One thing that really pisses me off at Mass is when people take the Orans Posture. That gesture should only be performed by the clergy, not the lay Catholic. And yet, I see a few people here and there doing it. Granted, those people skew old so maybe they did things differently back then.
All that matters is that here in 2025, we should not be outstretching our arms with palms facing up like many Christian denominations do. Back in 2007, I came across a photograph of an ostensibly Christian young lady in that posture, eyes closed. My immediate thought was that she was wishing for a giant sub, hoagie or grinder, depending on where you are.
The history of the posture is indeed interesting, provided that one remembers that unless they’re a priest or above, they shouldn’t be doing it. In fact, I find it to be quite disrespectful. We Catholics are Christians, but we are not mainstream Christians.
Let the other denominations, the false and crazy ones, do as they may. We do things the right way. And the right way is to not offend God, which is what a lay Catholic is doing when he or she makes the gesture. As for the other religions, God probably laughs and shakes His head.
I know that this article will not stop people from doing this, but hopefully my fellow Catholics who do this will take this to heart and cease doing it from now until eternity.