My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

There is nothing that touches our lives as Catholics more than the celebration of liturgy.  It is the heart, soul and summit of our belief as Catholics.  In fact, the adage in Latin is “lex credenti, lex orandi,” which means our way of belief depicts our way of praying.  Our belief is indeed strong and so is our attachment to the liturgy.  For approximately 400 years, from the Council of Trent to Vatican II, the Catholic Mass was unchanged.  Some said it was set in stone, but that stone was a precious gem, which is the Mass. 

Through the Second Vatican Council, for the first time the sacred texts were translated into the language of every country in which the Mass was celebrated.  Only the most sacred section of the ritual canon, the Eucharistic prayer, was not translated.  Eventually, however, there was a gradual translation and even the Eucharistic prayer was translated into the vernacular.  The translations, if you recall, were done with record speed. 

In 2001, the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments issued a document called “Liturgiam Authenticam” (“The Authentic Liturgy”), which dictates the methodology for translating.  In the past, our translations were not strictly literal.  All the translation services of all the bishops’ conferences of the world, however, have been asked to review the translations previously done, almost four years ago, to see if they are in conformity with the new principles of translation.  Although change is difficult, in reality this will mean some minor changes in the life of the liturgy.

At the time of the Second Vatican Council, I remember the tremendous feeling of freedom.  It was almost as if we, the young, were coming of age and the Church was giving us the opportunity to take responsibility for our own salvation.  There were phrases like, “see the signs of the times” and “open the windows and let the fresh air in.”  As for the Mass, it was wonderful to be able to understand every word in our own language; however, translation of that language still is a problem for us.  I believe the changes, which will be coming in the next several years, will result in a better celebration for us.

Some Catholics remain attached to the liturgy as it was celebrated prior to the Second Vatican Council, sometimes called the Tridentine liturgy since it came to us from the Council of Trent.  Anyone over 55 years of age remembers when Mass was celebrated in Latin and how there was a great spirit of mystery and solemnity, which sometimes may not be evident in our new way of celebrating the liturgy.  For those who believe this is a better way to celebrate, the Church made provision, during the Pontificate of John Paul II, for the continued celebration of the liturgy according to the pre-Vatican II Latin Mass. 

In our own Diocese, there are two locations where this Mass is celebrated: at Our Lady of Peace Church, Park Slope, every Sunday at 10 a.m. and at St. John’s Cemetery Chapel in Middle Village the second and fourth Sundays of the month at 9 a.m.  The Church tries to meet the needs of all her children, which is why the liturgy is allowed in the form more properly known as the Tridentine Mass.  

There is some speculation that Pope Benedict XVI will issue a decree whereby any priest can celebrate the pre-Vatican II Mass without a special permission from his own Bishop.  Currently, any priest wishing to celebrate the liturgy in that format must have the permission of his Bishop.  Believe me, it is not an easy liturgy to celebrate.  Although I never celebrated it as a priest, I was being prepared in liturgy classes for the Latin celebration and the rules for celebration were never easy to follow.  In fact, unfortunately, most priests never quite got it right.  If the Holy Father does issue this special decree, I do not believe that many priests will choose to exercise that right.

More recently, another change in the liturgy has presented new challenges for us; namely, the prohibition of Eucharistic Ministers from purifying the sacred vessels during or after the celebration of the liturgy.  The institution of Eucharist Ministers, now called more properly Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, caused some stir in the Church when it was established.  Eventually, however, people gradually saw the wisdom of this change, especially in regard to the ability of bringing the Eucharist to the sick on a more frequent basis, as well as facilitating the distribution of Communion during our liturgies since so many more people today are receiving Communion at Mass. 

The use of Extraordinary Ministers to purify the sacred vessels also facilitated the distribution of Holy Communion under two species.  In the instruction provided with past practice, the issue of distributing Communion under two species is addressed.  Although it is the more perfect sign of the Eucharist, we also believe that any one species of the Eucharist contains the full body and blood of Our Savior Jesus Christ.  We must exercise patience in accepting this decision of the Holy See.  I am sure we will find ways where we can maintain distribution of Communion under two species, while at the same time not overburdening our priests and deacons.

As Catholics, the liturgy is the most sacred possession we have.  Each time we attend the Eucharist it is like putting out into the deep because we find unexpected treasures, graces that we do not anticipate.  Let us keep ourselves focused on the true meaning of the liturgy and not be distracted by translations, rules and customs.  Rather, let us go to the heart of the matter because we are praying as we believe.  We ask the help of the Lord to deepen our faith and perfect our prayer.