When you enter the church, you have entered heaven on earth. The structure has been built solely to house a liturgy that brings you to a heavenly reality. In turn, the liturgy transforms our present world, and this is reflected in church architecture. But not even the Hagia Sophia nor Notre Dame Cathedral will elevate you unless you’re intentional about entering that dimension.
How do we enter sacred space? First, you might take some holy water to bring forward the privileges of your baptism. You genuflect. You’re attentive in sacred space, and your bodily posture always reflects this. Our Jewish forebears have a specific prayer upon entering a synagogue: the Ma Tovu. Our Byzantine brethren have a similar prayer and formalized customs. Even if our practices aren’t exactly the same, our own prayers and devotions form our hearts upon entering a church.
This leads us to how we orient our hearts during liturgy. We form children through the eyes of adults and adults through the eyes of children.
Children through the eyes of adultsOur children imitate us in church, but they also need practice at home. Set aside a prayer time and let them know that we are practicing for how we act in church. Instill a sense of wonder so as to build enthusiasm and anticipation for Mass. Reward them for being quiet and attentive (as attainable for their age) and gradually increase the duration. (This page, published a few years ago, provides additional suggestions for children in church.)
Adults through the eyes of childrenOnce we instill this sense of wonder in our children, we will want to see things through their eyes. This perspective is a reminder for all of us, whether or not we have children alongside. Romano Guardini famously wrote the following about our liturgy: [It] is clothed in colors and garments foreign to everyday life. . . . it is in the highest sense the life of a child, in which everything is picture, melody and song. Such is the wonderful fact which the liturgy demonstrates: it unites act and reality in a supernatural childhood before God.”This wonder and this disposition begins as soon as we step into the church. May we always enter this reality with eyes wide open and interior joy.
In Christ,
Fr. Scharbach
But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you. (Psalm 5:7)
[From earlier in the series: Your game face on, the night before, at home before Mass, ardent prayers, and sacramental travel.]