“Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders?” Your ears should prick up when you hear someone say, “We’ve always done it this way.” Both in the social and in the religious realm that is a red flag indicating rigidity. For one thing, “always” is a long time. There are some in the Catholic Church who have nostalgia for the Latin Mass imagining that the Mass was always done in the way they remember. While four hundred years is a long time it is only a small percentage of the history of the Church. The Mass has constantly evolved over the centuries to stay an effective means of conveying the pascal mystery which empowers the sacrament. In addition, there are twenty-four self-governing rites in the Catholic Church in many different languages using many different prayer styles but all united in the one sacrament of the altar. The elders and the youngers are equally responsible in making sure that the gift of the Eucharist enables full, conscious and active participation on the part of all the faithful.
