I suspect liturgical theologians of the progressive kind, like at Praytell, are grinding and gnashing their teeth over this, especially its logical conclusion--the low voice Canon!!!!!!!
Pope Francis: The Mass needs silence, not ‘chit-chat’
Vatican City, Nov 15, 2017 / 03:49 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On Wednesday Pope Francis called out the common habit of chatting with people around you before Mass, stressing that this is a time for silent prayer, when we prepare our hearts for an encounter with the Lord.
“When we go to Mass, maybe we arrive five minutes before, and we start to chit-chat with those in front of us,” the Pope said Nov. 15. However, “it is not a moment for chit-chat.”
“It is a moment of silence for preparing ourselves for dialogue, a time for the heart to collect itself in order to prepare for the encounter with Jesus,” he said, adding that “silence is so important.”
Continuing his new catechesis on the Eucharist, the Pope recalled his message the week prior, that the Mass is not a show, but a place where we encounter the Lord. In this encounter, he said, silence is what “prepares us and accompanies us.”
But to really understand this, first we have to answer a question, he said. And that is: What is prayer?
Prayer is, “first and foremost dialogue, personal relationship with God,” he said. And in prayer, just like in any dialogue, it needs moments of silence “together with Jesus.” This, he said, is because it is only in the “mysterious silence of God” that his Word can resound in our heart. (My comment: sounds like a good rationale for the low voice canon, no????)
Francis explained that to pray is not difficult, and is something that Jesus himself taught us to do first of all by example, when in the Gospels he withdraws to a secluded place to pray. And second, he teaches us again when he tells his disciples that the first word in knowing how to pray is “Father.”
This is “so simple,” the Pope said. “So we have to learn, ‘Father.’” Then, we must take on the attitude of a small child before his or her parents. One full of trust and confidence, knowing that God “remembers you and takes care of you,” he said.
The second attitude we should take is one of childlike surprise and wonder. The child, he said, “always asks a thousand questions because he wants to discover the world; in our relationship with the Lord, in prayer, wonder,” he said, telling pilgrims to “open the heart to wonder.”
When it comes to prayer, he noted that often we are busy with many different activities or projects and say we don’t have time. “We lose sight of what is fundamental: our life of the heart, our spiritual life, our life of prayer with the Lord.”
However, Jesus surprises us in truth by loving us and calling us even in our weaknesses, he said, adding that just as Christ called his disciples, he also calls us to him at each Mass.
“This is therefore the greatest grace: to be able to experience the Mass, the Eucharist. It is the privileged moment to be with Jesus, and through Him with God and his brothers.”
8 comments:
The problem is usually not chit-chat before Mass, but after a Novus Ordo Mass. The Novus Ordo Mass is so noisy, with little moment of silence, that people just continue the noise with chit-chat once it is finished.
Off topic, but here's a real bombshell, the Pope speaking out of his derriere on a subject he knows nothing about! He should stick to religion and refrain from embroiling the Church in pet, left-wing causes:
http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/world/article/Pope-rebukes-climate-deniers-as-perverse-in-12361964.php
Basta, Santita!
Although I attend EF Mass on Sundays, I attend an occasional OF Mass on weekdays and holy days. At every Mass I attend, whether OF or EF, you could "hear a pin drop" during the minutes preceding the Mass. Perhaps it is true--as often remarked--that Summorum Pontificum has had as much effect on the OF Mass as on the EF Mass. As I believe was Benedict's intent. (I only attend OF Masses in parishes where the EF is also celebrated regularly, and where can expect the OF to be celebrated with comparable dignity.)
Admittedly, only after EF Mass do all the people kneel for silent prayer after bowing to the priest on his way out. After an OF Mass, many may leave the pews promptly and begin to chat on their way out.
Perhaps the following is most amazing aspect to me in regard to the issue of noisy congregations:
Mass ends...the congregation applauds the choir...a few folks kneel to pray...but one person after another begins to chatter.
A person who has knelt to pray is surrounded by people who chatter, chatter, chatter. That is unbelievable to me.
===========================================
I believe that applause offered to the choir has contributed greatly to the lack of decorum that overtakes the church at the end of Mass.
I believe also the following has contributed to the lack of decorum that has overtaken the Mass:
Priests often request people to stand to receive applause..."If you've been married for 10 years, please stand"...(applause)..."if you've been married for 20 years, please stand"...(applause)...
..."if you're an EM, please stand"...(applause).
..."if you're a veteran, please stand" (applause).
..."let's thank our 'ministers of hospitality'...ushers...(applause).
Pax.
Mark Thomas
There is a parish near me where, at the end of daily Mass (in the evening), the Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel is offered.
Following the Saint Michael Prayer, blessed silence is maintained as people either leave quietly or kneel to pray.
Then prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel sets a reverent tone...whereas, following Mass, the offering of applause to the choir sets a negative, noisy tone.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Bee here:
Fr. McD asked, "POPE FRANCIS AT HIS WEDNESDAY AUDIENCE ON THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS TELLS CATHOLICS TO STOP CHIT-CHATTING BEFORE MASS! I WONDER IF IT APPLIES TO AFTER MASS TOO?"
I wonder if it also applies to the Liturgia Interpellatam of the Novus Ordo, the "handshake of peace".
I guess not. :-)
God bless.
Bee
Father Thomas Weinandy claimed that Pope Francis' "pontificate has given those who hold harmful theological and pastoral views the license and confidence to come into the light and expose their previously hidden darkness."
I believe that the above charge is unfair to His Holiness Pope Francis. Only those who misrepresent Pope Francis employ His Holiness to advance "darkness" throughout Holy Mother Church.
Conversely, holy Catholics are able to advance orthodoxy via Pope Francis' teachings. The following is an example of that: Pope Francis' catechesis on the Eucharist presents to holy Catholics the opportunity to advance liturgical sanity throughout the Church.
Pope Francis' declarations in regard to noisy congregations may be utilized by Catholics who desire to restore reverent behavior to Novus Ordo Masses. In particular, certain Catholic bloggers who bemoan the sorry general state of Roman (Novus Ordo) Liturgy should seize upon Pope Francis' comments in question.
Unfortunately, said bloggers are busy today promoting misleading photographs of Pope Francis "scowling" when shown the Papal Triple Tiara...that proves supposedly that Pope Francis hates the Papacy...
...or they are busy claiming that Pope Francis will overthrow Humanae Vitae...or that Pope Francis will promulgate the "Ecumenical Mass."
Pope Francis' catechesis on the Eucharist destroys the false claims that His Holiness despises liturgical reverence...that he desires to destroy the Church.
But I pray that such holy priests and bloggers such as Father McDonald will, during the weeks ahead, focus heavily upon Pope Francis' catechesis on the Eucharist. We need to seize upon Pope Francis' teachings in question to restore reverence to Novus Ordo Masses.
Bishops also must take up Pope Francis' catechesis on the Eucharist.
Catholics who work to quell noisy congregations may cite the Vicar of Christ's teachings. That is a powerful holy weapon to utilize as we combat problems associated with the Novus Ordo.
Father Weinandy's claim in question about Pope Francis has suffered a major hit.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
I'm from Europe and I used to attend Holy Mass in many countries of both Eastern and Western Europe. And in any of those places, I have never seen people treating the church after Mass as a meeting hall like here in the USA. I have never seen people clapping during or after Mass like I see here almost every Sunday.
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