There is a story about one of the first Masses where microphones were used. The priest began Mass is the usual way with the sign of the cross. However, he didn't hear his voice echoing throughout the church as he expected. So he tapped on the microphone and hearing nothing said, "There's something wrong with this microphone." Not hearing what the priest said, the congregation replied in unison, "And also with you."

The Mass that we celebrate is an incredible gift from God, but it is a gift to which we are so accustomed and familiar that we that we can easily go through on autopilot saying our responses and prayers without really thinking about them. The Mass is so central to our life of faith, yet we often spend little time seeking to understand it better. Certainly, God is the one truly doing the action at Mass whether we understand or not, but God is not content to have us as passive spectators. Over the next year we will have an incredible opportunity to renew our passion for the Mass and to deepen our understanding of this great gift.

For several years, the Church has been working on a new translation of the Mass into English. It has finally been approved and will be used beginning November 27, 2011-the First Sunday of Advent in 2011-about one year from today. This new translation will mean change. It will, in fact, change some of the words to which we are very accustomed, even "And also with you." Change can be difficult, but change necessarily happens in this world. Though God doesn't change, but we must change and grow. Some people are already getting worked-up and upset by the coming changes, demanding to know who thinks they have a right to change my Mass. Aside from perhaps wondering why they don't have better things to be worried about, it is important to remember that the Mass is not mine or yours or even ours. It is His. It is his death and resurrection that we celebrate, and as Catholics we believe that He continues to guide it through His Church. The new translation won't be perfect, and we are free to question and quibble about all kinds of details. Yet, we make those quibbles in the context of a Church filled with the Holy Spirit and guided by Christ.

The Mass indeed is a gift, not something that we devised or designed but something that we received. The only fitting gift of worship that we can offer God is one that he has first given to us. We are like a small child, needing our mother's help to make a birthday gift for her. A child needs Mom to provide the construction paper, the glue, and the glitter and to even spell out the words that are used. Certainly, as a child grows, he can do more for himself. Some children may grow and discover that they can give their mothers whatever they want, whether it's something they themselves like or simply whatever is most convenient. Yet, other children mature and strive to know and understand their mothers better in order to get them gifts that will be dear to them, choosing things that require planning and sacrifice. It is these children that we want to imitate in our relationship with God. When we worship God at Mass, we don't seek to do what fits us best or what's most convenient for us, but what we believe he has revealed to us through the guidance of His Church. No humanly designed worship could ever be adequate for God, and so God gave us the Mass. It is the opportunity to join in Christ's worship of His Father-Christ's sacrifice of Himself to His father. The Mass allows us to become part of that gift.

The translation that we currently use was made in 1973--37 years ago. Very few things have remained unchanged in 37 years; just think of the upgrades we've made to our computers in that time. More important than the age of the translation is the fact that it was the first attempt to translate it into English. The revision of the Mass that was being translated had just been made 4 years earlier in 1969. Certainly, the translation we've been using has brought great blessings to the Church. We have had the opportunity to celebrate Mass in English, our own language. Yet, the new translation will ultimately make that even better. It is a more accurate translation catching more subtle nuances and giving us more to ponder as we worship. It is a more elegant translation, not just using bigger words but using better words even though they are not always everyday words. And finally, it is a more Biblical translation. Many people do no realize that almost everything we say and pray at Mass is a quote or reference to Sacred Scripture, not just the readings but almost every single word. We Catholics pray the Scripture every time we go to Mass only we often don't realize it because the translation found in our Bibles is currently so different from translation used in the Mass.

Throughout this coming year, I will continue to write about the new translation. I encourage you to see it as a great opportunity for growth and a chance to deepen your participation in Mass-indeed, an opportunity to penetrate more deeply into Jesus' love for his Father.

Fr. Darren Pierre, O.P.
Promoter for the Lay and Priestly Fraternities of St. Dominic, Province of St. Joseph

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