April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
ROMAN MISSAL
Mass changes settle in
Some church-goers view the changes to the Mass instituted in Advent as poetic and a more accurate translation of the original Latin text. Others see the differences as awkward and intimidating. Some still question their necessity.
But most local Catholics interviewed by The Evangelist do seem to agree that the actual learning process has gone smoothly. They don't expect to cling to worship aids forever.
Nick Casale of St. Michael the Archangel parish in Troy was one of many who saw the changes as "no big deal."
Prayer cards used at St. Michael's make it easy to say the right words, he explained, and the new translation of the Roman Missal "doesn't change the faith."
Inevitable
Mary Martin of Christ Our Light parish in Loudonville said the changes aren't major and she has already memorized some of them.
"I think it's more on the side of the priest," she said. "We all have to make changes in life."
"What changes?" joked Sam Robideau of Christ Our Light. "It's still in English."
Like others, Mr. Robideau said he does slip up when responding to the priest's "the Lord be with you" greeting, accidentally reverting to "and also with you" (instead of the new, "and with your spirit"), even though Christ Our Light projects the responses on a screen.
Similar problems have been providing comic relief all over the Diocese.
"We all laugh," noted Rev. Gary Gelfenbien, pastor of St. James parish in Chatham - where, he said, parishioners "don't want to be bound to those cards. They're used to autopilot."
Sometimes, Father Gelfenbien added, people say the wrong words even when they're reading from cards.
The "and with your spirit" response, as well as the new use of the word "consubstantial" in the Nicene Creed, continues to trap many worshipers. Some of the priests' new parts - such as the switch from, "for you and for all," to, "for you and for many," during the eucharistic prayer - have confused people.
Still wondering
Charlene Jackson, a parishioner at St. Michael's, wondered about the use of the phrase "visible and invisible" instead of the former "seen and unseen" during the Nicene Creed.
"I think we could have left it as is," Mrs. Jackson remarked. "I don't understand why [all the changes] occurred."
Brenda Rivera, a parishioner of the Black Catholic Apostolate at St. Joan of Arc parish in Menands, said the new translation reminds her of her pre-Vatican II Catholic school days.
"It reverts us back to doing what the bishops feel is sound theology," Ms. Rivera said. "It is, to me, what we knew before."
The language used after the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s, when the Mass first began to be celebrated in English, made people feel comfortable and involved, Ms. Rivera opined; the process used to choose the new translation did not.
Michael Hovish, a college student who attends Christ Our Light, countered that he likes the new translation: "I think it makes you think about the meaning." The confusion, he said, "will go away with time."
To Latin aficionado Sean Caron of Immaculate Conception parish in Glenville, the changes are positive.
"The whole world had a Mass that was based on the Roman Missal except the English-speaking world," Mr. Caron said. "Anything that puts us on the same footing and makes the Church more catholic [i.e. universal] is a great thing. The Gospel says that everybody should be one, and this change is a great way to do that."
Latin lover
Mr. Caron remained interested in Latin after learning it in high school 30 years ago. He says phrases like "visible and invisible" are more accurate translations, since "invisible" means unable to be seen. "Unseen" leaves the potential to be seen again.
"The whole spiritual world is an unseen world," he explained, "and yet it's real. I love that one."
He delights in other changes, such as the biblical "I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof" and the switch from "we believe" to "I believe" during the Nicene Creed. The latter injects a balance into the personal and communal aspects of the Mass, he said.
Mr. Caron drew attention to one of the priest's eucharistic prayers: "Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall."
"The new translation has much more imagery, is much more poetic," Mr. Caron said.
The language is also more challenging, he added, but "I don't think it's a bad thing for people to be challenged."
The Second Vatican Council had advocated for more lay participation in the Church. Mr. Caron believes the new Mass changes have created that: "People are paying much closer attention to the Mass - because you have to. I think it's a gift."[[In-content Ad]]
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