Q - A few weeks ago at Mass I sat in front of a woman who was very loud. It wasn't that she was talking to others, but she was almost yelling the responses of the congregation during Mass. I almost turned around and said something to her, because it was so distracting, but thought better of it. What do you think I should have done, if anything?
A - Thanks for the question. I think all of us have experienced such distractions from others in Mass. There can be a number of reasons that someone is too loud during the congregation's parts in the Mass:
- they don't know how loud they are
- they want others to notice them
- they are very zealous about the faith
- they are naturally very loud
Furthermore, we need to learn that we cannot control other people's actions, but we can control how we react to them. I believe it is best to offer up prayers for those people who distract and annoy us.
Not to those who are very loud in Mass - please realize that you can cause a distraction for others and that it is better to keep your volume on an average level rather than loud. I promise God can still hear you.
I hope this helps.
FURTHER READING:
***20 Tips for Proper Etiquette In Mass
***How To Get More Out of Mass?
***Talking in Church. What Should I Do About It?
agh that's one of my biggest pet peeves when people say the responses louder (and a bit slower) or sing louder than everyone else. unity is key!
ReplyDeleteDon't forget the possibility of someone being deaf or partly deaf. I remember a very pious celebrant at an EF Mass saying eveything that should have been quiet in quite a loud voice - he thought he was whispering!
ReplyDeleteI agree that it's best to say nothing, but I too am easily distracted by overly loud responses. I wish I wasn't, but truthfully I get distracted by most anything easily, so I just found a way to solve the problem.
ReplyDeleteSit in the front (first couple rows). Sitting in front of those who are distracting tends to be less of a distraction for me.
I actually wish more people with young children sat up front. In my observation (no I don't have kids, it's just what I notice), In most cases, the young children who sit at the front of the Church are better behaved during Mass 'cos they're paying attention and not too distracted.