Why is there so little talking out loud at the Traditional Latin Mass?
One of the first things people notice when they come to Mass in the Extraordinary Form is the silence in which the prayers are said. Mass in both forms is a prayer to God. We pray to God not only through words and actions but through accepting His words and contemplating them. If there is too much activity or an over emphasis on what people are doing, one can be distracted from that essential prayer. When the prophet Elijah prayed, he did not recognize God in the earthquake, strong winds or flashes of fire but in the whisper. Following his example, we know that God speaks in the silence and it is us who need to learn how to listen.