My latest column @Patheos discusses some of the coming changes to the Roman Missal

Here's my latest column at Patheos.  This is beginning to examine some of the changes coming to the new Roman Missal, and how it will affect our prayer at Mass. Here's a snippet: 

The way we pray defines us, not just as individuals, but also corporately as a Church. A well-known Latin axiom Lex orandi lex credendi reminds us that the law of prayer is the law of belief, and indeed, our way of prayer shapes and typifies our beliefs. This is why the celebration of Eucharist is so central to the worship of Roman Catholics; our entire Creed comes together in the Mass.

To that end, bishops and clergy, Scripture and Latin scholars, poets, musicians, liturgists, and others have spent years revising a dozen drafts leading up to the release of this new translation, and the finished product offers a wonderful opportunity for renewal within the entire English-speaking Church—a chance to delve into what we say when we pray, with rekindled concentration.

It's important to note that while some of the words we pray will change, the familiar Rite and Order of the Mass will not.

Within the audible or spoken parts of the Mass, we have the priest's prayers and the prayers of the people. Changes are coming to both.

Read the rest.