Le silence dans la célébration de l’Eucharistie : une étude et une analyse des sources liturgiques d’après le concile Vatican II

Silence is a liturgical behaviour in which all are invited to participate, and as emphasized by the Second Vatican Council, has a prominent place in the Holy Mass. Silence favours the active participation of the faithful and offers an anthropological dimension fully implicating each person during the celebration of the Blessed Sacrament. It contributes to the Holy Order of the Mass, allowing to pass from one ritual to the other calmly and without haste; respecting the need of silence is intrinsic to the ars celebrandi. Silence favours an interior spirit whereby the liturgy is enriched by the presence of each person. In effect, it allows each person, at given moments in Mass, to collect oneself, to meditate on what has been heard, to pray and to give thanks. Silence keeps a discreet yet essential place in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. The faithful's encounter with God is genuinely enhanced through Liturgical silence; it allows the faithful to be conscious of being in His presence, and with the help of the Holy Spirit to receive His word and respond. Therefore, let us not forget the pedagogical and missionary element of Silence in the Mass.