It’s been three years since the implementation of the revised translation of the Roman Missal and we still see more than a few people pulling out the cards to help them remember the “new” Creed and Gloria during Mass.  If this is you, or if your family is just learning it for the very first time,this year’s challenge will be just right for you!  

To help you do memorize, each family will get a copy of flashcards containing the people’s part of the Mass.

Obviously, it’ll be helpful if you practice by bringing it to Mass each week, but this is a great chance for your family to work together to encourage each other toward the goal.  Like the Mass, the flashcards are designed to be a dialogue, and the nature of that will provide built in cues that will be a great help with your memorization.  There are brief explanations of each part to help us all gain a deeper appreciation of this prayer, followed by the cues we’re all used to hearing.

For example, the booklet begins by reminding us that the priest greets us in the name of the Trinity by saying,

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

We return the greeting by replying, “And with your spirit.”

What a great blessing we’ll have this year to focus on something so central to our lives and so familiar with fresh eyes.

The entire Church in the United States has been blessed with this opportunity to deepen its understanding of the Sacred Liturgy, and to appreciate its meaning and importance in our lives.