Shhhh! Why Pope Francis wants you to stop talking during Mass

Pope Francis today continued his series of catechesis on the Mass, delving into a consideration of the Liturgy of the Word. This time of listening to Scripture is something “live,” he explained, an experience of God Himself speaking to His people, Christ Himself proclaiming the Gospel … and yet some in the congregation are chattering? When it’s God who is talking?

“Should they make comments while the Word of God is being read? [crowdanswers: “No!”]. No, because if you chatter with people you do not listen to the Word of God. When the Word of God in the Bible is being read – the first reading, the second, the responsorial Psalm and the Gospel – we must listen and open the heart, because it is God Himself Who speaks to us, and not think of other things or speak about other things. Do you understand? I will explain to you what happens in this Liturgy of the Word.”

“The pages of the Bible cease to be a written text and become a living word, pronounced by God. It is God Who, through the person who reads, speaks to us and challenges us, we who listen with faith,” he said.

Francis also spoke about how the fact that the readings are the same around the world “expresses and fosters ecclesial communion, accompanying the journey of each and every one of us,” and that it is thus logical why readings can’t be omitted or substituted with other texts.

He also spoke about the need for good readers: “One must prepare and rehearse before Mass to read well. And this creates an atmosphere of receptive silence.”

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“The Word of God makes a journey within us. We listen to it with the ears and it passes to the heart; it does not remain in the ears, it must go to the heart, and from the heart it passes to the hands, to good works. This is the journey that the Word of God makes: from the ears to the heart to the hands. Let us learn these things,” he said.

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Read the whole text here.

Check out previous catecheses here:

Why is Sunday Mass important, anyway? The pope explains

The Mass isn’t a show, says pope, chiding those who take cell phone pictures during liturgy

Pope Francis: Why we should go to Mass on Sundays and not be slaves to work

This is the highest and most sublime prayer, says pope

Don’t show up late for Mass, pope says