Sad & Frustrated after Mass...again

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Miaow

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I don’t post here much but I do read some. I didn’t know where else to turn and I hope someone here can help me to understand WHY the Mass has changed?

All the beautiful phrases I loved are gone: “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you…” Why is “come under my roof” better? 😦

Even the music has changed. What good does it do to change the music to “Lord, God, Lamb of God” so that now it sounds so discordant.

I spend all my time reading along to try and get the words right instead of enjoying the beauty of the Mass and what it means to me. I feel sad and frustrated at the end of every Mass even though its been two months that I have been trying to adjust. This must have been how it felt after Vatican II.

Even when I come here, everybody says they “just love” the new translation. The few people I have talked to in real life do NOT love it but don’t seem to feel as sad about it as I do. I have tried confessing my dislike but the Priest just kind of glossed over that part of the confession.

What can I do??? I want to do what the Church wants me to but I am having so much trouble adjusting. I just want the beautiful feeling of being with God that the Mass used to inspire in me before this change.
 
I don’t attend the ordinary form unless I have to, but you might try listening to mass on EWTN every day, or on local radio if you have one. That way you could get used to hearing the responses. Might make it easier. 🙂
 
Miaow said:
I don’t post here much but I do read some. I didn’t know where else to turn and I hope someone here can help me to understand WHY the Mass has changed?

All the beautiful phrases I loved are gone: “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you…” Why is “come under my roof” better? 😦

Even the music has changed. What good does it do to change the music to “Lord, God, Lamb of God” so that now it sounds so discordant.

I spend all my time reading along to try and get the words right instead of enjoying the beauty of the Mass and what it means to me. I feel sad and frustrated at the end of every Mass even though its been two months that I have been trying to adjust. This must have been how it felt after Vatican II.

Even when I come here, everybody says they “just love” the new translation. The few people I have talked to in real life do NOT love it but don’t seem to feel as sad about it as I do. I have tried confessing my dislike but the Priest just kind of glossed over that part of the confession.

What can I do??? I want to do what the Church wants me to but I am having so much trouble adjusting. I just want the beautiful feeling of being with God that the Mass used to inspire in me before this change.
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My suggestion is that you stop chasing the “beautiful feeling” and start understanding more about the prayers of the Mass. The deeper the understanding the deeper the connection with God. There are quite a few books about the Mass from introductory ones to scholarly ones. I just warn you that the more you learn the more you will get hooked to the Mass, it is a beautiful addiction.
 
It wasn’t about the “beautiful feeling”. I WAS hooked on the Mass and they changed it. I think I have been misunderstood again but thank you all for your (name removed by moderator)ut.
 
Although I don’t currently belong to a Roman parish (I belong to a Melkite Greek Catholic parish), when I miss Divine Liturgy at my parish I attend a Roman Mass. Also, my family is all Roman Catholic, so any changes to the Mass still concern me greatly.

I think I understand your current frustration. I grew up serving as an altar boy at Mass on an almost daily basis. I came to love the prayers as they were worded in the previous English translation, and I felt as though that translation fed and deepend my spiritual life greatly. that being said, I do understand why the changes in translation were made to the Mass (although I’m still torn as to whether or not I like or agree with the changes).

The intention of the current translation was to make the English a “more accurate” reflection of the original Latin. By “more accurate” the translators, according to my understanding, actually mean “more literal.” When you compare the previous English translation with the original Latin you’ll notice that there are a number of things that are seemingly left out. There are other things as well that are paraphrased rather than translated, or they are translated according to the “dynamic equivalency” method of translating rather than doing a literal translation. Dynamic equivalency means that the translators looked at the original text, and instead of translating word for word, they came up with the closest possible idiom that would be understandable to modern English speakers. In many ways this form of translation makes a great deal of sense, and it goes on all the time. For example, in English, when we are feeling overheated we would say, “I am hot.” One can translate that word for word into German as “Ich bin heis,” but to do so implies a great deal of sexual connotations. So the “dynamic equivalent” translation into German from English would be “Mir ist warm.” Word for word it’s not the same thing, but the meaning is the same.

In the Mass one example is the (in)famous “for you and for all/many.” Of course, the “for you and for all” is the previous translation with “…many” being the new. In reality they mean the same thing, if you follow the original meaning as conveyed through the Scriptures, “the many” being the old equivalent of today’s “for all.” They changed it to “for you and for many” in order translate literally and to make the Scriptural connection more explicit.

In the “Lord I am not worthy…” the reason for the change, again, was to be more literal, and to make the Scriptural reference more explicit.

I hope this helps some. 🙂
 
Miaow said:
I don’t post here much but I do read some. I didn’t know where else to turn and I hope someone here can help me to understand WHY the Mass has changed?

All the beautiful phrases I loved are gone: “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you…” Why is “come under my roof” better? 😦

Even the music has changed. What good does it do to change the music to “Lord, God, Lamb of God” so that now it sounds so discordant.

I spend all my time reading along to try and get the words right instead of enjoying the beauty of the Mass and what it means to me. I feel sad and frustrated at the end of every Mass even though its been two months that I have been trying to adjust. This must have been how it felt after Vatican II.

Even when I come here, everybody says they “just love” the new translation. The few people I have talked to in real life do NOT love it but don’t seem to feel as sad about it as I do. I have tried confessing my dislike but the Priest just kind of glossed over that part of the confession.

What can I do??? I want to do what the Church wants me to but I am having so much trouble adjusting. I just want the beautiful feeling of being with God that the Mass used to inspire in me before this change.
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It’s quite normal for anybody who knew only the 1971 translation to feel the way you do. Why it was changed is because the former translation is a dynamic equivalence translation of the mass. The official wording of mass is the “Missae Cum Populo” and it is in Latin. That is the one for world wide Latin Rite usage.

Translations of the Latin into the vernacular have been permitted, e.g., English, German, Spanish, Italian, etc.

The translation you prefer was, loosely, a “thought for thought” translation of the Latin, rather than a “word for word” translation as the new one is.

The new translation is much closer to the Latin in conveying the scriptural concepts of the mass.

“Lord I am not worthy to recieve you. But only say the word and I shall be healed”. Is kind of a far cry from the source of that wording which is:

Mt 8:5: As he entered Caper’na-um, a centurion came forward to him, beseeching him 6: and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible distress.” 7: And he said to him, "I will come and heal him."8: But the centurion answered him, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.

See how much more biblical the current translation is? that’s the reason for the change. I got used to the last translation when it was rushed into use, you’ll get used to this and like it just as well or better.
 
What you are feeling has been felt by many people in many times and places, whenever an established important cultural form has changed. And it is indeed difficult, no doubt about that, especially for those who have entered into it with heart and mind and soul. But what this can be is an opportunity for you to let go of your particular tastes in order to enter into the liturgy as the act of the whole Church, to remind you that it isn’t about the things you or I hold dear, but the essence of the whole thing. For while you may have liked the “Lord I am not worthy to receive you”, I was greatly looking forward to the change, so that what I said when I attended Mass in Latin, and what I read in the story of the healing of the centurion’s servant, might be the same in English. Whenever something changes, certain things which are matters of taste are going to be disagreed about.

There are parts of the new translation that I love very much and find incredibly beautiful, and many of the prayers are vast improvements on the former translation. There are other parts where something which was a beautiful rendition into English in the old translation has been changed into something which, while accurate, does not have the same beautiful resonance. But someone, somewhere had to make a choice about it. And that choice wasn’t mine to make, nor do I expect those in charge to agree with all of my ideas about how things should be.

We may love specific songs, specific turns of phrase, and find them meaningful and beautiful. But when they are taken away from use in the public worship of the Church, it is a good reminder that the liturgy is not based on my particular opinions and emotional responses; it is for the Church, and my task is to submit to it, humbly, even though that is hard.

Letting go of some of those treasured phrases of old can be a good exercise in detachment from the passing things of this world. Even if you don’t feel it, think about how God is there. Believe God is there. Ask God to help you see that He is there. It is when we don’t ‘feel it’ that there is the greatest opportunity for growth, because our intentions and will are being purified. We are then more purely seeking God for His own sake. Perhaps it would help to try to think less about how the changes have taken away your beautiful past experiences, but more about ‘What is God trying to tell/show me through this change?’
 
GelasianumVetus said:
What you are feeling has been felt by many people in many times and places, whenever an established important cultural form has changed. And it is indeed difficult, no doubt about that, especially for those who have entered into it with heart and mind and soul. But what this can be is an opportunity for you to let go of your particular tastes in order to enter into the liturgy as the act of the whole Church, to remind you that it isn’t about the things you or I hold dear, but the essence of the whole thing. For while you may have liked the “Lord I am not worthy to receive you”, I was greatly looking forward to the change, so that what I said when I attended Mass in Latin, and what I read in the story of the healing of the centurion’s servant, might be the same in English. Whenever something changes, certain things which are matters of taste are going to be disagreed about.

There are parts of the new translation that I love very much and find incredibly beautiful, and many of the prayers are vast improvements on the former translation. There are other parts where something which was a beautiful rendition into English in the old translation has been changed into something which, while accurate, does not have the same beautiful resonance. But someone, somewhere had to make a choice about it. And that choice wasn’t mine to make, nor do I expect those in charge to agree with all of my ideas about how things should be.

We may love specific songs, specific turns of phrase, and find them meaningful and beautiful. But when they are taken away from use in the public worship of the Church, it is a good reminder that the liturgy is not based on my particular opinions and emotional responses; it is for the Church, and my task is to submit to it, humbly, even though that is hard.

Letting go of some of those treasured phrases of old can be a good exercise in detachment from the passing things of this world. Even if you don’t feel it, think about how God is there. Believe God is there. Ask God to help you see that He is there. It is when we don’t ‘feel it’ that there is the greatest opportunity for growth, because our intentions and will are being purified. We are then more purely seeking God for His own sake. Perhaps it would help to try to think less about how the changes have taken away your beautiful past experiences, but more about ‘What is God trying to tell/show me through this change?’
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I really like this explanation of the changes. It truly resonates with me. One thing I would add is that God will often lead us out of our comfort zones to deepen our faith and grow closer to Him. Take this opportunity, as you learn the new responses, to let your faith be renewed and to particpate more consciously in the liturgy.Try to look at this as an opportunity for growth, both in your relationship with God and in your faith in general.
 
pollycarp said:
I don’t attend the ordinary form unless I have to, but you might try listening to mass on EWTN every day, or on local radio if you have one. That way you could get used to hearing the responses. Might make it easier. 🙂
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In the same vein, perhaps don’t try so hard to get the responses right at Mass. Many people are still stumbling. If you focusmore on the priest’s prayers and less on your responses, you may find that the new words actuallt come more easily.

GelasianumVetus has a lovely response. I also agree that in some places the new translation just doesn’t flow as smoothly in English. But it helps me remain focused on the liturgy when I don’t worry about how it sounds,whenI detach from the words of the responses and focus more on the sacrifice.

I will pray for you when I go to Mass this evening.
 
Well I like the changes for the most part but I too am still struggling to some degree.

It has only been two months, and we said the other words for 40 years!

I (and I’m not the only one!) keep saying “And also with you” automatically and then correcting myself. I have to look at the words for the Creed, the Gloria, and the Memorial Acclamation or I’ll say/sing it wrong.

I have the other responses pretty much memorized now but have to make sure I’m paying attention or I’ll automatically say them wrong too.

I’m not sure I like the new music settings, but didn’t think the old ones we were using were that great either, but they were familiar.

So I can no longer participate fully in Mass without a written guide (Missal, response card, etc.) which I find frustrating.

On the other hand, I know it will come in time and the new words will be as automatic as the old ones were. I’m sure it’s a good thing that I am paying more attention to what I say and what’s happening.

I agree that listening to EWTN’s Mass broadcasts (radio or TV) can help to make the new responses more familiar.

Others have given you some insight on the purpose and some specifics of the new translation. There is a wealth of information about this here and on the USCCB site. It may help you to learn more about the process and the reasons behind each of the changes.

God bless!
 
Miaow,
I am sad they took the one musical setting I liked and replaced it with something that sounds like it was written the night before it was due… and at my church we are all still at the stage of saying and also with you and with your spirit all jumbled together…

So many people are adjusting. And with your spirit reminds us that we are spiritual as well as material creatures, unlike any other created being. Enter under my roof reminds me of the story of the Centurion, with its depth of meaning. we still stumble over consubstantial with the Father, but meditating on the difference in meaning allows one to think about something more than similarity, something which includes a strength of unity.

So, it’s hard but it’s good. And maybe I will start to see the same things in the music too 😉
 
I think some dioceses havent been very good at explaining the “why a new translation”

The last one was simple a poor one and didnt reflect accurately the theology of the Catholic faith.

As the parishionars become more familiar with the new translation and the responses, hopefully they will mediated on the “why” things have changed and what can I learn from it.

The Mass is a prayer. We should approach it as such and by praying it more correctly we can grow in more sound understanding of the great truths it is expressing. 👍
 
Miaow said:
Even the music has changed. What good does it do to change the music to “Lord, God, Lamb of God” so that now it sounds so discordant.
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This is not a requirement, but was probably a choice of your music director. You might want to check other mass times to see if the other masses at your parish have different musical settings more to your taste. If it really bothers you that much, you could even seek out neighboring parishes.
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Miaow:
I have tried confessing my dislike but the Priest just kind of glossed over that part of the confession.
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The priest probably didn’t want to get sidetracked into a lengthy discussion like this one, about something that’s not even a sin. You are free to dislike or even despise the new translation, but the stronger your feelings on the matter the greater chance it could become an obstacle to your faith life.
 
In our parish some people are using the missals to try and say the correct responses, but they are doing a lot of shuffling of page and sharing of books (we never have enough for one per person). When you pass the books around, the hymnals fall out and then people titter. Lots of folks aren’t bothering and just saying the old translation. Others are doing lot of giggling as they fumble around. It is distracting to say the least. One elderly lady whispered that she can’t see well enough to read the missal and that she felt too old to memorize the new words. At least she said the old translation quietly. Some people are quite belligerent about it - or maybe hard of hearing and don’t notice the others are saying different words? They just belt out the wrong words. At Christmas, it sounded like mayhem.

I’m sure it will all settle into place eventually. I think its a good idea about watching EWTN to learn the responses.

It would help if the priest would gently remind people at each Mass that the words have changed and its OK to use the missals. At Christmas, with so many twice a year attendees, a lot of people came in totally unprepared.
 
The English translation changes are a bummer in that English is so far behind. 🤷 My original language is Polish, and as far as I know, all languages but English had these changes reflected a long time ago – especially the “And also with you” → “And with your spirit.” There’s a logical flaw with “seen and unseen” (versus “visible and invisible”), etc. It wasn’t a difficult shift for me, and I think it’s a beautiful shift, as these prayers are pulled directly from translations of the Bible and more aptly represent Church teaching in certain respects. I would let yourself grow accustomed to it; I’m sure you will soon!
 
Miaow said:
What can I do??? I want to do what the Church wants me to but I am having so much trouble adjusting. I just want the beautiful feeling of being with God that the Mass used to inspire in me before this change.
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What can you do? You are asking a good and practical question considering you are being honest that you are finding it difficult.

Perhaps you can find a way of expressing your sadness and confusion in pray and add a petition to it.

For example…“Lord, I am finding it difficult to adjust to the new translation. Please help me and grant me the grace to better understand the beauty that is to be found in it by praying it more authentically. Help me to feel close to You once again in finding this new beauty for I know You do direct Your Holy Church and so I know that this is a holy translation.”

Or something along those lines but more in keeping with your style.
God Bless! 👍
 
Miaow said:
What can I do??? I want to do what the Church wants me to but I am having so much trouble adjusting. I just want the beautiful feeling of being with God that the Mass used to inspire in me before this change.
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I think some of the best advice here is to listen to or watch a mass on EWTN or maybe online a lot. I think that feeling you are talking about so comes when we are fully engaged with the Mass and not distracted by our own behavior. I also think the advice about not trying so hard is good. After a while this will start to seem natural to us. Maybe go to Mass *more *often, see if you can full it a daily Mass in here or there. Sooner or later you will be back to fully engaging in Mass and this will be a problem of the past.
 
Miaow said:
I don’t post here much but I do read some. I didn’t know where else to turn and I hope someone here can help me to understand WHY the Mass has changed?

All the beautiful phrases I loved are gone: “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you…” Why is “come under my roof” better? 😦

Even the music has changed. What good does it do to change the music to “Lord, God, Lamb of God” so that now it sounds so discordant.

I spend all my time reading along to try and get the words right instead of enjoying the beauty of the Mass and what it means to me. I feel sad and frustrated at the end of every Mass even though its been two months that I have been trying to adjust. This must have been how it felt after Vatican II.

Even when I come here, everybody says they “just love” the new translation. The few people I have talked to in real life do NOT love it but don’t seem to feel as sad about it as I do. I have tried confessing my dislike but the Priest just kind of glossed over that part of the confession.

What can I do??? I want to do what the Church wants me to but I am having so much trouble adjusting. I just want the beautiful feeling of being with God that the Mass used to inspire in me before this change.
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Change is hard for everyone…I too have a problem with this change and others the CC continues to introduce…keep trying and then I would make another suggestion…set up your own altar at home, with kneeling stand or pew…maybe a closet or alcove, someplace cozy and private…place photos of your family, along with all the articles nec. for an altar to GOD.

Spend any amount of time here with your prayers, your feelings and your emotions…there is great peace to be found when you are one with GOD.

I believe everyone should have an altar to GOD, at home.
 
I’m with the OP on this one…

"If it ‘ain’t broken why fix it’?

I don’t buy this ‘getting closer to the original wording’

The Nicene creed doesn’t flow anymore… There was one word that I wasn’t even familiar with and as a congregation all stumble over… I tried finding this new version on-line and didnt have any luck…
 
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