New Missal Coming: This is Going to be Interesting

During Mass yesterday - or, rather, in the announcements - we heard about the new Roman Missal. Again.

Change Happens

So, how do I 'really feel' about the first serious change in how we celebrate the Mass since I converted to Catholicism?

It doesn't matter how I feel: there's a change coming, and I expect that I'll have some learning to do.

First, to learn how to participate under the new procedures.

Second, to learn why the changes were made.

For what it's worth, I think that the changes are important: and have been seriously considered. For that reason, I welcome them.

Not-So-Little Changes

One of the changes involve the first-person pronoun used in the Nicene Creed. The way we've been saying it is this:

"We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen...."

Soon I'll be saying "I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible...."

Another change is "seen and unseen" to "visible and invisible." There is a difference, by the way.

The priest in Sauk Centre's 'other' parish (St. Paul's) has been writing a series of short articles for our bulletins. I haven't been paying as close attention to those as I think I should - and I'm getting off-topic.

New Missal: This isn't 'Sudden'

The old curmudgeon in me may totter into the control room of my mind when these changes take effect, mostly to complain about the folks who are complaining about the new Missal.

Maybe I'm 'borrowing trouble,' but I'm pretty sure that there will be complaints. That:

• 'Nobody told us' about the new Missal
• Mass was better in the 'good old days'
  • Post-Vatican-II 'good old days'
• The new Missal should have brought back Mass 'just the way it was'
  • In the pre-Vatican-II 'good old days'

Oh, well: that's human nature.

I may find something to complain about, myself. But I hope that I'll have the good sense to figure out why I'm bothered - and learn why I need to accept what the Church is teaching.

That's no great virtue on my part. Before I became a Catholic, I did a lot of thinking about Catholicism, the Catholic Church, my Lord, and the last two millennia of the great commission. (Matthew 28:16-20) I've got a pretty good idea of why I believe what I believe.

There's "tradition" - and "Tradition"

I also know that there's a difference between the sort of nostalgia that's sometimes meant when folks say "tradition," and the Tradition of the Catholic Church. (October 2, 2008) And that's another topic.

Mostly for my own convenience, I put together a cluster of links to some of the pages at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) website, that deal with the new Missal. It's not that I think the regional offices are more important than the Holy See. I live in this country, and it's simple good sense to take guidance from the bishops who deal directly with the cultures of my homeland.

USCCB:

• Committee on Divine Worship
  • Home Page
  • "Statement by the USCCB Committee on Divine Worship"
    (November 18, 2010)
    About the status of the Roman Missal, Third Edition
• "Third Edition Roman Missal"
  From the Committee on Divine Worship
  • "FAQ"
  • "Changes in the Priest's Parts - Introductory Rite"
  • "Changes in the People's Parts"

Related posts:

• "Becoming Catholic for Reasons, Leaving Because of Feelings"
  (August 5, 2010)
• "A 'Traditional' Catholic? Yes and No"
  (July 31, 2010)
• "Roman Missal, Third Edition: I've got Hopes, and Fears"
  (June 2, 2010)
• "The Catholic Church: Universal. Really"
  (April 19, 2010)