Mass Changes

This article got me all worked up because it seems to be affirming change for the sake of change:

"As Catholics of the archdiocese prayed in new and unfamiliar ways at Mass last weekend, parish leaders say introduction of the new translation of the Roman Missal has enhanced attentiveness and worship even though it will take time to break habits developed during 40 years with the old text.

While congregations learned prayers and adjusted to music settings reflecting the new text that English-speaking Catholics worldwide began using in liturgies for the first Sunday of Advent, many area parishes also appreciated the chance to slow down and think more about meeting Christ.

At St. Michael in Prior Lake, a sense of unity developed during the liturgies, despite a few minor mistakes, said Angie O’Brien music director. “There was kind of a renewed sense of worship because everybody was just attentive and listening and absorbing it in a different way,” said O’Brien, who also directs the Saturday teen choir at Pax Christi in Eden Prairie. “It kind of breathed some new life into our worship.”"

Quite aside from the question of the content of the changes, I didn't find that paying attention to differences and trying not to trip up enhanced my appreciation of the mass. The liturgy is built on the idea that once the words are familiar and slip off the tongue, you enter more fully into the worship. Otherwise, you should just change the liturgy up every week to keep people guessing.

I'm certainly not saying that the changes are bad, nor that the liturgy should never change; I just think this is a great example of why there are and should be pretty weighty reasons to change the liturgy. (My experience with the new mass translation was not helped out by the fact that the pamphlets that were used at the parish I attended in Williamsport were terrible--some of my tripping up was because the directions were not clear. My experience with the Magnificat guide was much better.).