Homily for the Week of October 9, 2011

Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2011

Isaiah 25: 6-10; Psalm 23; Philippians : 12-14; Matthew 22: 1-14

In seven weeks from this weekend Catholics in the United States will begin to use a revised translation of the Mass prayers and responses. This change may be a challenge because we are used to do what we used to do. Some of the new phrases may seem awkward at first, but for most the more familiar responses of the Mass will come automatically. The change is an opportunity for you and your family to grow in faith and deepen your understanding and participation in the Mass. As you reflect upon the Mass and what you are saying, you will find that certain prayers which you used to say almost automatically will take on new meaning. It may take a while to get used to the new wording, but it’s still the same Mass. We will be using the same Mass words as people all over the world.

From the time of Jesus the Mass includes two parts: the words and prayers of Jesus at His Last Supper, and the readings from the Bible. As a Jew Jesus used very much the synagogue service that he was use to. But he added the Eucharist, the Holy Communion that you and I receive. For the first three hundred years of the Catholic church Catholics gathered in private homes. There were no churches because the Roman authorities had laws against Catholics. A bishop would come to the home where Catholics gathered. They would participate in Mass with him. Very often he would Baptize and marry. The language used was usually Hebrew or Greek.

When Constantine became Roman emperor he allowed Catholics to worship publicly, and so they started building churches. People became Catholics, and Bishops called men to become priests so as to help him. The Church then put together a book called a Mass book for prayers, music and Bible readings. Over a period of about 1200 years many additions were made. In the 1500’s the Council of Trent put together an official Mass book written in Latin and which would be used by all Catholics throughout the world. It was called the Roman Missal. The language was Latin. Only the priest and the altar server participated in the Mass. Most of the time you would kneel, say your Rosary or your own personal prayers. And once or twice a year you would be invited to come to the altar rail to receive communion.

In the 1960’s that this was changed. Like this afternoon, you and the priest participate in the prayers in English. You kneel, stand and sit at appropriate times. Two books are used: the one on the altar which has the Mass prayers and the one here in the pulpit which has the Bible readings.

In seven weeks we will be using the third edition of the Roman Missal. Not all of the words or phrases of the Mass prayers are changing. The order and structure of the Mass will not change at all, The Bible readings and parts of many of the prayers will remain the same. Most of the changes will affect what you hear than what you say. The revised translations are much closer to the Latin text than the ones we have been using. They show more clearly that the words we use for prayer have their roots in the Bible. As an example the priest’s greeting The Lord be with you will now be responded to by you as And with your Spirit which is an exact translation from the Latin Et cum Spiritu tuo.

Hearing the new translation will encourage us to realize that much of the Mass are words taken directly from the Bible. For example when I hold the chalice with wine and say the words of consecration, today I will say: IT WILL BE SHED FOR YOU AND FOR ALL. On November 27th I will says: IT WILL BE POURED OUT FOR YOU AND FOR MANY. What happened to ALL? These are the words that Jesus used at the Last Supper. Also, if you go back and read the Bible reading I just read you will notice that not everyone was invited to the wedding feast that Jesus talks about today. Jesus died for everyone. Jesus’ death was an act that offers forgiveness of sin to everyone — past, present, and future.

We learn that, although salvation is offered to everyone, not everyone accepts it. It is not that God has limited His offer of salvation, it is that some who have received the offer have rejected it. The problem Jesus pointed out was that those who had rejected the offer did not see themselves as having rejected it.

Many of us think of Mass as a private experience. But it's not! It's a communion – a coming together with others to become one in community by increasing our personal and communal union with Christ. We enter the church as individuals and leave as the Body of Christ on earth. Every part of Mass builds up to this communion, and the changes in the Mass help make this more real. We enter the church as sinners; sin – because it’s unloving – separates us from one another and from God. That is why, early in the Mass, at the invitation of the priest, we experience Jesus as we seek forgiveness in the Penance Rite. Rather than to be too concern about the changes, I invite you to use the next seven weeks to appreciate the Mass like you have never done before. Take home a booklet at the entrance to the church and read it as a family. Also take home a card that has all the changes. Keep these at home. I will have cards in the pews for November 26th.