John McAreavey: Even minor changes require care and sensitivity

I want to begin by alerting Catholic people that there will be some changes in the text of the Mass. 

In Ireland and across the English-speaking world, these will be introduced in the autumn.

The most obvious change will be the response to the priest's greeting, "The Lord be with you". Instead of saying "And also with you", the congregation will say: "And with your spirit".

There will be some other changes in the Confiteor ("I confess"), the Gloria ("Glory be to God") and the Creed.

The Mass, however, is not changing.

The structure or shape of the Mass will remain as it has been since the changes that followed the Second Vatican Council.

The commitment of the church to celebrating Mass in the language of the people remains. 

This, however, is not always easy.

The text of the Mass is the most important faith document in the life of the church.

It is the product of a long history, beginning with the celebration of the Eucharist in the early church, which itself is closely modelled on the account of the Last Supper that we find in the 

Gospels and in the writings of St Paul.

It is not easy to translate every element of the Mass into the language of every day.

Changing the language of our prayers is a sensitive issue. We get used to forms of prayer that we have used for nearly 40 years. We feel at home with them and can use them almost without thinking.

The Irish bishops are aware that even relatively minor changes need to be introduced with care and sensitivity.

Over the next few months, resources of various kinds will be provided to alert people to the coming changes. 

Leaflets will be printed; booklets will be published; a DVD has been produced to help people to prepare for the use of the new version of the Missal. Material is available on the internet.

The important work will be done at parish level and will involve the congregations, as well as those who have particular roles. 

The Irish Church Music Association, at its annual conference in Maynooth this summer, will help church musicians adapt to the new texts.

While the texts of the Mass will take some time to bed down, I believe that over time they will open the riches of the faith of the church to a new generation of believers and will help to enrich their faith.

- John McAreavey

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