Of late, I have had a few questions about the Mass—the celebration of it, the use of non-ordained ministers, music, and the role of the priest. I thought over the weeks of summer remaining, I would answer some of those specific questions as well as offer some insight into those “things we might have forgotten” from religious education or Catholic school, or as they say in Latin, “quae oblitus.”
Taken from the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) the Church notes that: “
The Eucharistic sacrifice of the Mass is the action of Christ (General Instruction of the Roman Missal [GIRM], no. 11)(1) and of God's people, in which the human race adores the Father, through Christ, in the Holy Spirit (16), and the faithful join themselves to Christ in giving thanks and in acknowledging the great things God has done (78). The Mass is the "sacrament of unity" (91, 92) in which the faithful are nourished from the table of God's Word and of Christ's Body (28). This unity is expressed particularly in common posture (42), in communal singing (47), reverential silence (45, 56), and in sharing together of the one bread and one cup (83, 321). The assumption is that every Sunday and feast day, the Eucharistic liturgy will be celebrated with song (40, 115), with a cantor (104), with one or two readers (109), and with other assisting ministers (115). It is also assumed that all communicants present at Mass, priest celebrant, deacon, ministers and all in the assembly, will receive the sacrament from bread and wine consecrated at that Mass (85, 281, 321), just as the priest celebrant must do (85, 243-244). The liturgical books, particularly those used by the priest celebrant, the deacon and the assisting ministers should be beautiful and appropriate to the celebration (349) rather than being disposable pages or booklets. The foundational principles explaining the purpose of the parts of the Mass are found primarily in Chapter II (27-90), and this chapter provides the basis for the more detailed norms found in Chapter IV (112-287). Chapters V (288-318) and VI (319-351) also give general principles regarding the arrangement of the church and the requisites for Mass.
The rubrics assume that the celebration of Mass will take place in a church (288) with a freestanding altar (299), an ambo for proclaiming God's Word (309), and a presidential chair used by the priest at certain points during the celebration (310). The tabernacle may be located in the sanctuary (315a) or in a chapel suitable for private adoration and prayer, connected to the church and readily noticeable by the faithful (315b). If the tabernacle is located in the sanctuary, all the ministers genuflect to it only when they first approach the altar and when they leave the sanctuary but not during the celebration of Mass itself (274), the only exception being if any of the consecrated hosts remain after the distribution of Holy Communion and are reposed in the tabernacle.”
What is the name of the position in which the priest stands, with hands extended, during some of the prayers of the Mass? And what does it represent?
Answer: The Orans position (Latin for "praying") or so me variation of it, was common to almost all ancient religions as an outward sign of supplicating God (or if a pagan religion, the gods). Consider
what we do when we plead with someone. We might put our arms out in front of us as if reaching for the person and say "I beg you, help me." This seems to be a natural human gesture coming
from deep within us - like kneeling to adore or to express sorrow. Now, turn that reach heavenwards and you have the Orans position. The ancient monuments of Christianity, such as the tombs in the catecombs, often show someone in the Orans position supplicating God, to show that the prayers of the Church accompany the person in death.
The liturgical use of this position by the priest is spelled out in the rubrics (the laws governing how the Mass is said). It indicates his praying on BEHALF of us, acting as alter Christus as pastor of the flock, head of the body. It used to be minutely defined in the rubrics, which now say only, "extends his hands" or "with hands extended." Priests understand what is meant (from observation and training), and although there is some variability between priests basically the same gesture is obtained from all of them by these words. In the rubrics the Orans gesture is asked principally of the Main Celebrant, but on those occasions where either a priestly action is done (Eucharistic
Prayer) or prayer in common (Our Father) all the concelebrants do it however It is never done by the Deacon, who does not represent the People before God but assists him who does.
Among the laity this practice began with the charismatic renewal. Used in
private prayer it has worked its way into the Liturgy. It is a legitimate gesture to use when praying, as history shows, however, it is a private gesture when used in the Mass and in some cases conflicts with the system of signs which the rubrics are intended to protect. The Mass is not a private or merely human
ceremony. The symbology of the actions, including such gestures, is definite and precise, and reflects the sacramental character of the Church's prayer.
As the Holy See has recently pointed out, confusion has entered the Church about the hierarchical nature of her worship, and this gesture certainly contributes to that confusion when it conflicts with the ordered sign language of the Mass. Let’s look at a specific instance: Lets take each case.
Our Father. The intention for lay people using the Orans position at this time is, I suppose, that we pray Our Father, and the unity of people and priest together is expressed by this common gesture of prayer. Although this gesture is not called for in the rubrics, it does at least seem, on the surface, to not be in conflict with the sacramental sign system at the point when we pray Our Father. I say on the surface, however, since while lay people are doing this the deacon, whose postures are
governed by the rubrics, may not do it. So, we have the awkward disunity created by the priest making an appropriate liturgical gesture in accordance with the rubrics, the deacon not making the
same gesture in accordance with the rubrics, some laity making the same gesture as the priest not in accordance with the rubrics, and other laity not making the gesture (for various reasons, including knowing it is not part of their liturgical role). In the end, the desire of the Church for liturgical unity is defeated.
After Our Father. This liturgical disunity continues after the Our Father when some, though not all, who assumed the Orans position during the Our Father continue it through the balance of the prayers, until after "For thine is the kingdom etc." The rubrics provide that priest-concelebrants lower their extended hands, so that the main celebrant alone continues praying with hands extended, since he represents all, including his brother priests. So, we have the very anomalous situation that no matter how many clergy are present only one of them is praying with hands extended, accompanied by numbers of the laity.
So, while we shouldn't attribute bad will to those who honestly have felt that there was some virtue in doing this during the Mass, it is yet another case where good will can achieve the opposite of what it intends when not imbued with the truth, in this case the truth about the sacramental nature of the postures at Mass and their meaning. Answered by Colin B. Donovan, STL (License in Sacred Theology)
Editor’s Note: So what is the “correct” position to use when praying the Our Father? I harken back to First Grade with Sister Mary Celeste, RSM, “Mr. Whyte, hands folded with fingers pointed straight up to the heavens!”