Have you ever wondered why we’re supposed to be quiet in church?
Hi, this is Father Rocky in the Cathedral of Saint Francis Xavier in Green Bay, WI, with another lesson on the Holy Eucharist as part of our ongoing series of Eucharistic Encounters.
So, have you ever wondered why we’re supposed to be quiet in a Catholic church? Because Jesus Christ is present in the Holy Eucharist. He’s God, and so we need to pay attention to Him and talk to Him. He’s the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, or as we read in the Latin Bible, Rex Regum Dominus Dominantsium.
There are 7 words you and I should know about the reality of God’s presence in the Holy Eucharist. This is all the way from the 13th century, the council, the 4th Lateran Council in Rome in 1215 that declared Jesus Christ is truly present in the Holy Eucharist, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. That’s 4 words: really, truly, substantially present.
And that’s why we’re called to be quiet in the Church when we’re in the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. We give Him all the attention because He’s the most important One.
When Saint John Paul became the Pope back in 1978, one of the first things he did is invite the four big churches in Rome, the patriarchal basilicas, to offer Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament every day. So if you ever go to Saint Peter’s, a little bit up on the right you’ll see there’s a church inside a church. That’s where they have Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. There’s a sign over the door that says silencium Silentum. You don’t have to be Latin scholar to understand what it means. It means “be quiet, be silent.” And there’s two Swiss Guards by the door, so you had better be quiet!
It’s good for us to know the reality of Christ’s presence so when we come to church, we come to talk to him.
I hope we all show up for Jesus next year, at the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. Everyone from Relevant Radio is going to be there. And you are invited, too.
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