Our Father

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Here is some stuff I researched a while back:


[url="http://www.geocities.com/chud3_1967/handhldg.html"]http://www.geocities.com/chud3_1967/handhldg.html[/url]


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"The Holy See has not ruled directly on this issue. In a response to a query, however, the Holy See stated that holding hands is 'a liturgical gesture introduced spontaneously but on personal initiative; it is not in the rubrics' [Notitiae II (1975) 226, DOL 1502 n.R29]"
- Mass Confusion by James Akins


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"...problems arise when everyone in the church is expected to do this, because we know that there is no liturgical direction for us all to do so. To encourage everyone to hold hands during the Our Father is an example of private or group piety intruding illicitly into public worship. One can not impose a personal devotion, even something good. The second point to consider is whether this is appropriate during the Lord's Prayer. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains, this greatest of prayers is an act of adoration of our transcendent Father, followed by seven petitions addressed to Him. This is why the celebrant extends his hands in praise and petition. But everyone 'holding hands' does not reflect the meaning of this great prayer. This is the wrong sign for this prayer because it is too 'horizontal'. I would add the opinion that this is not just a question of what is right or wrong. At any moment during the liturgy, this practice seems unduly sentimental and hence not fitting. It can also be distracting and a source of embarrassment. When one steps outside the situation, a large crowd of people holding hands during formal worship looks plain silly."
- Liturgical Question Box by Msgr Peter Elliot


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The following transcript is from the EWTN television show Web of Faith featuring Father John Trigilio, PhD & Father Robert Levis, PhD. Below is a segment on a popular practice in Catholic Masses in America today: holding hands while praying the "Our Father".


Dear Father Trigilio,
At every parish I attend, people are asked to hold hands during the Our Father. I notice many people who are obviously uncomfortable and reluctant to join in, but do so anyway. I am one of those individuals. When I express my feelings about it, people ask why I am so picky, and why I can't just go with it. They tell me it may be an abuse, but even so it's not a big one. As a convert from Protestantism to Catholicism, I hunger to attend a Mass that is without abuses. Is this an abuse? What if I and others who are tired of this print out a small article on reasons why hand holding is wrong and drop it in the offering plate? Would this be a good idea? Thanks for your answer and energy you put into this forum. God bless you! Bob



Fr Trigilio: Well Bob, don't use the collection plate as a means of expressing your opinion, or even your dislike of something; that's not what it's there for. What you need to do is speak to the priest, make an appointment to talk to him if you like, explaining your hesitations with this, and point out to him that there is nothing in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal that says that this is a viable option: holding hands.
It's something that has crept in in the American experience. You don't see this in Europe, you don't see this in South America, you see it in North America, particularly in the United States. And again it carried over from people going to different prayer meetings where, when you're praying outside the Mass and people hold hands, that's nice. Because it's a very emotional, it's a very symbolic gesture. But at Mass every gesture is carefully choreographed by the Church and Her rubrics. So that's why we have particular parts where we kneel, parts where we stand, parts where we sit, and there is no mention in the rubrics of a part where we hold hands at the Our Father. Now people say, "What's the big deal?". The big deal is this: the reason why people hold hands during the Our Father in other faith traditions is they don't have the Real Presence, they don't have real valid communion that actually unites them. For Catholics, we're united in communion, not when we hold hands.
Fr Levis: That's exactly I think the strongest argument against holding hands John. Uh, in most Protestant Sunday services they don't have communion, they have, you know, the preaching, the service of the Word and at a certain moment they may, well, or when they do have communion they'll hold hands and it's kind of protestant. And the chief, as you pointed out, the chief experience of the Catholic is that consecration and that's where we show our unity, that's where we are united with Christ by our common priesthood in glory really, and the holding of hands is almost a distraction to that. So we get our unity from, through Christ, whereas they get the unity from this act of holding hands.

Fr Trigilio: It's a fellowship that's nice when you look at it at that level, but in the sacramental realm it is Christ himself in his Real Presence that unites us, and as I tell people it's not just a little issue.

Fr Levis: No it isn't.

Fr Trigilio: Because if we start allowing things to happen that are not permitted, then what about things that should be done that aren't done. It starts the domino effect.

Fr Levis: Right.

Fr Trigilio: These people have good intentions. I know that. And what needs to be done is proper catechesis of what the liturgy is there for.

Fr Levis: Yes, yes, yes.
Again, it's the glorification of sentiment John. And the fact that a person has gone to confession, prepared himself for the Eucharist, is in the state of grace. He's certainly united to the other person who's in a state of grace. Whereas maybe someone who is in serious sin, has neglected to...grabs hands, you know.

Fr Trigilio: And then Father, the sick and homebound, aren't they united because they're not holding hands? Of course not. Because sometimes it becomes like an event of the Olympics, who can stretch the longest across the pew (reaches across his desk)

Fr Levis: I've seen that.

Fr Trigilio: And it becomes like some parade. If anything, I say do it outside of Mass, but not within the context of the Mass. Follow what the Church gives us as proper rubrics. They're there for a purpose. If they wanted to do this then the bishops would petition Rome to have this as a viable option; they have not done that.

Fr Levis: It's amusing, to have some big strong football player, you know, reach over and grab some little lady 80 years old and she's trying to pull away from him.

Fr Trigilio: Pulling her right out of the pew!

Fr Levis: It's quite distracting before communion.

Fr Trigilio: Yes, and like you say our focus should be on Christ, his sacrifice, as the Pope tells us the Eucharist is above all else a sacrifice, and our union with that sacrifice. Our fellowship, we're more in solidarity in our suffering and in our prayers then we are in this physical context.

Fr Levis: Yep.



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HOLDING HANDS DURING THE EUCHARIST LITURGY
Questioning the holding hands in the Eucharistic Liturgy the Congregation for Divine Worship in Rome answered as follows:

QUERY: In some places there is a current practice whereby those taking part in the Mass replace the giving of the sign of peace at the deacon's (or priest's) invitation by holding hands during the singing of the Lord's Prayer. Is this acceptable? REPLY: The prolonged holding of hands is of itself a sign of communion rather than of peace. Further, it is a liturgical gesture introduced spontaneously but on personal initiative; it is not in the *rubrics. Nor is there any clear explanation of why the sign of peace at the invitation: "Let us offer each other the sign of peace" should be supplanted in order to bring a different gesture with less meaning into another part of the Mass: the sign of peace is filled with meaning, graciousness, and Christian inspiration. Any substitution for it must be repudiated: Notitiae 11 (1975) 226. [Notitiae is the journal of the Congregation in which its official interpretations of the rubrics are published.]
While this addresses the holding of hands at the Sign of Peace the reasons given apply also elsewhere in the Mass, including at the reciting or singing of the Our Father. This practice was most likely began at charismatic prayer meetings and was then transferred to charismatic Masses finally finding its way into general Sunday Masses in a few places. It was supposed to show the unity of believers under the Fatherhood of God, as spoken of in the Our Father. For the following reasons this is not a proper thing to do.

1) It is an inappropriate "sign," since Holy Communion is the sign of intimacy and unity during the sacrifice of the Mass. Thus a human gesture of intimacy precedes both the sign of reconciliation at the Sign of Peace and reciting the Lord's Prayer, but more importantly it precedes Holy Communion, which is the appropriate sacramental sign of intimacy and unity within the People of God.
2) The Holy See has the authority, and is the choreographer of the liturgy according to Vatican II's "Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy" #22 and canon 838 of the Code of Canon Law. As stated above "Any substitutions [to these rubrics] must be repudiated." Most laity, and probably many priests, are blind to the theological implications, thought you would think that obedience would be enough.
3) This practice of holding hands alienates many people, and nothing should be introduced into the liturgy, especially if it is optional and arbitrary if it has that effect.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church at 1396 reads: The unity of the Mystical Body: the Eucharist makes the Church. Those who receive the Eucharist are united more closely to Christ. Though it Christ unites them to all the faithful in one body - the Church. Communion renews, strengthens, and deepens this incorporation into the Church, already achieved by Baptism. In Baptism we have been called to form one body. The Eucharist fulfills this call.----Listen to St. Paul's advice to his converts at Corinth: "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread." (1 Cor. 10:16-17)

Catholics believe that the celebration of the Eucharist and receiving Holy Communion is a sign of the reality of the oneness of faith, life, and worship

Given the difficulty of obeying this decision when a local Church permits or encourages the practice, and your neighbor wanting to hold hands is pulling at your coat sleave it is suggested that closed eyes and a prayerful posture (hands held upright near your chest, fingers together, thumbs crossed, ignoring the neighbor pulling at your sleave) as sufficient, rather than belligerence. It is not necessary to lose one's peace over this or be an irritation to others. It is a small point and often the least of many abuses where it is found. If asked why you don't participate, simply, plainly and charitably tell the questioner of your discovery of the prohibition. If some chance of changing the practice is possible talk to the pastor or work with other laity through the parish council. You can also write the bishop, as is your right in the case of any liturgical abuse not resolved at the parish level. If your judgment is that no change is possible then you are in all probability excused from further fraternal correction.

* Rubrics are the directive rules or liturgical provisions found in the Missal, Sacramentary and lectionary, and in the ritual to guide bishops, priests, or deacons in the Eucharistic liturgy, the administration of sacraments and sacramentals, and the preaching of the Word of God. Rubrics are printed in red and are either obligatory or merely directive, as the context makes amply clear.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: This article contain short excerpts from the following: (1) EWTN Website www.ewtn.com Catholic Q&A - FAQ by Colin B. Donovan, STL. (2) OSV - The Catholic Answer's - Q&A on Diskette obtained from, Our Sunday Visitor, Publishing Division, Huntington IN 46750. (3) EDITOR-The Website: www.catholicmatters.com.

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And finally, the USCCB's site used to say:

[quote]...the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy expressed a strong preference for the orans gesture over the holding of hands since the focus of the Lord’s Prayer is a prayer to the Father and not primarily an expression of community and fellowship. [/quote]

They have changed their site around some, and deleted a lot off to make it smaller.