Crossing arms during the Eucharist

JasonV · Sep 26, 2006

Friends,

Do you place right arm over left, or left over right when waiting in line for the Eucharist, and why?

Thanks.

Greg the byzantine · Sep 26, 2006

JasonV said:
Friends,

Do you place right arm over left, or left over right when waiting in line for the Eucharist, and why?

Thanks.

no and no. Me thinks this is a slavic practice.

repentant · Sep 26, 2006

Yea, I have never seen this done anywhere. Not at any Church or Monastery I ever been to..

OrthodoxBelle · Sep 26, 2006

I have heard a few things: symbolically it is meant to represent submission, it also represents the folded wings of the cherubim before the throne, and that's it's right over left....just because. I've always seen it that way. I assume that it's the same reason that we cross right to left, remembering that we want to be on the right hand of God.

Brushstroke · Sep 26, 2006

Some people at my church do it, and I see them do it right arm over left; I do it as well. And yes, it's meant to represent submission.

PrincessMommy · Sep 26, 2006

we do this at my parish too.

Oblio · Sep 26, 2006

Yes, right over left, my guess it is because that puts your right arm (right signifies honor) closest to the Eucharist. My guess also is that it is Slavic tradition, never seen it in Greek parishes.

Asinner · Sep 26, 2006

It is done at my OCA Parish.

Orthosdoxa · Sep 26, 2006

The X also represents the Cross.

LK

Asinner · Sep 26, 2006

Anonykat said:
The X also represents the Cross.

LK

That's what I thought too.

Ilian · Sep 26, 2006

There's actually a canonical prescription for the practice. Generally I believe it is only found in churches of Slavic tradition, though I have seen a couple of Antiochian churches that have adopted the practice for some reason.

Kissing the chalice after communion is also something you will see where the communicants cross their arms.

choirfiend · Sep 26, 2006

For several reasons:

It is the cross, which is the symbol of Christianity.

Hands are always right over left, light over dark, Orient over Occident, when receiving any blessing, this included.

It keeps one's hands at bay. Some people make the sign of the cross before receiving. On a practical level, this assures that one's hands are restrained, lest one accidently hit the Chalice and knock it loose.

Akathist · Sep 26, 2006

It is done also in my parish. To be honest, I have forgotten and put the left over the right as I am left handed. Usually I catch it and change it though.

In other parishes, I see different postures but the practice I see everywhere is absolute respect, bowed heads while waiting in line, hands kept out of the way, etc.

(BTW, the arms crossed practice is great for kids. They find it hard to "touch" each other. I have seen more than once a kid trying to find a loophole so they could still try to poke their brother, etc. But when they have to properly cross their arms, it is impossible.)

DonVA · Sep 26, 2006

The ladies in our choir cover themselves with their arms crossed in this way, and yes, they do it properly: right over left.

Nickolai · Sep 26, 2006

choirfiend said:
For several reasons:

It is the cross, which is the symbol of Christianity.

Hands are always right over left, light over dark, Orient over Occident, when receiving any blessing, this included.

Those are the reason I was told as well

It keeps one's hands at bay. Some people make the sign of the cross before receiving. On a practical level, this assures that one's hands are restrained, lest one accidently hit the Chalice and knock it loose.

If your right arm was over your left then your crossing arm is unrestrained. Which is why my Priest is convinced that it should be left over right. But the general thing I have heard is right over left.

And yes, it's a slavic thing (we're more reverent ) J/K.

Reader Nikolai

Akathist · Sep 26, 2006

DonVA said:
The ladies in our choir cover themselves with their arms crossed in this way, and yes, they do it properly: right over left.

Only the ladies?

Is this only when in line for the Eucharist or did you mean covering themselves all the time?

In my parish it is an equal opportunity arms crossed posture!

rusmeister · Sep 27, 2006

We do it over here in Russia - it's universal here, I think. Right over left.

Ioan cel Nou · Sep 27, 2006

JasonV said:
Friends,

Do you place right arm over left, or left over right when waiting in line for the Eucharist, and why?

Thanks.

Neither. If I tried, the candle I hold in my left hand would burn my face off and drip all over my shirt. Romanians don't do the armcrossing thing but they do carry a candle (because of Christ being the Light of the World). It's one of my favourite local Romanian Traditions.

James

Akathist · Sep 27, 2006

jmbejdl said:
Neither. If I tried, the candle I hold in my left hand would burn my face off and drip all over my shirt. Romanians don't do the armcrossing thing but they do carry a candle (because of Christ being the Light of the World). It's one of my favourite local Romanian Traditions.

James

The only time we carry candles for the Eucharist is when we are Chrismated or baptised. (For infants, their Godmother or Father carry it.)

I think that is a wonderful tradition!

Ioan cel Nou · Sep 27, 2006

Xenia Rose said:
The only time we carry candles for the Eucharist is when we are Chrismated or baptised. (For infants, their Godmother or Father carry it.)

I think that is a wonderful tradition!

Just to be clear, we normally only carry the usual small candles that you would light in prayer, not the big ones that you get for a baptism or a wedding (that could prove expensive). Afterwards the candle always seems (and I've never asked if this is what you're supposed to do, but nobody ever seems to do any different) to be put in with the candles for prayers for the living. I've never yet seen anyone put one in amongst those for the dead. I'm guessing that's significant, but I really ought to ask.

James

Crossing arms during the Eucharist

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