Teary Eyed In Church

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Does anyone cry in church?
I find myself getting teary eyed at Sunday mass almost every time. I think it’s because of my job and the heavy things I’m exposed to that leaves me feeling emotional. (I work in a prison.)
But I’m not normally an emotional person so I’m confused why I tear up at mass so much. At first I wondered if it a sign that I should be a nun but I don’t think I’m called to that.
I’m finding it hard to mentally process why at mass I feel emotionally overwhelmed.
(Plus it’s embarrassing)
Any thoughts?
 
There is a thing called the gift of tears,

When the person cries God is healing them.
 
I went through a period of months where I cried at every Mass I went to and then it suddenly stopped, but I was dealing with some childhood experiences that had resurfaced.
It nearly made me stop going because I didn’t see the point of getting so emotional, putting myself through that each week and hardly concentrating on the mass because I was so uncomfortable.

Previous to that period I would be emotional sometimes, mostly due to the words in a hymn or feeling really down when a disaster natural or man-made would happen.

Sounds like your job can be very difficult to deal with at times, and as you are a human being that can empathise with others it’s natural to need to release the pain of others. I would go so far as to say the people you deal with, their problems/situations, you bring with you to church, so in a way you are praying for them through your tears.

And where on earth except church can we express our spiritual human needs, do not be embarrassed 🙂
 
Jaki_IsHere said:
Does anyone cry in church?
I find myself getting teary eyed at Sunday mass almost every time. I think it’s because of my job and the heavy things I’m exposed to that leaves me feeling emotional. (I work in a prison.)
But I’m not normally an emotional person so I’m confused why I tear up at mass so much. At first I wondered if it a sign that I should be a nun but I don’t think I’m called to that.
I’m finding it hard to mentally process why at mass I feel emotionally overwhelmed.
(Plus it’s embarrassing)
Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Yes, I have cried for various reasons.

I have cried before because of my sins.

I had it impressed upon my heart what sin does to us. It just made me feel really sad to know-to really understand deep inside-what it does to our relationship with God.

So I cried while I was in church during Mass one time when this awareness had happened. I was fine afterwards.
 
It is very common, don’t worry more people than you realise are weeping around you.
 
I think our hearts are the most open at Mass. We are giving ourselves to God, and He is becoming more a part of us. When our hearts are open, emotions that we keep close and penned up within us tend to come out. I think it shows that you truly care about the people you work around.

When I’ve gone through very hard and emotional times, I’ve found that the only way not to cry at Mass is not to listen too closely. But that’s not a good or a long-term solution.
Just keep tissue close at hand. :bighanky: You’re a good person. 🙂
 
Jaki_IsHere said:
Does anyone cry in church?
I find myself getting teary eyed at Sunday mass almost every time. I think it’s because of my job and the heavy things I’m exposed to that leaves me feeling emotional. (I work in a prison.)
But I’m not normally an emotional person so I’m confused why I tear up at mass so much. At first I wondered if it a sign that I should be a nun but I don’t think I’m called to that.
I’m finding it hard to mentally process why at mass I feel emotionally overwhelmed.
(Plus it’s embarrassing)
Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
You may be experiencing joy.

I know it sounds weird but being in God’s presence brings about a joy so piercing it is almost similar to grief.

According to Tolkien, a Joy beyond the walls of the world, as poignant as grief. 🙂
 
I have gotten teary eyed at Mass too… Its really embarrassing cause I’m in the choir! At least we’re in the choir loft 😉
 
I still cry at Easter Vigil during the baptisms, first communion and confirmation. Watching people become Christians just fills me with such joy. ❤️
 
Thank you for this thread. It has made me see how much depth I have lost through this physical illness… The struggle to just get to mass and cope there meant that it was just that. A battle to even sit through it. .

There was a time not too many years ago when I literally wept my heart out the whole of Holy Week. Inconsolable. I had forgotten that. Thank you.

Makes me see I am doing the right thing in retiring from outside work and returning to hermitage which was what I was living then and i am praying and hoping there will still be ways to earn to help feed needy ones… Still the rest of this year to live in work Please God I get there!

Thank you!Blessings
 
Often when I am struggling with a lot in my life, just the presence of Jesus Christ in the church will give me the safety and security I need to be able to start processing the emotions connected with those struggles - and that often means crying or getting tears-eyed in the church, both in private prayer and during Mass

Recently while I was at WYD, we were invited to take a break from our activities and spend some time in St. Marks (I believe that was the name), which had been designated as a “zone of silence” for the pilgrims. It had been an overwhelming few days, which had been taxing my own mental reserves, and I was feeling very alone and a little unsupported. I walked into the Church and knelt down and just knowing I was there in Jesus’s presence was the trigger for literally a flood of tears. It was incredibly cathartic though, and (together with Confession a day or so later), gave me exactly the strength I needed to get through the rest of the week.
 
Thankyou all for the responses, they are helping me process this.
Autumn_Smoke said:
I think our hearts are the most open at Mass. We are giving ourselves to God, and He is becoming more a part of us. When our hearts are open, emotions that we keep close and penned up within us tend to come out. I think it shows that you truly care about the people you work around.

When I’ve gone through very hard and emotional times, I’ve found that the only way not to cry at Mass is not to listen too closely. But that’s not a good or a long-term solution.
Just keep tissue close at hand. :bighanky: You’re a good person. 🙂
Click to expand...
I do feel more connected to God in church so maybe that’s why it’s emotional for me.
Problem is, I don’t think I care about the people I work with, they have done some evil, horrible things and it makes me dislike and not trust most people in general. Maybe I cry because of how disappointing and disrespectful humans are to God. I see a lot of sin and not enough goodness in humans.

I like the thought that crying is healing, but enough already 🙂
Sarcelle said:
You may be experiencing joy.

I know it sounds weird but being in God’s presence brings about a joy so piercing it is almost similar to grief.

According to Tolkien, a Joy beyond the walls of the world, as poignant as grief. 🙂
Click to expand...
I love this! I think you nailed it!
It resonates with me as a revert back to the faith. I feel like my eyes are wide open now and I feel loved and guided by God. Being in church I thank God for this and all the good things in my life, especially when there is so much bad stuff around me (at work, on news).

The presence of Jesus in church does make me feel comfortable and secure in church, maybe that’s why I can let myself get teary eyed whereas I normally don’t ever let people see me get emotional.

Again thankyou all! This was very insightful to me.
 
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