I cannot begin to describe how happy I was when I saw Fr. Daren Zehnle point to the copy of the new Order of Mass as recently given recognitio by the Holy See. I took a brief few moments to scan it while on lunch and from what I can see two things come to mind.
- There is an awful lot of new learning to do – which is good because so many people just repeat prayers they’ve learned by rote without contemplating what the words they’re saying mean. This gives everyone, particularly the clergy, a built-in opportunity to catechize on the Mass and the prayers therein. So often the only thing stopping this is the lack of an “opening” to start the discussion. Well, my friends, this is a wide-open door with “Please Enter” in large letters.
- The prayers are much more beautiful than what we have now. Yes, some seem a touch sticky right now but that owes at least as much to familiarity as to any real problems. It is not just the particular word choices of which I speak that to me brings this to the front – it is also the depth of meaning and a nearly emotional character to the terminology. Perhaps it is overstating it, but perhaps it is not, to say I sense a greater amount of agape in these prayers rather than the filios one can sometimes sense in the current translation.
Again, as I said, these are only a couple of reflections based on a review of but a few minutes, so if I’m wildly off base do feel free to say so. Whatever you do, start reading the new Order prayerfully and don’t wait for another offer – do it now so you can have all the time you need with these new prayers.
