Noisy congregation

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Kevin12 said:
I remember this one time, I was praying reverently in the front of the Church, just thanking God for making me a good Catholic, but there was this disheveled man in the back of the Church who was making some bizarre motion with his fists on his torso and generally being loud. I gave him a look so heā€™d know how rude he was being, but I donā€™t think Iā€™m going to go back to a Church that has that sort of person coming in.
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I have to disagree with this analogy. We arenā€™t talking about the character of a man but behavior within the Church where you go for prayer and worship. A man being quiet doesnā€™t cause a disruption for a loud man, but a loud man does cause a disruption for the quiet man. Certain behavior is disruptive in certain situations. There are plenty of places you can go to be loud and few places you can go to experience quiet. There are even fewer places you can go to be in the presence of God. The loud people ought to show more consideration for the people seeking to be contemplative in the presence of God.
 
It seems the more I try to find peace of mind through Christianity the more the evil one throws me off guard.
 
Thatā€™s because he works through people just Like the Holy Ghost works through us. In the Bible it says Satan entered into Judas. I wouldnā€™t deny the Scriptures itā€™s the truth.
 
The church I go to is what you might call a little old fashioned and so is quiet in respect of those wishing to pray in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. It does make me wonder sometimes though, about what people think what a church is, I mean the building.
For quiet it used to be libraries. One always had to be quiet in a library, people are reading!
Plenty of places you have to shut off your phone and no talking. How about the cinema?
So, yes I am very sympathetic towards your problem with noise at Mass. (I would suggest asking the priest to give a short homily on the King of Kings being right there in the tabernacle and all that it implies.) I think many Catholics are truly unaware of their Creator in their midst. Could be little or no catechesis on their part and maybe adult catechism classes wouldnā€™t go amiss. Just thoughts.
I like St. Leonard of Port Mauriceā€™s book ā€œThe Hidden Treasure of the Holy Massā€ and should be read by all Catholics in my opinion.
 
This thread reminded me of a conversation with a friend - a cradle Catholic - some years ago.

She had visited an Episcopalian (I think) church with a friend. It reminded her so much of how the Catholic Church used to be: some Latin, beautiful hymns, kneeling, reverent & quiet congregation. She cried, missing this experience in the Catholic Church & knowing she would never be completely happy outside of the Church.

Thatā€™s rather how I feel. Itā€™s a pity that we so rarely experience that in a Catholic church. Tho weā€™ve gotten kneeling back at our parish. Now that my knees are old. šŸ˜¦
 
Simon62 said:
The church I go to is what you might call a little old fashioned and so is quiet in respect of those wishing to pray in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. It does make me wonder sometimes though, about what people think what a church is, I mean the building.
For quiet it used to be libraries. One always had to be quiet in a library, people are reading!
Plenty of places you have to shut off your phone and no talking. How about the cinema?
So, yes I am very sympathetic towards your problem with noise at Mass. (I would suggest asking the priest to give a short homily on the King of Kings being right there in the tabernacle and all that it implies.) I think many Catholics are truly unaware of their Creator in their midst. Could be little or no catechesis on their part and maybe adult catechism classes wouldnā€™t go amiss. Just thoughts.
I like St. Leonard of Port Mauriceā€™s book ā€œThe Hidden Treasure of the Holy Massā€ and should be read by all Catholics in my opinion.
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I think most people are respectful in the church that I go to. It is a rather large church. Compared to the one I attended in my youth, it is twice as big. And there is always the Sunday only crowd. I think the noise level is probably heightened in small churches. But no matter how respectful the church is as a whole, there will always be encounters with people who are not as respectful or reverent as we are :). Just because things are seemingly going smoothly on the outside does not mean that we are all saints on the inside inside. We have to set the example. We have to learn to be patient with others. We have to learn not to be so judgmental and condemning of others. And sometimes that can be very difficult when it seems that our neighbor in church has no respect for our need of quiet. Our pastor has talked with the congregation a few times before Mass about being respectful and not engaging in needless conversation reminding us that some are trying to pray and recollect before Mass begins. Some heed his message while a few seem to ignore it like it went in one ear and out the other. But how are we to know if we are truly patient and loving towards our neighbor unless we are tested in times like these.
 
zab said:
But how are we to know if we are truly patient and loving towards our neighbor unless we are tested in times like these.
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I wish it could go the other way - that people would be truly patient and loving towards me. Donā€™t think itā€™s gonna happen! šŸ˜‰
 
exnihilo said:
I have to disagree with this analogy. We arenā€™t talking about the character of a man but behavior within the Church where you go for prayer and worship. A man being quiet doesnā€™t cause a disruption for a loud man, but a loud man does cause a disruption for the quiet man. Certain behavior is disruptive in certain situations. There are plenty of places you can go to be loud and few places you can go to experience quiet. There are even fewer places you can go to be in the presence of God. The loud people ought to show more consideration for the people seeking to be contemplative in the presence of God.
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Thanks for proving my point.
 
Reminds me of a poem from 1965! (Note to fellow lovers of the EF: this was written before the Novus Ordo was even invented, itā€™s not exclusive to either form):

The Updated Church

Latinā€™s gone
Peace is too
Singinā€™ and shoutinā€™
From every pew.

Altarā€™s turned round
Priest is too
Commentatorā€™s yellinā€™
ā€œPage Twenty-two!ā€

Communion railā€™s gone
Stand up straight
Kneelinā€™ suddenly
Went outa date.

Processions are forminā€™
In every aisle
Salvationā€™s organized
Single file.

Rosaryā€™s out
Psalms are in
Hardly ever hear
A word against sin.
Listen to the Lector
Hear how he reads
Please stop rattlinā€™
Them Rosary beads!

Padreā€™s lookinā€™ puzzled
Doesnā€™t know his part
Used to know the whole deal
In Latin by heart.

I hope all the changes
Are just about done
That they donā€™t drop Bingo
Before Iā€™ve won.

wdtprs.com/blog/2009/07/a-conservative%E2%80%99s-lament-written-in-1965/

I think the Sacred Heart devotion is a great answer to frustrations about a noisy congregation. It addresses Jesusā€™ burning love for us in contrast to our response to that love. I find it helps me think less about how noisy people are affecting me, and think instead about Our Lord in the Tabernacle. Though if itā€™s completely impossible, a priest once, not even kidding, recommended ear plugs and said thatā€™s what got him through Mass during the summers when he was home from seminary, Iā€™m pretty sure the whole room laughed.
 
I went to a all black baptist church for awhile and it was great they hoot and hollar but itā€™s different than a Catholic mass.
 
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