This past Thursday we began a new month. As I turned the page on my calendar, I thought about all the times I've turned this particular page, ushering in September. Because I am a “summer person,” this is a difficult transition for me, as the new month is usually a harbinger of colder evenings, as well as the first day of autumn. But eventually I accept the drop in temperature and get used to the idea that fall will arrive soon!
This coming Advent the Church will “turn a page” in history. The words we are used to praying during Mass will change on November 27, 2011, the first Sunday of Advent. The Third Edition of the Roman Missal will be implemented in all English speaking countries. People will have new texts and music to learn. In the coming weeks I will be teaching new sung parts of the Mass in the Glory to God, the Holy, and the Mystery of Faith (formerly the Memorial Acclamation).
There is also a detailed summary of the reasons for these changes in the pamphlet rack in the vestibule of the church, and soon there will be Missal cards placed in the pews to further help us.
“And With Your Spirit”
Many times during the Mass we hear the priest greet us with the words, “the Lord be with you,” to which we now respond, “and also with you.” In the new translation the people will answer, “and with your spirit.” This new text is a literal translation of the Latin, “et cum spiritu tuo,” assuring the priest that the Lord is with his spirit as he celebrates Mass and performs the duties he was ordained to do.
As we "turn this page" in the Church's history, we must remember that the words we pray in the liturgy, many of which are from the Scriptures, are the very words of God; inviting us, healing us, enriching us and transforming us.
