by Vera Grant AMMM                                           Ireland                                     30.07.2025

All was not quiet as I approached the doors of the church.

The murmur of voices reminded me of going to funerals in our local Presbyterian and Church of Ireland places of worship where everyone would be talking, not only to those beside them but also in turning to greet those sitting behind. I remembered being quite shocked the first time it happened at what seemed to be a lack of respect for God’s house.

On opening the door, I heard the parish priest talking to the sacristan who was at the far end of the church and whilst he wasn’t shouting, his voice was raised and distinctly audible. I sat down and thought, this is rather nice, it’s like going into someone’s home and there is the chatter of voices in the background. The longer I sat and listened I realised that I was on edge, I felt unsettled, I couldn’t begin to pray and my concentration was zapped.

The talking between the two didn’t last that long but long enough for me to be discomforted. In a matter of minutes, I had switched from embracing the voices to wanting for them to stop.

There have been times at the end of Mass when all are filing out and we see people slowing down to say hello to a friend. I have done the same especially when it is someone I haven’t seen in a while only to be chastened and told not to be talking in church and to go outside.
Recently there was an article in the paper about a priest, Fr Brennan who penned a poem, ‘Not I Lord surely’ on what he considered to be one of the reasons why people do not come to church. In his view it was the cold indifference and quiet disdain of the regular church goers.
It can be difficult to greet people particularly the newcomers when there is no parish centre and people appear to rush out of Mass, into their cars and drive away. At times there are a few stragglers who stand huddled in a group, ‘gossiping’ as Fr Brennan remarked in his poem. It can make others feel excluded and the newcomer remains a stranger.

In today’s gospel St Luke talks about the sisters, Martha and Mary, the former welcoming Jesus before leaving him to go and prepare something to eat. Mary instead sat with Jesus and listened to his words.

What would I have done? Hospitality takes many forms, and it is in the welcoming that we feel loved and wanted. I would have been the one preparing the meal so when Jesus said that Mary in sitting to listen chose the better role makes me think that there is room for both and a need for there to be a balance in both action and prayer. The same balance that is needed in our Church for a time to talk and a time to pray.