dissident agenda of continuing to blur the line between
the laity and the clergy.
Fortunately, the recent Instruction on Collaboration (Nov. 13,
1997) drew the line on this issue and specifically mandated that "Neither
may . . . non-ordained members of the faithful use gestures or actions which
are proper to the . . . priest celebrant" (ICP, Practical Provisions 6 §2).
The reference to gestures that are appropriate to the priest
celebrating the Mass certainly includes praying with arms outstretched, which
is probably the single most frequent gesture the rubrics direct him to make
during Mass and which is clearly tied to the office of priest in the Church’s
liturgical documents.
Consequently, in the liturgy, laity should not be praying with
hands outstretched.
-Catholic Answer-
(Posted by Bro. Jinu SM)
No comments:
Post a Comment