New Mass

here in the Oakland, California parish where I help out sometimes, we have begun to say the prayers and responses that are mandated to begin in Advent. I am glad we did not wait. I find the mood of the congregation and myself is not so much that we are praying, as that we are trying to learn and get comfortable with the changes. By Advent we should be able to be more prayerful and not have to think of what comes next in changes.

So why is Boulder and other places waiting? Advent is such an important time of renewal. It is not a time to be practicing how to say the Gloria, or some other congregstional response. As for me, I get to practice now in a real mass, so that I can be a presided at prayer come Advent. Don't wait!