The first time I travelled outside of the United States was in 2006. Up to that point, I had only ever attended masses that were celebrated in English. While in Rome during that trip, I attended Mass one Sunday afternoon in St. Peter’s Basilica that was celebrated in German. Having taken three years of German, I thought I might be safe, but I soon found out that I struggled to understand pretty much anything, likely because I had not done anything with my German language skills in almost a decade. Although I found it difficult to understand the words being said, I had absolutely no problem following along with the actions that were taking place. The flow of the liturgy, and in particular, the actions of the Eucharistic Prayer, were all familiar to me, and there was a great sense of comfort. Though I was far away from home, listening to words I could not quite understand, I still very much felt at home in the liturgy that I had come to know so well.
I have had many people over the years report similar experiences of attending Mass in an unfamiliar language. Although it is always nice to understand the words, we know there is more to the Mass than just the words that are spoken. In the Roman Missal, the book that the presider uses when celebrating Mass, the words that the priest are to say are printed in black, but there are also words in the book that he does not say, and these are printed in red. These words in red are known as the rubrics. Speaking of words we might not understand, this is one worth defining. The entry for ‘rubrics’ the Modern Catholic Dictionary reads as follows:
Originally red titles of law announcements. They are the directive precepts or liturgical provisions found in the Missal, including the Sacramentary and lectionary, and in the ritual, to guide bishops, priests, or deacons in the Eucharistic liturgy, the administration of sacraments and sacramentals, and the preaching of the Word of God. Rubrics are printed in red and are either obligatory or merely directive, as the context makes amply clear. (Etym. Latin rubrica, red earth; title of law written in red; hence law instruction.)
In our formation, priests have been taught the simple, though important liturgical principle: “Do the red and say the black.” When a priest is faithful to following the rubrics of the Mass, the faithful will be able to follow along much more easily, not so much because they understand what is being said, but because of what is being done. To be sure, it would be ideal if we understood the words as well, but not understanding the words does not mean that we cannot fully participate in the Mass. If, therefore, you find yourself in a different country or in a situation where the only Mass available is in a different language, you are not dispensed from attending Mass just because you do not understand the language. You will always understand the “language” of the actions of the Mass and you will always be able to unite your heart to the sacrifice that is being offered to God on your behalf by the celebrant.
I share this reflection as an invitation to pay closer attention to the actions that accompany the words at Mass, especially during the Eucharistic Prayer. Perhaps they may seem random, but they are carefully defined and given to us by the Church to be followed faithfully, for they, in addition to the words spoken, are significant to the meaning of the liturgy.
Father Alford