WHO SHOULD LIFT THEIR HANDS DURING THE "OUR FATHER" AT MASS?

 

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Have you ever wondered during Mass if you're supposed to lift your hands while praying the Our Father?  Some do it, others don’t. So what’s correct?

 

Let’s look at what the Church actually teaches through the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), the official guide for how Mass should be celebrated.

 

 The Priest and the Orans Posture

 

 GIRM §152 says:

 

 “After the invitation, the priest, with hands extended, says the Lord’s Prayer together with the people.”

 

This hand-lifting gesture is called the Orans posture (Latin: orare, “to pray”). It's an ancient biblical posture of intercession and priestly mediation.

 

Here’s the key:

 

 The Orans posture is mentioned 28 times in the GIRM,  and every single time, it refers exclusively to the priest.

 

Not once is it assigned to the lay faithful.

 

This is not accidental. It reflects the Church’s clear intention that the Orans posture at Mass is reserved to the priest, especially during key prayers where he acts in persona Christi (in the person of Christ).

 

 What about the Laity?

 

For the lay faithful, the Church does not prescribe any hand gesture during the Our Father.

 

 The only instruction is that the faithful stand and pray.

 No mention of hand-raising.

 No mention of hand-holding.

 Just reverent participation.

 

So, if you're standing with hands folded or by your side during the Our Father, you're doing exactly what the Church expects of the laity.

 

 But Can a  Diocese Allow a particular posture for the Laity?

 

Yes, and here’s where liturgical uniformity comes in:

 

 GIRM §42 encourages a common posture among the faithful, as a sign of unity.

So, in some dioceses, bishops may permit or tolerate a particular posture or even hand-holding for pastoral reasons, provided it's done uniformly.

 

But this is local adaptation, not universal law. And it must never blur the distinction between the ministerial priesthood and the common priesthood of the baptized.

 

Let’s rediscover the beauty of the liturgy by honoring its sacred structure.

Even the smallest gesture, done in obedience and love, becomes a prayer in itself.

 

 The Mass is heaven on earth. Let us let heaven form us.

 

God bless you  

#catholicsonlineclass 

 

PAX

Bob Bagley 

State Faith Director 

r.bagley@mikofc.org