Catholic Transcript Online

On Nov. 27, the first Sunday of Advent, we will begin to use the Roman Missal, Third Edition in all the churches and chapels of our Archdiocese.

We have been preparing for this development for some time in our Archdiocese. Seminars, workshops, retreats, books, pamphlets, and newspaper columns have been most helpful. Practices in parishes, both of the music involved and the language, have been conducted.

Please do not be nervous or upset. There is no change in the ritual. The language, however, is closer to the Latin and is more reflective of sacred Scripture. In its wonderful imagery and heartfelt prayers, it is better than the two previous editions. I believe it speaks with greater edification to our hearts and minds. It lifts our souls. There is more wonder and awe conveyed in this edition. It summons us to more impressive reverence as we address God.

Which brings us to an important point: With all the preparations that have been conducted, we should be even more concerned about our immediate preparation for every Mass in which we participate. When we enter our parish church, there should be silence before the Mass begins. The church is not the place for informal, and often loud, conversations before Mass begins and after Mass ends.

Over the years, plazas and obelisks were built in front of churches to remind us that we are approaching the house of God, a sacred place. Time before Mass should enable us to express our personal silent prayers in preparation for the sacred liturgy. Time after Mass should not be spent in ongoing conversations. The church again should be quiet, to facilitate the personal prayers for those remaining in church.

The church vestibules, outside areas and parish halls are the appropriate places to have our conversations and carry forward our encounters with others.

The introduction of the Third Edition of the Roman Missal should not be consumed with worry over new words. More fundamentally, we should be addressing the richness of the Mass and its enormous impact on our day and on our week. Careful study of and reflection on the prayers of the Mass, both those we recite and those of the priest, deacon and lector, are magnificent exercises to deepen our appreciation of the Mass and the resources of our spiritual lives.

There is a cross erected on the top of every Catholic church. We are reminded that the Mass is the reenactment of the Sacrifice of the Cross of Jesus Christ our Redeemer, who died and rose for us. When we celebrate parish anniversary Masses, we recall all the sacrifices made by people over the years, holding down jobs, raising families, caring for the sick, burying the dead, etc. We are mindful of all the sacraments and feasts that have been celebrated. There are joys and sorrows, successes and failures, aspirations and disappointments that have been marked, but they are all brought to the Mass as the center of our lives.

The Mass is the source and center of our Christian lives every week, and for some people, every day. We bring to the altar all our prayers, our works, our love for God and our neighbors. We offer all of this in union with Jesus Christ on the altar in thanksgiving for all we have received and in petition for the challenges ahead of us. We are reminded of our need for forgiveness and our efforts at reparation. With all in the church, we bring together our adoration of God in humble recognition of all God has given us.

In our prayers in the Mass, we are joined with the Blessed Virgin Mary, the saints and those who have gone before us. We celebrate the wondrous mystery of the Communion of Saints.

Missalettes and cards will be available to assist us in the prayers of the people. When the priest says, "The Lord be with you," we will answer, "And with your spirit." That expression brings us back 40 years to the way we used to celebrate and deepens the tone of our prayers. There are some changes in the Penitential Rite of the Mass, the Gloria, the Nicene Creed and the Apostles’ Creed, the Invitation to Prayer, the Preface Dialogue, the Sanctus, the Mystery of Faith, the Invitation to Communion and the Response to the Invitation.

I have no doubt that we will all be attuned to these changes very quickly and that we will be in favor of them. May the Third Edition of the Roman Missal provide wonderful opportunities for profound spiritual renewal in our lives. May our celebrations of the Mass send us forward to even more meaningful service of God and the people of God.

Archbishop’s Annual Appeal 2011

The total as of this writing is $9,621,203, which is $560,943 higher than at this time last year. Your generosity is phenomenal. The needs continue to multiply. Every day, we hear stories of husbands and wives who have both lost their jobs, of hunger among children, of food banks and soup kitchens running low. In this month of Thanksgiving, I offer you my heartfelt gratitude for your sensitivity and effective awareness. May your goodness be abundantly rewarded in God’s love. Happy Thanksgiving!