More than words

A prayer meeting organized by the Taizé community.
Credit: Christian Pulfrich, CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED, Wikimedia 

As human beings, we are sentient creatures with the capacity to taste, hear, see, touch, and smell. God speaks to all our senses, not merely to our intellects or inner hearts. When we receive and taste what appears to be bread and wine in the Eucharist, we participate in something sacred and real. When we hear the Word of God proclaimed, we are listening to words of both divine and human authorship. Saint Paul reminds us that ‘faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ’ (Romans 10:17). When we see beautiful works of art in a church, we are often moved to awe, praise and thanksgiving.

When we touch items such as a crucifix, rosary beads or other blessed objects, we are reminded of God's grace and action in our lives, often associated with the intercession of the saints and angels. As a child, I treasured a small luminous object that glowed in the dark. Whenever I felt nervous at night, I would hold it tightly in my hand and find comfort in its presence. Similarly, when we use holy water to make the Sign of the Cross, we profess our faith in the Holy Trinity and are reminded of the mystery of our baptism.

When we smell incense at a liturgical celebration such as Mass, Vespers, or Benediction, our senses are drawn more deeply into what is taking place. Certain scents can evoke powerful memories. I recall the distinctive smell of a monastic church filled with wooden furnishings. Whenever I enter that church, the familiar scent immediately brings me back, prompting the thought: "Ah yes, I am back in this place."

We are material as well as spiritual beings. Contrary to the Manichaean and other dualistic errors opposed by Saint Augustine, matter and the material world are good because they are created by God. What counts is how we use material things for the good of others and the glory of God. In the Divine Liturgy, our senses are engaged in ways that help us enter more deeply into prayer and into the mystery of God's presence. The use of incense, for example, highlights the sacredness of the altar, the Book of the Gospels, the ministers, and the people of God gathered in worship. As the psalmist says: ‘Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice’ (Psalm 141:2).

Church bells also serve a special purpose in calling people to prayer, whether in the countryside around Taizé in France or in the centre of Dublin, where peals of bells ring across the city at regular intervals on a Sunday morning. At Mass, bells are traditionally rung at the moment of consecration and sometimes at other significant moments. Their sound seems to say: pay attention, recollect yourself, and leave other concerns behind for a while. Even today, the Irish national broadcaster continues to sound the Angelus bell every evening at six o'clock on radio and television.

The use of candles in worship is another way in which our senses are engaged. A burning candle symbolises presence, reverence, and Christ, the Light of the World. The lighting of the Paschal Candle at the Easter Vigil is one of the most striking moments of the liturgical year and marks the beginning of the Church's celebration of the Resurrection.

Music and chanting likewise enrich solemn worship. They lift minds and hearts to God while inviting the whole assembly to participate. For this reason, it is somewhat incongruous that congregational singing appears to be rather limited in many Irish Catholic churches. Some churches do not even provide hymn books or service sheets. Saint Augustine is often quoted as saying: ‘He who sings prays twice’. The meditative chanting found in traditions such as the Eastern Orthodox liturgy or the prayers of the Taizé Community can be especially conducive to contemplation and prayer.

Finally, the layout and architecture of a church can provide powerful signs of God's presence and draw our attention to holy things. Whether it is the soaring arches of a medieval cathedral or a simple stone church set within a beautiful landscape, church buildings connect us with the worship of the whole Church, both in heaven and on earth.  Every part of a traditional Catholic church is intended to communicate that it is a sacred space, set apart for the worship of God.