Thematic Study: Understanding the Signs and Gestures of the Mass

The Purpose of This Study

For those of us who are "Cradle Catholics", the signs, movements, gestures and postures of the mass are almost second nature. On the one hand this is positive in that our entire body has been attuned to the rhythm of the mass. However, this can also be a negative in that we run the danger of reducing these gestures to mere actions without recognizing nor appreciating the deep significance of each one.

My hope for this study is to examine our physical participation in mass and to especially correlate these with the proper disposition of mind, heart, and soul. In the process, we will hopefully be adding to and reinforcing the truly divine aspect of mass and appreciate the great honor it is for each of us to participate.

The importance of a proper disposition is perhaps best noted in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah:

And the Lord said: "Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men learned by rote; (Is 29:13)

God is speaking to the Israelites admonishing them for their hollow worship. Externally (i.e. physically) they were honoring God, but only with their flesh, not with their spirit, as their "hearts" were far from God. We must strive to avoid dishonoring God in a similar manner when we participate in the mass. Participation in mass is not merely external, instead it is primarily internal. We must remember that as humans, we are both body and soul.

Elements and Participation of the Mass

Holy Water

Let us begin with what for most is the first thing we do upon entering the Church. Namely, dipping our hand in holy water and making the sign of the cross. Holy water is a type of sacramental:

1668 Sacramentals are instituted for the sanctification of certain ministries of the Church, certain states of life, a great variety of circumstances in Christian life, and the use of many things helpful to man. In accordance with bishops' pastoral decisions, they can also respond to the needs, culture, and special history of the Christian people of a particular region or time. They always include a prayer, often accompanied by a specific sign, such as the laying on of hands, the sign of the cross, or the sprinkling of holy water (which recalls Baptism). [1]

The effect of this should be:

to serve as as sign of repentance

• Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (Ps 51:7)

as protection against the Evil One

• "O God, creator of unconquered power, King of invincible empire and victor ever-great: who put down the powers of hostile dominion and conquer the fury of the roaring enemy, who fight powerfully against our wicked foes: trembling we beseech you, O Lord, we implore you and beg you: that you might graciously look upon this creature of water and salt, kindly illumine it, sanctify it with the dew of your loving kindness, so that wherever it is sprinkled, through the invocation of your holy Name, every infestation of the unclean spirit be cast out, and the terror of the poisonous serpent be driven far away. And may the presence of the Holy Spirit deign to be with us always, we who implore your mercy."

to serve as a reminder of our baptism

• a renouncement of Satan, profession of faith, member of the Body of Christ

Sign of the Cross

The sign of the cross should be done deliberately, with careful reverence, not in a short sloppy manner. In the Byzantine tradition (Greek Orthodox, Byzantine Catholic), this sign of the cross is made with the thumb, forefinger and middle finger together and the last two fingers held against the palm

The three fingers symbolize the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), and the two fingers symbolized the duel nature of Christ: fully human and fully divine (Hypostatic Union). Making the sign of the cross thus becomes a mini-catechesis, a self-reminder of the most basic mysteries of our faith. [2]

There are many points in the liturgy where we perform the sign of the cross:

with holy water before Mass begins

1235 The sign of the cross, on the threshold of the celebration, marks with the imprint of Christ the one who is going to belong to him and signifies the grace of the redemption Christ won for us by his cross. [1]

At the beginning of Mass itself

At the reading of the Gospel we cross our selves with only our thumb, once on the forehead, once on our lips, and once on our heart:

"may the Lord purify my understanding, my speech, and my heart, so that I may receive the words of the Gospel".

we make the sign of the cross in the rite of baptism, for anointing the sick, for exorcisms, when we pray throughout the day

in the Divine Office, the sign of the cross at the beginning of the Benedictus and the Magnificat, because they are Gospel canticles, and the Gospel represents Christ Himself. [2]

There are three traditional distinctions we should discuss concerning praise and worship. In the ancient Greek they are latria, hyperdulia, and dulia. Latria means adoration and is reserved to God alone. Dulia means reverence and is given to the saints and to sacred objects. Hyperdulia means "extra special reverence". There is only one person in this category: Mary the Mother of God, since she is above all the saints by the glorious design of Divine Providence. [2] This lack of distinction within Protestant circles has often led to the erroneous conclusion that Catholics worship statues and the Blessed Mother.

Therefore, since God is fully present within the Eucharist, one should only genuflect (latria) if the Blessed Sacrament is reserved on the altar. Otherwise we should make a profound bow to the alter (dulia) as a sign of our honor for the sacredness of the alter.

A proper genuflection means to put one knee fully on the floor and to rest there for a moment. Not a simple bob down and up. Note that even though our Holy Father John Paul II suffers from debilitating arthritis, he will still genuflect when he consecrates the Host and the Chalice, though it causes him great suffering.

Why do we stand at the beginning of mass? Theologian Romano Guardini offers the following:

"When you are sitting down to rest or chat, and someone to whom you owe respect comes in and turns to speak to you, at once you stand up and remain standing so long as he is speaking and you are answering him. The posture of standing, then, is a sign of respect, reverence before God. In addition, it means that we are to ready respond to Him." [3]

We should also note that standing was the common posture of prayer for the early Church, just as it was for Jewish prayer. When standing we should not slouch or fidget, but instead stand straight and still. As found in the Psalms:

Be still before the LORD, and wait patiently for him (Ps 37:7)

"Be still, and know that I am God. I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth!" (Ps 46:10)

During the Confiteor (i.e. "I confess to Almighty God ....") we are to strike our breasts. This is a sign of repentance and humility before God.

But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, `God, be merciful to me a sinner!' (Lk 18:13)

Guardini goes further and states:

To strike the breast is to beat against the gates of our inner world in order to shatter them. This is its significance. [3]

This should be an actual strike, not a tap. This action is unfortunately almost gone from most participants during mass. This may be views as a sad indication of how we have ceased to have a sense of sin. Pope Pius XII once remarked:

"The overriding sin of the twentieth century is a loss of the sense of sin".

When we sit, we should remain attentive to the particular section of the mass. As an example, when we sit for the homily, we should be ready to receive a teaching.

During the Nicene Creed, at the words "... by the power of the Holy Spirit, He was born of the Virgin Mary and became man", we bow, or on Christmas, genuflect. Either gesture is meant to make us mindful of the ineffable mystery of the Incarnation. Arguably the greatest miracle in our history. [4]

The sign of peace, formally known as the "Kiss of Peace", is an extremly ancient aspect of the liturgy. St. Justin Martyr and Tertullian, both in the second century, describe the Kiss of Peace in their writings. Over time, the Kiss of Peace was reduced to an embrace between the priest, deacon and sub-deacon or simply to the words "Pax tecum", and the respons "Et cum spirit tuo". [4]

The Novus Ordo has restored the Kiss of Peace to be a sign of peace "according to local custom". It should be noted though that this is still optional though prevalent.

At the beginning of the Eucharistic Prayer, we kneel as a means for:

humble submission before the majesty of God

penance and a spirit of repentance

adoration and reverence in prayer

Kneeling during the Eucharistic Prayer was gradually introduced into the liturgy. In the seventh century, only the Pope stood upright and everyone else remained bowed for the entire prayer. [6]

From the ninth century onward, we see the kneeling become the common liturgical practice for the laity during the Eucharistic Prayer.

When walking up to receive communion, concentrate on what you are doing. Remember this is the walk that physically draws you closer to God. As a consequence, try to avoid distractions while on your way to receive God.

The earliest liturgical documents illustrated receiving in the hand as the proper way to receive communion.

"Approaching, therefore, come not with thy wrists extended, or thy fingers open; but make thy left hand as if a throne for thy right, which is about to receive the king. And having hollowed thy palm, receive the Body of Christ, saying after it, Amen. Give heed lest thou lose any of it; for what thou losest is a loss to thee as it were from one of thine own members. For tell me, if any one gave thee gold dust, wouldest thou not with all precaution keep it fast, being on thy guard against losing any of it, and suffering loss? How much more cautiously then wilt thou observe that not a crumb falls from thee, of what is more precious than gold and precious stones?" [5]

This ancient form of reception gradually changed in response to occasional abuses. When taking communion in the hand, it is much easier for someone to pocket the Precious Host instead of partaking.

When we receive on the tongue, let also be mindful of how we receive and who we receive. From the Book of the Prophet Isaiah:

1: In the year that King Uzzi'ah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. 2: Above him stood the seraphim; each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3: And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory." 4: And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5: And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" 6: Then flew one of the seraphim to me, having in his hand a burning coal which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7: And he touched my mouth, and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin forgiven." (Is 6:1-7)

The Holy Eucharist is a burning coal, which the seraphim places upon your tongue. It will sear your heart with its heat, and you will be inflamed with the blaze of Divine Charity. [2]

One thing we should note is that as lay people, we receive communion, we never take communion. Only those who are ordained may take the Eucharist themselves. [2]

Incense comes from the resin from trees that is then placed over a burning coal to produce a sweet smelling smoke. Incense was commonly used in ancient cultures to ward off evil. It was also used by the ancient Israelites in their sacrfices to God:

1: "You shall make an altar to burn incense upon; of acacia wood shall you make it. 2: A cubit shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth; it shall be square, and two cubits shall be its height; its horns shall be of one piece with it. 3: And you shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides round about and its horns; and you shall make for it a molding of gold round about. 4: And two golden rings shall you make for it; under its molding on two opposite sides of it shall you make them, and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it. 5: You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. 6: And you shall put it before the veil that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with you. 7: And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it, 8: and when Aaron sets up the lamps in the evening, he shall burn it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations. 9: You shall offer no unholy incense thereon, nor burnt offering, nor cereal offering; and you shall pour no libation thereon. 10: Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once a year; with the blood of the sin offering of atonement he shall make atonement for it once in the year throughout your generations; it is most holy to the LORD." (Ex 30:1-10)

12: He who offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Ammin'adab, of the tribe of Judah; 13: and his offering was one silver plate whose weight was a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver basin of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a cereal offering; 14: one golden dish of ten shekels, full of incense; 15: one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 16: one male goat for a sin offering; 17: and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nahshon the son of Ammin'adab. (Nm 7:12-17)

Let my prayer be counted as incense before thee, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice! (Ps 141:2)

3: And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer; and he was given much incense to mingle with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne; 4: and the smoke of the incense rose with the prayers of the saints from the hand of the angel before God. (Rev 8:3-4)

And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints; (Rev 5:8)

Us Diocesan Governing Rules

The following is from the recently updated General Instruction of the Roman Missal:

42. The gestures and posture of the priest, the deacon, and the ministers, as well as those of the people, ought to contribute to making the entire celebration resplendent with beauty and noble simplicity, so that the true and full meaning of the different parts of the celebration is evident and that the participation of all is fostered.52 Therefore, attention should be paid to what is determined by this General Instruction and the traditional practice of the Roman Rite and to what serves the common spiritual good of the People of God, rather than private inclination or arbitrary choice.

A common posture, to be observed by all participants, is a sign of the unity of the members of the Christian community gathered for the Sacred Liturgy: it both expresses and fosters the intention and spiritual attitude of the participants.

43. The faithful should stand from the beginning of the Entrance chant, or while the priest approaches the altar, until the end of the Collect; for the Alleluia chant before the Gospel; while the Gospel itself is proclaimed; during the Profession of Faith and the Prayer of the Faithful; from the invitation, Orate, fraters (Pray, brethren), before the prayer over the offerings until the end of Mass, except at the places indicated below.

They should, however, sit while the readings before the Gospel and the responsorial Psalm are proclaimed and for the homily and while the Preparation of the Gifts at the Offertory is taking place; and, as circumstances allow, they may sit or kneel while the period of sacred silence after Communion is observed.

In the dioceses of the United States of America, they should kneel beginning after the singing or recitation of the Sanctus until after the Amen of the Eucharistic Prayer, except when prevented on occasion by reasons of health, lack of space, the large number of people present, or some other good reason. Those who do not kneel ought to make a profound bow when the priest genuflects after the consecration. The faithful kneel after the Agnus Dei unless the Diocesan Bishop determines otherwise.53

With a view to a uniformity in gestures and postures during one and the same celebration, the faithful should follow the directions which the deacon, lay minister, or priest gives according to whatever is indicated in the Missal.

44. Among gestures included are also actions and processions: of the priest going with the deacon and ministers to the altar; of the deacon carrying the Evangeliary or Book of the Gospels to the ambo before the proclamation of the Gospel; of the faithful presenting the gifts and coming forward to receive Communion. It is appropriate that actions and processions of this sort be carried out with decorum while the chants proper to them occur, in keeping with the norms prescribed for each. [8]

References:

[1] The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

[2] Sacred Signs and Active Participation at Mass, by Rev. Cassian Folsom, OSB

[3] Sacred Signs, by Romano Guardini

[4] Gestures at Mass, by Fr. William Saunders

[5] Ordo Romanus I

[6] St. Cyril of Jerusalem (Fourth Century)

[7] Why Do Priests Use Incense?, by Fr. William Saunders

[8] General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), 2003

[9] Father William G. Most, noted theologian

Disclaimer: I do not wish to present myself as an expert in either theology, history, or scriptural interpretation. I am merely someone who is attempting to answer the call of Christ. The ultimate authority and interpreter of scripture is our Holy Catholic Church. If at any point I deviate from the teachings of the Church, please correct me, alfredo@nevarez.net, as this is my shortcoming and in no way meant to be an expression of my views superceding those of the Church founded by Jesus Christ.

San Jose Bible Study
Alfredo Nevarez
512-916-4755 (Evening)
512-602-0388 (Daytime)
alfredo@nevarez.net
http://www.nevarez.net/alf/catholic/bible_study/