Why this gesture?

During the Christmas holidays I had the opportunity to stay a couple of days at my grandparents’ house, while Dad and Mom attended a business conference. I had a lot of fun with them because we spent the morning playing together, in the late afternoon we always took a bike ride and in the evening we went out for a chocolate. Before going to bed and saying good night, Grandma said a prayer with me and suggested that I put my hands together. But why this gesture? Can’t you pray with your arms folded?

Benjamin

Of course, you can pray in many ways! The important thing is to remember that prayer is an act that involves our whole person, not excluding our body. In ancient times the most common form of prayer was to turn to God by standing with arms outstretched and raised to the sky, making one’s body a tree of praying gestures that connected heaven to earth. It was only later, instead of praying on one’s knees, prostrate and even lying on the floor, that people began to prefer to keep their hands joined during prayer. Joining hands is a way to keep all one’s attention together, creating a sort of “magic” circle of concentration and adoration. Moreover, joining hands was the gesture with which medieval knights promised obedience to their feudal lord. This gesture used in prayer is therefore intended to indicate the twofold movement of prayer: we ask the Lord what we need and, at the same time, we declare ourselves willing to accept His will. For your part, treasure what your grandmother taught you and, slowly, try to discover the way to pray that seems most beautiful for you... even with your arms folded! Enjoy your journey.