On the Implementation of the New Missal...

I was reading through the USCCB's guide to Implementation of the New Missal yesterday. My colleague and I were talking about how a lot of the spin is really aimed at a small minority of the Faithful.

I predict that the new Missal translation is really not going to bother most of the congregation. A five minute talk at the end of Mass on why the new Missal (presumably not the week before), and then the new rules for translation (laid down in Liturgiam Authenticam) calling for a more literal rendering of the Latin, give an example of a new translation of a prayer, compared to an old one, and that should really do it (ex. go look up the collect for the 4th Sunday of Advent... it will blow your mind!).

Here's why I think that this is all it will take. A few weeks back, we were very blessed to host the kids from Wyoming Catholic College, who come every winter to do a week-long winter outdoor experience, and stay at the parish. Part of their week-long routine, of course, is the spiritual component. The campus chaplain comes along for the week, and offers daily Mass. The college has a weekly Mass in the Extraordinary Form, held on Wednesdays when school is in session.

Knowing this, and my own affinity toward the usus antiquior, I made arrangements for them to have the EF on the Wednesday of their stay here. I also invited several parishioners who had never attended a Mass in the traditional form, and we had all of our elementary school kids from the after school program come along, as well.

The response (from the parishioners) was overwhelmingly positive! Though they were a bit confused about some of the differences in the Mass (I had handouts available), they were simply blown away with the noble simplicity of the Roman Rite. It was nothing grand or fancy, just a simple Low Mass, but it truly elevated their hearts to contemplate Christ-- indeed, what Mass should do.This is exactly what the Council Fathers called for when they wrote of the desire for the faithful to engage in a "full, conscious, and active participation" in the Mass. Even our elementary school kids responded very well to it.

Similarly, over Christmas, we travelled home to MN, where we had the baptism of our new baby in the EF, and then a Missa Cantata afterward. All of our relatives, many whom had either not been to a "Tridentine Mass" since their childhood, or never at all, responded very positively.

Now, of course, there was some confusion, but in both circumstances, most all of the folks in attendance said that, with a little bit of repetition, they would be very comfortable with having it offered regularly, and in fact (in the case of the relatives), would love it as an alternative to the uninspiring, protestantized Masses they have access to currently (their diocese is not in very good shape at all).

Now, if good, faithful Catholics, who had never had any experience of the Extraordinary Form, can walk away from a much more complicated form of the Mass, and not know the responses, and still have an intensely personal encounter with Christ, then I don't think changing a few words of the Mass in English is going to be the end of the world.

Which brings me back to the USCCB's guide for implementation... Both myself and my colleague were confused as to why we really need to spend a whole YEAR working on implementation. As I read through the document, I couldn't help but notice the absence of reference to Redemptionis Sacramentum, the document from the CDWDS on abuses regarding the Eucharist. Also noteworthy in this handy guide was the blurring of roles of ministers involved in the Mass-- for example, the equating of an Acolyte and Lector with an altar server and reader. Presuming best intentions possible on the authors, perhaps they were trying to K.I.S.S.,  but still, though lay ministers can be used in the Mass, there is a lot of nuance in Church teaching on when, how, and why, and that should be noted.

The real reason, I think, that there is so much frenzy over this new missal is in the fact that there is still a wrong-headed notion of "active participation," especially among "liturgists," and so all of the effort is on mobilizing the troops, making sure we involve all of the lay ministries.

For "everyone else" (i.e, those not involved in liturgical ministries) it seemed as though the document was trying to do a PR campaign on the Mass to get them on board. Many of these liturgists say that we need to do this, especially in the wake of the new bout of clergy abuse, the people in the pews don't need more upheaval. And maybe there's a fair point-- the Mass, after all, should be a stabilizing factor in the life of a Catholic.

But as I said, I think all that really needs to happen is a short, 5-minute explanation on why, and then to simply allow the Faithful to pray... Indeed, what an opportunity for us to all think about what it is we are praying, perhaps even for the first time.

There were some really very good things in the guide, but I can't help but think as a whole it's a very "Americanist" approach to things.

My advice to anyone involved in implementation of the Missal... do catechesis on the Eucharist. Talk about why we would even bother to come to Mass at all, and whether it makes a difference, anyway. 

Talk about how the Incarnation, God becoming man, has changed everything-- and we can't turn back from that. Talk about how we experience this mystery, the Incarnation, every time we come to Mass.

Once we have had an authentic encounter with Christ, then the words, especially with a more accurate rendering of the prayers in Latin, simply lead us more deeply in to that very mystery. Work on that, and no-one is going to make a huge fuss over words like "consubstantial," or "ineffable".

If we start to cultivate a "eucharistic orientation," then everything else will fall in to place. This new missal is a start--  it's a big deal, but let's not make it a bigger deal than it is, and rather, focus our energies on other things, as well. Like what, you might ask? Well, Pope Benedict has quite a few suggestions...

UPDATE:

Many thanks to the good folks over at ThePulp.it for re-posting my blog. For those visiting, feel free to leave a comment in the combox-- my blog is pretty new, but I hope to be posting regularly about all sorts of things. I hope you'll check back in the future. God bless you, and prayers for you this day!

(For those who haven't found this great site, I'd highly recommend it, especially for those who don't have all day to browse all of the very good blogs and Catholic news sources out there)