Question Corner: Is it appropriate to hold hands or lift your hands up during the Our Father at Mass?

Holding hands or lifting hands during the Our Father at Mass is not what the Church envisions for the assembled lay faithful, according to Jenna Marie Cooper in the Catholic Review.

Cooper explains that liturgical prayer differs from private prayer or popular devotions because it is the official prayer of the Church. Sacrosanctum Concilium states that liturgical services are not private functions but celebrations of the Church, which is the sacrament of unity. Because of this official character, the Church spells out in detail how different liturgical functions are to be celebrated.