From a reader:
At Mass today the congregation was asked to raise their hands in blessing over members that are celebrating an anniversary in Sept. I can’t find anything in the GIRM that addresses raising our hands in blessing at Mass. I am uncomfortable with this gesture. Can you tell me if it is appropriate.
Yes.
No.
Yes, I can tell you. No, it is not appropriate.
After Mass, perhaps. Even then… not so much. At the time of the priest’s blessing at the end of Mass, no. No, again. No.
Anything that might confuse people about the invocative blessings of a priest and some invocation made by laity should be avoided.
I am sure this gave some people a warm fuzzy. It probably gave others a shiver of discomfort at the liturgical abuse.
Still, in the larger sphere of things, this is pretty tame.
