Silence is an integral part of the liturgy along with words, postures, gestures, symbols and music. It serves various functions but is never accidental. Through silence comes the sacred.
In a society that lives at an increasingly frenetic pace,
often deafened by noise and confused by the ephemeral,
it is vital to discover the value of silence. Pope St John Paul II.
The modern world seems threatened by silence. We do all we can to fill our world with noise. When there is silence, people often feel uncomfortable. The same is true in the liturgy. Silence doesn’t mean that something has gone wrong. We don’t always have to be busy doing things. (That’s not what active participation means). Through silence, we meet the ‘still small voice’ of God. When he spoke to Elijah in 1 Kings 19:11-13, God taught us that we can experience him in calm, quiet ways. Through silence comes the sacred.
Unsurprisingly, we see examples of this and gain inspiration from the saints. St Ephrem said that we should ‘speak much with God but little with men.’ In his 12 Steps to holiness, St Alphonsus Liguori speaks at length about silence. He says, ‘silence is one of the principle means to attain the spirit of prayer and to fit oneself for uninterrupted interaction with God.’ St Thomas a Kempis told us that, ‘In silence and quiet, the devout soul advances in virtue and learns the hidden truths of Scripture.’
In 2016, Pope Francis visited Auschwitz to pray for the 1.1 million people who died there. His visit was characterised by silence. The Guardian headline read, ‘No words as Pope Francis visits Auschwitz death camp in silence.’ Accounts of the visit describe how his entire visit was conducted in quiet; he walked around the site, sat in the cell where St Maximillian Kolbe died, stood in the square where many were hanged and met survivors. All of this was done in silence. Yet it said so much.
In his book ‘The Power of Silence’ Cardinal Robert Sarah says, ‘to refuse silence filled with confident fear and adoration is to refuse God the freedom to take hold of us by his love and presence.’ He observes that ‘sometimes in the liturgy, there is an air of misplaced, noisy familiarity.’ This obsession with noise is, says Sarah, to be blamed for a loss in the sense of the Sacred. If we truly believed in God’s presence, surely, we would be stunned into silence. If we have no capacity for silence, we are also ‘deprived of mystery, reduced to fear, sadness and solitude.’
Liturgical Silence
Pope John Paul II reminded us of the importance of silence 40 years after Sacrosanctum Concillium. He said, ‘the liturgy, with its different moments and symbols cannot ignore silence.’
Silence is an integral part of the liturgy along with words, postures, gestures, symbols and music. It serves various functions but is never accidental. The poet Rumi says, ‘the quieter you are, the more you will hear.’ This is definitely true of the liturgy.
But achieving the ideal quiet when we gather isn’t a straightforward task. Attaining that prayerful stillness is as important as paying attention to the quality of music, proclaiming, and preaching.
Preparation for Mass
Getting ready and the journey to church is a part of our preparation for Sunday Mass. So, by the time we arrive at church, we should be ready to spend some quiet time preparing our hearts and souls to meet Christ in Word and Eucharist. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal recommends quiet time before Mass, in church and the sacristy. We can be silent internally in a background of noise, but the reverse is also true. In the midst of a peaceful environment, our minds can be noisy and distracted. We need to resist the temptation to chatter and be still, as Pope Francis has reminded us; “Silence is so important,” he said, “Remember… we are not going to a show. Silence prepares us and accompanies us.”
As one wise man said, ‘two people talking stop forty people praying.’ It’s a common problem which shouldn’t be avoided. In the 6th century, St John the Silent lived a life of quiet for an incredible 76 years. We should be able to manage ten minutes before Mass.
Introductory Rites
During the first part of the Mass we are first invited to recall our faults and failings in a moment of silence. Then before the Collect, the priest says, ‘Let us pray.’ This is an invitation for everyone to be aware of the presence of God and that they have come together, gathered as the Mystical Body of Christ. It’s a pause with a purpose.
Liturgy of the Word
‘The Liturgy of the Word is to be celebrated in such a way as to favour meditation and so avoid any kind of haste such as hinders meditation is to be avoided.’ General Instruction of the Roman Missal.
Silence is essential to hearing the Scriptures. We need time to ponder on the Word and absorb its meaning. The General Instruction suggests short pauses before and after the first and second readings and after the homily. There should also be a pause before saying ‘The Word of the Lord.’ The music of the psalm also allows us to meditate on the words of the first reading. Any movement of lectors needs to be done with care and without distraction. The skill of the lector is vital in our reception of the Word. A pause after the homily allows us to absorb the words of Scripture, the commentary on them and respond to them in our hearts. At the Prayers of the Faithful, the lector should pause after announcing the intention; we need time to hear the words and bring them to mind.
Liturgy of the Eucharist
The Preparation of the Gifts can be a busy part of the Mass; the collection, procession, singing, and children returning from their own Liturgy. It is easy to miss the preparation of the altar and the prayers of offering of bread and wine. We are invited to offer ourselves to be transformed along with the bread and wine, and we need the space to offer ourselves in prayer. All this needs careful organising so that any sense of rush is reduced to a minimum.
The Eucharistic Prayer is the ‘centre and high point of the entire celebration,’ and it requires ‘that everybody listens to it with reverence and in silence.’ Although the priest recites the prayer alone, we also have a role to play. We hear the words of this ancient prayer and pray them in our hearts; we offer ourselves to be transformed, we recall the Paschal Mystery, we pray for the whole church in both heaven and earth and all who are part of God’s plan for salvation and finally we give praise and glory to God. There is a lot to occupy our silence.
Receiving the Lord
After the Sign of Peace, the priest prays quietly before receiving Communion. We do the same, praying silently that we may ‘fruitfully receive the Body and Blood of Christ.’ We come forward and receive Communion as part of a procession, though if it isn’t carefully choreographed, it can seem like a long queue. Our silent, prayerful approach, and our bow immediately before receiving, expresses unity and reverence. After a thanksgiving hymn, there should be time for individual prayer. Having received the Lord, it is appropriate that we ‘pray quietly for some time.’
Going forth
We should leave Mass strengthened and empowered to transform the world, loving and serving the Lord. It would be a good thing to practice a little silence in our everyday lives, too. St Francis de Sales says, ‘To avoid faults in speech, we must have our lips buttoned together, so that while unbuttoning them we may think of what we are going to say.’ St John Chrysostom says, ‘speak only when it is more useful to speak than to be silent.’
Fostering silence in our schools and parishes
Silence on its own without explanation is ineffective. We must learn how to use it well. The homily is a good means of formation. The priest and ordained ministers are instrumental in setting a good example. I knew a priest who always sat at the front of church in silent prayer before Mass, and everyone followed his lead. Some carefully chosen words before Mass might reduce chatting and help create a prayerful atmosphere. Those involved with lay ministry should also lead by example and show that they are people of prayer, not fuss. Musicians, servers, lectors all need good formation about how prayer is integrated with the practical tasks they perform.
Fostering silence in school
Liturgical silence needs to be taught, and children are brilliant at it. But they need to know what the silence is for. It might be to think about someone they are praying for, or what Jesus is teaching them, or how they have treated people and how they can be better tomorrow. They also need to know that it’s ok to daydream or to be distracted (we all do that).
Lectio Divina, the Daily Examen and Imaginative Prayer are all wonderful ways of introducing children to quality silent time with the Lord. The more they practice using silence, the more skilled they will be in using it to become closer to God and to calm them when they are anxious or distracted.
God is the friend of silence. In prayer and silence God will speak to you.
In silence, we find new energy and unity.
Silence gives us a new look on everything.
St Teresa of Kolcotta
Further Reading
Silence: A Christian History. Diarmaid McCulloch. Penguin.
The Power of Silence. Cardinal Robert Sarah. Ignatius Press.
Listening For God: Silence Practice for Little Ones. Katie Warner. Tan Books.
