Not too long ago, my pastor including a reminder in the parish bulletin that stated, in effect, this Church is holy ground. Please be respectful and quiet. I guess I was one of the very few to actually read that. We just celebrated Easter, the holiest day of the year and, before Mass, I was surrounded by people talking -- not whispering -- about new home purchases, dinner, school, health, everything and anything. The noise level was so high I could not focus on my prayer. You know how it is. People talk and as others talk around them, they raise their voices to be heard. I found myself resenting these incursions into my quiet time with my God. Whatever happened to holy ground?
My thoughts ran back to the days of my childhood. I don't remember the Church as a silent tomb but neither was it this cacophony of sound. Certainly the Sisters trained us to be, if not respectul, then certainly quiet. Conversations were postponed until Mass was over. In fact, I distincly recall difficulties getting OUT of the Church because people would congregate just outside the doors for their conversations.
On the other side of the question, I'm sure Jesus was happy people were present at the Celebration of His Resurrection. I cannot imagine Him otherwise. I think, though, He would have preferred to have them focusing on Him, listening to Him. In this technological age, an age of cell phones, Internet, television, the soul starves for solitude and silence in which it may be one with its Maker and Redeemer.
I wonder, why are these people not talking with their Savior? That is, supposedly, why they were there. His death and Resurrection were incredible, awesome, wonderful. Without His sacrifice and Resurrection, we would indeed be lost souls. So I ask again, whatever happened to holy ground?
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In my parish, after Mass is over, some people will remain in the church and talk to each other. It is very loud. I sometimes want to stay and pray after Mass, but there are too many people both walking around and talking. The noise and the number of people walking by make it hard to pray. But some people do it.
ReplyDeleteRather than stress to people that the church is holy ground, I would stress respect for those praying. I think that to say that the church is "holy ground" doesn't mean anything to people.
Ahh, but you should have read what my pastor said. Holy ground, the burning bush, Moses removing his sandals, it was all an analogy but one that clearly said we must respect the right of others to pray quietly as well as the need to "Be still and know that I am God." I wish that I had kept a copy.
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