Father Longenecker is all for the new translation, but he says we shouldn’t expect any miracles when it comes to the solemnity of the Mass:
What is more important than the words is how the Mass is celebrated by both the priest and the people. I am quite sure that when the new Mass is introduced that Fr. Folkmass will still celebrate Mass in his usual game show host style while other priests will celebrate the Mass casually and carelessly. Many Americans will still shuffle into Mass late wearing shorts and flip flops. Comfort hymns and crooners with hand held microphones will still lead the music and politically correct former nuns will still bully everyone into singing protest anthems instead of hymns.
Mass isn’t reverent simply because you start using lofty language that ‘sounds religious’. True reverence is the fruit of a condition of heart. Reverence in worship is a by product of a certain type of Catholic mindset. It is not the automatic product of a particular form of words.
Orthodox. Faithful. Free.
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The real problem, Father Longenecker says, is that “Catholics (priests and people) have stopped really believing the Catholic faith.” So maybe those pew cards with the new translation that Magnificat is working on should include something about transubstantiation, too — and a little “no flip flops” symbol for good measure…
Read Father’s full post here.