As of November 27, 2011, the First Sunday of Advent and the beginning of the church year, Saint Clement and every Roman Catholic Church in the English-speaking world has begun to use a revised translation of our Mass. This means that some of the words we say in response and song have changed.
The words of our Mass are contained in original Latin texts. These texts are translated into the vernacular for the various languages of the worldwide church. Our current translation comes to us from 1973 and there were other translations prior to 1973. Work on this revised translation began well over ten years ago. This revision is not a correction of what are currently doing or what we have done in the past. It is more of an evolution in the way we look at the original Latin text. Translators now have a firmer grasp of the original meaning of the Latin and have used a more literal approach in translating the texts. Keep in mind that this change applies to the Mass texts and not to the scriptures.
No doubt that these new translations will be a challenge for all of us. Change is never easy, and this will touch us at the very words we use during our liturgical celebration. As the Spirit has been alive and active in the church throughout the ages, so too is the Spirit with us today. As we learn about the new translation, we can use this opportunity to deepen our understanding and spirituality of the liturgy. There will be many opportunities for our parish to delve deeper into our knowledge and practice of liturgy.
Consider taking time over the coming months to learn more about these texts and to deepen your own spirituality. Together as one parish community we will implement the changes with great success.
What is the Roman Missal?
By: Jill Maria Murdy
Over the past several years, you have heard much through newspapers, blog postings, and Twitter about the forthcoming revised English translation of
The Roman Missal. You may be wondering, "What is
The Roman Missal, and how does this translation affect us?"
Take notice of the red book the priest uses most often during Mass. This book is called
The Sacramentary, which together with the
Lectionary for Mass make up
The Roman Missal. The Missal is the collection of prayers, chants, and instructions (rubrics) used to celebrate Mass. This includes prayers such as the Sign of the Cross and opening greeting; Opening Prayers; Gloria; Creed; Eucharistic Prayers; Holy, Holy, Holy; Memorial Acclamations; and the final blessing. The majority of the prayers we recite or sing at Mass are contained in this book and it is these prayers that are currently being retranslated from the original Latin into English.
In the early Christian Church, many of the Mass prayers were memorized and handed down orally. Scribes eventually collected the prayers and recorded them in
liber sacramentum (book of sacraments or sacramentaries). Other books were used for the scripture readings: Lectionaries and a
Book of the Gospels (Evangeliary) for the scripture readings, and additional books for the chants and antiphons. Slight changes and additions developed as manuscripts were handed on and hand scribed. Eventually the chants, scripture readings, prayer texts, and instructions were compiled into a single volume, the
Missale Plenum (complete missal). When Johannes Gutenberg invented the movable printing press in 1470, this allowed the Mass texts to become standardized and published universally. In 1474, the first
Missale Romanum (Roman Missal) was printed in Latin and the texts contained in this volume evolved over the five ensuing centuries.
Because the amount of scripture proclaimed at Mass increased following the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), the
Missale Romanum (Roman Missal) was divided into two separate books:
The Lectionary for Mass (four volumes of Sacred Scripture) and
The Sacramentary (prayers, chants, and instructions [rubrics] for the celebration of the Mass). The Lectionary 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 have been retranslated and will eventually be used in English-speaking countries. With this translation, the name of the book will change from
The Sacramentary to
The Roman Missal, an English 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 these texts occurred in 1975. 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. This document,
Liturgiam Authenticum, 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
recognitio on April 30, 2010. These texts will be implemented on November 27, 2011, the First Sunday of Advent.
When the English 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,
lex orandi, lex credendi. This means that "the law of prayer is the law of faith" or "that which we pray is that which we believe." This 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.
Upcoming Parish Events and Archdiocesan Workshops on the Roman Missal
Exploring the Revised Mass Translations at Saint Clement Church
Looking for some additional basic information on the revisions? We will explore the development of the revisions, the foundations for the new translations, and the texts themselves. Join us for one of these presentations:
- Sunday, September 25, following 11:15 Mass, Chapel
- Sunday, October 2, following 9:30 Mass, Chapel
- Wednesday, October 5, 7:00 p.m., Chapel
- Sunday, October 23, following 7:00 p.m. Mass, Chapel
- Monday, October 24, 7:00 p.m., Chapel
- Tuesday, October 25, 8:15 a.m., Chapel*
- Friday, November 11, 8:15 a.m., Chapel*
- Saturday, November 12, 10:00 a.m., Fahey I
*After school drop-off sessions for parents
Delving Deeper
Looking for more in depth information on the revisions? These presentations will explore some of the roots of the translations, the origins and the meanings.
- October 11, 7:00 p.m., Chapel: “Breaking Open the Eucharistic Prayers,” presented by Alan Hommerding, Senior Editor at WLP Publications. Click here for details.
- November 3, 7:00 p.m., Chapel: “The Scriptural Origins of the Liturgical Texts,” presented by Todd Williamson, Director of the Office for Divine Worship. Click here for details.
Singing the Revised Texts
Gather for an evening of fun and music. We will sing through our revised Mass settings as well as liturgical chants, dialogues, antiphons, and litanies. Re-connect with the beauty of liturgical music by listening to and singing through the music.
- Tuesday, October 4, 7:00 p.m., Chapel
The Third Edition of the Roman Missal: Promises and Challenges
These day-long sessions of formation and information will be offered around the Archdiocese for various groups and will orient participants in preparation for the use of the revised English translation.
The Workshops will explore how the new translation developed, situating it with the overarching liturgical principles as articulated by our Church. Participants will examine various texts of the English translation and consider how they, in their specific ministry, can assist children, youth and adults to go beyond the technical changes in the texts to affect real change in the liturgical life of the parish community and live the ongoing reform of the Second Vatican Council.
If you would like to participate in a workshop please inform someone on the worship staff. We will help to make connections with other workshop participants for carpooling and post-workshop reflection. The workshops are in three separate concentrations: For liturgical ministers and parish leaders, for musicians, and for those who work with youth.
You can also view information on the workshops by visiting
www.odw.org and scrolling down to the upcoming events section.
You can register online by clicking
here.
Webinars
These webinars are produced by some of our country’s best liturgists.
Podcasts
Co-hosts Danielle Knott, from Liturgy Training Publications, and Todd Williamson, Director Office for Divine Worship, are heard every fourth Wednesday of the month via the internet, from 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. Each show explores some aspect of our Church's public, communal, liturgical life. The show focuses on such topics as the Mass, the Sacraments, the liturgical year or seasons. Danielle and Todd break open these parts of our communal prayer to uncover the richness and the depth of what we as Catholics pray when we gather as the Body of Christ.
- Subscribe to this feed here.
- Previous podcasts can be found here.
Blogs by Noted Liturgists and Ministers
Delving Deeper and Actual Texts
