Reverence

We have become a casual society.  It hasn’t been that long ago that people put on their best clothes when preparing to fly, whether they were going for business or on vacation.  Gentlemen removed their hats when entering a building and tipped them when a lady passed them on the street.  Everyone stopped talking and stood for the singing of the National Anthem, and we never addressed anyone older than us by their first name unless we’d been invited by them to do so.

As our society has become more casual, in many ways, so has Sunday Mass.  Not all the casualness is bad or wrong, but much of it can lead to a lack of reverence.

Our worship space is special.  Nowhere else in our weekly travels do we encounter a place like the Sanctuary of the Church.  Unlike the world outside these walls, the church is a place for quiet reflection; a special place that doesn’t resemble the high-pitched staccato cacophony of the world.  Here individuals and families come to pray quietly before Mass and to stay in the quiet presence of the Lord after Mass has ended.  

In addition to quiet, another way we show reverence is by giving a sincere genuflection before we enter our pew at the beginning of Mass, and again when Mass is over.  Many have gotten into the habit of nodding their head and slightly bending their knee – this is not a genuflection.  In reverence we lower ourselves to our right knee and sign ourselves with the cross.

Reverence also dictates that we don’t chew gum, eat snacks, or drink beverages during worship or prayer services.  We know that many of our children have grown-up learning to eat Cheerios in Church before they learned to make the sign of the cross, but unless one has a serious medical condition, food or beverages should not be consumed by older children or adults.  Remember that Catholics are called to fast for one hour before receiving Holy Communion.

Another way we show reverence in Mass is by becoming fully active and conscious in our participation.  We join in the songs and the prayers; we pay attention to the reading of Sacred Scripture and the Homily; and we receive Holy Communion with awe and respect.

Finally, we extend our reverence to the Lord and the community by not leaving before the end of Mass.  Mass is not a “me and God” moment; it is our communal prayer, and it requires all of us from beginning to end.