One of the most important elements within the Liturgy is "silence." At certain moments we need to be silent so we can "hear" the Word of God and pray to the risen Lord we receive in the Eucharist. In the weeks ahead, you will notice that we are leaving time after each reading for "silence" so that we can mediate on God's Word. We will do the same after communion so that we can pray to the Lord we have just received.