Before Mass Silence

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We have people at our parish who talk incessantly before Mass begins. I just block them out and focus on my prayers. Before our parish started praying the Rosary a half hour before Mass, I’d arrive early just to pray it in the Presence of Our Lord. I’d get through 5 decades of the Rosary, a review of the Sunday Readings and a few more prayers before Mass began.
 
Thanks for the replies. Nice to read. And the book recommendation. I saw a priest on EWTN who also recommended it. I wrote the title down in a notebook but forgot about it.

I have blocked them out in the past, but it’s such a persistent occurrence ( in this age of communication ). I wish they were fooling around on their cel phone instead though. Lol

Saturday, the older lady was there. She had her head down, her arms draped over the pew in front of her. My heart went out to her, it looked so devout and reverent. But in walks the older man, sits beside her, waiting for her to lift her head.
 
You can just ask them to be quiet. They are the ones in the wrong. There is a natural desire to be passive aggressive, but resist that and be direct.
 
The way I figure it, there are 168 hours in the week. We give 1 to God on Sunday. That leaves 167 other hours of the week, save for the few moments of time before mass, to talk about anything and everything else (e.g.: what I made for dinner, the latest fashion, sports, etc.). The time before mass should be a time for reverence, a time for quiet. It’s very difficult to pray when everyone is having idle chatter, even at low volumes. But I’ve experienced both loud conversations and quiet conversations, and neither is appropriate. We’ve (Catholics) lost a lot of what is important. I say this as a convert to the faith.

In fact, at my church, it’s even encouraged to “be a community” and discuss and socialize with each other prior to mass in the pews. But I personally disagree and I do not see why it cannot be held to after mass in the narthex, when and where it belongs. If we want to pray in silence, we can do it at home, or in the Eucharistic chapel! How very nice.
 
And then we have the Priest who walks around talking with those who are seated.
 
Mass is a time of silence and prayer, not idle chitchat, pope says.

By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service
11.15.2017 9:00 AM ET

VATICAN CITY (CNS) –
Mass is the highest form of prayer
and not an appropriate moment for small talk, Pope Francis said.
At church, Catholics should spend their time in silence before Mass,
preparing “to meet with Jesus” instead of engaging in “chitchat,”
the pope said Nov. 15 during his weekly general audience.
“Silence is so important,” he said. “Remember what I told you last time:
we are not going to a show. Silence prepares us and accompanies us.”
The pope continued his new series of audience talks on the Mass,
reflecting on the Eucharist as a form of prayer that is “the highest,
the most sublime and, at the same time,
the most concrete” way of encountering God’s love.

Looking for this web-site, Google, I was astounded to see this !
 
I will be going to Saturday noon mass today
and will just try block them out - and work on my patience.
Peace and patience - must walk hand in hand 🤔
These two believers go to this church / mass six times a week.
Sunday, the attend “ their regular church “

The guy is the gabber. Walks up to the prayer book,
up front, by the altar, in a macho way. Like he was in the mafia in the mid 1970’s
(but was really just a gopher for the big cheese lol)
Married. Never seen wife attend mass in these six years.
Has daughter, 27, trying to be an actresss…does Broadway play bit parts.
He does his own food shopping, etc, voted for Hillary.
I hear all this - ten rows away, reading a Holy book.
Sigh.
 
It’s tricky.
Several conversations going on at once can be like white noise, but just one conversation is very tricky not to hear.
Maybe you can make up a funny saying like "God can’t hear my prayers over your talking. Capiche? ". ha ha
TBH your problem sounds kind of glamorous from here in rural Indiana.
 
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I shouldn’t like that at all either, my feathered friend.

Truly.

You could ask the priest if he would say something to them about sacred silence. This is one suggestion that comes to mind.

Or you could find some gentile way to ask them yourself.

Just ideas.
 
the mods have targeted this type of thread as their “least favourite”

i’ll just add this before i get banned: i’d’v’v’e just wished my fellow parishioners’d’ve taken their gossip & conversation out to the vestibule
 
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posts here wil be further done at your own risk

i am flagging this thread to spare my CAF brethren
 
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Indeed. If I wasn’t a swift and agile Osprey, I too should have a fright.
 
Seagull,

I would seriously ask the priest about it. In truth, the Church is a house of prayer and you certainly have the right to mention it to him and see if he might consider asking them to do something different, so that those who wish to pray in silence may do so.
 
Why don’t you ask them to step out if they want to chat. I am a secular person but I still understand a church is sort of like a library with regards to observing quiet and manners, etc. They are simply exhibiting bad manners, no?
 
Thanks for all the replies…but like I say…they’re stuck in their ways.
It’s year by year. Their ‘important’ and older. I’m in there by myself.
One time I didn’t want to go up to the woman Eucharistic minister…
her being one of the talkers. I actually felt that within me.
Especially after reciting the entire rosary, and they immediately start
right back up again, talking, like nothing happened.

The book “ Power of Silence “ is real good.
Written by a black African arch bishop, I believe.

Anyways - I’ve chosen to ignore it -
Also, 3 others come in, and they sit together,
that’s five people - older - one guy is wealthy,
Recently sold his yacht down in Florida, stocks,
goes to restaurants every other day with his wife…
Had a crown put in on his tooth, what a rip off,
drives a new Bronco, 😛
 
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I can empathize. I like to quietly reflect and pray before Mass, but I can’t because usually that is when the cantor wants everyone who is there to practicing singing parts of the Mass. I feel bad because it is actually religious singing and such (not just chit-chat like what was brought up earlier). So not only can I not pray, I feel badly because I get upset over something that is actually going to be part of Mass. The cantor encouraging people to sing and the singing itself breaks my concentration/focus and I sometimes lose where I am in prayer because I find myself listening to him instead. Luckily, I found a Mass (the 7:30 am one) where the cantor rarely wants everyone to practice singing. So I go to that Mass so I have my pre-Mass prayer.

But the times where there is singing, most times I end up giving up and sit quietly instead of kneeling and praying. I can see where ideal chit-chat would be even more distracting.
 
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