Reflections on the New Mass Translation

On November 27, 20011, the First Sunday of Advent, the words to our Mass will be changing. When the first translation of the Latin into English came out post-Vatican II, the translation was rushed and did not accurately reflect the original Latin text. The new translation of the Mass will bring the text closer to the original Latin. Parishioners may feel that this is a step backwards from the intent of Vatican II. I can tell you nothing could be further from the truth!

I recently attended a workshop on the new Mass and had the chance to delve into the new translation. It was explained to us that the original Latin contained many references to Scripture that were altered, or removed, in our current translation. The bishops felt, at that time, that Catholics had not had a lot of exposure to Sacred Scripture and parishioners would feel lost in the English Mass. In the years that followed, we became more familiar with Scripture through the daily and Sunday readings and we began to study the Bible in small Bible study groups. We became more familiar with our Biblical roots. Now we are ready for a more accurate translation steeped in scripture.

During the upcoming weeks together we will be reflecting upon the New Mass. We will start publishing side-by-side comparisons of the old and new translations. Change is always difficult but we ask you to please keep an open mind. When you begin to look at the new translation you will find it more prayerful, scriptural and inspirational. I, for one, am truly looking forward to deepening my faith with the New Mass translation.
Holly Clark

Where Has Religion Gone?

A couple of weeks ago, I was travelling to another church for a conference and forgot to bring directions. I thought… lucky me… I have a GPS system with me. So I plug it in and try to locate Our Lady Help of Christians in Newton. No luck! Apparently my GPS does not list churches, not even as a category or as a point of interest. Schools, hospitals, restaurants, parks are listed but no churches, temples or mosques. And yesterday I got an invitation from Twitter (a social networking service on the Internet) to link up with people who share my interests. I thought, “How wonderful!” I can connect with other Catholics and see how they use the Internet to share the faith. So I logged in and looked over the list of categories… no religion! Have faith and religion in our world completely faded from the public view? Do people see God as not important anymore? I look around me at Mass and see the empty pews and wonder how we got into this mess. Have we lost our sense of mission?

During the Easter season we hear selections from the book of the Acts of the Apostles. The Apostles, after Jesus’ death and resurrection are sent forth into the world to baptize and make disciples of all nations. This mission is carried on by all of us today. How are you carrying out this mission? Are you spreading the God News? Are you sharing your faith?

Last weekend Fr. John Swencki, in his homily at the
11 o’clock Mass, gave us some great advice. He told us that we each carry out the mission in our own way just by sharing our faith. We do not need to go to Africa to be missionaries but we can be missionaries right here, at home, school, work and in our everyday lives. Fr. John told a 7/8 year old boy that he was a missionary and to talk about God with his friends at school and that he would be carrying out Jesus’ directive just like a foreign missionary would be doing. He told us older folks that we are missionaries too by living the faith, sharing the faith and not being afraid to show our joy and love of Jesus. Imagine what the world would be like if we all shared the light of Christ with those who are in darkness! (We’d all be happier and perhaps GPSs would be programmed to help us find our Churches!)

This week, let us reflect upon what little ways we can share our faith with our family and friends and people whom we don’t know. Make an effort to invite someone to come to Mass with you. Take the time to sow some seeds, you never know what will grow! Ite missa est!
God Bless, Holly Clark

A Psalm of Love...

The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.
In green pastures you let me graze; to safe waters you lead me;
you restore my strength.
You guide me along the right path for the sake of your name.
Even when I walk through a dark valley, I fear no harm for
you are at my side; your rod and staff give me courage.
You set a table before me as my enemies watch;
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Only goodness and love will pursue me all the days of my life;
I will dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.
Psalm 23

So often when I hear the 23rd Psalm I think instantly of funerals because it is a popular psalm for funerals, providing much comfort to grieving loved ones. Today, however, as I look at the psalm, I realize that it is a psalm to be cherished at all times of our life, not just the sad times. Psalm 23 is actually a Psalm of Love between God and His children and between us and God. Psalms can be used as prayers in good times and bad. They can be prayed in praise of God and thankfulness or they can be used to help pull us out of the depths of despair. You will find a psalm to fit every emotion imaginable!

Today, take some time to meditate upon this psalm. Get in a comfy chair and prayerfully read Psalm 23. Imagine yourself in a green pasture with a gentle stream flowing next to you… hear the birds chirp and the wind in the trees… Close your eyes and feel God’s presence. Picture Jesus sitting beside you… enjoying the scenery and your company. Consider sharing with Jesus what is going on in your life… ask Him for what you may need. Or, maybe you would like to just sit with Jesus, quietly enjoying the silence. As you end your meditation, keep repeating to yourself, “Only goodness and love will pursue me all the days of my life.” And then thank God for His great love.
God Bless, Holly Clark

The Gift of Broken Time

The Gift of Broken Time…
A few weeks ago I was at a Day of Prayer for Pastoral Associates and we were asked to bring a symbol of what gifts we bring to ministry. We all brought many symbols including Bibles, icons, prayers, technology, listening ears, etc. The person sitting next to me brought a broken pocket watch and called it “the gift of broken time”. She explained that we spend too much of our lives speeding through life and not taking the time to be with one another and give someone our full attention. (How often do look at your watch, thinking you need to move on when talking with someone?) She believed that if we could stop time, or at least not pay attention to the clock, we could all serve and love one another better… after all Christ did not have a wristwatch!

I thought about this for awhile and thought what a nice gift… the gift of broken time. Shortly thereafter the clock in my car died. I decided to let it go for a bit. It drove me crazy! How often did I glance at the empty clockface! I had not realized how much the clock ruled my life! And then God decided I still wasn’t paying attention,,, my wristwatch band broke and fell off, and all my other watches had dead batteries! God was giving me the gift of broken time.

For the next few weeks I took up God’s challenge and tried to use His gift of broken time. I decided to go watchless for awhile and tried to be less conscious of “what time it was”. It was a challenge at first, but then I found myself suddenly free. I didn’t care to know how much time I was using for this, that or the other. I was able to give people more of my time, time doing tedious chores became less annoying and I found myself more joyful and full of life. Broken time is truly a gift from God.

This week try going watchless and perhaps cover up or unplug your clocks, especially where two or three are gathered. See what happens when you are free from the tick-tick-tick of time. Use the gift of broken time joyfully with your family, friends and our risen Lord.
God Bless, Holly Clark

Those Who Have Not Yet Seen...

Those Who Have Not Seen… And Yet Believed…

On Easter we celebrate the resurrection of Christ and we begin a period of waiting for the “fullness of time” when we will see Him again. Death, then, will truly be no more as we are all reunited with our Father and loved ones who have gone before us. This is our faith.

In the days shortly, after the Resurrection, Jesus’ disciples and followers believed that the “fullness of time” or “end times” were upon them and would see Christ’s second coming within their own lifetimes. They prayed and waited. They passed on the Gospels orally and prayed some more. But Christ did not come. Soon another generation was to come along and Jesus’ could have become a footnote in history. His early followers, however, obeyed His command to “go forth and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19). Oral tradition was passed on and the Scriptures were written down and Christ became known to all.

Many generations have come and gone since the resurrection. We are still waiting and praying for the second coming of Christ. We have not seen Christ in the way that the disciples did, in the flesh, but yet we believe. Thomas, in today’s Gospel, did not believe until Jesus appeared to him. Thomas needed reassurance of Jesus’ resurrection. He needed to feel the holes in His hands, only then did He believe. We have not seen, like Thomas, but yet we believe.

Today we do not “see” Jesus in the flesh with our eyes but we do know He exists. We have not yet seen but yet we believe. Jesus is with us every day. His hand is on your shoulder guiding you and His face shines upon you. He laughs with you and cries with you. Today take some time, close your eyes, be still, and feel Jesus beside you and know He is with you always…

Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.
John 20:29

God Bless, Holly Clark