Hand Motions

[IXpenguin21]

many times in Mass, i see people pound their chest or bless themseves after or durring a prayer, or durring the concecration...

why is this? where does it come from?

[Pio Nono]

JMJ
5/21 - Sixth Saturday of Easter

IXpenguin21,

Good question. Most of these hand motions you speak of are devotions transferred from the Tridentine Liturgy, including pounding the chest, genuflecting, signing with the cross, &c. These are not formally discouraged by the Church, but prudence requires that, in some environments, these be retained or stopped; no hard and fast rule can be set regarding these.

There are two official things which must be done by all of the faithful at Mass. One, during the Confiteor (I confess to almighty God...), is that everyone must strike his or her chest once with the right hand during the line, "...through my own fault..." Second, during the Nicene Creed (We believe in one God...), everyone is to bow during the line, "...and by the power of the Holy Spirit, he was born of the Virgin Mary and was made man." On Christmas and the Feast of the Annunciation, everyone is to genuflect during these lines.

Hope this helps.

Yours,
Pio Nono