Recently I was at a weekday mass in the chapel of our local Cathedral parish. There was a woman sitting nearby who has the penchant of speaking in a stage whisper to herself. At first I wondered whether this would be a distraction during liturgy but alas, it was anything but: she enhanced the experience for me.
Before the gospel when the priest said, ‘A reading from the holy gospel according to John’, she whispered ‘Thank you John’. I thought to myself when was the last time I thought to thank John or God or had an attitude of gratitude for the holy words of Scripture?
During the homily, the celebrant mentioned that we are in the 50 days of Easter. ‘Fifty days of Easter!’ she exclaimed and later when he mentioned ‘Pentecost’, she also exclaimed in wonder: ‘Pentecost!’ It caused me to remember that fifty days of Easter and Pentecost are indeed things to be proclaimed and exclaimed rather than listened to passively as I was doing before she spoke.
During the Prayers of the Faithful when the intention was for people who are sick, she whispered ‘That’s me’ and this put a face on those for whom we pray.
I walked out of church that day with an appreciation so much more than usual for the gift of faith.
- Sister Nancy Sullivan, csj