Holy Motions: The Sacred Art of Catholic Calisthenics
A Catholic WORKOUT GUIDE TO Liturgical Fitness
HOW we pray is important. One of the most important creeds within Catholicism is the concept of “Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi”—i.e., The Law of Prayer is the Law of Belief. Our weekly spiritual “workout”(—i.e., bowing, kneeling, standing, sitting, genuflecting) at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is filled with deeply spiritual meaning. This short guide will explain the whens and the whys of all those Catholic Gestures! And, read on, you’ll get the answer as to whether to “extend your hands” in prayer!
I. KNEELING
A. SYMBOLISM -- Kneeling is the most profound gesture within Catholic practice. It represents Adoration—i.e., the presence of Christ, Humility –i.e., the submission to God’s majesty recalling Phillippians 2:10: “At the name of Jesus, every knee should bend” and Penance
B. WHEN TO KNEEL –
During the Eucharistic Prayer (from the Epiclesis to the Great Amen).
At the Consecration (mandatory in the Roman Rite).
After the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) until receiving Holy Communion
During private prayer before or after Mass.
On Good Friday, during the veneration of the Cross.
II. BOWING
A. SYMBOLISM – Bowing is a sign of respect for the sacred mysteries and recognizing God’s greatness and the need for His Grace.
B. WHEN TO BOW –
As the Priest passes during procession and recession – No. It’s not a specific sign of respect to the individual Priest but a bow to his role in the Mass of in persona Christi – i.e., in the person of Christ who’s Mass it is.
During the Creed at the words – “And by the Holy Spirit, was incarnate of the Virgin Mary and became Man” [“Et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto ex Maria Virgine, et homo factus est.”]
Before Reception of Holy Communion – if standing to receive
Before the altar when entering or leaving the Sanctuary
Before a relic or sacred image
When saying the name of Jesus in prayer [optional but reverent]. Example: “…Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of they womb, [bow] Jesus.”
III. STANDING
A. SYMBOLISM – Standing symbolizes Respect and Readiness. Just as you would stand to address someone important, standing shows attentiveness to God. It also symbolizes VICTORY and RESURRECTION. Christ rose from the dead and standing represents our earthly memorial of His resurrection. It also represents the dignity of the Baptized. We acknowledge our divine calling when we stand.
B. WHEN TO STAND –
At the beginning of Mass (Entrance Antiphon or Procession).
During the Gloria and Opening Prayer (Collect).
During the Alleluia (Gospel Acclamation).
For the Gospel reading.
During the Creed (and bowing at "by the power of the Holy Spirit…")
During the Prayer of the Faithful.
From the Great Amen until kneeling for the Consecration (varies in some regions).
During the Our Father.
After receiving Holy Communion (in some places).
At the Final Blessing and Recessional Hymn.
IV. SITTING
A. SYMBOLISM – Sitting represents receptiveness—a posture of listening and meditation, similar to Mary at the feet of Jesus in Luke 10:39. It is a posture of instruction—we sit to receive God’s teaching. Finally, it is a posture of rest and reflection and preparation.
B. WHEN TO SIT –
During the First Reading (Old Testament or Acts of the Apostles).
During the Responsorial Psalm.
During the Second Reading (Epistle).
During the Homily.
After receiving Holy Communion and our Lord is retired to the Tabernacle AND the Altar is cleared.
During some moments of Adoration (when not in solemn prayer)
V. GENUFLECTING
A.SYMBOLISM – Like kneeling, genuflection is a sign of reverence and worship and acknowledges Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist. It is a sign of humility and submission to the King of Kings. Historically, people would genuflect before earthly rulers. How much more should we do so before our Lord?
B. WHEN TO GENUFLECT –
Before entering or leaving the pew (toward the tabernacle, if the Blessed Sacrament is present).
When passing before the tabernacle.
On Good Friday, at the adoration of the Cross.
Before receiving Holy Communion on the tongue (optional but encouraged) Otherwise, a profound bow at the waist.
VI. OTHER GESTURES
A. STRIKING THE BREAST
a. SYMBOLISM – Sorrow for sin. Recalls Luke 18:13 when the tax collector “beat his breast, saying ‘God be merciful to me, a sinner!’”
b. WHEN IT IS DONE –
i. During the Confiteor –“Through my fault…” 3 Times
ii. During the Agnus Dei [Lamb of God—optional]
iii. Private Prayer as an Act of Contrition
iv. During Confession during Act of Contrition [optional]
B. THE SIGN OF THE CROSS
a. SYMBOLISM – It invokes the Trinity. It is a reminder of Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross and is an invocation of God’s Grace upon oneself.
b. WHEN IT IS DONE –
i. At the beginning and end of Mass.
ii. During the Penitential Rite ("May Almighty God have mercy on us...").
iii. Before the Gospel reading (small crosses on forehead, lips, and heart—representing “May the Gospel be on our minds, on our lips and in our hearts.”
iv. At the Final Blessing.
v. When using Holy Water upon entering and leaving the church.
vi. In personal prayer.
AND FINALLY – TO RAISE OR NOT TO RAISE--
C. ORANS POSTURE
– i.e., Hands raised in prayer—. THE ANSWER IS ABSOLUTELY NOT. Not during the Our Father, not during a commissioning of Extraordinary ministers or a general congregational prayer, etc. Just NO. Don’t do it. We’re not Protestants and it isn’t proper. Keep your hands together. Want the rules? Here they are:
Why NO? --The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) assigns specific postures to different participants in the liturgy. The Orans position (hands extended) is explicitly designated for the priest when offering prayers on behalf of the Church.
GIRM 152:
"During the Eucharistic Prayer, the priest alone makes the gestures indicated in the rubrics; while the people observe them with reverent silence and participate through their acclamations."
GIRM 54 (on the Our Father):
"After the introduction, the entire congregation joins in saying this prayer with the priest. The priest alone extends his hands, and at the end, all make the embolism [prayer within a prayer] together with him." [emphasis added]
The text specifies that only the priest extends his hands, confirming that this gesture is not intended for the laity.
2. The Priest Represents Christ; The Laity Have a Different Role
Catholic liturgy carefully distinguishes between the role of the ordained priest and the lay faithful. The priest acts in persona Christi (in the person of Christ) and is uniquely authorized to pray certain prayers on behalf of the congregation. By extending his hands, he signifies his mediatory role between God and the people.
The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (CDWDS) confirmed in 2001 that the Orans posture is a priestly gesture:
Prot. No. 47/03/L (2001 CDWDS Response to a Layperson's Question on Orans Posture):
“The extending or holding of hands by the lay faithful during the Our Father is not prescribed in the Roman Missal. This gesture is reserved to the priest alone.”
Laypeople assuming a priestly gesture can create confusion regarding the nature of the ministerial priesthood and the common priesthood of the baptized, a distinction affirmed at Vatican II (Lumen Gentium, 10).
3. The Principle of Liturgical Discipline: No Additions
The Church follows the principle that no one, including the priest or laity, may add or remove gestures from the liturgy unless explicitly approved by competent ecclesiastical authority.
Sacrosanctum Concilium (Vatican II, 1963), No. 22:
"Regulation of the sacred liturgy depends solely on the authority of the Church... Therefore, absolutely no other person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority."
Since the Orans posture for laypeople is not mentioned anywhere in the official rubrics, it constitutes an addition to the liturgy and is therefore not permissible.
4. Avoiding Confusion with Protestant Practices
Many Protestant denominations (especially Pentecostals and Evangelicals) use the Orans posture in communal prayer, often as a sign of personal expression rather than a prescribed liturgical action. Since the Catholic liturgy is carefully structured, adopting Protestant-style gestures can introduce confusion or misinterpretation of the nature of Catholic worship.
Pope Pius XII warned against altering liturgical practices based on personal preference:
Mediator Dei (1947), No. 59:
“Liturgy is not a field where anyone, according to his own whim, may add, subtract, or modify anything.”
The Orans posture by the laity is not a traditional Catholic practice; it is a recent innovation without historical basis in the Roman Rite.
5. The Proper Gesture for the Laity: Folded Hands
Throughout Church tradition, the proper posture for laypeople during prayer is hands folded as a sign of humility and reverence. This practice is universal among saints, religious, and the faithful throughout history.
St. Thomas Aquinas affirms that postures in worship should reflect the proper order of the Church:
Summa Theologica, II-II, Q. 91, Art. 4:
"External worship should be in accord with interior reverence. Therefore, external gestures should reflect one's role within the divine order."
Since the priest alone mediates on behalf of the people, he alone extends his hands in prayer.
Bottom Line? We, as Catholics, don’t extend our hands or “raise ‘em up”. We maintain a reverent posture with our hands folded —so keep your hands together.