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First, I apologize for being snippy, I’m just tired of this criticism. :)

As a historical note. Everybody spoke Latin once upon a time so the Mass was in Latin. Then the Latin began to fragment into Italian, Spanish, et. al. No one really thought to translate the Mass into these “dialects”—as they were considered—because it would have struck them as silly as translating your hymnal into Brooklynese or hillbilly. The Mass stayed in Latin even after the use of Latin faded because (surprise) people tend to be conservative when it comes to religion. That’s why all these people like using the King James today. No one talks that way anymore, but people are used to it, it’s poetic, and it gives the text a certain gravity it wouldn’t have in modern slang.

Things are somewhat different now. I grew up on the Mass in English, yet I think going to a Mass in Latin helps me in some way—makes the divine service less common, more mystical. I’m not an obscurantist—I understand everything that’s being done, I just prefer this mode of expression. Latin is symbolic to me of a divine language and one that befits the majesty of God.

"...because it would have struck them as silly as translating your hymnal into Brooklynese or hillbilly.

Nicely said, Claud, and I completely agree.

I do remember the Latin Mass from my youth (mine was the very last Communion class that was lucky enough to have it; my brother's the next year had already changed). I cried my eyes out when the changes came, because they didn't just change the language -- they tore out the altars. They smashed the windows. They painted over the murals on the ceilings. They tossed out the beautiful vestments hand-stitched by generations of women. To my child's eyes, they threw out nearly everything beautiful and holy and replaced it with paneling from the Bradys' TV room.

Thankfully, I'm lucky enough to be able to go to a TLM every week, and I don't think I've been so happy to go to Mass in my entire life.

Regards,

Plus the Latin words and phrases are not open to interpretation and their meanings are set in stone -- unlike modern languages whose word meanings are ever changing. I think this is extremely important given the gravity of what goes on at mass.

Plus the beauty is not to be over looked:

Corpus Domini nostri Jesu Christi custodiat animam meam in vitam aeternam. Amen.

Strangely, this pops into my mind almost daily, in circumstances where I am not even thinking of religion. the beauty of this Latin sentence underscores its fantastic meaning. To me, it represents everything wonderful about being Catholic.