Gestures Part 3

by Fr. Gabriel, O.S.B.  |  05/17/2026  |  A Message from Our Pastor

Dear Parishioners,

Continuing my reflections on the liturgical gestures that are woven throughout the Mass, it is important to take note of those that are particular to the priest celebrant. One of these is The Kiss. Just as a kiss in ordinary moments of life is an expression of loving affection, so too in the Mass. At the beginning of each Mass, after the ministers enter the sanctuary, the priest (and the deacon) reverences the altar table with a kiss. They will do the same at the end of the Mass before they recess. Some people believed the altar was kissed because relics of saints were enclosed on the top of it, that portion of the altar called the mensa.

In the revised ritual for dedicating an altar, relics are no longer to be placed on the top or surface of the altar. If relics are to be incorporated as part of an altar (they are optional) they are to be deposited underneath it, interred in the floor or ground. This is in (Throwback to the 60s?) keeping with the ancient practice of building altars over the graves of saints, especially martyrs, who like Christ, shed their blood in witness to the faith. The custom of kissing the altar upon entering and exiting a place of worship was borrowed from Pagan practices where the high priest, who was to offer sacrifice to some deity, would touch his lips to the altar as a recognition of its sacral character. For Christians, the altar is a symbol of Jesus Christ. This is the reason the preferred material for the altar is stone since the scriptures speak about Jesus who is the stone rejected by the builders who has become the cornerstone (Psalm 118:22). This is also the reason an altar is honored with such things as candles, incense, beautiful cloths in addition to gestures such as a bow and a kiss. Another object that is kissed in the course of the Mass is the Gospel Book or, if a Gospel Book is not used, the Lectionary. Here too, it is an expression of love and devotion offered to Jesus whose words were just proclaimed by the priest or deacon. Then on Good Friday all members of the assembly are invited to come forward and honor the symbol of the Cross with a gesture of adoration, one of which may be a kiss.

One of the gestures reserved for the priest celebrant is the Orans. This happens when he extends his arms and hands in an upward fashion as a sign of openness and vulnerability to God. This is the only time the Orans is used – when addressing God. One can see depictions of this gesture on ancient wall paintings in the Roman catacombs. In these portrayals, however, it was not reserved for clergy alone, but was a gesture common to all the baptized. In some instances the Orans shows the person praying with palms turned upward, as if to God in heaven. In other portrayals the person’s palms are facing outward, as if one is being arrested or being ordered at gun point to “stick em up,” I personally find this latter look awkward and less appealing. It should be noted that the Orans is not made when the priest speaks the invitation to “Let us pray.” At these words his hands are to be folded. Only when he begins the actual address to God does he assume the Orans.

There is another gesture used by a priest (or bishop) at ritual moments when something or someone is being consecrated by the Holy Spirit. The most familiar of these is during the Eucharistic Prayer at the time of the Epiclesis just before the consecration of the bread and wine. The celebrant extends his arms and hands, palms facing down, over the elements and prays, let your Spirit come upon these gifts to make them holy, so that they may become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. This gesture is also used at the consecration of water for baptism, at the consecration of the holy oil of Chrism, at the dedication of an altar and at the ordination of deacons, priests and bishops. In these moments the gesture is identifying something or someone as being set apart for a sacred purpose or function that is permanent. It is a gesture that demonstrates the church’s reliance on the Holy Spirit to effect this change being brought about, not by human agency, but by God. The Church may have ownership of the ritual, but it does not own Grace. The latter is a gracious gift bestowed by God. In making this gesture over whatever and whoever, the Church does not presume to command God to act on our behalf. Rather it expresses our conviction that God will indeed be faithful to God’s promise and provide for the Church those sacramental realities that strengthen it and deepen its holiness.

Blessings,