How do we respond to the invitation at the beginning of the Mass to “acknowledge our sins and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries”? This invitation is immediately followed by the rubric, or instruction, “A brief pause for silence follows.” Pope Francis explained this silence: “Quietly listening to the voice of our conscience allows us to recognize that our thoughts are far from divine thoughts, that our words and our actions are often worldly, guided, that is, by choices contradictory to the Gospel” (Jan 3, 2018). This brief pause for silence, a time to reflect on our thoughts, words and actions as part of the Penitential Act, are a beautiful example of the desire of the Second Vatican Council that “at the proper times all should observe a reverent silence” (SC 30). Silence is one of the important elements of the Mass.
But someone may ask, “how can I squeeze all that necessary reflecting on my thoughts, words and actions in just a ‘brief pause for silence’, maybe no more than a second?” That is an excellent question, and the Missal proposes an answer: “Even before the celebration itself, it is a praiseworthy practice for silence to be observed in the church, in the sacristy … and in adjacent areas, so that all may dispose themselves to carry out the sacred celebration in a devout and fitting manner” (GIRM 45). You don’t need to wait until after the Mass has started for a “brief pause for silence” with God!
Pope Francis recently spoke of the value of silence before Mass: “When we go to Mass, perhaps we arrive five minutes early and begin to chat with the person next to us. But this is not the moment for small talk; it is the moment of silence to prepare ourselves ... It is the moment for recollection within the heart, to prepare ourselves for the encounter with Jesus. Silence is so important! … We are not going to a spectacle; we are going to the encounter with the Lord, and silence prepares us and accompanies us” (Nov 15, 2017)