Sunday 30 January 2011

Anyone for Rubrics (For the New Translation)?

How far should the priest extend his hands in the "Orantes" posture during the Mass, and especially during the Eucharistic Prayer? Does anyone have any thoughts? Do we know if there are to be any better instructions than, "The priest extends his hands"? I ask this because some priests hold their arms in much the same way as we do in the Extraordinary Rite. Others hold out their arms as though in the shape of a cross; others raise their hands during most of the Eucharistic Prayer and look up for most of the time. Most priests, I think, are like the priest in the picture and find a happy medium. It seems to me that with such a wide variation allowed (and some of them are eccentric) the posture loses some of its meaning and becomes just another expression of the priest's personality. Isn't it time we avoided this and tried to present a more or less common posture? I say this because it seems to me that with the New Translation of the Missal we have an opportunity to ask questions about the way we celebrate the Mass. We have surely had enough of the "wide open embrace with booming voice" posture. I mean this is an opportunity to start thinking again of the priest as a servant of the Rite rather than a "controller" or "animator".

1 comment:

  1. Dear Father,

    I believe that there are instructional videos for priests that cover the finer points of the rubrics and gestures of the Mass. Perhaps one of these would be helpful.
    May Almighty God bless you and Our Lady protect you.

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