So Rob asked about the orans position at prayer which I thought would be a quick and relatively uncomplicated thing to report on this week, but such is not the case. It has been a minor matter of controversy in our diocese as of late as it at least appeared t
o a great number of us (this was later refuted by the person who it appeared was promoting it) that the laity was expected to assume this position while saying the Our Father at the Mass (which we will visit again in a moment.) At least it broke us from the habit of holding hands which was a controversy in and of itself among those who hated it, those who simply found it ritually improper, and those who thought that it was the gesture that would save the Church.
The orans position is
an ancient posture of prayer. One stands with arms outstretched and having the palms of one’s hands facing toward the heavens. It is found in Exodus (17;11,12) as well as other places in Scripture. It is also found in art in the catacombs as a position of prayer. One’s body is open to God, offering one’s self as Christ did on the Cross, giving God glory and praise. But the depiction is not necessarily that of person buried there evidenced from the figure adopting this position sometimes being a female though the person buried is male. It is a symbol of the soul 
of the person praying for us in heaven. The Catholic Encyclopedia sites as “one of the most convincing proofs that the Orans was regarded as a symbol of the soul is an ancient lead medal in the Vatican Museum showing the martyr, St. Lawrence, under torture, while his soul, in the form of a female Orans, is just leaving the body.”
Liturgically it is the role of the priest when he is praying to God on behalf of the gathered Body of Christ. For example at the Collect when, after invoking the people to call to mind that which they want remembered at the Mass by saying, “Let us pray,” he then “coll
ects” the prayers into one by stretching out his hands to God and offering all of the gathered prayers to the Father. Seen in this light we can understand how the gesture has become the gesture of the celebrant. It is interesting to note that the symbolic meaning of the position is such that the deacon may not assume this position during the Mass.
THAT BEING SAID, the gesture has become popularized in recent ages largely through t
he charismatic movement. As we have seen it is a legitimate position for private prayer. But does it fit at the liturgy? It is a more controversial and complicated symbolic question than one might think. Colin Donivan, STL puts it this way:
“The intention for lay people using the Orans position at this time 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.”
Oh, leave it to Rob to come with such a question . . .
o a great number of us (this was later refuted by the person who it appeared was promoting it) that the laity was expected to assume this position while saying the Our Father at the Mass (which we will visit again in a moment.) At least it broke us from the habit of holding hands which was a controversy in and of itself among those who hated it, those who simply found it ritually improper, and those who thought that it was the gesture that would save the Church.The orans position is
an ancient posture of prayer. One stands with arms outstretched and having the palms of one’s hands facing toward the heavens. It is found in Exodus (17;11,12) as well as other places in Scripture. It is also found in art in the catacombs as a position of prayer. One’s body is open to God, offering one’s self as Christ did on the Cross, giving God glory and praise. But the depiction is not necessarily that of person buried there evidenced from the figure adopting this position sometimes being a female though the person buried is male. It is a symbol of the soul 
of the person praying for us in heaven. The Catholic Encyclopedia sites as “one of the most convincing proofs that the Orans was regarded as a symbol of the soul is an ancient lead medal in the Vatican Museum showing the martyr, St. Lawrence, under torture, while his soul, in the form of a female Orans, is just leaving the body.”Liturgically it is the role of the priest when he is praying to God on behalf of the gathered Body of Christ. For example at the Collect when, after invoking the people to call to mind that which they want remembered at the Mass by saying, “Let us pray,” he then “coll
ects” the prayers into one by stretching out his hands to God and offering all of the gathered prayers to the Father. Seen in this light we can understand how the gesture has become the gesture of the celebrant. It is interesting to note that the symbolic meaning of the position is such that the deacon may not assume this position during the Mass.THAT BEING SAID, the gesture has become popularized in recent ages largely through t
he charismatic movement. As we have seen it is a legitimate position for private prayer. But does it fit at the liturgy? It is a more controversial and complicated symbolic question than one might think. Colin Donivan, STL puts it this way:“The intention for lay people using the Orans position at this time 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.”Oh, leave it to Rob to come with such a question . . .
