Sometimes people ask me how my nap was during Mass. At first, I didn’t understand what they meant, but now I know what they are asking. Many people are not used to long periods of silence. It is because at most parishes, things seem to go from one thing to the next without much pause between them. It is as if we are in a rush to get things done (I know that is not the intention). I purposely slow things down because we are not in rush. Mass is when Heaven comes to Earth and Earth goes to Heaven. And moments of silence, even long moments of silence, are meant to help us hear God speak to us. At first, this can be difficult if we are thinking, “Is Father asleep,” “I sure wish he would speed things up so that I can get to the café and eat before the Lutheran church lets out.” Silence is not easy for us to handle. And yet it is precisely in the silence where we can hear God speak to our hearts. Silence is so very important. Blessed Mother Teresa says that, “Before you speak, it is necessary for you to listen, for God speaks in the silence of the heart.” She also says, “The fruit of silence is prayer, the fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is love, the fruit of love is service, the fruit of service is peace.” Silence allows for us to hear God speaking to us. If we want to grow closer to God, silence must be a part of our life. And God desires us to have silence in our lives. This is why we have pauses during the Mass that are a little longer than other parishes so that we can listen to God speaking to us.
Fr. Thomas P. Galarneault