Serratelli on the sacred, part 2

His Excellency, the Most Reverend Arthur J. Serratelli, continues his teachings on the sacred in the second installment of his four part series. If you missed the first part, you really should give it a read.

"The Liturgy of the Church is a moment where all the dimensions of our lives come before the living God," said the Bishop of Patterson. "It is the place where we have an active encounter with God. It is the place, therefore, where we can rediscover the sacred in our lives."

We might well ask how many people today are aware of the presence of God Almighty within the church building? There is a great need for a renewal of the awareness of the sacred and His Excellency is helping us recover it.

Certain settings demand their own particular etiquette. Dress at a wedding reception differs from dress at a sports event. Conversation in a bar is louder than in a funeral home. The more we realize we are coming into the Presence of God in Church, the more respectful and reverent our whole person becomes. Chewing gum in Church, loud talking, beach attire and immodest dress simply do not belong!

In church, we need to cultivate a sense of God who is present to us. This is why we are called to observe moments of silence. Both before Mass begins and during Mass. Liturgy is much more than our joining together. It is our opening ourselves to God. By our singing and praying, we respond to the God who addresses us in Liturgy. A constant torrent of words and songs filling every empty space in the Liturgy does not leave the heart the space it needs to rest quietly in the Divine Presence. [more]

Bishop Serratelli's words are timely and much needed. Keep it up, good Bishop!