For this week’s Catholic Massterclass, we’re going to dip our toes into something a little more controversial. To get to the point, I would like to ask a question: If you traveled to another country and tried to strike up a conversation, what language would you expect the people to speak? I hope the answer is obvious: you’d expect them to speak whichever language is primarily spoken in that country. In Germany, they would speak German, and you’d be ok with it because you know you’re not in your homeland. In France, they would speak French, and you’d be ok with it because you know you’re not in your homeland. We could go on and on with the different languages of each country. Some people enjoy going to other countries and listening to the local language - I’ve heard it said, for example, that French is such a beautiful language to hear, even if none of the words are understood. Others might go visit another country and wish the people would speak English, but they still expect that most won’t know English because that isn’t the main language of the land.   One of the things I’ve been mentioning about the Church is that she is Catholic - universal. The Catholic Church is present around the world, speaking every language under heaven. At the same time, being a universal Church, the Church also has a universal language, one that could be spoken anywhere in the world and is meant to be understood by all of her members. Unfortunately, this universal language is probably not known and understood by too many members of the Church today, but it is still worth mentioning. That language is Latin—at least for the Latin Rite, which is the largest part of the Catholic Church. The universal language of the Church is meant to be something that expresses our unity, especially during Holy Mass. As has been mentioned several times throughout our Massterclass, I know some of us grew up in a time when Mass was exclusively offered in the Latin language all around the world. When the Second Vatican Council changed the Mass, Latin was almost universally set aside in favor of the vernacular - the local language spoken in any given location. This switch helped people around the world become more familiar with the words being spoken and prayed during Holy Mass. It was a great gift for many people. What’s often forgotten, or has never been taught, is that the Church still holds that Latin is her mother tongue and that she would like her members to know at least some parts of the Mass in Latin. This may come as a surprise, but the Church actually asks that we know how to recite the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer in Latin. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal even says: ‘Since the faithful come together from different countries, it is desirable that they know how to sing together at least some parts of the Ordinary of the Mass in Latin, especially the Profession of Faith and the Lord’s Prayer.’ This seems like something worth pointing out, even if it seems difficult to imagine us getting to a place where we recite or chant the Creed in Latin each week at Mass. It is growing more common to hear the Lord’s Prayer chanted in Latin, but even that seems fairly daunting to accomplish in an average parish. I know some of us may not like “going back” to using Latin, but this will be just for today. It’s a chance to get a fresh taste of the Church’s native language, and to remember that our worship isn’t about what we prefer—it’s about offering God the glory that is His due. Even if it feels unfamiliar, it’s a small way of joining more fully in the sacrifice of the Mass. What a great opportunity to sacrifice by being present at Mass in a language you don’t prefer!