Liturgical Minute

The New Roman Missal

  Reflections for the Week of January 8, 2012  

Congratulations to Cardinal-Elect

Archbishop Timothy Dolan

of the Archdiocese of New York.

His Elevation to Cardinal will take place

the weekend of February 18-20.

Introduction

Sunday, November 27, was the first Sunday of Advent, when the new Roman Missal was used for the first time.  Below are the concluding reflections on the new translations. You may want to review all or some of them as we use the new translation to get a fuller explanation and understanding of what the new words mean and why they are being used.  All of these reflections can be found in a black binder on the table in the back of the church.  Please refer to it if you have any questions about the revised translations.

Reflection Fifty-four

      The Communion Rite concludes with the Prayer after Communion.  We will hear the same invitation, "Let us pray."  The translation of the prayer is new, so be sure to listen to the words.  It concludes the same way, prompting us to reply, "Amen."

      In many Churches, the announcements are made after the Prayer after Communion.  Here they are made after the General Intercessions.  The only change to the announcements is that they are to happen "if they are necessary."  If we will notice any changes here, it could be in the shortening of announcements.

      The priest will then greet us as he has been doing, with "The Lord be with you," and we will reply, " and with your spirit."  If the priest is using a prayer over the people or a solemn blessing, he will invite us to bow our heads as we hear the words.  These more formal blessings have been retranslated, so we will hear them with new words.  They conclude in the same way and we answer, "Amen."  As the priest blesses us, he makes the Sign of the Cross over us.  We again respond, "Amen."

      The closing hymn is optional at any Mass.  Here we customarily sing one so there will be no change.  Just before it, though, comes the dismissal.  For this, the new translation offers some options to the deacon or priest.  Now he says, "The Mass is ended, go in peace."  With the new translation the priest may say, "Go forth, the Mass is ended," or "Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord," or "Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life," or just "Go in peace."  These new wordings were promoted by a recent meeting of bishops in Rome.  When Mass concludes, we do not just leave the building.  We enter the world with a mission.

      Even though the words of the dismissal are new, our response remains the same.  We end Mass with words of praise, words we say when we experience exhilaration or relief, surprise or ecstasy: "Thanks be to God."

      This concludes our weekly look at the changes to the Roman Missal.  We begin using them on November 27, the first Sunday of Advent.

Reflection Fifty-three

      Our words, "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed" are about our sinfulness (as with the centurion we mentioned last week), not a part of our body.  As the Gospel story continues, Jesus works the cure because the centurion's humility overrides any other sinful condition.  We are imitating his humility, so that Jesus will not avoid us because of our sins, but will come to us on the strength of our virtue.

      The other change to this text is from "I" to "my soul."  The first translation used other words for "soul" in many parts of The Sacramentary.  But, "soul" is being restored wherever it appears in Latin.  In this context, it shows we are not asking for a generic healing or even a physical healing, which could be understood with the word "I."  Instead we are asking for the spiritual healing that alone can cure "my soul."

      Now we are up to Holy Communion.  The priest says a couple of brief prayers silently before receiving Holy Communion.  These words have changed, but we may not hear them.  Until the texts become familiar, the priest may need to refer to The Roman Missal from time to time.

      When we receive Holy Communion, there will be no change to the words.  We will hear, "The Body of Christ" and "The Blood of Christ," and we will answer "Amen" to each.

      If we are singing a Communion Chant or hymn, there will be no change to the rule for its selection.  We should not notice a change in music for this part of the Mass.

      After Holy Communion, the priest has a text to say whenever he purifies the vessels.  The translation is new.  We will not hear it, but we may see the priest consulting the Missal again to get the words right.

      Next week, as we near the end to these reflections about the revised translation of the Roman Missal, we will look at the Prayer after Communion and the Concluding Rites.

Reflection Fifty-two

      Just before the distribution of Holy Communion, the priest makes an announcement and then he joins us in the response, "Lord I am not worthy."  Both parts of this dialogue are changing as we discussed last week.

      Instead of saying, "This is the Lamb of God," as he does now, the priest will say, "Behold the Lamb of God."  This is closer to the Latin, more majestic in sound, and a more direct reference to John, Chapter 1, Verse 29, where John the Baptist points out Jesus to his followers.

      The word "Happy" has been changed to "Blessed."  We may be blessed even when we are experiencing sorrow.  This change, together with the explicit reference to "the supper of the Lamb," makes clearer the allusion to Revelation, Chapter 19, Verse 9.  There, an angel in the vision has John write down the words that proclaim blessed all those called to the wedding banquet of the Lamb.

      The reply makes two changes.  First, "to receive you" becomes "that you should enter under my roof."  This makes a more direct connection with Matthew, Chapter 8, and Luke, Chapter 7, Verse 6, where a Gentile centurion has asked Jesus to heal his servant.  Jesus intends to go to the house, but the centurion believes himself unworthy to have Jesus come into his home.  Jesus admires the man's faith and cures the servant from afar.

      In Matthew's account of the Gospel, this conversation takes place between Jesus and the centurion.  In Luke, the centurion contacts Jesus through delegates.  The word "enter" is chosen for the new translation because it works for both accounts of this episode.  Whether the centurion spoke personally to Jesus (in Matthew) or sent delegates to do it for him (Luke), he felt unworthy to have Jesus "enter" his home.  Some Catholics may confuse the word "roof" with the roof of one's mouth, which may be why the previous translation omits the word.  By quoting the centurion, we are telling Jesus of our sins and that we are not worthy to have Him enter the place where we live.

Reflection Fifty-one

      We continue our discussion of the "Sign of Peace."  When the priest greets us, he will say the same words, "The peace of the Lord be with you always."  Our response up to now has been "And also with you."  With the new translation, our response will be the same as other places in the Mass: "And with your spirit."

      The sign of peace is optional, but it is exchanged in almost every Mass. 

The priest or the deacon will invite us to share peace in the same words we have been hearing: "Let us offer each other the sign of peace."

      We now talk about the "Lamb of God."  During the breaking of the bread, the priest recites quietly a short prayer as he places a small piece of the consecrated bread into the chalice.  Those words will not change: "May the mingling of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal life to those who receive it."  Meanwhile, we sing or say the Lamb of God.  Those words are not changing either.  The musical settings for the Lamb of God that we have been using, we can continue to use without any modifications.

      Just before the distribution of Holy Communion, the priest makes an announcement, and then joins us in the response, "Lord, I am not worthy."  Both parts of this dialogue will have some changes.  Now the priest says, "This is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.  Happy are those who are called to his supper."  With the new translation he will say, "Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world.  Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb."

      Our response, too, is changing.  Now we say, "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed."  With the new translation we will say, "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed."  Just to clarify, and we'll talk more about this later, the word "roof" here does not mean the roof of one's mouth.

Reflection Fifty

      The words the priest says between the Lord's Prayer and our acclamation are changing.  He currently says, "Deliver us, Lord, from every evil, and grant us peace in our day.  In Your mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from all anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ."  In the new translation he will say, "Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the help of Your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ."

      Instead of asking protection "from all anxiety" as he does now, the priest will pray that we be "safe from all distress."  The prayer concerns the circumstances that cause distress, not the interior feeling of anxiety.

      Instead of saying, "we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ," the priest will say, "we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ."  His words echo the letter of St. Paul to Titus, Chapter 2, Verse 13, which affirms that Christ has come and that we await the blessed hope of His return.  Christ is our hope.  We await His coming - even when we do not feel so joyful.

      Let's talk a little now about the Sign of Peace.  After the Lord's Prayer, the priest prays to Jesus for peace and unity in the Church.  Now he says, "Lord Jesus Christ, You said to Your apostles: I leave you peace, My peace I give you.  Look not on our sins, but on the faith of Your Church, and grant us the peace and unity of Your kingdom where You live forever and ever."  The new translation will say, "Lord Jesus Christ, who said to Your Apostles: Peace I leave you, My peace I give you, look not on our sins, but on the faith of Your church, and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with Your will.  Who live and reign for ever and ever."

      Pronouns referring to the Church are now feminine, as the word "her" in this prayer.  This recalls the image of the Church as the bride of Christ.  Next week, we'll continue the Sign of Peace and talk about the "Lamb of God."

Reflection Forty-nine

      For many Catholics, it is the Communion Rite of the Mass that keeps us returning for worship.  This is when we partake of the Body and Blood of Christ, receiving our spiritual nourishment for the week ahead.  The rituals surrounding the sharing of Holy Communion are not changing, but some of the words are and will be different when we begin using the new English translation of the Order of the Mass on the first Sunday of Advent.  The Communion Rite begins with the Lord's Prayer and continues through the Prayer after Communion.

      After the priest gives a brief invitation, everyone prays the Lord's Prayer together.  Then the priest says another prayer, after which we all make an acclamation.

      The Lord's Prayer itself has not changed.  We will continue to use the same words we have prayed all through our Christian life.  Some scripture scholars think they could make a better translation of this prayer from the original Greek of Matthew's account of the Gospel (Chapter 6, Verses 9-13).  Some people think that the prayer should at least be updated to change the word thy to your.  This is the only part of the Mass that retains the Old English pronoun.  But the Lord's Prayer we know has achieved a level of holiness that cannot be replaced.  English speakers have used this translation for many, many years, so no change has been made.

      The same applies to the acclamation that concludes the Lord's Prayer.  After the priest says his prayer, we will state, "For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and forever."

      Some changes have been made to the priest's parts.  He will introduce the prayer with these words: "At the Savior's command, and formed by the divine teaching, we dare to say."  Between the Lord's Prayer and our acclamation, the words the priest says will change and we will look at these changes next week.

Reflection Forty-eight

      The first two of the acclamations we talked about last week have three phrases that are very similar.  "Christ has died" is like "Dying your destroyed our death."  "Christ is risen" is like "Rising you restored our life."  And "Christ will come again" is like "Lord Jesus, come in glory."

      These two acclamations are based on the same Latin text, and the new translation is a more faithful rendering of the original.  You will find the same ideas, but put in a new package.  Instead of three brief statements that build in intensity, this translation shows the connection between the dying and rising of Christ, and the way we proclaim it in anticipation of His coming.

      There is almost no change in the next acclamation, "When we eat this bread."  Instead of "Lord Jesus," we will sing, "O, Lord."  The change reflects the Latin original, which does not explicitly include the name "Jesus."  The word "O" is inserted merely for the sake of rhythm.  The line flows a little better with the extra syllable.  The word "again" is inserted at the end for the sake of clarity and rhythm.

      In the last acclamation the word order is changed.  The new text will offer an explicit prayer to Jesus: "Save us."  His two titles in the translation we now use ("Lord" and "Savior") are combined into one.  And the connections between the component parts of the acclamation are clarified.  Jesus has set us free by His cross and Resurrection, and for this reason we ask Him to save us.

      We already know the musical setting for "Christ has died," but we are not as familiar with the others.  New musical compositions and revised settings have been readied for the new translation.  Through them we will sing our praise to Christ in a fresh and confident way, as we eat His Body, and drink His blood, and - nourished on these heavenly gifts - await His coming.

      Next week, we'll begin looking at the Communion and Concluding Rites.

Reflection Forty-seven

      In the translation we are using now, there are four acclamations from which to choose.  These are based on three different ones in the original Latin.  The same three acclamations are still in the Missal, so now we will have just three matching English acclamations.  They will resemble the ones we know well, but their deeper meaning is revealed.

      Although all the acclamations are changing, the one that has no close parallel is perhaps the best know, and the one that many of us will miss the most: "Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again."  It is a strong acclamation, but its weakness in this context is that it makes a statement of faith about Christ, rather than a prayer to Him.  It also fails to express our role as the one who shares Eucharist and waits its fulfillment.  The new acclamations will make this function clear.

      Now, let's take a look at the old and new translations of the three remaining acclamations.

      Acclamation One: Old - "Dying you destroyed our death, rising you restored our life, Lord Jesus, come in glory." New - "We proclaim your death, O Lord, and profess your resurrection until you come again."

      Acclamation Two: Old - "When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim your death Lord Jesus, until you come in glory."  New -
When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again."

      Acclamation Three: Old - "Lord, by your cross and resurrection you have set us free.  You are the savior of the world."  New - Save us, Savior of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free."

      Next week, we'll go into a deeper look at the changes in the acclamations with the object of understanding them better.

Reflection Forty-six

      After the consecration and before beginning the second half of the Eucharistic Prayer, the priest announces "the mystery of faith."  We are accustomed to hearing him say, "Let us proclaim the mystery of faith."  But this is more than what appears in Latin.  The words are similar in structure to those we hear in other parts of the Mass: "The Word of the Lord;" "The Gospel of the Lord;" "The Body of Christ;" "The Blood of Christ."

      They are simple, faith-filled statements that prompt a response.  Furthermore, the priest is in the midst of a lengthy prayer; his words are all being directed to God the Father.  In the translation being used now, when the priest says, "Let us," he suddenly shifts his focus and addresses us.  Then he turns his attention back to the Father.  By omitting the words "Let us," the new translation should help the priest keep centered on his role.

      Besides, "Let us" implies that the priest will also be making the acclamation, which the current translation encourages him to do.  But the acclamation is ours to make.  The priest is not supposed to join us in it, any more than he should make the response to "The Body of Christ."  He has made an announcement, and we make an acclamation.  Afterward, he starts up his prayer to the Father again, and he begins with the theme we just acclaimed: the memorial of the death and Resurrection of Christ.

      Even though the priest has been inviting us to "proclaim" the mystery of faith, our response is more an acclamation than a proclamation.  An acclamation is addressed to someone; a proclamation is made about someone.  According to St. Paul (1 Corinthians, Chapter 11, Verse 26), our eating and drinking express our faith - they proclaim the death of the Lord.  Our actions proclaim our faith about Christ, but our words acclaim Christ, who is present under the forms of bread and wine.

      Next week we'll look at some significant changes in the words of the memorial acclamation.

Reflection Forty-five

      This week, we continue our look at the changes in the words of consecration during the Eucharistic Prayer.  Instead of "shed," the revised translation uses "poured out."  The new verb underlines the ambiguity of the phrase where it occurs.  Either a cup or blood may be "poured out."  The sentence may mean either one.  However, only blood can be "shed"; the previous translation misses the ambiguity in the text.

      The new verb, "poured out," also has a more active quality to it.  Jesus did not merely shed blood at the infliction of His wounds, He poured out His blood for us.  The Passion is not just something that happened to Jesus, but something He freely chose to undergo.

      Many people will notice the difference between "all" and "many."  The previous translation says that Jesus shed His blood for "all," whereas the new translation says He poured out His blood for "many."  To some, the new translation will make it sound as though Jesus had second thoughts about just who and how many would be redeemed.  After all, it is clear from several places in the New Testament that Jesus came for the salvation of all.  Nonetheless, the word in Latin literally means "many," and this is the word that Jesus Himself used at the Last Supper, according to Matthew and Mark.  It is probably an allusion to Isaiah's prophecy about the suffering servant who bore the sins of "many."

      The line after this has changed from "so that sins may be forgiven" to "for the forgiveness of sins."  There is no significant change in meaning, but the new translation is a more direct translation of the Latin and a strong affirmation of the reconciling ministry of Christ.  He came not that sins "may be forgiven," but "for the forgiveness of sins."  Next week we'll look at the Mystery of Faith.

Reflection Forty-four

      There are more differences in the new translation when the priest repeats the words of Christ concerning the chalice of wine.

      Several important clauses in the previous translation have been combined into one sentence in the new translation.  We will hear "for" and "which" to show the connections between the parts of what Jesus said.  He invited His disciples to drink, He explained the contents of the chalice, and He proclaimed the purpose of this action.  By making this one sentence, the new translation expresses the interdependence of the invitation, the contents, and the purpose.  Let's take a closer look at the changes.

      Now the priest says, "Take this, all of you, and drink from it: this is the cup of My blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant.  It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven."

      The revised translation says, "Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the chalice of My Blood, the Blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.  Do this in memory of Me."

      Notice the word "chalice" replaces the word "cup."  This matches our common way of referring to the vessel on the altar, it highlights the ceremonial use of the vessel even at the Last Supper and it matches the frequent appearance of the word "chalice" in the Bible.

      The covenant is called "eternal" instead of "everlasting" in the new translation.  In English, everlasting means something like long-lasting.  It refers to something within the confines of time.  The duration of God's covenant with us cannot be measured.

      Next week, we'll look at other changes in the words of consecration.

Reflection Forty-three

      Midway through the Eucharistic Prayer, the priest has been inviting us to proclaim the Mystery of Faith, and we respond with one of four different acclamations.  These options have changed.  Almost everyone knows these acclamations very well, so we all will have to learn new ones.

      The Memorial Acclamation comes just after the part of the Eucharistic Prayer when the priest repeats the words of Jesus from the Last Supper.  This is a critical part of the Mass, very dear to the hearts of we Catholics.  Usually we can hear the people in the Church become more attentive as the priest speaks the words of Christ, lifts the consecrated bread and wine, and genuflects in adoration.  Some of the words we hear at this time will also change.

      When he picks up the bread, the priest now says, "Take this, all of you, and eat it: this is My Body which will be given up for you."  In the new translation, the priest will say, "Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is My Body, which will be given up for you."

      The only difference is the insertion of the words "of" and "for."  The meaning is basically the same, but the new translation expresses that we all share some "of" the same bread.  By partaking of the one bread, we become one body in Christ, as St. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 10, Verse 17.  Furthermore, the reason we share this food is that it is the Body of Christ, given up for us.  The word "for" draws out this purpose.

      There are more differences in the new translation when the priest repeats the words of Christ concerning the chalice of wine.  We will look at these differences next week.

Reflection Forty-two

      The ending of the Eucharistic Prayer is another dialogue between the priest and the congregation.  Just as this prayer opens with a dialogue so it closes with one.  The complete Eucharistic Prayer follows the same structure as the opening prayer (the Collect), the Prayer over the Offerings, and the Prayer after Communion.  The priest recites the text, and we answer, "Amen."  The same is true here.

      The priest, who has recited most of the words of the Eucharistic Prayer, also proclaims the doxology (conclusion).  Then we reply.  And, just as we do not sing the doxology with the priest, so he should not sing the "Amen" with us.  The priest proclaims the glory and honor of God, and we answer "Amen" to his words.  We affirm all that has been said before.

      There are only two syllables to this response and that is why some musical settings of this "Amen" have us repeating the word "Amen" several times.  We make this a "Great Amen" because it concludes the greatest prayer of all, the Eucharistic Prayer.

      Once, a child was asked to explain the meaning of the word "Amen."  Thinking for a minute, the child compared the response to an e-mail.  Saying "Amen" is like hitting the "send" key, the child said.  Yes it is.  We send our entire prayer message all at once through the angelic Web Server to the in-box of the One who rules over all.  Next week, we will begin a discussion of the Memorial Acclamation.

Reflection Forty-one

      The Holy, Holy, Holy affirms the divinity of Christ, the unity of testimony in the Old and New Testaments, the holiness of God, the power of God over all forces, and the universal desire of all creation to raise a voice together to praise God.  If some of us sing only one song at Mass, we should all raise our voices to join this chorus.  The rest of creation is depending on us.

      The Eucharistic Prayer comes to a close with the priest's doxology (conclusion) and the people's Amen.  The word "Amen" is not translated at all.  It is the same word in Latin.  Some words express something so perfectly in one language that they never change when they go to another.  The word "Amen" means So Be It! or even I agree or I believe.  It is a holy word that has resisted any further translation and it is staying the same.

      The doxology of the priest, however, will be slightly different.  Now he says, "Through Him, with Him, in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is Yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever."  With the revised translation, the priest will say, "Through Him, and with Him, and in Him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is Yours, for ever and ever."

      The main difference here is the word order, which more nearly imitates the flow of the Latin.  An additional benefit is that it names the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity in succession, so it is easier to tell that the prayer is offered to God the Father, through Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Spirit.  Next week, we will talk more about the people's response: "Amen!"

Reflection Forty

      As mentioned last week, the English translation of the first line of the Holy, Holy, Holy has changed from "God of power and might" to "God of hosts."  In Latin, the word for hosts appears as Sabaoth (Sah-bah-oath).  Sabaoth refers to God's command over an army of angels.  It proclaims the power of God; hence the previous translation: "God of power and might."

      The revised translation emphasizes the sublime power of God, who has all the forces of nature under His control.  Shortly after singing this hymn, we ask the Holy Spirit to exercise that power by changing the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ.  This miracle happens because the only one who can do it is God, who controls all forces, the Lord of hosts.  For these reasons we affirm that God is "Holy, Holy, Holy."

      There is no change in the rest of this acclamation.  It quotes the crowds in Jerusalem who shout "Hosanna!" to Jesus at His triumphant entry on the day we commonly call Palm Sunday.  In turn, the crowds in this Gospel story also quote Psalm 118, Verse 26, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord."

Reflection Thirty-nine

      The Holy, Holy, Holy comes at a significant moment in the Mass.  The entire Eucharistic Prayer is the center of the celebration because we are asking the Holy Spirit to change the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ.  Before we make this request, we praise God.  We acknowledge the wonderful things that God has done and we proclaim how holy God is.

      To give praise to God at this critical juncture of the Mass, we choose not just any song.  We choose a text that itself is very holy.  The first line of the Holy, Holy, Holy is based on a passage from the book of the prophet Isaiah, Chapter Six, Verse Three.  The prophet has a vision.  He sees God sitting upon a lofty throne.  In that special realm that God inhabits, angels are in attendance.  They know how holy God is, and they sing about this holiness to one another.  Even though they are in the divine presence, they talk about God, they do not address God.  This reluctance to speak directly to God is another indication of God's holiness.

      This is the hymn that we on earth take up when we sing the Holy, Holy, Holy.  We join the angels in their song.  The difference is that now we are directly addressing God, because that is what the Eucharistic Prayer does.  This is a bold hymn, therefore.  We sing it in a way that even the angels do not do.

      The Preface concludes by announcing that we are about to proclaim God's majesty together with the angels.  In this way, our singing of the Holy, Holy, Holy lifts a universal hymn of praise to God.  All of creation sings its theme song, one that comes from the choirs of angels and which makes a perfect hymn to praise a holy God.

Reflection Thirty-eight

      The Opening Dialogue and our responses in it provide a more natural bridge to the Preface.  The Preface begins with a phrase such as, "It is truly right and just."  So, when the priest begins his part, he expands on what we have just said.

      The Preface will explain why it is truly right and just to give God thanks on this particular occasion.  During a given season of the liturgical year, or when celebrating a day in honor of a saint, the Preface recalls something pertinent about God's wonderful deeds.  Other Prefaces are more generic, but they always give special reasons why we give thanks on this day.

      Remember that the word eucharist means thanksgiving.  In the dialogue at the beginning of the Eucharistic Prayer, the priest invites us to "give thanks," we declare it is right and just to do so, and he proclaims why it is right and just today.

      At the end of the Preface, all join in the Holy, Holy, Holy.  There will be a slight change in the first line of this acclamation.  The rest of it remains the same.  Now we say, "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of power and might."  In the revised translation we will say, "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts."  This translation is closer to the Latin.  We will continue talking about the Holy, Holy, Holy, next week.

Reflection Thirty-seven

      In the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the changes in the translation will affect what we hear more than what we say.  We can expect some initial difficulty hearing and understanding.  In time, we will grow in our ability to unite our thoughts with those of the entire Church community, and with Christ, as we give thanks and praise to God.

      The Eucharistic Prayer begins with a dialogue between the priest and the people.  Afterward, the priest prays the Preface, and all proclaim the Holy, Holy, Holy.  The Eucharistic Prayer concludes when the priest leads what is called the doxology or conclusion and we reply "Amen."  When we start using the revised English translation, we will notice a few changes to these texts.

      The Opening Dialgue with the priest will have a few alterations.  It begins when he says, "The Lord be with you."  We have already heard this greeting, or one like it, after the Sign of the Cross at the beginning of Mass.  Then, just before the Gospel, the priest or deacon addresses us with these words again.  By the time the Preface comes, we know that our response will be different from the one we have been making,  "And also with you."  In the new translation we will say, "And with your Spirit."

      The next part of the dialogue is not changing at all.  The priest says, "Lift our your hearts," and we answer, "We lift them up to the Lord."  Then the priest says, "Let us give thanks to the Lord our God."  In the revised translation our response will be different.  Now we answer, "It is right to give Him thanks and praise."  With the revised translation we will say, "It is right and just."  This is much closer to the Latin - just a declarative statement without explanation.
 

Reflection Thirty-six

      We continue this week to discuss the flow of the Eucharistic Prayer.  Last week we read about the Opening Dialogue, the Thanksgiving, the Acclamation and the Invocation.

      Now, the Institution Narrative and Consecration:  The story of the Last Supper is recounted, together with the sacred words, "This is My Body," and "This is My Blood."  We firmly believe that the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ.

      The Recollection: We proclaim the death and Resurrection of Christ until He comes again.  We sing the Memorial Acclamation and the priest repeats its message immediately afterward.

      Offering: The priest offers to God the consecrated bread and wine.  It is the perfect self-offering of Jesus Christ.

      Intercessions: The first intercession prays for the unity of those who are filled with the Holy Spirit.  We pray for the Holy Spirit to come down upon all of us, binding us in unity as we prepare for Holy Communion.  We also pray for the living and the dead, for Christians and for all people.

      The Conclusion: The entire prayer concludes with praise to God the Father; through, with and in Christ; in the unity of the Holy Spirit.  We respond in faith with one of the most important words at Mass: "Amen."

Reflection Thirty-five

      This weekend marks the 52nd week these Liturgical Minutes concerning the translation changes in the Roman Missal have been written - one full year.

      To help us concentrate on the texts of the revised Eucharistic Prayers, it may help if we are aware of the flow of a Eucharistic Prayer from start to finish.  Almost all of them follow the same structure.  As we become familiar with the structure, we will be better able to listen for the parts of the prayer as it moves along.

      Opening Dialogue: We exchange lines with the priest, lifting our heart, as we solemnly announce the start of the prayer.

      Thanksgiving: The priest recites the Preface, which gives thanks and praise to God.  Most prefaces have a theme that makes them appropriate for the season, feast or purpose of the particular celebration.

      Acclamation: All sing Holy, Holy, Holy, as we join our voices with those of the choirs of angels to give universal praise to God.

      The Invocation: After a brief transition, the priest asks the Holy Spirit to come down upon the bread and wine and change them into the Body and Blood of Christ.

      Next week, we'll continue to look at the flow of the Eucharistic Prayer.

Reflection Thirty-four

      Another Eucharistic Prayer was composed for Masses for Various Needs and Occasions.  This sounds like a very generic title, but there is a section in the Missal with prayers for different intentions, ranging from civil authorities to favorable weather.  Whether our community is praying at Mass for religious vocations or for those unjustly living in exile, special prayers exist for these occasions.

      These Masses are for use on weekdays, and this Eucharistic Prayer was composed to enhance them.  It has four variations, allowing it to make better connections to the intentions of the day.  Each variation has its own preface and a changeable part within the body of the prayer.

      All these prayers have been retranslated, so we can expect to hear things a little differently.  It is hoped that the revised translation will reward our attention.

      Next week, we will talk about the Flow of A Eucharistic Prayer.

Reflection Thirty-three

      The priest may choose from a variety of Eucharistic Prayers.  Prior to the Second Vatican Council, there was only one, the Roman Canon (the current Eucharistic Prayer I).  It is still in the Missal and it is especially appropriate on Sundays, on days when we celebrate any of the saints mentioned in the prayer, and on days when a special phrase denoting the nature of the celebration may be inserted into it such as Christmas, Holy Thursday, and the Octave of Easter.

      Three more Eucharistic Prayers were added to this one right after the Council.  Eucharistic Prayer II is the shortest of them and was designed especially for weekday Mass.  It is based on a prayer that dates to the third or fourth century.

      Eucharistic Prayer III was newly composed following Vatican II, and it is especially appropriate for Sundays and feast days.  Eucharistic Prayer IV is based on a fourth-century prayer from the Eastern tradition of the Church.  It has its own Preface that gives a fuller summary of salvation history.  It was intended for use during Ordinary Time.

      In addition, some Eucharistic Prayers were composed for special circumstances.  Two were written as part of the Jubilee Year of 1975.  They express the theme of reconciliation, and we may sometimes hear them during Lent.

Reflection Thirty-two

      The Eucharistic Prayer is the center and summit of the entire Mass.  It is a prayer of thanksgiving and sanctification.  The priest invites us to lift up our hearts in prayer.  We unite out thoughts with those expressed by the priest, who addresses God in the name of the entire community.  The priest and the people all join themselves with Christ to proclaim the marvelous deeds of God.

      The priest speaks more words than we do.  We exchange a dialogue with him at the beginning of the prayer.  We sing Holy, Holy, Holy and the Memorial Acclamation.  We conclude the prayer with the Great Amen.  But the rest of the time we listen and pray in silence.  It can be difficult to concentrate fully during this time.  The Eucharistic Prayer demands and rewards a lot of attention.

      The translation into English has affected the entire collection of Eucharistic Prayers.  Many priests have all or parts of the prayers memorized, and they are quite comfortable with their content.  When the revised texts are used, priests will need time to learn how to best express them in a way that helps everyone pray.

      The sentences are longer and more involved, and the vocabulary is broader.  It may be a struggle at the beginning.  In time, though, the new translations should become more comfortable for priest and congregation.

Reflection Thirty-one

      Last week, we talked about the changes in the Priest's invitation to us to pray and offer sacrifice.  This week we look at the changes in our response.

      Our response to this invitation is changed by the addition of one single word: holy.  In the new translation we will say, "May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands, for the praise and glory of His name, for our good, and the good of all his holy Church."

      The word "holy" appears in Latin, so it is being added to the English.  The revision fills out the sense of the dialogue and echoes the description of the Church in the Creed.  The reason the Lord will hear the prayer and accept the sacrifice of the humble priest has to do with the holiness of the Church, which benefits from his prayer.

      The Preparation of the Gifts concludes as the priest turns to the appropriate page in the Missal and says the Prayer over the Offerings.  The content of this prayer changes with almost every Mass.  Each of these prayers throughout the Missal has been retranslated.  The words may sound a little different to us, but the prayer ends the same way: we respond with the word "Amen."  Next week we'll look at the Eucharistic Prayer.

Reflection Thirty

:

      After he washes his hands, the priest invites us to pray.  His invitation is slightly different in the new translation: "Pray, brethren (brothers and sisters), that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father."  The priest currently says: "Pray, brethren, that our sacrifice may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.

      Notice the expansion from the words "our sacrifice" to "my sacrifice and yours."  In keeping with the Latin text, this implies that more than one sacrifice is being offered.  On the one hand, the Mass is a single sacrifice offered by all present.  On the other hand, each baptized member of the assembly is offering a sacrifice, in keeping with his or her priestly role; however, each participate in the one sacrifice of Christ.

      The first letter of St. Peter says we are meant to be a "holy priesthood," offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, as we heard in last week's second reading (see 1 Peter, Chapter 2, Verse 5).

      Next week, we'll talk about the changes in the response to this invitation from the priest.

Reflection Twenty-nine

      The words the priest will say while holding the chalice make a similar distinction as is made in the prayer while the priest holds the bread, which we looked at last week.  He will say, "Blessed are You, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the wine we offer you: fruit of the vine and work of human hands.  It will become our spiritual drink."

      The priest now says, "Blessed are You, Lord God of all creation.  Through Your goodness we have this wine to offer, fruit of the vine and work of human hands.  It will become our spiritual drink."  These are subtle changes in the wording, but the new translation shows our dependence on God from whom we have received the wine, not just have it.

      There are several more prayers uttered quietly by the priest of the deacon during this time.  These have small changes in wording or punctuation.  Because they are said so quietly, we probably won't notice any difference.

      Next week, we'll talk about the changes in the wording to the "Pray brethren" prayer and its response.

Reflection Twenty-eight

      During the Liturgy of the Eucharist, once the priest has received the gifts and stands at the altar, he praises God, who has provided them.  To each of these prayers - one over the bread and one over the wine - our response will remain the same, "Blessed be God forever."

      The words of the priest, though, will be slightly different.  For example, while holding the bread the priest will say, "Blessed are You, Lord God of all creation, for through Your goodness we have received the bread we offer You: fruit of the earth and work of human hands; it will become for us the Bread of Life.

      In the current translation, the celebrant says, "Blessed are You, Lord, God of all creation.  Through Your goodness we have this bread to offer, which earth has given and human hands have made.  It will become for us the Bread of Life."

      Thus, the priest has been saying we have "bread to offer," but in the new translation he will say that we are still in the act of offering it, and that we are offering it to God.  The text ends the same way, so we should have no problem making the appropriate response.  Next, the prayer over the wine.

Reflection Twenty-seven

      In the Creed, "I confess" replaces "We acknowledge," and is a more forceful expression.  In this context, "confess" means profess belief in - not express sorrow for sins.  It sounds stronger than "acknowledge" because it involves the heart, not just the head.

      Next, "I look forward to the resurrection."  At the end of the Creed, instead of saying merely that we "look for the resurrection," we will say we "look forward to it."  This is a clearer translation of the Latin, but it also resounds with confidence.  It summons a certain tone of voice.  With confidence we state belief in God who gives us faith.

      Let's now being an analysis of the Liturgy of the Eucharist with an examination of the Preparation of the Gifts.  The Liturgy of the Eucharist begins with the Preparation of the Gifts.  This part of the Mass is brief, and there will only be a few changes to the words when we start using the new translation.

      In some parishes, a hymn is sung on Sundays as the gifts are collected and the altar is prepared, as we do here.  The Missal calls this the Offertory Chant.  There are no changes to the instructions governing the choice of this music, so our current custom and repertoire should remain in force.

Reflection Twenty-six

      This week, we will consider some of the other wording changes in the Creed.  First, the words "suffered death."  This phrase replaces two verbs in the current translation: "suffered" and "died."  The Latin is ambiguous.  Literally, it says, "He suffered and was buried," and the word "suffered" implies His dying.  Because the word "died" is not in the Latin version, "suffered death" seems a better way to express what happened to Jesus.  The point is that He really died, and that is what gives His Resurrection its full meaning.

      Next: "In accordance with the Scriptures."  One the surface, there seems to be little difference between the current translation, "in fulfillment of the Scriptures," and the new one, "in accordance with the Scriptures."  In Latin, the word more clearly means "in accordance with" or even "according to."  The current translation implies that the Resurrection fulfills Old Testament prophecies, which it does, but the New Testament also proclaims the Resurrection.  The revised translation broadens the meaning of the word "Scriptures" and the role they play in our faith.

      The revised translation chooses the word "adored" to replace "worshipped."  It more nearly resembles the word in Latin, and it is so translated consistently throughout the new missal.

      To see the complete comparison of the two versions of the creed, click on the bottom link at left.

Reflection Twenty-five

      Last week, we discussed the meaning of the word "Consubstantial" as used in the Creed.  Today we consider the meaning of "Incarnate."  This word, another we do not use often, replaces the word "born" in the translation now

in use.  It means something like "given flesh."  It professes our belief that the Word (Jesus) became flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary.  In the current translation, the meaning could be misunderstood to state that the Word became flesh when Jesus was born.

      That is not our faith.  Jesus was not simply born by the power of the Holy Spirit, He was conceived that way.  In both translations, this phrase is followed by "and became man."  The revised translation makes it clearer that Jesus did not become a human when He was born; He was incarnate in the womb, and in that event "became man."

     Here is a comparison of the two translations: The old: "For us men and for our salvation He came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit He was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man."

      The new: "For us men and for our salvation He came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man."

Reflection Twenty-four

      Continuing our review of the changes to the Creed, we come to the words "Only Begotten."  These words also appear in the Gloria.  They replace the word "only" and they translate the Latin more fully.  They reaffirm our faith that Jesus did not merely materialize as the Son of God, but that He was intentionally begotten; His presence has always been part of the divine plan. 

      Next, we come to "Born of the Father before all ages."  These words replace the words "eternally begotten of the Father," and makes them all the more precise.  Jesus dwelled with the Father before time began as John the Evangelist affirms in the opening verses of his Gospel.

      "Consubstantial" is a new word to the Creed and describes the relationship between Jesus and the Father.  It replaces the expression "one in being" which was thought to be more comprehensible and closer to the original Greek of the Creed.  However, the revised translation chooses a word closer to the Latin equivalent.  Thus, "one in being with the Father" becomes "consubstantial with the Father."

      The question of how Jesus relates to the Father has immense importance.  Heresies have divided Christians over this very issue.  They early Church forged a vocabulary that carefully articulates orthodox faith, and they chose the word to express the dogma of Jesus's divinity.

Reflection Twenty-three

      The words of the Creed are changing.  Let's start looking at some of them.

      We will notice a change right at the beginning of the Creed: The first word will no longer be "We" but, rather, "I," so it will begin "I believe," as does the Apostles Creed.  The Creed is still the faith of the entire Church, but each of us proclaims it to assert our personal faith together with other believers.  "I believe" is the literal translation of the Latin "Credo," and it is consistent with the translation that has been used in many other countries around the world since the second Vatican Council.  At first it will sound a little unusual to English speakers, but we will get used to it with time.

      The next change is longer.  Now we say "seen and unseen."  The new version will say "of all things visible and invisible."  The choice of these words over "seen and unseen" makes this line a little more precise.  Some things are visible by nature are actually unseen at certain times and places.  Relatives who live at a distance from us are visible there but unseen to us.  We believe God is the maker not only of things we cannot see for whatever reason, but also of things that are, in fact, invisible - for example, the saints and angels who occupy a place in our belief and worship.

      The next change we will look at is "Only begotten."

Reflection Twenty-two

      The words we say to profess our faith are changing, but our faith is staying the same.  When the revised translation is implemented on November 27, 2011 (the first Sunday of Advent), we will be using a revised text for the Creed we recite each Sunday.  We will probably notice the changes in this text more than in any other words we say at Mass.

      The guiding principle for the revised translation has been to make the English closer to the Latin original.  Translators have learned a lot in the past forty years, and they have given us a text that expresses our common faith with more precision.  Catholics profess the Creed each Sunday in various languages all around the world.  Especially for this part of the Mass, it is important that we all say the same words; there is one faith.

      The Creed Americans usually proclaim is the Nicene Creed, although on some occasions (such as when large numbers of children are present) it may be replaced with the shorter Apostles' Creed.  Next week we will take a general look at some of the changes.

Reflection Twenty-one:

      We continue today to discuss the Prayer of the Faithful.  The petitions are supposed to cover four considerations: the needs of the Church, public authorities (governments, institutions, civic leaders, etc.), the salvation of the whole world, those burdened with any kind of difficulty and the local community, church and secular.

      Within these guidelines, the content of the petitions is completely alterable.  They can be formulated to fill local needs and requirements based on what is happening in real time.  We should not experience any differences in these prayers.  They will continue to vary from week to week, but in the same way they always have in the past.

      On the whole, the Liturgy of the Word will remain fairly constant.  As some of the words for Mass change around us, the Word of God will keep us stable.

      Next week, we will begin a discussion of the changes coming to the Creed and you will be able to see, here, a detailed comparison of the language of the current Creed and the newly-translated Creed.

Reflection Twenty:

      If catechumens are present, they may be dismissed after the homily.  The revised translation does not address this situation.  We can expect to hear words similar to those we have heard before, whenever catechumens are sent forth to reflect on God's Word.

      After the Creed, which we will begin discussing soon, the Liturgy of the word concludes with the Prayer of the Faithful.  The first English translation includes samples, and the new versions of these are appearing in the new edition of the Roman Missal.

      But the entire text of the Prayer of the Faithful may be freely composed in local church communities such as ours: the priest's opening prayer, the individual petitions, the people's response, and the priests concluding prayer.

      This part of the Mass enjoys great flexibility.  It expects that the leaders of our church community know best what we should pray for, and it calls upon them to formulate the petitions in a manner that are most meaningful to us given the times and circumstances in which they are voiced.

Reflection Nineteen:

      Several times at Mass, the priest and the deacon say some prayers in a low voice.  They are saying extra prayers to center their minds on the meaning of their actions.

     When the priest or deacon stands at the ambo (pulpit) and greets us, he says, "The Lord be with you."  Our response has been, "And also with you."  With the new translation, our response will be "And with your spirit."  This follows the practice established in the Introductory Rites of the Mass.  In previous weeks we had a detailed explanation of this change and it can be reviewed below in Reflection Twelve.

      When the Gospel is announced, we will say, "Glory to You, O Lord."  The word "O" has been added throughout the Missal before words such as "Lord" and "God" in sentences that are prayers.  It slightly lengthens the one-syllable form of address to God, and intends to show respect.  The change affects the priest more than it does us, although we have already experienced it in the Gloria (Reflections Fifteen, Sixteen and Seventeen below).  At the conclusion, we will still say, "Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ."

Reflection Eighteen:

      Today, we begin a discussion of the changes coming to the Liturgy of the Word.  There are virtually no changes to the English texts we use for the Liturgy of the Word, except for the Creed.  However, you may wish to know about a few matters.

      The first two readings will conclude the same way.  The reader will say, "The Word of the Lord," and we answer, "Thanks be to God."  However, the words that precede and conclude the proclamation of the Gospel have changed.  If a deacon is assisting, he goes to the priest and asks for a blessing.  The words they say to each other have a slightly different translation, although the meaning is the same.

      The priest has been praying that the deacon may "worthily proclaim" the Gospel, and in the new text he asks that the deacon proclaim it "worthily and well."  Similarly, if the priest proclaims the Gospel, he offers a short prayer in a low voice.  The word order of that text is slightly different, and in it the priest calls the proclamation God's "holy Gospel" - not just the "Gospel."

      All these texts are said quietly.  You may never have heard them aloud before, and you will probably not hear these changes as they are spoken.

Reflection Seventeen:

      Continuing our look at the revised Gloria, at the words "You take away the sins of the world," the phrases appear in a different order in the new translation to imitate the order of the words in Latin.  A small change appears in this line.  We have been singing about "sin" in the singular, but the new translation has "sins," the plural form.  The difference indicates that Jesus takes away not just generic sin from the world, but individual sin.  He forgives people their personal sins.  In Latin the word for sins is written in the plural form.

      On the whole, the revised translation of the Gloria reflects the long tradition of this hymn, while making it suitable for singing.  It roots us in the scriptures, gives us words to praise God, and is an occasion to reflect on the forgiving power of Jesus Christ.

      With Reflection Eighteen, we will begin a discussion of the Liturgy of The Word.

Reflection Sixteen:

      Today, we continue our reflection on the changes to the "Gloria."  Those familiar with the Christmas narrative in St. Luke's Gospel, will hear in the opening line of the Gloria an echo of the angels announcing peace at the birth of Jesus: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to people of good will (Gloria in excelsis Deo et in terra pax hominibus bone voluntatis).  This replaces the current translation: "Glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth."

      The next section of the Gloria, also taken from Luke's Gospel, will now read: "We praise you, we bless You, we adore You, we glorify You, we give You thanks for Your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father."  This replaces the shorter form now in use: "Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship You, we give You thanks, we praise You for Your glory."

      The version we now sing probably shortened this section because it seemed a bit excessive.  New music is being prepared to accommodate these changes in the text.

      In the revised translation of the Gloria, all the descriptions for God have been restored, and the result is, indeed, what might be called excessive, but that is the point.  We are so overcome with awe in the presence of God that we keep searching for words to describe the experience, and the result, word upon word, seems the best way to demonstrate the overwhelming experience of meeting God in prayer.

      The words "Only Begotten Son . . . Son of the Father" represent a slight change from the previous version, "only Son of the Father."  The earlier version chose an economy of words to express the same dogma - that Jesus is the only Son of God.

      To sum up, the current version of this part of the Gloria reads, "Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer."

      The revised text will read, "Lord Jesus Christ, only begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; You take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer; You are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.  The rest of the Gloria will remain unchanged.

Reflection Fifteen:

      When our community starts using the revised English translation of the Order of the Mass on November 27, 2011 (the first Sunday of Advent), one of the biggest changes we'll notice is the words of the "Gloria."

      The rules governing the use of this prayer have not changed.  And we will still sing or recite it on all Sundays of the year, except during Advent and Lent, and rare occasions when All Souls Day (November 2) falls on a Sunday.  Everyone may sing or recite the Gloria together, or the people may alternate with the choir, or the choir may sing it alone.

      It may be intoned by the priest-celebrant, the cantor or the choir.  Although the Church is precise about the times of the year when the Gloria is prayed, there are no guidelines for when to sing or recite it.  Many congregations, such as ours, have learned one or more sung versions of the Gloria and, at the very least, use them on more festive celebrations throughout the liturgical year.

    The text of the Gloria has changed so much, that composers have written new, and revised existing, musical settings for it.  Parishes who sing it will be changing their repertoire by learning one or more new and revised versions, as we will.

      The new translation of the Gloria is somewhat longer, but a well-written musical setting can be sung by almost any group, regardless of their musical abilities or the length of the text.  The same text repeats Sunday after Sunday, so each congregation has an opportunity to practice a new setting for many weeks until it feels comfortable.

      The revised translation changed "His people on earth," to "people of good will."  Again, the guiding principal for all translations is to let the English express more literally the sentiments of the Latin original.  In this case, the previous text describes to whom the people belong (His, that is, God's), where the new translation describes their quality ("of good will").  Not only is this faithful to the original Latin prayer, but it better connects with the Nativity story found in St. Luke's Gospel (Chapter 12, Verse 14).

Reflection Fourteen:

      Before the Penitential Act concludes, the priest proclaims an absolution - though this is not to be confused with the one he gives in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  The translation of this text has not changed: "May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life."  We will still respond, "Amen."

      All these choices may be replaced with the blessing and sprinkling with holy water, an option that many parishes choose during the Easter season.  The texts of the priest have been revised.  So have the antiphons suggested for singing during the sprinkling, and the options for those antiphons have increased in number.

      The Introductory Rites conclude with the Collect, or the Opening Prayers of the Mass.  All the collects have been completely retranslated, and they will sound a bit different to us.  The sentences are longer and more complex and may be difficult to follow at first.  However, over a short period of time, our ears should tune in to the flow of the prayer and make it easier for our hearts to join its intention.

      In the first translation, opening prayers conclude with the formula that usually begin, "We ask this through our Lord, Jesus Christ."  This formula has been revised, too.  You may not notice the difference, but it should make the role of the persons of the Blessed Trinity more precise.

      We will conclude the Collect with the word, "Amen," just as we have been doing.  It solemnly affirms our belief in God and the unity of the prayers of everyone present.  In faith, we are seated and ready to hear the Word of God.

      In our next series of reflections, we will look at the changes coming to the "Gloria."

Reflection Thirteen:

      Our Liturgical Minute for this week will deal with the Penitential Act at the beginning of Mass.  There are three options for the Penitential Act.  The third is perhaps the most commonly used.  The priest, deacon or other minister makes three acclamations concluding with "Lord, have mercy," Christ, have mercy," and then "Lord, have mercy," again.  Everyone else repeats each phrase.

      These responses will not change, but there is a new translation of the acclamations that introduce them.  Even so, those phrases may be replaced with any that fit their style.  Here at St. Joan of Arc we are accustomed to hearing a variety of invocations before saying, "Lord, have mercy."  That practice is allowed to continue.

      Ministers have the option of concluding these acclamations with the original Greek texts, "Kyrie (key-ree-ae) eleison (ae-lay-ee-sohn)," Christe

(Kris-tay) eleison," "Kyrie eleison."  If they do, we respond with those words, too.

      Another option for the Penitential Act is the prayer known by its Latin title, the "Confiteor (Kon-fee-tay-or)."  It begins, "I confess to almighty God."  There will be a new translation for this.  It is almost the same as the one we know, but different enough that it may cause some initial confusion.  The Confiteor still concludes with "Lord, have mercy," be we have the option of saying "Kyrie eleison" "Christe eleison" "Kyrie eleison" instead.

      Here is a closer look at the changes in the "Confiteor."

Current Version: I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault . . .

New Version: I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned . . .

Current Version: . . . in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and what I have failed to do; and I ask blessed Mary, ever virgin, all the angels and saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord, our God.

New Version: . . . in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary, ever-virgin, (the rest remains the same).

      Another option for the Penitential Act has not been used very much, and it has undergone a rather complete re-translation.  Now, the priest says, "Lord we have sinned against You: Lord, have mercy."  To which we respond, "Lord, have mercy."  With the new translation, the priest will say, "Have mercy on us, O Lord," and we will respond, "For we have sinned against you."

      Now the priest says, "Lord, show us Your mercy and love," and we answer, "And grant us Your salvation."  With the new translation, the priest will say, "Show us, O Lord, Your mercy," and we will replay with the same words we use now, "And grant us Your salvation."

Reflection Twelve:

      The priest chooses from three different formulas to greet the people.  Perhaps the best known of these options is "The Lord be with you."  These words are not changing.  The response, however, is changing.

      We have been responding "And also with you."  Soon, however, we will answer, "And with your spirit."  This is a closer translation of the Latin text and it matches the response that already exists in most other major languages, including Spanish, French, Italian and German.

      The translation we have been using is adequate, but the revised translation is richer.  The purpose of the greeting is not just to say, "Hello," or "Good Morning."  It alerts us that we are entering a sacramental realm and reminds us of our responsibilities during this time we will spend at prayer.

      Both the greeting and the reply come from the Bible.  The two parts of the greeting express a desire that the Lord be present in the spirit of the entire community.  Based on evidence from St. Paul's letters, the priest's line could imply, "The Lord be with your spirit," and the people's line would then reciprocate: "and with your spirit."

      The brief entrance dialogue at the beginning of Mass is begun only by an ordained priest or a bishop.  In sum, the dialogue establishes the inter-dependence of the priest and the people as they take up their roles to praise God.

      The priest has two other forms he may use for the greeting.  These are similar to the one already in the Sacramentary, but the translations have been varied almost unnoticeably.

      The first is based on the final words of St. Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."  The other appears frequently in Paul's other letters: "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

      The revised translation roots us more deeply in the scriptures.  In the case of the greeting, it brings us into the language of St. Paul.

Reflection Eleven:

      The words we say at Mass have undergone a revised translation.  However, the flow of the Mass is not changing at all.  It will still take place in four parts: Introductory Rites, Liturgy of the Word, Liturgy of the Eucharist and Concluding Rites.  In each part, many of those words will not change, but some of them will.

      The Introductory Rites include everything that happens from the moment we stand until we sit for the first time.  For the next several weeks, we will look at the changes to these rites.  Let's first discuss the "Entrance Chant."

      As we know, Mass begins with an Entrance Chant.  On Sundays, everyone usually sings a song or hymn.  This hymn replaces a one-sentence antiphon that appears in the Missal for the Mass of the day.  The antiphon usually corresponds to a verse in the Bible.  A different antiphon is assigned to every Mass, and it usually relates to the season of the year, the saint's day, or some other event, belief or intention that focuses on the reason we pray on a given day.

      In many parishes on weekdays, instead of singing an Entrance Chant, all the people recite the words of the antiphon together.  In other parishes, one priest may recite the words alone, while another may include them as part of his introduction to the Mass.  Alternatively, the antiphon may be recited by a small group of the faithful or even by the lector alone.

      If the Mass you attend begins with an opening song, you should not experience any change to this custom.  However, if you are used to Mass beginning with the recitation of an antiphon, you will hear or see (in the Missal in the pew) a new translation for it.  You should not experience any significant change and will still recognize the antiphons for what they are.

      In the coming weeks, we will discuss, among other topics, the Sign of the Cross and the Greeting.  The priest says the words for the Sign of the Cross and we answer "Amen."  All of us make the gesture together.  There is no change to the words or gesture for the Sign of the Cross.  Next week we shall discuss "The Greeting."

Reflection Ten:

      In order to produce the best translation possible, eleven bishops from different countries around the world attended meetings and relied on teams of experts to propose translations that are faithful to the Latin, constant in style and consistent in vocabulary.

      The bishops from the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (I.C.E.L.) evaluated this work and made some changes to enhance it.  They brought the results back to the conferences of bishops whom they represent from around the world.

      The conferences sent their suggestions back to the I.C.E.L., which made a further round of improvements.  These went back to the conferences for their vote and the submission of the texts to Rome.  There, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments consulted another committee, called Vox Clara (clear voice), which is its own team of experts, and made some final adjustments to the text before approving them for publication.

      With so many participating in the revised translation process, the work is good, but some compromises have been made.  Almost everyone will find some parts they love and others they don't like at first.  You can count on some frustration when the revised texts appear.  But after some use, they should become as familiar as the current ones, enabling us to pray with more purpose when we gather for Mass.

      These weekly reflections are meant to help us understand the changes to the Order of the Mass, that is, the words that reappear in every Mass from the Sign of the Cross at the beginning to the dismissal at the end.

      As a further help, there is a web site where the complete text can be seen.  It is www.usccb.org/romanmissal.  (This web address is "hot."  Click on it to be taken to the site.)  The Order of the Mass was placed there for study, but we will not start using it until the first Sunday of Advent, 2011, according to current plans.

      In the coming weeks, we will look at specific changes beginning, next week, with the "Introductory Rites."

Reflection Nine:

      If you've ever seen the movie version of a book you've read, you have some idea of the challenges of translation.  The move has to be shorter.  It will eliminate or combine some characters.  It might omit or change some of your favorite dialogue and scenes.  The film may even have a different ending.  People who have never read the book may go to the movie and think it tells a fine story.  But you know much more because you read the book first.  You might think of ways you could have reworked the screenplay to include those things missing from the book; ways you could improve the film.

      The new vernacular of the Mass is striving for that kind of improvement.  After a reassessment of the original, it is trying to make the translation better.

      This is why some of the changes will seem rather small, while others are considerably larger.  For example, the "Lamb of God" is not changing at all.  But the first part of the "Gloria" has been completely rewritten.  The guiding principle is to achieve a translation that better evokes what the Latin says.  Because that principle has been applied to the entire Missal, some changes are smaller than others.

      Regarding the new translation, you may also notice a difference in attitude.  Some of the prayers will sound humbler, a bit more modest in the presence of an awesome God.  They acknowledge the majesty of God and the boldness of this entire enterprise: human beings talking to the God who made us.

      Other changes have music in mind.  Many of the sentences are being drafted in a way that their rhythms and words can be sung well in English.

      A large number of people has worked on the translation.  The entire process has been guided by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (I.C.E.L.), same same organization that provided the first translations for all English-speaking countries a generation ago - though now with new members.  Eleven bishops from different countries around the world attended the meetings.

Reflection Eight:

      Many of the Latin prayers in the liturgy are quite lovely.  They were crafted with a poetry of vocabulary, rhythm, structure and sentiment.  Just as many Catholic Church buildings were adorned with stained glass and other great works of art to please the eye, so the words for worship were shaped to please lips and ears.

      Much of this is lost to people who have not studied Latin.  Anyone from any culture can appreciate a painting or a sculpture, a symphony, or a waltz.  But only those who know a particular language can recognize its poetry and the style of its prose.

      Stores like The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Miserables have translated well to English-speaking theaters, but the elegance of Victor Hugo's language is appreciated by those who read his novels in French.  For this reason, the need for a new translation of the Mass is difficult for many to grasp.

      Citizens of the United States have a well-earned, worldwide reputation of being rather poor at speaking languages other than English.  Many students take only the minimum number of hours required for foreign language courses.  Those who speak more than one language are considered remarkable by that standard alone.

      Yet, people do understand that there are many ways to say things.  We use a more formal tone with teachers than we do with friends.  We use different sentences in conversation than we do in writing.  The spare spelling in text messages does not work in magazines.

      A good translation requires more than the right words - it needs a certain feel.  We have all had the experience of using a word we later think we could have found a better one for.  That is what is happening now with the new translation of the prayers of the liturgy.  Over time, the Church has come to realize there are more appropriate words than the ones we are currently using.

Reflection Seven:

      The broader vocabulary of the new translation reflects the extensive vocabulary of the Latin.  Latin uses a number of different words for pray, mercy, and love for example.  The new translation searches for a variety of English words to match these occurrences.  The result should add freshness to the sound of the Missal while avoiding the needless repetition of some well-worn words.

      Overall, the revised translation is trying to achieve a greater adherence to the original Latin than the former translation did. At the time, the first rendering in English used a more dynamic principle of translation, one that took some freedom with the structure and the content of the Latin sentences.  This resulted in texts that felt pleasantly idiomatic in the vernacular, even as they sacrificed some of the nuances of the original wording.

      The translation currently in use has served us well.  It helped entire communities make the jump from praying Mass in Latin to praying it in English.  It showed us how a good translation can enhance the prayer of individuals and of entire congregations.  It gave us a better understanding of the faith we share and it laid a foundation for vernacular worship upon which the Church is now building anew.

      By turning attention to the original Latin texts, the Church has raised some unintended fears.  Many Catholics who lived through the era of the Second Vatican Council want reassurance that its reforms will remain.  They hope that the recent compassionate outreach to those who prefer the 1962 Mass in Latin does not foreshadow a wholesale withdrawal from the vernacular.  It does not.  English is here to stay.  It will be enriched through a reexamination of the original texts in Latin.

Reflection Six:

      Translators now have a better sense of how to achieve the desired results from the new translation of the Roman Missal.  They have a firmer grasp of the meaning of the original texts and of the demands of oral proclamation.

      The revised translations will have more depth.  As people say and hear the new words, they should appreciate even more the value of the faith they hold so dear.

      The words of the Mass frequently allude to passages from the Bible.  The new translation will bring more of these allusions to light.  It will better connect the Missal to the Lectionary.  Worshippers will grasp more clearly that the traditional words we use for prayer arise from expressions of the Word of God.

      The new liturgical translation employs a more formal style than we use in ordinary conversation.  Many sentences will be longer.  The vocabulary will be broader.  As with all change, there will be challenges.  The adjustments will take some effort, but the results should be worth that effort.

      Longer sentences will appear in English because our current translation breaks these up when they occur in Latin.  Because the new translation stitches these phrases together gain, it may be a little more difficult to say and hear at first.

      But these longer sentences are producing prayers that express more nuances of meaning.  They will hold up over repeated usage, and they will reward those who use them for meditation and reflection.  The texts will express more clearly why we pray, why we hope, and how we present ourselves before God.

Reflection Five:

      Everyone will need time to get used to the idea of using new words in our liturgies, so it is important to begin providing information in the bulletin and other places, such as this web site, that the revised translation will come soon.  Here at St. Joan of Arc we are already doing that with the Liturgical Minutes at the beginning of each Mass and these reflections.

      Beloved musical settings of the Gloria and Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy) will change with the revisions in the Mass and are even now being composed.

      Some of the wording in the revised translation can actually be found in the old missals that were published immediately after the Second Vatican Council.  So the new translation could be a bit nostalgic for some of us.

     Other translation changes will affect the "I Confess", the Creed, the "Lamb of God", the response to "The Lord Be with You" as was discussed here and in the bulletin, and the invitation before Communion: "Behold the Lamb of God."

      Mass will remain the same, but the sound will be different.  Most of these words are English translations of texts first composed in Latin.

      The revised translation pertains to the book we currently call the Sacramentary.  Scripture readings will not be affected, nor will the Prayer of the Faithful (General Intercessions) or our favorite hymns.

      The new translation pertains to the words we speak or sing at every Mass, and to the prayers the priest recites alone from the Sacramentary.  Even the title of the Sacramentary will have a new translation; we will now refer to it as the Roman Missal.

      The third edition of the Roman Missal in Latin was published in 2002.  Our current translation dates to 1973, and some parts of the Mass first appeared in English as early as 1970.  After a generation of use, the translation we know well is being revised to reflect the current Latin edition.

Reflection Four:

      In 2001, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, the liturgical commission in Rome, issued a document outlining the methodology and process for translating liturgical texts into vernacular languages.

      The document called for a more literal translation of the original Latin and so a group of scholars, poets and theologians convened and worked painstakingly on providing a third English translation.

      The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments announced "recognition" of the new translation.  It is most likely that these texts will be implemented on November 27, 2011, the First Sunday of Advent.

      When the translation is used, you will notice slight changes in the prayers we hear and say at Mass.  For example, we will soon respond "And with your Spirit" to "The Lord Be with you."

      Being faithful to the original Latin prayers will enhance the meaning of the texts.  They will be more poetic, and there will be a more obvious connection to the scriptural roots of our prayers.

      There is an old axiom: "The law of prayer is the law of faith" or "that which we pray is that which we believe."  That is why the prayers of the Church are so important and why the Church has initiated the process of revising the English translation.  The words of our prayers are what we believe as a Church and form us as the Body of Christ.

Reflection Three:

      Take notice of the red book the priest uses most often during Mass.  This book is called the Sacramentary which, together with the Lectionary, make up the Roman Missal.  The Sacramentary contains prayers.  The Lectionary contains the scripture readings.

      The majority of the prayers we recite or sing at Mass are contained in the Sacramentary and it is these prayers that are currently being retranslated from the original Latin into English.

      In the early Christian Church, many of the prayers were memorized and handed down orally.  Scribes eventually collected the prayers and recorded them in their Book of Sacraments.  Other books were used for scripture readings.  Eventually, the chants, scripture readings, prayer texts and instructions (called rubrics because they were printed in red ink) were compiled into a single volume.

      After Vatican II, more scripture readings were added making it necessary to use the two books (three if you count the Book of the Gospels) in use here at St. Joan of Arc.  (The Gospels can also be found in the Lectionary.)

      The Lectionary (scripture) texts for the dioceses of the United States were revised in 1998 and are currently used in the Liturgy.  The texts that are found in the current Sacramentary (prayers, chants and instructions) have been retranslated and will eventually be used in English-speaking countries.

      With this translation, the name of the book will change from Sacramentary to Roman Missal, a translation of the Latin title, Missale Romanum.

      All of the prayers we say in English have corresponding Latin texts.  After the Second Vatican Council, the Latin texts were translated into the vernacular, or common language, of particular regions.

      The first English translation of the Roman Missal was completed quickly in 1969.  It aimed for a "spirit" of the texts rather than an exact, literal translation of the Latin words.  A second revision of the texts occurred in 1975.

Reflection Two:

      In 1982, the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) began the process of revising the missal translation by sending out for the comment of the conferences of Bishops, the first two consultation books.  This process of consultant and revision, which involved research into the origin of the texts and scriptural and patristic (fathers of the Church) allusions contained in them, culminated in the completion of the revised Sacramentary/Missal in 1997.

      This edition had been approved by the English-speaking Bishops' conferences.  However, by that time, the Holy See's Congregation for Divine worship and Discipline of the Sacraments had begun to re-evaluate the principles of translation contained in the Instruction of Translations, and had initiated work on a new Latin edition of the Missal that would include a number of new texts to be translated.

      In March 2001, the Congregation issued a document introducing translation principles to replace those principles contained in the 1969 Instruction on Translations.  These new principles place a greater emphasis on reflecting, in any new translations, not only the vocabulary of the Latin text, but also its grammar, syntax, rhetorical forms, scriptural and patristic allusions, and word order to the extent that the particular vernacular language allows.

      Many of the principles have been applied to the ICEL's work on the 1997 edition of the missal texts and have been carefully followed in the ICEL's more recent work on the translation of the third Latin edition of the Missal, which was published in 2002 and slightly emended in 2008.  This set of principles is intended to ensure a close adherence to the Latin text that will result in liturgical texts that capture more fully the sacred mysteries they represent.

(From: Preparing Your Parish for The Revised Roman Missal, Part One, pp. 6-7)

Reflection One:

     In late 2011, a revised Roman Missal, currently called the "Sacramentary" will come into use.  The revisions have to do with the translations of the texts used during the celebration of Mass.  Over the coming weeks and months, this series of reflections will introduce you to those changes that will affect Church goers the most, specifically, but not totally, dealing with the responses between the celebrant and congregation and the words of some prayers, for example the Gloria and the Creed.

      Revisions in the translation of the texts of the Mass, especially the people's parts, may initially be difficult to accept and get acclimated to, in view of the fact that they have been in use for more than 35 years.  However, in light of what has been learned since the Second Vatican Council about the sources of these prayer texts, their vocabulary, structure and the art of translation, it was inevitable that changes in the translations would be made.  Such changes would allow the rich tradition of the Church's prayer to be conveyed fully in the ritual texts of the Mass.

      Why are the changes being made in the Roman Missal, and why now?

      The Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy opened the way for greater use of the vernacular in the celebration of the liturgy.  The prospect of the celebration of the Church's liturgy in the vernacular led eleven bishops from ten English-speaking conferences of bishops to meet in Rome in 1963 to form what later became known as the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL).  This joint, or mixed, commission was established primarily to provide English translations of the revised liturgical books of the Roman rite.

      In 1969, the Holy See's Consilium issued its "Instructions on Translations." This instruction provided the principles to be followed in the preparation of vernacular translations of the Latin liturgical texts.  Its very first paragraph stated that "after sufficient experiment and the passage of time, all translations will need review.  By 1976, the ICEL had completed its work on the first generation of translations of the Latin liturgical rites.

(From: Preparing Your Parish for The Revised Roman Missal, Part One, p. 6)