Liturgy Lesson:
 
 Q. During last Sunday's Mass, our pastor said the congregation should extend our hands in the orans Position (hands extended) 
during the Lord's prayer. Is this something we should do?
 
A. On April 25, 2002, the President of the USCCB, Bishop Wilton Gregory, promulgated the approved adaptations for the United 
States. They do not include the orans position. This is not surprising, as this would have required a change of the posture of the 
deacon, as well as the faithful. That would have been a more substantive change of the Roman Rite. The bishops had originally 
request the Orans to wean people away from holding hands. 
 
 
 The following explains the origin of the Orans position, in which the priest intercedes during the liturgy on behalf of all. In the last 
couple decades this posture of praying with hands extended and lifted upwards has become a popular prayer posture for many 
laity, especially in the Charismatic Renewal.
 
 The Orans position (Latin for "praying") or some 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 catacombs, 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 ow 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.
 
 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 symbolism 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.
 
 The intention for lay people using the Orans position during the Our Father 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.