Holding Hands During the Our Father

Aaahhh the Beauty of the Liturgy… One can already be mystified by its wonders just by attending a weekday mass, much more a Sunday mass or even a solemn mass. And even more so once you understand the meaning, the purpose of each movement or each blessing and rituals. It has been one of my greatest passions to carefully study and analyze each and every single movement during mass and try to understand the deeper meaning of it. Truly, I will forever be grateful to the people who taught me how to serve our lord the way it should be.

I personally believe that all those who serve at our cathedral are exceptional servers of God. I can see that most of them express their pure desire to offer themselves fully. Zeal is what makes our Sunday masses always special. And our oneness, despite our differences, is what makes the mass more Solemn. That is why I personally believe that each and every mass can or should be called a solemn mass.

But, despite of all that, I still can’t help but notice some of the Liturgical abuses we commit when serving. But today, I will focus on only one Liturgical Abuse. Holding Hands during the Pater Noster (a.k.a Ama Namin or Our Father).

I am not going to pretend to be a smart a** and say “this is wrong and you shouldn’t do it.” But rather, I just would like to help educate and share with others some of the things that I know for a fact are true.

The Ama Namin has always been, for me, a wonderful symbol of the church’s solidarity with its community. It has been a wonderful exercise to show our unity in front of our lord. One of my greatest memories of experiencing God’s presence in the mass is when we all, as young servers, approach the altar and hold the presider’s hands and sing the Ama Namin. Sadly, that my friends is a liturgical abuse.

“This (Holding hands during the pater noster) practice is not mandated in the rubrics. Whatever we do that is not called for by the rubrics is a liturgical abuse. It indicates a misunderstanding of the sacramental sign of communion (that sign is our reception of Holy Communion, not the holding of hands). This unauthorized practice is a distraction and emphasizes and focuses our attention on the horizontal aspect of worship. It diminishes the role of the priest who at that time makes the seven petitions to God the Father on behalf of the people.”

This practice is oddly widespread not just in our parish but also the whole Country but it is an illicit addition to the Liturgy. The official publication of the Sacred Congregation for the Sacrament sand Divine Worship, Notitiae (11 [1975] 226), states the practice "must be repudiated . . . it is a liturgical gesture introduced spontaneously but on a personal initiative; it is not in the rubrics." And anything not in the rubrics is unlawful, again because "no other person . . . may add . . . anything [to] the liturgy on his own authority" (ibid).

For almost a month, whenever we sing the pater noster, I don’t approach the altar anymore. I just stand there and sing with the whole community. And I was all smiles when I saw my cousin do the same thing and asked whether he knew or have read the article about the liturgical abuses. And he gladly said yes. We are even puzzled why the “Extraordinary” Ministers of the Holy Communion (not special) and the Lectors go behind the priest to hold hands and sing the Pater Noster and tried to figure out who instructed them to do that. But to be honest, I already know the answer to this question “Dinky, it is none of your business.”

Recently, some servers were already noticing this practice of mine and asked why I did this and explained everything to them.

Now, what is my personal opinion?

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 Our Father.

1) It is an inappropriate "sign," since Communion is the sign of intimacy. Thus, a gesture of intimacy is introduced both before the sign of reconciliation (the Sign of Peace), but more importantly, before Holy Communion, the sacramental sign of communion/intimacy within the People of God.

2) It is introduced on personal initiative. The Holy See has authority over the liturgy according to Vatican II's "Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy" #22 and canon 838 of the Code of Canon Law.

This gesture has come into widespread use, often leaving bishops and pastors at a loss as to how to reverse the situation. For individuals, I would recommend closed eyes and a prayerful posture as sufficient response, rather than belligerence. Most laity, and probably many priests, are blind to the liturgical significance of interrupting the flow of the Mass in this way. It is not necessary to lose one's peace over this or be an irritation to others. Some proportion is required. If asked why you don't participate, simply, plainly and charitably tell the questioner of your discovery. 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 I believe you are excused from further fraternal correction.

I am a very conservative catholic and as a server, I always follow what is written in the rubrics and only improvise if the changes were approved by our parish priest or the mass presider. Apart from that, I believe we should follow everything written in the rubrics. Because if not, then what’s the purpose of the church why they created the rubrics? The rubrics is not a bully that limits certain gestures in the mass. But it is rather a guide to help us understand the mass deeply and it is a manual on how to serve correctly.

However, I personally believe that WE SHOULDN’T IMPOSE OUR BELIEFS ON OTHERS (Similar to my stand on the RH Bill. Now it clearly shows why I do not like the bill.). If one desires to hold hands while singing, then so be it. If it helps them to express their faith to God better, then I am glad for them.

Again, I just only want to inform everyone that it is a liturgical abuse that we all take for granted.

Live Jesus in our Hearts FOREVER!