Posted on 05/20/2010 10:42:52 AM PDT by markomalley
So, sometime next year youre attending Sunday Mass as you always do, the priest takes his place in the sanctuary, makes the Sign of the Cross and says The Lord be with you, and you dutifully respond, And also with you. Wrong, the priest says, The correct answer now is, And with your spirit. Thats the scenario youre likely to encounter in the not-too-distant future as some of the language of the Mass, language with which weve become very familiar, is about to change. The change is the result of a new translation of the Roman Missal, a translation thats been studied and discussed for a number of years now, and is soon to be introduced into the English speaking world.
The reasons for the new translation are, in themselves, simple enough. The Mass is being translated anew to provide a more exalted, transcendent, spiritual language for our worship, and to make the English translation more consistent with the Latin original.
The translation process has been long and complicated, and it gets very technical, very quickly. The development of liturgical language is no small feat it involves highly trained experts in Canon Law, scripture, liturgy and language. Eleven different episcopal conferences from the English speaking world on five continents have been consulted.
The process of translating the Mass and its final product have been the subject of a fierce debate within Church circles. The Catholic blogosphere has gone crazy over the topic, with competing articles, editorials, surveys and petitions. The folks personally involved in the discussion can get very emotional about matters such as the role of the Bishops Conference vs. the Holy See; the composition and competence of consultative groups such as ICEL (The International Commission on English in the Liturgy) and Vox Clara; about the relative merits of arcane documents such as Comme Le Prevoit and Liturgiam Authenticam. In short, the process of translating the liturgy makes the recent debate over healthcare reform in the United States look like a walk in the park!
Theres so much intramural stuff going on here, you might be tempted to throw your hands up in total frustration and ask, Who cares . . . whats the big deal . . . arent there more important things to deal with? Good questions, all.
But as often happens in the Church today, the debate over liturgical translations reveals a broad division in ecclesial ranks pitting, in simple terms, conservatives against liberals. It seems to me though that its a mistake to read too much into the translation process, from either perspective. To those who think that the new translations represent the salvation of the Church and a great triumph for traditional values and orthodoxy; as well as to those who view the new translations as a giant step backward, a rebuke of the Vatican Council, and an abuse of hierarchical authority to both camps I suggest, respectfully, Get over it. While the debate might be interesting to ecclesial wonks and relevant to a theology classroom, it really wont help us solve the problem at hand.
Leaving aside all the inside-Church debate then, there are some important things to remember as we prepare for the implementation of the new language of the Mass in the Diocese of Providence.
The first is to acknowledge that the change in the prayers of the Mass will indeed present a significant challenge for priests and parishioners alike. Well need more recourse to liturgical books and printed materials for awhile; well have to think before we speak. There will be mistakes and embarrassing episodes. The process will require a little perspective, a lot of patience, and maybe even a healthy dose of humor.
The second point is to assure you that the changes will be preceded by a thorough catechetical process, a teaching process that will involve the entire diocese. Useful materials are already being prepared and published nationwide, and in the diocese a core committee of priests has been formed and has begun the very first phases of the process. In the near future the committee will be expanded to include other representatives of our diocesan Church. The committee will work hard to guide us in our journey.
And finally, Im convinced that the process of implementing and learning the new translations of the prayers will provide us with a truly blessed opportunity. I wonder in the thirty-some years that weve been using the current translations of the Mass, doesnt it seem that weve become a little too casual, a little careless about our liturgical prayer? When we attend Mass dont we sometimes sleepwalk through it, respond like robots, and pray without ever having to think about what were saying? Of course theres something comfortable and cozy about memorizing our prayers and taking them to heart, but the accompanying danger is an over-familiarity that leads to boredom and emptiness.
I suspect that in just a few years well look back and wonder what all the fuss was about. My guess is that some of the new translations will be much better than the old; and that others will be awkward and truly ineffable. But if the process of learning new responses and prayers of the Mass helps us to think about what were saying; if it helps us to grow spiritually and appreciate the wonderful gift of the Eucharist; if it helps us even a little to worship in spirit and in truth, then the process will have been well worth the effort.
The way in which we receive and implement the new translation, and its impact on our diocesan Church, is now in our hands. Lets do our best to set aside the drama and work on it together prayerfully, peacefully and productively.
How about mackerel? Anybody got any mackerel around this place?
I've never had mackerel. Truth be told, I don't really like seafood, although milder fishes (sole, cod, haddock) don't bother me much.
Is mackerel a mild fish?
sitetest
making christianity unattractive
Is there a deep meaning here that I am missing?
LOL! No, but I have sardines and tuna. :)
I like tuna fish all right. Albacore. With loads of mayo.
It’s an oily fish, I believe. I don’t think I’ve ever had it.
Me, too!
Fish makes Christianity unattractive?
I like it with finely-minced onions and chopped up pickles in the mix.
Thank you for that name. After looking him up on Wikipedia and Youtube, I am once again reminded why I stopped going to Mass several decades ago. Barf!
Yum. Celery is good, too.
You’re right! Celery seed has a more delicate flavour. Too much crunch is not good, imho. It’s also good in a Bloody Mary.
Use where you would use salmon.
Yikes.
Imho, the fact that it is in tomato sauce may be an indication that it is a rather strong-tasting fish.
It’s clear that there’s a reason this talk about celery seed is appropriate for the Religion forum. Now celery stalks, on the other hand..
What I call "short bus liturgies".
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