Changes in certain words of the Mass, e.g., The Creed and the Eucharistic Prayers, have been a little confusing to some people, but the answer for the changes are that the Church wished to return to the exact translation of the original text. After Vatican II there was a desire to expedite the release of the vernacular, particularly in the English version, and so certain words gained a more liberal meaning of the word. For example,

This Sunday we again hear from the Gospel of Mark (1:21-28)—and we will listen to Mark a great deal this liturgical year. Today Mark tells us of the positive reception which Jesus received from the people who heard His teachings in the synagogues: “the people were astonished by His teaching.” Why were they astonished? Did they know Him by reputation; did they believe that He was the Son of God? The people said, so the gospel tells us, that “he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.” What kind of authority?

Years ago we heard to unbaptized infants go to limbo. It’s not heaven, we were told, but at least “they are happy.” “It is true that there was much talk about limbo in the past. Some Catholics probably still think of it as a “place to go” after death. The fact is, however, that the Church never did have much to say officially about limbo (Latin for “fringe” or “border”). For centuries it was assumed that God took care of unbaptized infants in His own way. Certain theologians once held that unbaptized infants suffered some type of pain, but in the 12th or 13th centuries that idea was pretty much abandoned

Hearing a Call This weekend we hear from the Gospel of Mark, a sort of repeat of last weekend’s Gospel of John. As I mentioned last Sunday, there was no mention of the Apostle’s profession or their location. This weekend we hear they are fisherman and that they are at the Sea of Galilee. We will hear a great deal from Mark this year. What we must keep in mind as the gospels are proclaimed is that each writer describes “events” a little differently—and that is because the audience to which they are preaching is different: Jewish or Gentile

This Sunday we celebrate the feast (Solemnity) of the Epiphany of the Lord which is one of the oldest Christian feasts, though, throughout the centuries, it has celebrated a variety of ways. Epiphany comes from a Greek verb meaning "to reveal," and all of the various events celebrated by the Feast of the Epiphany are revelations of Christ to man. In the Dioceses of the United States it is celebrated between January 2 and 8, and is considered a Solemnity, which is a type of Feast in the Church. Another name for this feast is Theophany or Three Kings Day.