www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Crossing of Arms

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Would someone be so kind as to elaborate on the meaning of the crossing of our arms when we receive Holy Communion. I know there's some symbolism there which escapes me. Is there any Paristic explantion known about this?

Thank you,

Trusting in Christ's Light,
Wm. Ghazar Der-Ghazarian
Looys Kreesdosee
www.geocities.com/derghazar [geocities.com]

I have noticed this beautiful tradition in other churches, but it is not the practice in Greek churches.

So as an outsider to the tradition, for me, it seems to symbolize complete submission and humility before God.

Do all Eastern churches, excluding the Greek, approach the chalice in this way?

I am also curious as to the background and symbolism of this position of the arms.

Thanks, Ghazar, for what will hopefully turn out to be an interesting and informative thread.

In Christ,
Alice

Dear Ghazar,

The crossing of ones arms is done instead of making the sign of the cross with a motion it is a stationary cross. It's a safeguard. This tradition is in place to prevent the raising of ones hands while approaching or in front of the Chalice to avoid accidentally bumping the Chalice with your hand before or after you receive the Eucharist. Since we often make the sign of the Cross in Church almost instinctively it is a legitimate concern. Additionally, in some Churches you will see that the left hand is placed over the right hand to stop the motion of the right hand in front of the Chalice if one understandably begins to make the motion of the sign of the cross with the right hand.

In Christ,

Matthew Panchisin

Dear Ghazar,

By the way, Alice is 100% correct when she stated that it is to "symbolize complete submission and humility before God." I would futher add that her aforementioned comment is the at the heart of the very essence of any patristic explantion that might be referenced.

In Christ,

Matthew Panchisin

Thank you Matthew, for the history and explanation of this posture.

It is good to see you back!

In Christ,
Alice

Just an aside, which some might find interesting...

In some RC parishes, children or adults who either are not old enough to receive Holy Communion, or who are not predisposed to receive (not in a state of grace, or not Catholics), are encouraged to approach the altar at Communion time with their arms crossed over their breasts and to receive, not Our Lord, but instead, a blessing.

The customary practice in many RC churches is for the priest who is celebrating Mass to distribute Holy Communion at one "station," and for lay extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion to be distributing at other stations, usually at the foot of the altar. It occurs to me that those approaching the altar for a blessing would get in the priest's line: While, I suppose, anyone can "bless," to me the priest's (or even, perhaps, in the RC Church, the deacon's) blessing has the most meaning.

Martin

Actually EMEs may not bless. In the Latin CHurch only the Priest or Deacon may bless, in the Eastern Curches only the Priest.

Fr. Deacon Lance

Fr. Deacon Lance (I would ask you to bless, but I guess I should not )

"Actually EMEs may not bless...." Yes, I would not think it would be appropriate for them to bless those approaching the altar. When I said anyone can bless, I was thinking in terms of parents blessing their children when they tuck them in at night, etc. Do you know if there is a specific Latin Church directive for extraordinary ministers not to bless, or is it just understood?

Oh, by the way, there IS an instruction now that they are to be referred to as "extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion." The only minister of the Eucharist is the priest--the Eucharist being understood in its broader sense. (I'm not sure if the RC deacon would be considered a minister of the Eucharist in the sense intended. Well, it's somewhere in the revised GIRM.)

Martin

Martin,

A deacon is an ordinary minister of the Holy Communion. Everyone else is extraordinary.

Fr. Deacon Lance

Martin ,

Yes an EMHC may not give a blessing and yes a Deacon is a Minister of the Eucharist .

In my understanding though, a Deacon may only bless Sacramentals - not people.

As you so correctly said only a Priest may bless those who approach the Altar and cannot receive Holy Communion , - and this includes babes in arms and other children who have not made their First Holy Communion .

I have to admit it is only in the American RC Church that I have heard of this incorrect situation where an EMHC will bless a child.

Anhelyna

Anhelyna,

In the Latin Church a deacon may also bless people. He uses the same formula as the priest in giving lessings at the Liturgy of the Hours, Communion Services and Blessing services.

Fr. Deacon Lance

A lot of times...my former priest would tell everyone at EVERY Divine Liturgy how to receive communion...to cross the arms on the chest...tilt your head...NOT to stick out your tongue. Sometimes he'd repeat it once more...

Because there are a lot of latin visitors...

Then when they come up...the few of them would still fold their hands (the Latin way)...sticking their tongue out...(not all did that..just few) and I'm always thinking in my head "STUPID LATINS!!! Don't they follow instructions?"

When I see them folding their hands...I'd shove it down for them...

Why? Because several times in the past...the communion cloth would fall onto the hands that's sticking out...and the Body & Blood of Christ would actually fall off!...almost onto the floor...and I'd get PEEVED with these Latins for not following simple instructions.

Most of the time the Body & Blood of Christ would roll off if they're sticking your tongue out...so I'd say to them "DON'T STICK YOUR TONGUE OUT."

DUH. :rolleyes:

Don't get me wrong..I do not dislike the Latins...but they're NOT listening to our priest repeating the instructions NOT to stick your tongue out and cross your arms...that's to SAFEGUARD the Body & Blood of Christ.

It bothers me when they make grossed out look on their faces when they receive the Body and Blood of Christ...grrrr!

Another historical (perhaps) reason for crossing of arms...is that it represents the pretzels...the shape..ya know...symbolizing the bread....I forgot the details of why...

Anyway...Sorry I had to be BLUNT here on this topic...and I make no apologies for them. It's one of the things about being Deaf...is that we tend to be very blunt....not because we're mean...but we're just simply blunt. Like if we haven't seen anybody for a long time...and if a person gained weight or lost some hair...the Deafies tend to go "WOW! You're fat now!" or "You're bald now! WOW."

But of course...me living in the hearing world also...I'm a lot nicer and less blunt than a typical Deafie.

SPDundas
Deaf Byzantine

Aside from the fact that most Latins think we Byzantines are some sort of aberration that doesn't understand Latin correctness... :rolleyes:

I have seen the situation in the RC church where I play, that Byzantines have confused the Extraordinary Ministers by crossing their arms. But the priest quickly explained to all the ministers what it meant and that this is the normal way Byzantines receive communion.

So, not only a symbolic and spiritual meaning, but also a practical one. This makes good sense to me especially about not making the sign of the cross when receiving as one could bump the chalice. Thanks for the sharing.

Blessings,

Mary Jo..still getting ready to hit the road for a winter in AZ.

The Slavonic Church Typikon, giving instructions concerning Divine services, sometimes prescribes crossing hands on chest, for instance, when Six Psalms are read etc. No symbolical interpretation is given, but as a rule it is tied up with the demands of being quiet and attentive.

What is more, you are supposed to be up during a considerable part of a service that can take a few hours. Today the traditional monastic long services basically are out of practice, but a person who once enjoyed a full canonical All Night Vigil, for instance at Old Ritual Church, could easily get that crossing arms is the best way of keeping them in rest and the concentrating of mind on the service. Standing with crossed arms and rear motions for the signs of cross and bows is the most typical pose at an Old Believers long ceremony, not only at the moment of partaking Communion.

You see that practical reasons for the rubric about arms seem to be first so that people could easier endure the Vigil, symbolical interpretations like our self-humiliating before the Lord came much later. It obviously happened after the ceremonies had been shortened and there was no necessity of a particular pose for a long spiritual meditation. But for the Holy Communion, because of its sacredness, the arms crossing was saved and re-interpreted in symbolical manner. Despite the fact that self-humiliating as such sounds theologically fine it seems to be far fetched in this particular case. The matter is that the Eucharist is actually joyful and merry feast of all the brethren and sisters with the Christ. So the idea of humbling does not work here.

Valerius