Praying the Mass Anewo.b5z.net/i/u/6147516/f/Praying_the_Mass_Anew_by_Fr... · 2011-09-06 · “Praying the Mass Anew” is now given to a wider audience, offering basic catechesis

Praying the Mass Anew: The New Translation of The Roman Missaland Our Actual Participation at Mass

Father Joel Hastings

Praying the Mass Anew: The New Translation of the Roman Missal and our Actual Participation in the Mass, copyright 2011 by Fr. Joel Hastings. Permission is granted for Catholic parishes, dioceses, schools, campus ministries, individuals and parish or Church organizations to reproduce this booklet in whole or in part in their efforts to help Catholics prepare for the transition to the new English translation of the Roman Missal on the first Sunday of Advent, 2011. Permission is granted for it to be uploaded to websites or incorporated in powerpoint presentations or other teaching materials. When partial use is made, the following words must be used: “Reprinted by permission of the author, Fr. Joel Hastings, Diocese of Duluth.”

Table of Contents

Author’s Introduction .................................................................................... ..................... 5

Welcoming the New Versions of the Prayers of the Mass .......................................... 6

Who Translates the Prayers................................................................................................. 8

Our Words of Prayer Increase Our Love for God........................................................ 10

Body Language: The Connection of Words and Actions at Mass ............................. 12

Praying According to the Words Requires Listening Well........................................... 14

Sacred Silence ......................................................................................................................... 16

To Sing at Mass or to Sing the Mass .................................................................................. 18

Introducing the Mass ............................................................................................................ 20

Preparing to Offer Mass: the Penitential Act .................................................................. 22

“And with your Spirit”: The New Response to the Same Priests .............................. 24

Glory to God in the Highest............................................................................................... 26

The “Collect” and Other Prayers of the Celebrant ....................................................... 28

The Readings: Proclaiming, Hearing, and Meditating on God’s Word..................... 30

Professing our Faith.............................................................................................................. 32

The Prayers of the Faithful and the Offering of Gifts.................................................. 34

The Eucharistic Prayer, Part I: “Preface” and “Holy, Holy, Holy” ........................... 36

The Eucharistic Prayer, Part II: The Consecration........................................................ 38

The Eucharistic Prayer, Part III: The People’s Participation ...................................... 40

The Lord’s Prayer and the Sign of Peace ......................................................................... 42

The Lamb of God and Holy Communion: Encountering Heaven on Earth.......... 44

Concluding Rites: Going Forth .......................................................................................... 46

The Day Has Arrived: Praying the Mass Anew.............................................................. 48

Easter Supplement: Celebrating Jesus’ Resurrection Anew at Mass.......................... 50

Christmas Supplement: Encountering God-with-us ..................................................... 52

Index of Questions

How are these changes legitimate in a Church that resists change? ..................... ....................... 9 Will this translation be permanent? .................................................................................................. 9 Where do the official prayers for Mass come from? ...................................................................... 11 Why do we need such strict ways of praying? ................................................................................. 11 What is the point of bowing and genuflecting? ............................................................................. 13 What about standing, sitting and kneeling? ..................................................................................... 13 Why doesn’t every parish have the same hymnal or missalette .................................................... 15 What to do when hears poorly or the priest is difficult to understand? ...................................... 15 What is the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) ................................................... 17 What does the priest say in his private prayers?.............................................................................. 17 Why does Gregorian Chant have “pride of place” in Church music? ......................................... 21 Why doesn’t every parish have the same books for music? .......................................................... 21 What do I need to do to receive Holy Communion worthily? ..................................................... 23 How do other languages translate “and with your spirit?” ............................................................ 25 What response should we give during the Sign of Peace?............................................................. 25 Is it possible for the Gloria to be sung only by the choir? ............................................................ 27 When should we sing the Gloria instead of simply reciting it? ..................................................... 27 Why do the Collect and other priest’s prayers change all the time? ............................................. 29 Who writes these “presidential prayers?” Can the priest make up his own?............................... 29 Why don’t all parishes have the same missalettes? ......................................................................... 31 Is it ever permissible to use readings from non-Biblical sources? ................................................ 31 Are there ever times the Creed is not said on Sunday?.................................................................. 32 Does the priest always pray “Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation?” ................................. 35 Why does the collection take place while preparing the altar?...................................................... 35 Can we use old settings for the “Holy, Holy, Holy”? .................................................................... 37 Do the Latin settings for singing the Mass parts need to be change?.......................................... 37 If the words of consecration are Jesus’ words, how can we change them?................................. 39 Why is there no setting any longer for “Christ has died…?”........................................................ 41 What is the proper way to “offer” a sign of peace?........................................................................ 43 What words are supposed to be said by the people during the Sign of Peace? .......................... 43 During the Lamb of God, can we use other titles like “Prince of Peace?” ................................. 45 Why does the priest put part of the host in the chalice?................................................................ 45 What gives the Pope authority to “add” prayers to the Mass?...................................................... 47 Why is it wrong to leave right after receiving Holy Communion? ............................................... 47 With the new translation, will there be any new hymns for Mass?............................................... 49 What’s a Roman Missal and why do we need it? ........................................................................... 51 What value does changing everything have? .................................................................................. 51 What will be the benefit of these new translations of the prayers? .............................................. 53 Where can I still learn about the new versions of the prayers?..................................................... 53

IntroductionOver the last five years there has been a great amount of anticipation of the new English translation of the The Roman Missal. Included in this time of anticipation has been the brainstorming of ideas and subse-quent development of resources to help Catholics throughout the Eng-lish speaking world prepare for this new translation.

During the summer of 2008, I myself I had the opportunity to participate in a brainstorming session with colleagues at The Liturgical Institute in Mundelein, Illinois, toward answering the question of how we could aid in the implementation of the new translation in a truly effective and positive manner, continuing the liturgical renewal set in motion from

Vatican II. Among several good ideas that surfaced in this meeting was the use of parish bulle-tins as a means of reaching the “people in the pews” with information and resources for learning about the new translation. Aware of the potential that bulletin materials have toward reaching a significant number of people, and with the endorsement of Bishop Paul Sirba of Duluth, I have worked to prepare this series of bulletin inserts and accompanying resources, hoping that through short, yet substantial, teachings from week to week, all of the faithful in the Diocese of Duluth would truly be prepared to pray the Mass anew with the new translation.

Mindful of the need for resources across the United States, this bulletin insert series entitled “Praying the Mass Anew” is now given to a wider audience, offering basic catechesis on the Mass itself and the new English translation of The Roman Missal. The primary goal of each insert is to give catechesis on the Mass itself while introducing and explaining the new versions of the prayers in English. The series consists of two parts: the first part is given as catechesis on basic realities of liturgical participation itself, providing context for which to study and learn the prayers of the new translation. The second part takes a more specific look at the select parts of the new translation, especially the words and responses of the people. Each of these inserts explores a particular constitutive part of the Mass, explaining each of the new translations of the prayers in proper context.

It is my hope that through this series of bulletin inserts, given during this time of immediate preparation for the new English translation of The Roman Missal, all who read and reflect upon them will both grow in their desire to deeply encounter Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist, and in their ability to truly open themselves to Christ, through a more conscious and actual partici-pation in the Mass.

Fr. Joel HastingsProctor, Minnesota

Memorial of St. Gregory of the Great, 2011

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1. Introduction: Welcoming the New Versions of the Prayers of the Mass.

he day will be Sunday, November27, 2011. This day will likelyseem as any other Sunday.

Faithful Catholics will rise from sleep attheir chosen times; each will carry outthe normal Sunday morning preparationsfor Mass, arriving at the parish church ata fitting time. Some will enter a familiarpew, while others sit in a place that isnew to them. Some will open themissalette or hymnal to preview thereadings of this First Sunday of Advent;others may simply pray in silence beforeMass. All will be as normal.

Mass will begin with a typicalmusic selection, fitting for this Adventmorn. The priest and the other ministerswill process into church, going to theirproper places. Finally, the priest will leadthe people in the Sign of the Cross andgreeting. All of a sudden, an entire parishcongregation, on hearing the priest greetthem with the words “The grace of ourLord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,and the communion of the Holy Spirit bewith you all,” will respond “And withyour spirit.” No longer will the Sundayroutine be merely a routine; we will bepraying the Mass anew. The people’sresponse, perhaps seeming unfamiliar orodd at first, will begin the praying of theMass with words that will likely include

new musical settings for newly wordedhymns like “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord Godof hosts,” and new responses to suchphrases as “Behold the Lamb of God,behold him who takes away the sins ofthe world. Blessed are those called to thesupper of the Lamb.” Everyone, aware ofthe change, will be ready to respond“Lord, I am not worthy that you shouldenter under my roof, but only say theword and my soul shall be healed.” Manywill receive the Eucharist, aware that it isthe same gift of Christ’s Body and Bloodas on the previous Sunday, but withrenewed understanding, as giventhrough the words themselves, of who itis that they receive and how we arenourished in the offering of every Mass.

The given scene, while it may notbe a replica of every experience to be had,serves as a means to begin answering thequestion “why?” Some may recall thefirst time that they prayed the Mass inEnglish. Others may have never knownprayers for Mass other than the Englishversions that have been prayed over thelast 40 years. Some may be hesitant toaccept what appears on the surface asnothing more than change “for change’ssake.” Yet, all deserve to know why sucha change is happening, and why it ishappening now.

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Praying the Mass AnewThe New Translation of The Roman Missal

and Our Actual Participation at Mass

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These new prayer settings, thefruits of new English translations of thevenerable and time-honored Latinprayers for Mass, are given as a furtherimplementing of the use of the commonor “vernacular” languages in the liturgyof the Church. In the 1960s, the SecondVatican Council sought to reform theliturgy of the Church so that all of thefaithful would more easily and fruitfullybe able to enter into liturgical prayer,actually participating in the savingmysteries of Christ with a greater senseof prayer and deeper awareness of God’spresence in the rituals of the Church. Anexpression of this fruitful participationenvisioned at Vatican II was through thefitting use of the common languages ofpeoples throughout the world. Inaddition to using Latin, such opportunityfor the use of vernacular was set forth bythe Council to aid the people in prayingthe Mass with more completeunderstanding. For the last 40 years,English speaking countries have alreadyprayed most, if not all of the Mass partsin their own language, using Englishversions translated from original Latinprayer texts. However, the work oftranslating necessarily continues fromgeneration to generation, as languagecontinues to evolve and change, and newwords with more definite meaning cometo be.

Currently, we have received arenewed and revised English translationof these Latin prayers. Within thisnew translation, specific goals andguidelines for translating prayers, as setforth by the Church, have been more

fully accomplished. This new translationportrays in English the more literalmeaning of the Latin prayers, restoringwords that convey the truths of faithmore properly, and reconnecting thesetexts more clearly to their biblicalsources and roots. While the learning ofthe new versions will take time andpractice, this learning process invites usto open our minds and hearts to beingrenewed in the Catholic faith that wehave received and truly love,encouraging us to grow in knowledge ofthe faith itself, deepening our love forGod.

In the weeks ahead, pages like thisone will be inserted in your parishbulletin, both to explain the new versionsof the prayers, and to give answers toreal questions and concerns as weprepare to pray the Mass anew,beginning on that historic First Sundayof Advent, November 27, 2011. Eachinsert will seek to invite all of us to gobeyond simply knowing the new wordsto a deeper and more completeunderstanding of the great gift of theHoly Mass.

As we begin this journey towardpraying the Mass anew, may wecommend ourselves to the care of theBlessed Virgin Mary, Mother of theWord Incarnate, who responded “Let itbe done according to thy word,” thatJesus Christ, the Word made flesh, maylead us to love and understand therenewed words through which we willapproach the Father in heaven at everyMass.

The bulletin series, “Praying the Mass Anew” is prepared for use in parish bulletins by the Office of Liturgy of the Diocese of Duluth. For additionalinformation on this page or copies of related pages, log on to www.dioceseduluth.org to download “pdf” files, or contact the Diocese of Duluth,
Office of Liturgy and Spirituality, 2830 E. 4th St. Duluth, MN, 55812; 218-724-9111.
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http://www.dioceseduluth.org/

2. Who Translates the Prayers?

e have already beenintroduced to the newtranslation of the prayers of

the Mass in general. We are mindful ofhow some use of the common languages(called “vernacular”) was desired in thereform of the liturgy that was initiatedby Vatican II, and are aware of theongoing task of translating, as languagecontinues to evolve and change. The newtranslation has been carried out inkeeping with renewed goals andguidelines for translating Latin prayertexts. Among these goals are the need tobe more literal in translating and to moreclearly reflect the biblical sources and thetraditional formulas of many of theprayers that we pray. Today, let us lookat who carries out this work oftranslating.

Prior to Vatican II, when theliturgical prayers of the Church were inLatin, no official structures werenecessary for translating official prayertexts. While the approval of officialprayer texts has always belonged to thehighest levels of the Church, the newpost-Vatican II reality of translatingLatin prayer texts into other languageshas resulted in new bodies of Churchleadership to carry out this work. For thenumerous English speaking countries,the translating of Latin into English is anendeavor that is only fittingly

accomplished as a collaborative effort ofall these major English speakingcountries. Hence, in 1963, bishops fromthese countries established “TheInternational Commission on English inthe Liturgy” (ICEL). As found on theirwebsite, ICEL is “a mixed commission ofCatholic Bishops’ Conferences incountries where English is used in thecelebration of the Sacred Liturgyaccording to the Roman Rite. Thepurpose of the Commission is to prepareEnglish translations of each of the Latinliturgical books and any individualliturgical texts in accord with thedirectives of the Holy See.”

Simply stated, ICEL has the dutyand task of carrying out the work oftranslating the Church’s Latin prayersinto English. ICEL’s translated texts arethen reviewed and approved by all of thenational bishops’ conferences of theseEnglish speaking countries. Uponreceiving the approval of these bodies ofbishops, the Vatican itself reviews theproposed translations, giving finalapproval of the translated texts throughits “recognitio,” of the texts. It is onlyafter the granting of this recognitio by theVatican that a translated text is able tobe officially used in the liturgy. SinceICEL members are spread throughoutthe world, they have one central office(which is in Washington, D.C.) through

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which they carry out their work andcoordinate their ongoing efforts intranslating texts.

Today, as we prepare for a newtranslation of prayers for Mass, perhapsthe first change to note is how the newtranslation includes a new title for thebook itself. Maybe you have seen the“red book that Father uses for theprayers at Mass,” and noticed that it hasthe word “Sacramentary” on the binding.This title will no longer be used, as themore literal name of the book is “RomanMissal.” Hence, whenever you see orhear the title The Roman Missal, this isthe name of the book that contains theprayers for Mass. Using this example, itis important to note the ICEL has alwaysbeen guided in their work by particulargoals for translation set by the Church –which have also been adjusted at times.

Forty years ago, an early set ofguidelines was given for translators tofollow, which gave them great liberty tointerpret the Latin words through theuse of more common and recognizableexpressions. Their reasoning was thatthe general meaning of the text was moreimportant than a literal translation. In2001, a revised set of guidelines thatvalues literal translation was given.ICEL’s work since 2001 has been carriedout accordingly, with the reasoning thatsuch literal translations will yield prayertexts that are not simply “everyday” intheir language, but will be rooted intradition, with an elevated or even“sacred” style as is fitting for prayer. Inweeks ahead, we will see examples ofhow the recent standards for translationsare accomplished in the new Englishversions.

Questions of the Week: How is this change in the translation a legitimate change – for it seems like the Church

usually resists change?As we seek to implement the new translation of The Roman Missal, perhaps we might reflect onthe reality of “change” itself. Life is always changing – our moods, our knowledge, ourrelationships, and so on. The Church, the Body of Christ, as a living reality, made up of livingbeings, is no different. While the core teachings of faith do not change, the way the faith isarticulated at times does change.

Over the 2000 years of the Church, the liturgy has developed and undergone many momentsof legitimate change. While some changes have been very noticeable, others have been muchsmaller. In fact, just prior to Vatican II (a time that many today judge the liturgy as havingbeen very strict and rigid), the liturgy of the Church underwent several changes. In fact, in1962 (the same year Vatican II started), a new version of The Roman Missal was issued byPope John XXIII. These truly legitimate and proper changes, small as they may seem, give us agood example that “the only thing constant is change.” Will this translation be permanent?While we can confidently say that this translation will be used for years to come, we must avoidcalling it “permanent.” Truly, this one English version of the prayers will be used in all Massesoffered in English – replacing the previous version. However, that does not mean that the workof translating is ever complete or permanent. Just as forty years ago we received the firstEnglish translation and we receive another today, so in the future (perhaps in another 40 years,
or more…), new translations, or edited translations, will likely be proposed and implemented.
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3. Our Words of Prayer Increase our Love of God.

t the heart of the question of“why do we need newtranslations” is the simple truth

that words have power, beyond the simpleacts of speaking them and hearing them;they have the capacity to form us, touplift us, to draw us into higher truths.

Think for a moment of your ownuse of words in different relationships.The words you might speak to your ownmother will reflect your relationship withher, as much as your words with a co-worker while on the job will reflect thatrelationship. Likewise, the way you speakwill be different when speaking to aperson whom you deeply love, than witha group of people to whom you simplyneed to communicate information oraddress a point of view.

The same principles are true whenwe think of our relationship with God.Certainly, each and every one of us isencouraged to pray “from the heart,”speaking words to God as we might be somoved. Yet, in the more formal setting ofthe liturgy of the Church, wherein we notonly speak onto God, but above all weopen ourselves to him in seeking a deeperencounter with his living presence, ourwords are not chosen lightly. Somewords, such as those meant to convey thereal circumstances in the lives of the

people, as used in the GeneralIntercessions (or what is also called “ThePrayer of the Faithful”) will be moreexpressive of real needs. Other words,such as those prayed by the priest duringthe Consecration, are meant as a properrepresentation of the words that Jesushimself, the Son of God, expressed in hisinstituting of the Eucharist at the LastSupper. In each and every part of theMass, by no means do we offer wordsonly for their own sake; each word isspoken for a specific purpose and with aparticular meaning.

Might we also consider God’sWord, by which we think not only of theBible itself, but more fittingly of JesusChrist himself, who is “the Word madeflesh [who] dwelt among us.” (John1:14). The Word made flesh, in“speaking” to us, offers us not merelyteaching and encouragement, but the lifeof God himself, who is love. The powerof the Word made flesh is found in hisself-sacrificing love, by which sin anddeath are conquered. Jesus Christ“speaks” to us in the most eloquent andsincere way possible: by humbly givinghimself up for our sake out of love for us.Such is the power of the Word of God,made flesh.

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As love is the motive of JesusChrist’s saving work, so too our responseto Jesus’ offering of self, of which we areprivileged to partake at each and everyMass, ought to be words of true love. Inapplying this truth to the newtranslation, we once more return to ourrelationships with other persons. Just asyour words to your mother would not bethose in addressing a co-worker on thejob, so too the language we use toaddress God ought to be all togetherunique. Taking it further, to be incommunication with God is tocommunicate with the Creator, to whomwe owe our whole existence. Hence, whywould we not want to approach He whomade us and loves us, even onto death,with the most noble, humble, and

meaningful of words? Likewise, it is morethan proper that these words ought toconvey God himself in the most powerfuland awe-inspiring way as is His nature –so that our own faith in Him and ourdesire to encounter Him in all of Hisbeauty in heaven may only increase.

In implementing the newtranslation, such understanding of thepower of words is truly invited. Inanswering “why” we need these newtranslations, might we keep thisreflection of the power of words in mind,aware that words have the power touplift and inspire, and above all, to love –and that God himself is worthy of themost noble, majestic, and loving wordsthat we could ever hope to speak.

Questions of the Week: Where do the official prayers for Mass come from?As we look closely at the prayers of the Mass, we discover that the prayers have primarily two sources: theBible and the Tradition of the Church. The greetings, many of the responses, and even the acclamations areeither direct quotes from the Bible, or are based on biblical words. Other prayers have their roots in the 2000year life of the Church and her formulations of our faith teaching (such as in the Creed), or in the naturaldevelopment of the liturgy through the centuries, that includes prayers written by popes or those designatedby the pope or other bishops to aid in making the liturgical prayer of the Church more consistent. Why do we need such strict ways of praying? (Wouldn’t more spontaneous words be more sincere and

meaningful?)One of the main characteristics of liturgical prayer is “ritual.” Just as each of us has rituals or consistentroutines in everyday life by which necessary tasks are completed, so the liturgy of the Church is “ritualprayer,” through which the consistent and predictable routine of actions and of words opens us to a renewedencounter with God, who comes to us. As in God’s creative work, that had order and harmony in itsbeginning, so ritual has the capacity to place order and harmony in life. Through the ritual of the liturgy,such order and harmony is offered to us, that we might open our hearts to a very deep and real encounterwith the Lord, who gives life its true harmony.

The words that we use in the liturgy should not be a disruption to such order – rather, they ought tofacilitate it and make it more recognizable. Hence, while there are always some prayers in the liturgy thatchange from one day to the next (as the calendar of the Church presents to us), most of them are the sameeach and every time. Through such order and harmony, we can become less concerned about “what” we areto do, and more open to Jesus Christ, “who” we encounter in the order and harmony of liturgical ritual.

The bulletin series, “Praying the Mass Anew” is prepared for use in parish bulletins by the Office of Liturgy of the Diocese of Duluth. Foradditional information on this page or copies of related pages, log on to www.dioceseduluth.org to download “pdf” files, or contact the
Diocese of Duluth, Office of Liturgy and Spirituality, 2830 E. 4th St. Duluth, MN, 55812; 218-724-9111.
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4. Body Language: The Connection of Words and Actions at Mass.

o fully understand the nature ofCatholic worship in the liturgy,we must always be mindful of

one extremely important truth: Liturgyinvolves our whole being. In otherwords, true worship of God will not onlybe in mind and heart, nor only in words.Rather, true worship involves our wholeperson – body and soul. Hence, it is onlyproper that in our continuing overview ofthe new translation of the words forMass, we ought to consider our actionswith our bodies, and how these worktogether in the liturgy of the Church.

The words of John 1:14 once morecan serve us well: “And the Word becameflesh, and made his dwelling among us.”These words of truth express how God,who is “pure spirit,” wills to take on ourhuman nature. In this topic of how ourbodies are involved in worship, what canbe taken from the truth of God becomingflesh (which is a mystery of faith that isreferred to as the “Incarnation”) is thatour bodies are integral to who we are.Hence, to worship God fully trulyrequires our whole being – body andsoul. In fact, if we do not acknowledgethe necessity of our bodies in worshipingGod fully, none of the sacraments of theChurch would have any meaning, as thesacraments use material realities (breadand wine, for example) to communicateand offer us spiritual gifts or graces – thedivine life of God.

Certainly all are clearly aware thatthe celebration of Mass contains times ofstanding, sitting, and kneeling. Theseactions are not by chance. Each action orgesture seeks to place us in proper frameof mind and heart to encounter God’spresence. For example, during the timesthat we stand, we use our bodies to helpkeep our minds attentive to the sung orspoken words of prayer or SacredScripture. When we are to kneel, weinvite ourselves to become humble ofheart, making ready to receive the Lord’sReal Presence in the Eucharist. Sitting,for its part, offers us a way of making ourbodies comfortable, that we might listenand meditate with greater ease. Each ofthese postures, taken alone, has a depthof purpose. When understood inconnection with each other and withinthe whole Mass, they can facilitate ourentrance into an encountering of Godwith all our being.

Where do the words of the prayersfit into this praying with our bodies?Consider those prayers that are prayed atthe given moments. We stand for thebeginning of Mass, uniting ourselves andour intentions with all who are present(and with the whole Church). We kneelduring those most sacred of words,spoken first by Jesus himself at the LastSupper, through which bread and winebecome his own sacred flesh and blood.In these, or any of the parts of Mass, we

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will find that the outward action fits theimportance or the intentions of thewords, so that our bodies help our mindsand hearts to receive what we hear, and toexpress what we say.

Similarly, the gesture of “bowing”is frequent at Mass, as another way ofshowing reverence. Truly, all are tomake “a bow of the head” not only beforereceiving Jesus in the Eucharist, but foreach and every speaking of the holynames of Jesus and Mary, and on thefeasts of saints, the name of the givensaint – once more connecting our bodiesto the spoken word. In addition, all are tomake a profound bow,” that is, a bow“from the waist” in praying the words of

the Creed that refer to the mystery of theIncarnation. In the new translation, thesewords are: “and by the Holy Spirit wasincarnate of the Virgin Mary, and becameman.” In this way, we do not simply say thewords, but our whole being, body andsoul, word and action, takes part in ourworship of God.

In our continuing exploration ofthe new translation, might we all keep inmind these truths: that liturgical prayeris not only in words – but it involves ourwhole being. Our bodies truly do help usto worship God properly, opening us upto a deeper encounter the Word, “whogives his flesh for the life of the world.”

Questions of the Week: What is the point of bowing and genuflecting?While both acts of bowing and genuflecting, as signs of reverenced and adoration, signify how God inheaven came down to earth, and literally touched earth by taking on our human nature, genuflecting is moreproperly an act of adoration. A bow (of which there is the deep bow from the waist called the “profoundbow” and the lesser “bow of the head”) causes us to lower our bodies toward the ground, mindful of Jesuswho became “lower than the angels” (Hebrews 2:9). By genuflecting, or in touching our right knee to theground, while we once more acknowledge God’s loving act of taking on our human nature (literally touchingthe earth), we more properly give adoration to Jesus, who is our Savior and at whose name “every knee shallbend” (Philippians 2:10). Genuflecting is thus used in adoration of the Eucharist, both on the altar and whenreserved in the tabernacle, as an act of adoration toward our Savior and true King, present in the Eucharist. What about standing, sitting, and kneeling?These postures have varied purposes and histories. Standing is a posture of attentiveness and respect, whilekneeling can convey either a disposition of humility and adoration, or of penance (or both together). We sitduring times of meditative listening or moments of silent, private prayer.

Through the Middle Ages, and even to this day in parts of Europe, church buildings rarely were builtwith pews – hence, standing for the whole Mass was/is the normal posture. Sitting has only become anaccepted posture because of the presence of pews. Kneeling, as witnessed by the custom of recent centuriesof having the people kneel to receive Holy Communion, has entered into the Mass according to furtherinvitation to express adoration and humble receptivity in approaching and partaking of the Eucharist.

Today, we stand for such parts of Mass as the Introductory Rites, the Gospel, the Creed and Prayer of theFaithful, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Concluding Rites as an expression of reverence and attentiveness to thespoken words and responses. Kneeling is reserved for times that are distinguished by the call for adoration(the Eucharistic Prayer, and during Holy Communion), while sitting is used during the readings, the homily,and preparation of the gifts, as these are moments of meditation and listening.

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5. Praying According to the Words Requires Listening Well.

n preparing for the new translationof The Roman Missal, we willnecessarily focus on the words

themselves. However, our preparationfor the new versions of the prayers wouldnot be complete unless we consider howwe are to prayerfully listen.

Surely in our own humanrelationships, we all know that listeningis not always the same as hearing, and thatnot listening well has consequences – askany parent if you need proof of this point.In the liturgy, a key element in our activeparticipation is the capacity not simply tohear, but to truly listen to all that is to beheard, whether spoken, sung, or made bysounds of musical instruments, bells, etc.Though many parishes have hymnals ormissalettes that contain written versionsof most, if not almost every word ofprayer, such written resources can notclaim to convey the full value of the sungor spoken sound meant to be heard bylistening. How important is it that welisten well? How can good listening leadus to a deeper encounter with God?

One of the most useful ways toconsider listening at Mass is to considerthe Mass itself as a dialogue. In thisdialogue, those who are speaking includeGod himself (especially in the Gospel),the priest, other ministers, and the people

in the congregation. We can evenidentify how each individual recipient ofHoly Communion contributes words.The spoken words may be directedtoward God, to one particular person, toa particular set of people, etc. As ourwords are meant to communicate withothers, it is essential that the intendedaudience of the words is not only able tohear them, but is ready to take in theirfull meaning by listening well. Here is anexample:

At the very beginning of Mass, theSign of the Cross (both in words and as agesture) initiate the Mass as an act ofprayer offered unto God himself. Thegreeting of the people by the priest ismeant directly for the people, who,having listened to the words of greeting,give the fitting response to the priest(this very dialogue will be covered insome detail in a later article). Thegreeting is followed by the invitation to“acknowledge our sins” so that we areready to celebrate the sacred mysteries ofthe Eucharistic sacrifice. The tone ofthese words, meant as they are for thewhole congregation (including theordained minister/s), serves more as adirective to act than as a prayer in itself.Conscious listening to these words willeffect whether or not each person acts

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accordingly – by silently calling to mindany sins that they may have recentlycommitted. The prayer that follows(“The Confiteor” [“I confess to almightyGod…”], or the invocations followed bythe words “Lord, have mercy”) arespoken unto God himself, mindful of howeach individual says the words, asmembers of the one body, the Church, inpublic worship. Through our properlistening to all of the words that lead to thismoment of prayer, we are made ready to praythe words with their proper intention. Whenthere is a failure to listen, the intent ofthe words risk being lost all together, orbeing less than what their full valueinvites. Hence, it is by way of listeningthat we are able to actively participate in

this prayer (and any prayer or responseat Mass) to their fullest degree. Listeningwell can (and does) lead us to encounterGod more fully and consciously in theMass.

As we continue to prepare forpraying the Mass anew with the newtranslation, we can already begin andcontinue to practice listening, properlyfocusing our attention on every spokenword in listening and in responding toeach word in the most fitting manner.By our ability to listen well, ourparticipation in the Mass, especiallythrough the new prayers, can be raised toa higher level, opening ourselves to adeeper, more meaningful encounter withJesus Christ.

Questions of the Week: Why doesn’t every parish have the same hymnal or missalette?While the practice of the people using a “missal” or “missalette” dates back to days prior to Vatican II, thelast 40 years have witnessed an increase in these types of books, both in the number of different companiesproducing them, along with varied features in each company’s versions. Each different missalette or hymnalhas its own strengths and weaknesses, often discerned and chosen by individual parishes according to theirsense of what will be most useful, not to mention cost effective.

Hymnals, because of their permanence (and hopefully higher quality of materials used in publishing) aretruly more fitting than missalettes, which are replaced seasonally or yearly. Since different companiesproduce these books, a real problem is that the collections of hymns are not always consistent. In the future,there is hope that consistent versions of hymns will be published by ALL publishers, leading to a moreconsistent selection of music that all parishes can use.

In considering the use of missalettes or hymnals, it is important to keep in mind that these books are“tools” to aid in the participation of the people, and should never be seen as a necessity for parishes. Truly,all people, with time and consistent participation in Mass, are able to learn the proper prayers and responsesby memory and learn to listen well to the prayers spoken by the priest. Such a standard of knowing ourprayers and knowing how to listen is truly of highest value when it comes to entering into the Mass in themost proper way (along with a way to save parishes from the expense of purchasing missalettes). What advice is there for those who do not hear so well, or when the priest may be difficult to

understand?One of the great blessings of the liturgy is that it is meant to be celebrated in a consistent way in each andevery place. Hence, even though some do not hear well anymore, the ritual itself can still have an effectsince it will remain familiar. Likewise, if one is having difficulty understanding the priest’s words, theconsistency of other priests with whom they have participated in the Mass can help to provide the words.

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6. Sacred Silence.

irst Kings 19, recounts the storyof the prophet Elijah as he fleesfrom Israel and takes refuge at

Mount Horeb. Having arrived at this“mountain of God” after forty days andforty nights of walking, he is told tostand on the mountain as the Lord is topass by. While the story is properlyunderstood in connection to God’spresence to Moses on this same holymountain in times past, there is also aunique teaching to be found on howGod is able to reveal himself throughwhat is ordinary, or even unimpressive.For, as Elijah stands on the mountain,there is a strong, rock crushing wind,an earthquake, and a fire; none of theseperhaps overwhelming or fear-inspiringhappenings serve to reveal God’spresence. Finally, in a fourth moment,God makes his presence known in “atiny whispering sound.” Elijah is movedat the whispering sound to hide his facein holy reverence for God in his midst,who addresses him with the commandsthat include going to anoint Elisha asprophet.

In thinking about the“happenings” of the liturgy, it is likelyvery easy for us to remember particularwords that are spoken at every Mass,and the ritual movements that take

place, each in their proper time. Yet,there are also deliberate moments ofsilence that are meant to take place. Arewe aware of when each of thesemoments of silence are to be found?

In the words of the Church fromthe General Instruction of the RomanMissal, (GIRM) or the “how to”document regarding the celebration ofthe Mass, we are told of the ritualmoments of silence. During thereadings, moments of silence are fittingafter the first reading, the secondreading and the homily, as the way toaid and promote meditation on thespoken word. Later, the GIRMindicates that for the Prayer of theFaithful, there are options beyond thetypical peoples’ response of “Lord, hearour prayer,” including the option of thepeople simply praying silently for amoment at the end of each prayerintention. Finally, silence is invited for atime after the priest returns to his chairafter Holy Communion. These momentsof silence, as defined as part of theritual, offer individual worshipers timesto pray and reflect during the Massitself on the works of God that arebeing accomplished, or for any fittingmeditation that they may have based onthe prayers or readings of the Mass.

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Like the more noticeable parts ofthe Mass, silence is meant to aid us inbecoming open to encountering Godmore fully. An earlier article has alreadyconsidered how the reality of listeningwell can aid us at Mass. Likewise, themoments of silence which are built intothe Mass are able to serve us in comingto know God’s presence more fully, thatwe may be more perfectly drawn intohis divine life.

Silence also affects words – for itis clear that without proper silence,words can not be understood. As webegin praying the Mass in the newtranslation, we are encouraged to makethe greatest use of all of the silent

moments that are offered. In particular,those silent moments that are givenwithin which we are specifically invitedto meditate on the very words of prayeras they are being spoken (such asduring the Eucharistic Prayer itself,when the people are to “listen…withreverence and silence”), can serve us tonot only hear and respond well, but tobe caught up in an encounter with God.For God himself has revealed inScripture that he is able to show hisgreatness even in tiny whisperingsounds. By our own attentiveness tosilence, we open ourselves toencountering him in ways that are onlynoticed when we are silent and still.

Questions of the Week: What is the GIRM?The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (often abbreviated as “GIRM”) is the introduction to TheRoman Missal. This text offers a general introduction to the Mass itself within the life of the Church, andserves to describe details of the celebration of the Mass. The GIRM is an “instruction,” as it contains thenecessary information for “how” the Mass is to be celebrated. It does not contain every detail for celebratingMass, as some of the ritual directions are contained within the pages of the missal itself (we call thesedirections “rubrics,” a name that describes the “red” color in which their words are printed in the book).

As we implement the new translation, what we are truly implementing is the “third typical edition” ofThe Roman Missal. The beginning of this new book will contain the GIRM. However, since 2002, diocesesin the United States have already been celebrating ritually from this third typical edition. Over these years,the GIRM itself has been published as its own book, even though the prayers of this edition remainedunavailable in English. This is why (as you may remember) there were some changes in “what we do”during Mass back in 2002-2003. With the new translation, there will not be any changes in the GIRM – forthese already were given in 2002. Sometimes I see the priest moving his lips, but without hearing him. What is he saying?Throughout the Mass, but especially when the priest is at the altar, there are some prayers that are said by thepriest “in a low voice.” Such prayers are meant to be spoken by the priest in a quiet voice since these prayersare prayed by him for his own sake – that his offering of self as the priest will be acceptable. Some examplesof the prayers said in a low voice include those he says during the “preparation of the gifts,” (as he himselfprepares to pray the Eucharistic Prayer), and those before Holy Communion. While the people do not hearhim, they should be aware that their own prayers on behalf of the priest contribute to these moments. Inaddition, there are moments, especially during and after Holy Communion, during which the people areencouraged to pray silently for their own needs – just as the priest is able to pray for himself.

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7. To Sing at Mass or to Sing the Mass?

he one who loves, sings.”This quote from St.Augustine both invites our

reflection and hopefully captures our ownexperiences of how music and singinghas the power to uplift us, such as inexperiences of songs “in our head” intimes of peace or joy. These connectionsof music, joy, and love from daily life(whether we sing well or think that we“can’t carry a tune in a bucket!”) applyalso to our invitation to encounter Godmore fully in the liturgy of the Church insong.

Throughout the life of the Church,singing has been given great attentionand status as a way to more properlyworship God. An ancient expression(which at times has also been attributedto St. Augustine, though we do not knowfor sure) is that “one who sings wellprays twice,” expressing how prayer isdoubly effective when it is sung. As farback as the 5th century we have writtenmusical scores of prayers (primarily thePsalms) that would have been used inmonasteries to pray and give praise toGod. These settings, which serve as partof the Church’s patrimony that wouldlater become more properly called“chant,” show that singing and worshiptruly go hand in hand. Music in theliturgy of ancient times was never

thought of as something “extra” or addedon to prayer. Singing is at the very coreof how the Church ought to pray.

The new translation of the RomanMissal will necessarily require that newsettings for liturgical music be produced.Familiar acclamations or hymns, such asthe “Memorial Acclamation” (the versethat we sing after the words “Let usproclaim the mystery of faith”) and the“Glory to God,” have significantly newstructure and wording in places. Inaddition, there are clearer directives thatthese words should not be changed inany way, which will therefore requireentirely new music settings (we willspeak more fully of these directives inlater articles on these particular parts ofthe Mass).

Given the changes in the words,and thus, the need for new musicsettings, it is once more emphasized thatmusic is not something added on toprayer – but it is the way we “ought” topray. In the General Instruction of theRoman Missal, while it is granted that notevery word must be sung at every Mass,it is stressed that on Sundays and HolyDays of Obligation there should be atleast some singing during Mass, withparticular preference given to “those[parts] that are of greater importanceand especially to those to be sung by the

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priest or the deacon or the lector, withthe people responding, or by the priestand people together.” In particular, thispassage refers to the singing of partssuch as the prayers themselves, and thegreetings and responses that take placethroughout the Mass. Accordingly, theChurch holds her own patrimony ofchant, and the chant called “GregorianChant” as having “pride of place,” for it isby way of chant that these particularprayers, greetings, and responses can besung without the need to change theirwording to fit a fixed music melody ortempo. The music and pattern of chanttakes its shape instead according to thewords themselves – and thus the textitself never has to be altered.

Given this emphasis of singingparts of the Mass itself, truly the Churchis inviting us to “sing the Mass,” and notmerely sing at Mass, as though musicand singing is an extra. Hopefully, as webegin using the new translation, all willbe open to learning new music, untolearning to sing the Mass itself. Forwhen we sing the Mass, we are openingourselves to deeper encounter with theLord, to whom the Psalms exhort us tosing a new song. Our hearts can be madeready for a deeper joy, causing greaterlove in the hearts of we who sing, thatour prayer may be doubly affective.

Questions of the Week: Why does “Gregorian Chant” have “pride of place” in Church music?As mentioned in the main article, chant is at the very heart of the Church’s own musical history, as chantcame to be from the Church for the Church, so to speak. Chant has developed throughout the centuries frommore primitive types of “plainchant” (which has a very small range of notes) to the more embellished chantsof later centuries. The term “Gregorian Chant” refers to Pope Gregory the Great (590-604 A.D.), whoorganized and gathered a collection of chants as used in Rome. The words of these chants are drawnprimarily from the Bible itself. Though not all chant is properly called “Gregorian,” that it is GregorianChant which is given pride of place is a reflection of the connection to the Church in Rome and that typicallythe texts of Gregorian Chant are composed using biblical texts. Why doesn’t every parish have the same books for music?In so many words, the Church in the U.S. has not limited the publication of resources for liturgy to onepublisher. Multiple publishing agencies exist with permission to produce books with hymns, prayer settings,and other resources for use at Mass. While some of the hymns and settings are usually found in everyhymnal or missalette, each company has been given the freedom to produce and publish music whilemaintaining ownership to the rights of such hymns – and hence, they have the ability to produce a uniquecollection of music. Accordingly, each parish has the opportunity to choose from several approved options.

At this time, a challenging reality is that while some pieces are found in almost all, if not every hymnal,the versions of the words may not always be the same. It is expected in the future that a unified set of hymnsand music settings will be published by all publishers as an “American repertoire,” while still allowing thepublishers the freedom to produce their own unique works.

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8. Introducing the Mass.

his article begins our look at theparticular prayers of the Mass asfound in the new translation of

The Roman Missal. While we will notexplore every single prayer in the Missal,it is important to give attention to themore noteworthy changes and reasons forchange. In addition, we will speak of thebiblical references for each of these partsof the Mass that we treat, along with otherinformation given in The GeneralInstruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) forfurther explanation. We note that all ofthe translations seek to be more faithful tothe Latin versions, and are translated toshow the clearer connection to the biblicaltexts from which many of them are drawn.We begin by looking at the introductionof the Mass.

The Sign of the Cross

Every offering of the Mass, as an entranceinto an encounter with God himself andHis saving work, properly begins by oursigning ourselves with the Sign of theCross. The priest leads us in the words ofthis prayer: “In the name of the Father,and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,Amen.” The names of the three persons ofthe one, triune God, while they arerevealed throughout the Scriptures,are spoken by Jesus himself as he sent out

the apostles in Matthew 28:19 (after hisresurrection):

“Go, therefore, and make disciples ofall nations, baptizing them in thename of the Father and of the Sonand of the Holy Spirit.”

These words, with the gesture of the Signof the Cross, express both our purpose (wemake this offering in His name) and ouridentity (as those who are marked with thesign of His cross, through baptism, webelong to Jesus Christ).

The Greeting and Response

For the greeting, the priest will chooseone of the following three options:

1. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and thelove of God, and the communion of the HolySpirit be with you all.

2. Grace to you and peace from God ourFather and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3. The Lord be with you.

The first two options are drawn fromvarious letters of St. Paul, who often spokethese or similar greetings at the beginningand the end of his letters. It is noteworthythat these options acknowledge God’spresence in the lives of those who aregreeted, while expressing a desire that this

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presence be perfected in them. Thispresence of God is what informs theresponse that the people will make.

The third option is for the priest tosimply greet the people with the words“The Lord be with you.” These words arefound in Ruth 2:4, where Boaz speaksthese words to the harvesters of grain inhis family’s field. This greeting alludes tothe name “Emmanuel” (literally, God withus) while giving the sense that we are apilgrim people on the way to heaven (theLord be with you on your journey).

“And with your spirit.”

The new English translation of theresponse of the people to all of thesegreetings is significantly different fromwhat we have known for all of the years ofpraying the Mass in English. The wordsof this response are now given as “Andwith your spirit.” As this response issignificant, both in its meaning and itsnewness, the subject of “Insert 10” inthis series will be an explanation of thisnew response.

A Bishop’s Greeting

The greetings given above are typical foruse by any priest offering the Mass. Inaddition to these options, bishops areentrusted with another, alternate greetingthat comes from the lips of Jesus himselfon that first Easter Sunday evening:“Peace be with you.” A bishop, in his veryperson as bishop, is the fullest expressionof Christ in his diocese, as true shepherd ofthe flock. These words of greeting thatwere spoken by the Risen Christ when heappeared to his apostles (John 20:19),convey both the gift of peace, and theconnection of the bishop, as High Priest inhis diocese, to Jesus himself.

In Summary

The Sign of Cross serves to begin theMass as a prayer of the Church, in themanner that we properly begin anyprayer. The Greeting places us in theawareness of God’s presence, both in thismoment, and in the response we makethrough our offering of the Mass.

Questions of the Week: Why does the greeting refer to the “communion” of the Holy Spirit?In the previous translation, the word “fellowship” was used in this particular greeting. The word“communion” is both more literal to the Latin word “communicátio,” and the original Greek in the Bible.This word speaks more clearly to the life of the Holy Spirit in God’s Trinitarian nature. The Holy Spirit, asthe bond of love between the Father and the Son, is the source of unity in the Church herself. This unity inthe Holy Spirit is also evident in the various Eucharistic Prayers (the prayer said by the priest that includesthe consecration of the Body and Blood of Christ). In these prayers, the Holy Spirit is invoked, as we askthat the Church be united in all her members – which is a fruit both of the Holy Spirit’s work, and of theHoly Eucharist (hence called “Holy Communion.”) Thus, “communion” is a more fitting way to refer to thedwelling of the Holy Spirit in us, where God is uniting us to Himself “in the unity of the Holy Spirit.” Is it acceptable for the priest to simply say “good morning” as the greeting?No. We are to use one of the given formulas, with the response “And with your spirit,” as the liturgy is anentrance into God’s presence and a participation in his saving work. Participation in the liturgy is not of thenature of a social gathering. Greetings like “Good morning” or “Hello” at the beginning of Mass reduce theliturgy to such a level. In truth, the liturgy is an entrance into a sacramental encounter with God. Thus, ourfocus is to be upon worshiping him and receiving sanctification from him (not merely on being together).

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9. Preparing to Offer Mass: The “Penitential Act.”

s part of the beginning of Mass,and for the sake of preparing toenter more fully into an

encounter with God himself in theEucharist, the people are typically invitedto “acknowledge their sins.” Thisrecalling of sin is part of what is calledthe Penitential Act. In this moment, allwho are present are to individuallyremember the venial sins they havecommitted and ask God for his mercy,that all of our sins will be forgiven, sothat we will be ready to hear God’s wordin Scripture and to approach thesacrament of the Eucharist. (Please read“Question of the Week” on the next pagefor more detail on sin and preparation for

Holy Communion). In this column, welook at the renewed versions for thePenitential Act.

As in the old version, there remainthree ways that the priest may lead thepeople in this Penitential Act, all ofwhich include the prayer litany of “Lord,have mercy,” and “Christ, have mercy.”The first form is the traditional prayerknown more formally as the “Confiteor,”(the “I confess to almighty God” prayer).This prayer, which dates to the 6th

Century, is offered to prepare us to meetChrist by realistically acknowledging ourneed for his mercy; not to say how badwe are. The more literal translating ofthe Latin into English is very clear in thenew version of this prayer, shown below:

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First Form of the Penitential Act

All recite together:

I confess to almighty Godand to you my brothers and sisters,that I have greatly sinnedin my thoughts and in my words,in what I have done and in what I have failed to do,

And, gently striking their breast three times,they say:

through my fault, through my fault,through my most grievous fault;

Then they continue:

therefore 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.

that I have greatly sinned:That “I have greatly sinned” puts into wordsmore clearly the serious nature of sin, towardinviting us to humbly acknowledge our need forGod’s mercy and forgiveness more openly.

three uses of “through my fault”:The three-fold “through my fault” is also moreliteral from the Latin “mea culpa, mea culpa,mea maxima culpa,” the third of whichemphasizes our recognition of the gravity of sinas “most grievous.” Once more, such emphasisseeks to open us to a humble recognition of ourneed for God’s mercy resulting from any andevery sin. Note also that the people are “strikingtheir breast” during these words, as though theyare stoning themselves for their sins with theirfist, that sins might be crushed (not persons).

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The second form (which is notfrequently used) for offering thePenitential Act also has significant

changes →

Both the first and second forms ofthe Penitential Act continue withthe priest’s words:

May almighty God have mercy on us,forgive us our sins,and bring us to everlasting life.

This “absolution” as it is called, does notcarry the same effect as absolution givenin sacramental confession. It is effectivein taking away venial sins and it preparesus for entering into the offering of theMass more fully. However, in the case ofmortal sins, sacramental Confession isthe normal means for the forgiveness ofany mortal sins.

After these words of forgivenessare spoken by the priest, both of theseforms of the Penitential Act are thenconcluded with the recited or sung litany

“Lord, have mercy,” “Christ, have mercy,”etc. like in the previous translation ofMass.

The third form of making thePenitential Act which contains shortinvocations by the priest (or deacon)followed by the litany responses of“Lord, have mercy,” etc. is not changedfor the people. While the invocationshave been retranslated, the litanyremains the same. This form is alsoconcluded with the absolution that isused in the first two forms.

The Penitential Act, offered in anyof the three forms given, removes venialsin, making us more prepared to entermore fully into Holy Communion withGod, through the offering of the Mass.

Question of the Week: None of us are truly worthy of communion. Why does it matter if we have committed sins? After

all, isn’t the Eucharist offered “so that sins may be forgiven?”In our offering of the Mass, the invitation to Holy Communion is not merely a matter of knowing aboutGod or that the Eucharist is an offering for sins. More properly, each person who desires to receive mustbe striving to live in this Holy Communion. Sin is an offense against God that separates us from God. Inorder to be in true communion, there can be nothing in one’s soul which separates or divides them fromGod (who is perfect life and communion). Therefore, it remains necessary that all who partake ofEucharistic communion would be free from sin in approaching this sacrament. For forgiveness of venialsins, the Penitential Act of the Mass itself is sufficient. For the forgiveness of mortal sins, confession ofthese mortal sins in the sacrament of Confession remains necessary in order to assure one is in a proper“state of grace,” or free from sin and able to truly be in communion with God.

Second Form of the Penitential Act

The priest says: Have mercy on us, O Lord.

The people reply: For we have sinned against you.

The priest: Show us, O Lord, your mercy.

The people: And grant us your salvation.

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10. “And with your spirit”: The New Response to the Same Priests.

n preparing to implement the newEnglish translation of the RomanMissal, we once more are reminded

that this new translation is more literal tothe original Latin, and it seeks to use amore “elevated” or “sacral” style oflanguage, as is fitting for approachingGod. These principles in translating,along with the intentional use of moretraditional language to express the faith ofthe Church, are likely most obvious in thepeople’s response “And with your spirit,”to the priest’s (or deacon’s) greeting of thepeople. This change is significant becausethe simple words “and also with you” thatwe easily and naturally say are beingreplaced with words that are not part ofour common vocabulary. In addition, thischange is noteworthy as these new wordsof response are frequent, typically usedfive times during each offering of theMass. What is behind this newtranslation? How will it impact ouroffering of Mass?

Why “And with your spirit?”

In order to understand such a noticeablechange in the response of the people, thebest starting point is the Latin version, “etcum spíritu tuo.” The word “spíritu” ismore clearly translated in the new version

than in the old – with significant effect onthe meaning of the response. In thiscontext, we are not directly speaking ofthe Holy Spirit (which is clear since thewords are directed at the spirit of theordained minister to whom the response isgiven). Spíritu refers to what we might callthe “source of life” in the person; thatwhich makes the person “who they reallyare.”

Accordingly, to discover the deepermeaning of the words “and with yourspirit,” we also must understand the basicpurpose of the greeting and response. Thegreetings of the clergy are never meant assimply an exchange of pleasantries. At thebeginning of Mass, the greeting “TheLord be with you,” (or any other option forthe greeting) is given in acknowledgingGod’s presence in the lives of the people,who seek to encounter God more deeplyduring the Mass. The response of thepeople seeks to fittingly reply to him whothat is ordained and the “spirit” that makeshim so. It is the “spirit” of ordination thathas empowered the priest to give theinitial greeting, so that his words ofgreeting may have a real effect in the livesof those who are greeted. Likewise, thisinitial greeting, along with the other timesthe priest (or deacon) greets the people,comes at a moment when he is beginning a

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direct exercise of the orders he hasreceived. Hence, it is most fitting that theresponse of the people is not as thoughthey are saying “the same to you,” but tosay “may he be with you in your service tous.” Therefore, the response “and withyour spirit,” goes beyond acknowledgingthe Lord in the life of the priest or deaconas an individual man, to acknowledgingthat it is the person of Christ who hascome to serve, represented as he is by anunworthy man, through the sacrament ofOrders.

Responding Well

In practice, while it may take some time toadjust to a new response that replaces onethat is very natural for us to say, it may behelpful to remember the followingrealities. First of all, whenever the priestor deacon greets the people he gives the

greeting not as a function of his ownhumanity, but according to the HolyOrders that he has received, which ismeant to serve and sanctify the people.Second, the greeting itself is meant tohave an effect – of making the Lord moreproperly present in the lives of those whoare greeted.

Just as these realities underlie thegreetings of the clergy, so the people’sresponse contains a depth of meaningbeyond everyday responses to commongreetings. The words “and with yourspirit,” invite the people to respond notmerely to another person, but to one giventhe particular grace to serve them as apriest or deacon in their desire for a deeperencounter with God. Thus, these arewords that in their own way acknowledgethe presence of God in the priest, who isordained for the sake of the sanctificationof all God’s people.

Questions of the Week: How do other languages translate the response that is given in English as “And with your spirit?”A not so obvious benefit of the new translation is how the principles of a more literal in translation of theLatin and the more faithful use of particular words of the Church’s teaching and tradition will berecognizable in comparisons between languages. You can note the similarities here when considering howthe original Latin phrase “et cum spíritu tuo,” is translated in Spanish as “Y con tu espíritu,” and in Italian as“E con il tuo spirito.” The new translation in English as “And with your spirit” more literally translates theLatin in similar manner to these (and other) contemporary languages. What response should we give during the Sign of Peace, when my neighbor in the pew says “Peace be

with you?”According to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, paragraph 154, when the people exchange theSign of Peace with one another, a person may say “The peace of the Lord be with you always.” Theresponse of one person in the pew to another is “Amen” (not “And with your spirit.”) The reason that laypeople do not respond with “And with your spirit” one to another is due to the meaning of the response inrelationship to the particular grace of the sacrament of Holy Orders, present in the ordained. To say “Amen”to the other person among the laity is to acknowledge their words according to the understanding of thatword as “so be it,” with a sense of the same peace of Christ dwelling already in the one who has given thatgreeting. These differences in response allow for the legitimate distinction between the ordained and thelaity to be expressed on the level of how each authentically participates in the Mass.

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11. Glory to God in the Highest.

n Sundays outside Advent andLent, and on major feast days(some of which are given the

proper title “solemnity,” as adesignation of their importance), theChurch proclaims “Glory to God in thehighest,” just as the host of angels sangon the night of our Lord Jesus’ birth

(Luke 2:14). Having received the mercyof God in the Penitential Act, theGloria, as the hymn is properly called, issung to the Glory of the Father, toChrist the Lamb of God, and to theHoly Spirit. Below is the newlytranslated text:

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Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace to people of good will.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.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;For you alone are the Holy One,you alone are the Lord,you alone are the Most High,Jesus Christ,with the Holy Spirit,in the glory of God the Father.Amen.

In the new translation of the Gloria, theliteral translating of the Latin can beseen:

“Laudamus te, benedicimus te, adoramuste, glorificamus te:”

literally: “We praise you, webless you, we adore you, weglorify you.”

“Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, FiliusPatris:”

literally: “Lord God, Lamb ofGod, Son of the Father.”

Double use of “qui tollis peccatamundi,”

or “you take away the sins of theworld.”

The sentence structure itself of thisnew version shows that the hymn isancient – meant to be chantedstraight through, rather than brokeninto verses or fit to a rigid musicsetting.

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In the General Instruction of theRoman Missal, this hymn is said to be“very ancient and venerable,” [from the4th or 5th Century] such that its ancientroots make it so that it is not to be everreplaced by any other hymn or hymntext (GIRM 53). The hymn is meant inpraise of God’s glory only, and hence itis stands alone in the liturgy, withnothing else taking place as it is sung.In the new translation, the priority forliteral translation is very clear, evenwithout appealing to the Latin text. Theliteral nature of this translation isevident simply in looking at thestructure of the hymn that appears veryuneven or without rhythm in places,along with the intentional repetition ofsome of the lines. Such repetition servesto emphasize those words and truthsthat are repeated.

Like many other prayers of theMass, there are multiple places withinthe Gloria that have Sacred Scripture astheir source. We have already seen howthe very first line of the hymn is formedfrom the words of the angels whoappeared to the shepherds at Bethlehem.

Later in the text of the hymn, we seethe use of the title for Jesus of “Lamb ofGod,” as he who “takes away the sins ofthe world.” These words are drawnfrom the words of John the Baptist,given in John 1:29, as he sees Jesusapproach him at the Jordan River.Other Scriptures that form lines of thishymn include Revelation 15:4, whichrefers to God alone as holy, and Psalm83:19, which says “Show them you aloneare the Lord, the Most High over all theearth.” Given these scripturalreferences, we can see very clearly hownot only the readings for Mass, but theprayers themselves, are rooted in SacredScripture.

As we continue to learn to sing orrecite this new version of the Gloria, weremain mindful that all glory belongs tothe Triune God: to God the Father,and to the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ,who died and was raised up, for oursalvation and the salvation of the wholeworld, and to God the Holy Spirit.

Questions of the Week: Is their ever occasion for the Gloria to be sung by the choir only?Yes. GIRM 53 says the following regarding who sings the Gloria: “The Gloria is intoned by the priest, or,if appropriate, by a cantor or the choir; but it is sung either by everyone together, or by the peoplealternately with the choir, or by the choir alone. If not sung, it is to be recited either by all together or bytwo parts of the congregation responding one to the other.” What are the appropriate occasions to sing the Gloria, versus the times to simply recite it?Whenever the Gloria is prescribed (that is, whenever the Mass of the day requires it), it is truly morefitting to sing this hymn than to recite it. We must acknowledge that not every parish and parish Mass willhave the ability or musical leadership to sing this hymn, especially for those Masses on days designated as“feast days” that are on weekdays. Thus, while singing the Gloria is always more fitting than saying it, thehymn can be recited when the singing of the hymn is not feasible.

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12. The “Collect” and other prayers of the celebrant.

hroughout the Mass, there areparticular prayers that are designatedas “presidential prayers.” The

Eucharistic Prayer (the name for the wholeprayer that the priest prays during which theconsecration of the bread and wine takesplace) is the most important of these prayers.Three other prayers are also consideredpresidential: the Collect (or “OpeningPrayer” as it was called in the previoustranslation) that is said before the readings,beginning with the invitation “Let us pray”;the Prayer over the Offerings (prayed afterthe gifts have been received, blessed, andplaced on the altar), and the Prayer afterCommunion (this prayer is prayed after thedistribution of Holy Communion, when allstand at the words “Let us pray”). These threeprayers, along with the Eucharistic Prayerare explained as “presidential prayers” inparagraph 30 of The General Instruction of theRoman Missal (GIRM), as they are prayersthat are prayed by the priest and “areaddressed to God in the name of the entireholy people and all present…who presidesover the assembly in the person of Christ.”Hence, while it is only the priest who speaksduring these prayers, all who are present areinvited to unite their minds and hearts withthat spoken (or sung) prayer, offeringthemselves and their intentions within thatone prayer. We will focus here on the otherthree presidential prayers, looking at theEucharistic Prayer in a later column.

Each of the prayers of the celebrant isoffered for a specific purpose, as is made clearby their timing and placement within the

Mass. The Collect is offered as the end of theIntroductory Rites, inviting the people tosilently call to mind those persons or needsfor which they desire to pray, “collecting”these prayer intentions together as one prayerto the Father. This prayer also serves toexpressing the meaning or “character” of thecelebration, providing proper context for ourprayers to be collected and offered as one.The Prayer over the Offerings invites all tounite themselves more perfectly with Christin his offering, which is about to be made tothe Father in the Eucharistic Prayer. Finally,the Prayer after Communion completes theCommunion Rite. This prayer implores Godso that the mysteries of Christ in theEucharist may have an effect in all our lives.Each of these prayers is fittingly concludedwith the people’s response of “Amen,” as theyunite themselves to that for which we all prayin the name of the entire Church.

In the new translation, it isnoteworthy that a more literal approach hasgiven a more poetic style and language inthese prayers. In the former version, many ofthese prayers are translated as multiplesentences. Here, they main text of the prayeris given as one sentence, yielding a morecoherent text. In addition, the choice oflanguage in these texts invites us to express adeeper sense of reverence and awe inapproaching God. Finally, each prayer nolonger contains the words “We ask this,” butfollows the literal Latin that says “ThroughChrist our Lord,” or “Who lives and reigns…”The next page gives us a sample from theSecond Sunday of Advent:

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Questions of the Week: Why do the Collect, the Prayer over the Offerings, and the Prayer after Com

time?You may have noticed that each Sunday (or if you are able to participate in Massvarious weekday Masses) that these prayers are typically prayed by the priest whattention to what is “in the book.” He must read them directly from the book assame from week to week – or even day to day in the case of Masses that honor thwhich come from various times in history (some more ancient than others) are wliturgical seasons (think Advent, Lent, Ordinary Time, etc.) or for the particular fsaints. Likewise, these three prayers usually come as specific sets: one particulaaccompanied by a particular Prayer over the Offerings and a particular Prayer aftused together. Thus, these prayers are written for particular Masses on particularare followed in union with the liturgical year of the whole Church. Who writes these “presidential prayers?” Can the priest ever make up his oFor the presidential prayers, no priest is permitted to make up his own prayers. Aquestion, these prayers have been composed over time throughout the history ofvery ancient, going back at least to the early 6th century, by such persons as Popepopes. Others have been composed more recently – such as those for more recenthese prayers are offered in union with the Church throughout the world, and becPope and the bishops in communion with him to decide what prayers are used, thchanged or replaced by prayers composed by individual priests – no matter howprayers or the priest who offer them may be.

Previous Version New Translation

Collect (Opening Prayer)

God of power and mercy, Almighty and merciful God,open our hearts in welcome. may no earthly undertaking hinder thoseRemove the things that hinder us who set out in haste to meet your Son,

from receiving Christ with joy, but may our learning of heavenly wisdomso that we may share his wisdom gain us admittance to his company.and become one with him Who lives and reigns with you…when he comes in glory,for he lives and reigns….

Prayer over the Offerings

Be pleased, O Lord, with our humble prayersLord, and offerings,we are nothing without you. and, since we have no merits to plead our cause,As you sustain us with your mercy, come, we pray, to our rescuereceive our prayers and offerings. with the protection of your mercy.We ask this through Christ our Lord. Through Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Father, Replenished by the food of spiritual nourishment,you give us food from heaven we humbly beseech you, O Lord,Teach us to live by your wisdom that, through our partaking in this mystery,and to love the things of heaven you may teach us to judge wisely the things of earby our sharing in this mystery. and hold firm to the things of heaven.Grant this through Christ our Lord. Through Christ our Lord.

The bulletin series, “Praying the Mass Anew” is prepared for use in parish bulletins by the Office of Liturgy of the Diinformation on this page or copies of related pages, log on to www.dioceseduluth.org to download “pdf” files, or conOffice of Liturgy and Spirituality, 2830 E. 4th St. Duluth, MN, 55812; 218-724-9111

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Noteworthy elements: Style of Prayer:

The new translation is“elevated” and more“sacral” in style, whileusing more humblelanguage: e.g. “wehumbly beseech you,”etc.

Literal translation anduse of syntax: TheCollect is given as onesentence as in theoriginal Latin text.Likewise, words aremore faithfullytranslated, such as“merits,” “beseech,”

munion change all the

on weekdays, at theile he is paying closethese prayers are not thee saints. These prayers,ritten according to theeasts of the Lord or of ther Collect will beer Communion that aredays or occasions, and

wn prayers?s mentioned in the firstthe Church. Some areLeo the Great or othertly canonized saints. Asause it belongs to theese can never be freelyeloquent or holy these

th

ocese of Duluth. For additionaltact the Diocese of Duluth,

etc.


13. The Readings: Proclaiming, hearing, and meditating on God’s Word.

he General Instruction of the RomanMissal (GIRM) refers to two mainparts of Mass that are “so closely

interconnected that they form but onesingle act of worship:” the Liturgy of theWord and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.The biblical readings with the Liturgy ofthe Word are understood as one of themore important elements of each Mass.These readings are to be proclaimed welland listened to with reverence. Hence, whilethere are no changes in the people’sresponses to the readings, it is fitting todevote a column specifically to the readings,that all might participate more fully andactively in this part of the Mass.

On Sundays, there are two passagesproclaimed by one or two readers. Usually,the first reading comes from the OldTestament, while the second reading comesfrom one of the “letters” in the NewTestament. During the Easter Season, thefirst reading comes from the Acts of theApostles, while the second remains as apassage of a New Testament letter. TheResponsorial Psalm that is placed betweenthe readings and is typically sung servesthe first reading, emphasizing in its wordsand the response a particular meaning ortheme of the first reading, promotingdeeper meditation upon God’s Word.

The Gospel passage comes as thepeak of the Liturgy of the Word, withChrist himself speaking directly to us.Accordingly, the Gospel passage is paid the

highest reverence. The proclamation of theGospel is reserved to the clergy, whothrough the sacrament of Holy Orders,have been configured to Christ. All standand turn toward the deacon or priestproclaiming the Gospel as an expression oftheir reverence and attentive listening.

The Task of the Reader

When it comes to proclaiming thebiblical readings at Mass, a first note ofimportance from the GIRM is that thereading of the biblical readings is termed“ministerial” and not “presidential.” In otherwords, he who “presides” over the assembly,leading them in the offering of the sacrificeis not meant to read the readings. Rather,one (or two) of the faithful carry out thistask in service of the priest and the people.The ministry of “lector” that all men whoare preparing for Holy Orders are toreceive during their time of preparation forordination more officially confers the taskof proclaiming Scripture readings on thosewho receive it. However, in almost allparishes, those who read are not recipientsof this ministry. Rather, the readers aregiven this responsibility simply by propertraining to proclaim the readings at Massand by their designation as readers.

To be a reader at Mass carriesparticular responsibilities. Of greatimportance is the preparation on the partof the reader prior to Mass. Biblicalpassages are of several styles of writing:

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including narrative passages, prophecy,poetry, dialogue, and didactic writings (thatis, teaching). Each style requires differentvoice inflection, proper awareness of thosebeing addressed in the text itself by thehuman author, along with the awareness ofthose in the present moment ofproclamation. In so many words, readersshould proclaim each passage as if theywere speaking on behalf of the author, notas simply reading the words on the page.The reader should always strive to proclaimeach passage in order to most properly conveythe intended meaning. Likewise, the pace withwhich one reads should be such that itallows for the proper nature of the writingstyle be clearly communicated. All of thesedetails, along with seeking to communicatethe proper emotion of the reading, arefacilitated by sound preparation.

The Participation of the People

When the readings are proclaimed well, theparticipation of the people throughmeditation on the spoken word becomesmore realistic. Such meditation allows

what the people to be led to a deeperpersonal relationship with God. Just as thereader must proclaim the text according tothe intent of the author, so the hearer mustlisten well, so that the author’s truemessage may be heard and meditated upon.

Often, parishes will have the readingsavailable in the little books that people inthe pews often use for Mass called“missalettes.” While missalettes serve agood purpose to familiarize the people withthe readings and prayers, full participationin the liturgy by the faithful meanslistening well to the readings withoutrelying on a written text. Challengingthough it may be, all are encouraged topractice listening to the readings, withoutlooking on in the book – that the spokenword itself may become our point of focus,and whatever particular message strikes atour heart may be that which we trulymeditate upon (even if it is only one wordor phrase). In this way, participating fullyin the readings, our “Thanks be to God”will resound with a deeper appreciation forGod working in our life.

Questions of the Week: Why don’t all of the parishes have the same missalettes?It has become common that parish churches have books that contain the specific readings for each day, alongwith all the prayers for Mass, called “missalettes.” Since there are several publishers of these books, oftenthe layouts of each version are different. What is important to note is that each missalette will have theessential content for the prayers at Mass, along with the given readings for each day.

As mentioned above, missalettes can be a great help in becoming familiar with the Mass. They are alsouseful for those who may have difficulty participating in Mass for one of a variety of reasons. However, aswe grow in our knowledge of Mass, the goal should always be to become less dependent upon themissalette. We should become more easily able to meditate on the spoken word simply by hearing it spoken,rather than relying upon words printed in the book. Is it ever permissible to use readings from other sources besides the Bible?Non-biblical readings are not permissible for the Liturgy of the Word. The Second Vatican Council gaverenewed emphasis to the readings from the Bible as an essential part of every offering of the Mass, referringto these readings as the means by which “the table of God’s word is prepared for the faithful, and the richesof the Bible are opened to them” (GIRM, 57). The readings deliver to us God’s own word. Accordingly, thereadings can never be replaced by non-biblical readings – which do not contain His word.

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14. Professing our Faith.

t Sunday Mass and at Masses forthose more noteworthy days inthe year that are designated

“solemnities,” the profession of faith ismade by singing or reciting of the Creed.Typically, we recite the “Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed.” This creedreceives its name from the twoecumenical councils in the 4th Century:the Council of Nicea in 325, and theCouncil of Constantinople in 381.Generally speaking, it is from these twocouncils that the formulations of faiththat are recited in this creed were moreclearly articulated. The option for use ofthe “Apostles’ Creed” also exists for useas a profession of faith, particularlyduring Lent and Easter. The name“Apostles Creed” implies that the wordsof this prayer contain the faith of theApostles. While the Apostles Creed is

unchanged in its formulation in the newtranslation, the translation of the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed has significantchanges, as shown on the back side ofthis page.

The creed is at times called the“Symbol,” as the word symbol, in itsGreek origin means to “bring together.”The Creed brings together in a singleprofession of faith the statement of allthat we believe and live by as CatholicChristians. As we profess our faith, wegive voice to our commitment and assentof the truth of God that we have justheard and meditated upon in the readingsand the homily. Likewise, this placementof the Creed within the Mass after thereadings and homily places it in closerelationship to the Eucharistic Prayer,wherein the words of faith spoken in“symbol” are then accomplished in theEucharist.

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Question of the Week: Are there ever any times when the Creed is not said on Sunday?As a matter of fact, on Easter Sunday, the dioceses in the United States replace the reciting of the Creed withthe renewal of baptismal promises (that contains the faith professed in the words of the Creed in the form ofquestions). While this renewal of baptismal promises properly is offered at the Easter Vigil, in the U.S. wehave the well established custom of Saturday evening Masses “in anticipation of” Sunday, which serve to aidpeople in fulfilling their Sunday obligation on Saturday evening (after 4:00 pm). In the case of Easter, wherethe Easter Vigil Mass serves this purpose for some, and so that all might be able to properly renew theirbaptismal promises (not only those who attend the Easter Vigil Mass), the renewal is also offered on Sundayin place of the Creed. On all other Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, the Creed is to be included.

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The Profession of FaithThe Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed

I believe in one God,the Father almighty,maker of heaven and earth,of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,the Only Begotten Son of God,born of the Father before all ages.God from God, Light from Light,true God from true God.begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;through him all things were made.For us men and for our salvationhe came down from heaven,

At the words that follow, throughand including “and became man,” all bow.

and by the Holy Spirit was incarnateof the Virgin Mary,and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,he suffered death and was buried,and rose again on the third dayin accordance with the Scriptures.

He ascended into heavenand is seated at the right hand of the Father.He will come again in gloryto judge the living and the deadand his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,who proceeds from the Father and the Son,who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sinsand I look forward to the resurrection of the deadand the life of the world to come. Amen.

Overall: As we look at the words ofthe Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed,there are notable changes and style andin particular words that are used:

“I” believe – The very word in theLatin version is “credo,” not “credimus,”(which would be “We believe.”) The “I”is not meant to make our act ofprofessing faith individualistic. Rather,it might be understood as the Body ofChrist, of which we are all members,professing faith as one. Note also thatwe say “I believe,” at the beginning ofeach new section of the creed.

“consubstantial with the Father” –“consubstantial” literally means “one inbeing,” as the former version had ussay. The use of “consubstantial” moreproperly reflects the traditional,elevated language of Church teachingon the reality that God the Father andGod the Son are one “in substance;”they are united in being.

“by the Holy Spirit was incarnate ofthe Virgin Mary” – that God takes onhuman flesh in the person of JesusChrist is a mystery properly called theIncarnation. That Jesus “was incarnateof the Virgin Mary” more truly reflectsthat he was not simply “born,” but trulytakes on human flesh through Mary.

Regarding the style of the prayer –another notable change is the way thatsome phrases, which in the previoustranslation were given as completesentences, are now parts of largersentences. While this style is moreliteral, the connecting of phrases unifiesthe prayer more properly, betterconnecting related statements.

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15. The Prayer of the Faithful and the Offering of the Gifts.

he Liturgy of the Wordconcludes with the Prayer of theFaithful (also called the “General

Intercessions”) wherein the peopleexpress their prayers both as a responseto God’s word that they have just heardand meditated upon, and as an imploringof God for the good of community unitedin faith and the needs of the world.Usually, the petitions reflect the prayersand needs known to a particular people.Accordingly, there are no direct changesthat will affect this part of the Mass.Indirectly, however, the prayers offeredat this time will likely become more likeunto the style of the Roman Missal itself,making use of elevated language, seekingto approach God the Father with agreater humility of heart. Those whowrite petitions are encouraged tocompose prayers in consistency with thestyle used in the Missal.

The Liturgy of the Eucharistbegins after the intercessions with thePreparation of the Gifts. The ritualincludes a few of the faithful bringingforth the gifts of bread and wine that willbecome the Body and Blood of Christ.Once more, nothing of the ritual itselfwill change at this time; only the wordsof prayer will be new. During thePreparation of the Gifts, the priest takesthe bread, and then the wine, and offersprayers of blessing to God. Both prayersacknowledge God as the Creator throughwhom we are given what we ourselves

are made able to offer. Hence, theprayers convey gratitude to God for bothhis creative work and his generosity tous. In addition, the reality of sacrificethat is present in the prayers reflectsback on God’s providing for us. Here arethe texts:

The priest prays over the bread as follows:

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,for through your goodness we have receivedthe bread we offer you:fruit of the earth and work of human hands,it will become for us the bread of life.

The people respond: Blessed be God for ever.

The priest prays over the wine as follows:

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,for through your goodness we have receivedthe wine we offer you:fruit of the vine and work of human handsit will become our spiritual drink.

The people respond: Blessed be God for ever

The underlined portions of thetexts express the revisions in thetranslation. Once more, the new textspossess a greater sense of humbledependence on God than the previousversion – as “we have received” what wenow offer. In other words, there ishumble acknowledgement that even ouropportunity to make an offer, and the

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offering itself that we give, have theirsource in God.

The most noteworthy change inthe Preparation of the Gifts comes in thepriest’s words inviting prayer that thesacrifice be accepted:

(After the priest has washed his hands,)he turns toward the people and says:

Pray, brethren (brothers and sisters),that my sacrifice and yoursmay be acceptable to God,the almighty Father.

The people rise and say:

May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your handsfor the praise and glory of his name,for our good and the good of all his holy Church.

Once more, the changes are underlined.Whereas the previous version makesreference to “our sacrifice,” we see herethe reference to “my sacrifice and yours,”as though there are two separatesacrifices. In truth, while the truesacrifice is that of Jesus Christ, offeringhimself to the Father for the forgivenessof sins, what is distinguished here is theway of participating in the sacrifice by the

lay faithful and the ordained. As with theresponse “And with your spirit,” thatexpresses the grace of Holy Orders moreclearly, the nature of the sacrifice offeredhere by the ordained is in the place ofChrist. Through ordination, the priestoffers the sacrifice as Christ himself. Thelaity also offer the sacrifice, but as anoffering of themselves in union with Christ.The offering of the laity is thus asmembers of His Body, with Christhimself as the Head of the Body.

That the sacrifice is offered for the“good of all his holy Church” is simply amore literal translating of the originalLatin version. To call the Church “holy”is both in keeping with the Creed (thatthe Church is holy is one of the “fourmarks” of the Church), and an expressingof the nature and dignity of the Church.

The Preparation of the Giftsconcludes when the priest offers the“Prayer over the gifts,” which, as in theCollect (Opening Prayer), is specific toeach occasion. It concludes with thepeople’s “Amen,” thus concluding thistime of humble asking of acceptance ofthe sacrifice that is to be offered.

Questions of the Week: Sometimes the priest does not say “Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation…” Is that correct?The priest always prays these prayers, even if the people can not hear him. In the ritual of Mass, thePreparation of the Gifts is a time that is meant to include singing. When such takes place, the priest is tosay the two blessing prayers in a low voice. When there is no music, he is permitted to pray them aloud,with the people giving their proper response. Why does the collection take place at this time?As the Preparation of the Gifts is the moment in which we present the offering for sacrifice, it is fitting thatthe offerings of the people in honor and thanksgiving to God and for the good of the Church and her workswould also be made at this time. In this manner, whatever is offered in the way of donations can beunderstood in connection with the offering of self that all are invited to make during the Mass.

The bulletin series, “Praying the Mass Anew” is prepared for use in parishes in the Diocese of Duluth. For additional information on this page orcopies of related pages, log on to www.dioceseduluth.org to download “pdf” files, or contact the Diocese of Duluth, Office of Liturgy andSpirituality, 2830 E. 4th St. Duluth, MN, 55812; 218-724-9111.

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16. The Eucharistic Prayer: Part I – The “Preface” and “Holy, Holy, Holy.”

t this point, we have looked at theLiturgy of the Word and havebegun to look at the Liturgy of the

Eucharist. The gifts of bread and wine tobe offered have been prepared on the altar,and now it is time to make the offeringthrough that prayer that is the “center andsummit of the entire celebration: namely,the Eucharistic Prayer” (GIRM, 78). Thatwe might give fitting consideration to thisprayer, we will look at its contents inthree separate articles. The first articlewill deal with the purpose and meaning ofthe prayer and the beginning parts of theprayer. In the second article, we willexplore the “words of institution,” or thewords by which the bread and winebecome the Body and Blood of JesusChrist. Finally, in the third article, we willlook at how the people most properlyparticipate in this prayer, especiallythrough the “Memorial Acclamation,” andthe “Great Amen.”

The Eucharistic Prayer is to beunderstood as a prayer of “thanksgivingand sanctification,” wherein the people areinvited to lift their hearts to the Lord inthanksgiving and prayer. The EucharisticPrayer serves as the prayer by which JesusChrist’s offering of his Body and Blood tothe Father for the forgiveness of sins is re-presented (that is, “made present again”) so

that all may be able to partake of His onetrue sacrifice and receive its benefits. As asacrifice that we participate in, offeringpraise and thanksgiving to God, theprayer fittingly begins with the dialoguebetween the priest and the people thatfollows:

Priest: The Lord be with you.

People: And with your spirit.Priest: Lift up your hearts.People: We lift them up to the Lord.Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

People: It is right and just.

In the words of this dialogue, the priestturns toward the people to invite them toenter into the offering of the sacrifice,lifting up their hearts to God inthanksgiving. The whole dialogue isreminiscent of the prayer of Azariah foundin Daniel 3:26-45, as he, along withHannaniah and Mishael, give themselvesas an offering of thanksgiving to Godwhile being subject to death in the fieryfurnace. Their prayer of thanksgiving isheard, as God preserves them from the fire– hence, their offering of thanks leads tonew life.

Noteworthy changes in the newtranslation are in the responses of thepeople. The response “And with yourspirit” is once more used, consistent withthe earlier usages during Mass. In

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addition, the words “It is right and just”are more literal translations of the Latin,expressing that it is truly appropriate andowed to God that we make an offering ofself to the Father, lifting our hearts to theLord.

The prayer that follows, called the“Preface,” is chosen based on the day.Most Prefaces are either seasonal (such asthose for Ordinary Time) or meant forparticular types of celebrations (those ofmartyrs, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, etc.).There are a few that are used only once fora given Solemnity – such as the preface ofChrist the King. All prefaces containwords of thanksgiving to the Father,remembering the works of the Son, whileseeking the gifts of the Holy Spirit. ThePreface concludes by inviting all to jointhe song of the angels in heaven:

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts.Heaven and earth are full of your glory.Hosanna in the highest.Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.Hosanna in the highest.

This heavenly song draws together twoScripture passages. In Isaiah 6:3, theprophet witnesses the angels in the templeproclaiming “Holy, Holy, Holy is the LordGod of hosts,” acknowledging thedominion of God – he has “hosts” of angelsand saints. Meanwhile, the words“Hosanna in the highest” remind us ofJesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalembefore his passion and death, when he isproclaimed as the Messiah (Matthew 21:9;Mark 11:9-10; Luke 19:38; and John12:13). Our joining in this song containsboth elements of proclaiming God’sdominion and that Jesus is the Messiahwho comes to save us.

The changes may seem minimal inthese words – but it is significant in thatthe new translation is more literal. Thepreface, as a prayer of thanksgiving, andthe singing of the “Holy, Holy, Holy,”prepares us (as it did Isaiah) to encounterthe Lord more fittingly, making us readyto offer ourselves more completely.

Questions of the Week: Will we be able to use the old music settings for the “Holy, Holy, Holy,” even though the translation

is new?As we have seen throughout our look at the prayers, one of the marks of this new translation is that theprayers are more literal to the original Latin, in order that the traditional language for expressing the faithmay be employed. Given this emphasis on the importance of literal translation, it is of equal importancethat texts and prayers are not paraphrased in music compositions. Accordingly, it will be necessary thatnew settings are composed for our use that are faithful to the newly translated texts – or that previoussettings are revised to properly incorporate the changes.

Along that line, the Roman Missal itself contains music settings for each part of the Mass. Thesesettings will be published in all missalettes and future hymnals. Therefore, these are the settings that allparishes in the Diocese of Duluth will initially use – as they will be available to all of the parishes, and willgive all the faithful of the diocese knowledge of one consistent set of acclamations. Parishes will be ableto learn and use other settings once all have proper mastery of these settings from the Roman Missal itself. We use the Latin settings for the Mass parts on occasion. Will these need to be changed?The Latin versions of all of the prayers remain the same – as these prayers are the sources for thetranslation. Thus, if your parish is accustomed to using the “Sanctus,” “Agnus Dei,” and the other Latintexts, you are encouraged to continue to use them regularly.


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17. The Eucharistic Prayer: Part II – The Consecration

n the last article, the first part of theEucharistic Prayer, consisting of thePreface and the “Holy, Holy, Holy,”

was treated. In the current article, we willlook specifically at the words by which thebread and wine are changed into the Bodyand Blood of Jesus Christ in theconsecration. These words of consecrationare often called “the words of institution,”as it was by these very words that JesusChrist gave us the gift of the Eucharisticsacrifice.

Before treating these words directly,it is important to place them within thewhole of the Eucharistic Prayer. In theRoman Missal, there are multiple optionsfor the Eucharistic Prayer. Mostmissalettes will print some of the prayersaccording to their familiar names, callingthem “Eucharistic Prayer I,” “II,” “III,” and“IV.” Beyond these four, there areadditional options that are not frequentlyprinted in these booklets. Within all ofthe options are particular consistencies inwording, and in what is asked for inprayer. For example, all of the EucharisticPrayer options will contain words that“remember” the saving works of Christ,along with prayers for the unity of theChurch, for Church leaders [particularlythe Pope and the local bishop], for thosewho have died, and of course, thenarration of Jesus’ act of giving us the

Eucharist at the Last Supper. While thewords used in expressing these prayersand narratives vary between theEucharistic prayers, all of them use thesame formula for the words of institution –mainly because these are the words ofJesus Christ himself, handed down in theChurch through the centuries, by whichthis great sacrifice is to be properly offered– even if all of the scriptural sources forthese words are not an exact match.

The words of institution are drawnfrom the Last Supper accounts found inthe Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke,and as related by Paul in 1 Corinthians 11.Within the renditions of the words, whatis absolutely key is the connection of theLast Supper with his crucifixion: that hewill offer his body and shed his blood asthe blood of the covenant for theforgiveness of sins. His words establishthat the Eucharist is the way to“perpetuate” his sacrifice – that all mayshare in his offering, and in theforgiveness of sins that his sacrificeaccomplishes. That is to say, Jesus’ wordsat the Last Supper instituting theEucharist intend to make his sacrificialdeath present in all times and places, thatall generations may be able to partake ofhis saving act of love. Looking at thewords themselves will help us tounderstand this truth:

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Previous Version New TranslationConsecration of the Bread

Take this, all of you, and eat it: Take this, all of you, and eat of it,this is my body for this is my body,which will be given up for you. which will be given up for you.

Consecration of the Wine

Take this, all of you, and drink from it: Take this, all of you, and drink from it,this is the cup of my blood, for this is the chalice of my blood,the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. the blood of the new and eternal covenant,It will be shed for you and for all which will be poured out for you, and for manyso that sins may be forgiven. for the forgiveness of sins.

The words of institution, as the wordsof Christ pronounced by the ordained priestduring the proper time at Mass, are effectivein consecrating the Eucharist. Through thesewords, the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ aremade present, that we may partake of thesame sacrifice that Jesus offered once for all,in giving his body and blood on the cross.Hence, these words have extreme importance.

All are invited to reflect on the changes andthe reasons for the changes, as given above –that all might be able to enter into theconsecration at Mass with greaterunderstanding of Christ’s saving love. Suchunderstanding, it is hoped, will promote agreater desire to share in the offering, bymaking an offering of self, (which we willspeak of in the next article.)

Question of the Week:

If the words of consecration are the words of Jesus, how can we change them?The issue here is not changing the words themselves, but the accuracy of the translation. Once more, the Latin textthat is the standard text is not changing – only our English expression of these words. Thus the words themselves arestill as have been handed down for centuries.

On the other hand, we must also keep in mind that the approval of all texts for liturgy belongs to Holy See (theVatican), and that there have been times in history where words expressing faith have been changed – not as a changein teachings, but to give greater clarity to a truth that was always known. Thus, changes of words in such importantprayers, while they should be rare, are by no means problematic when necessary.

Do this in memory of me. Do this in memory of me.

Notable Changes: “eat of it” – as members of the body of Christ, we partake “of” the sacrifice.

“for [this is my body/this is the chalice…]” – connects the realities of that which is sacrificed (his body and blood)with the act of partaking in the sacrifice.

“chalice” – more literal (Latin text use the word “calix,” which literally means “chalice.”) This word also denoteselevated use of language, and therefore inviting greater attention to the sacred.

“poured out” – more descriptive of the Eucharist as a sacrifice. For, in ratifying the covenant, the blood of thesacrifice is literally “poured out” upon the altar (see Exodus 24:6). In addition, the sacrificial offerings included the“pouring out” of the libation (usually wine) upon the sacrifice (see Exodus 29:38-40)

“for many” – Latin text says “pro multis,” which literally is “for many” (not “for all,” which would be “proomnibus” in Latin). These words have been in longstanding use in the Church and thus were to be retained in anytranslations. The Latin version of Bible (called “the Vulgate”) uses these words in Last Supper accounts ofMatthew and Mark. In addition, Isaiah 53:11 is a key text: that the suffering servant will “justify many.” Thisdoes not mean that Christ died only for some – rather it implies that his sacrifice continues to be effective as the“many” continues to increase – whereas to say “all” might render the action as though its effectiveness werealready exhausted. Another way to interpret: salvation becomes effective only in those who cooperate with Christ.Thus, to say “for all” is inaccurate, as unfortunately some are unwilling to accept Christ.


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18. The Eucharist Prayer: Part III – The People’s Participation.

e continue our look at theEucharistic Prayer byreflecting more fully on the

participation of the people in this centralprayer of the Mass. While the spokenwords of the people during this prayer areminimal, their participation is meant to bequite particular, as we will see.

When thinking about theparticipation of the people in theEucharistic Prayer, of first importance isthe invitation to listen and to meditate onthe spoken words of the priest. In theplainest of terms, the General Instruction ofthe Roman Missal says that the people areto “lift up their hearts to the Lord” (whichis invited during the Preface, as wasconsidered earlier), to “join itself withChrist in confessing the great deeds ofGod and in the offering of Sacrifice,” andthat the prayer “demands that all listen toit with reverence and silence” (GIRM, 78).As we consider the purpose of theEucharistic Prayer, we are mindful thatthe offering of the bread and wine is asacrifice of thanksgiving, offered to God theFather, through the Son, in the unity ofthe Holy Spirit. The priest standing in theplace of Christ and offering Christ’s onesaving sacrifice, makes the offering onbehalf of the people. The people, for theirpart are not spectators in this sacrifice.Rather, they enter into the sacrifice bytheir own offering of themselves, giving Godtheir own lives as a sacrifice of

thanksgiving and praise, particularlythrough listening well to the prayer anduniting themselves with it throughmeditating upon its words. Suchparticipation obviously requires that thepriest prays the words of the prayer in amanner that invites meditation. Equally asimportant is that the people recognize thatthis prayer is offered to the Father, and notprimarily for their viewing or witnessing.Thus, they are to unite themselves to theprayer, through listening and meditatingupon it, not simply watching it happen.Such meditation, while it may be difficultat first, truly increases with practice.

As we use the new translation, it isessential that all understand that theseEucharistic Prayers will sound significantlydifferent than what we have grownaccustomed to hearing, as the words aremore literally translated, and the sentencestructure is also more reflective of theoriginal Latin versions. Priests will needto be very deliberate in proclaimingthis prayer, simply because of the newwording and structure, if not for otherreasons. Accordingly, the people shouldbegin to practice meditative listeningnow – so as to be prepared to listenwhen we begin using the new versions.

There are two key moments whenthe people verbally respond (usually insinging). The first moment comesimmediately after the consecration, and iscalled the “Memorial Acclamation.” In

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the previous version, this acclamation wasintoned by the priest singing or saying“Let us proclaim the mystery of faith.”The words of the priest in the newtranslation are simply to sing or say “Themystery of faith.” Once more, this is a

literal translation of the Latin, Mysteriumfidei. The following are the newlytranslated options of this MemorialAcclamation:

Previous Version New Translation

1. Dying you destroyed our death, We proclaim your death, O Lord,rising you restored our life. and profess your ResurrectionLord Jesus, come in glory. until you come again.

2. When we eat this bread and drink this cup, When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup,we proclaim your death, Lord Jesus, we proclaim your death, O Lord,until you come in glory. Until you come again.

3. Lord, by your cross and resurrection Save us, Savior of the world,you have set us free. for by your Cross and ResurrectionYou are the Savior of the world. you have set us free.

(4.) Christ has died,Christ is risen, (Not given in the new translation)

As with other parts of the Mass, theseoptions are more literally translated fromthe Latin. The three options for theMemorial Acclamation all are directedtoward Christ, proclaiming his savingworks and looking forward to hisglorious return.

The other moment of responsecomes at the conclusion of the prayer.The priest says or sings words of gloryto God (called the “doxology”):

“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 people respond with their “Amen,”(called the “Great Amen,”) as an assent tothe offering of all glory to God, whichhas been made in the whole of theEucharistic Prayer. As such, the offeringis brought to its fitting conclusion.

Question of the Week:

Why is there no setting for “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again?”In the new translation, no provision was made for this acclamation (or any similar version of it) for tworeasons. First of all, the acclamation is not in the original Latin missal, but was inserted into the first Englishversion. Second, it is structurally different from the other, approved options: the approved options are allformulated at words of prayer offered to Christ, where this version is a statement about Christ. The purposeof the acclamation is to address Jesus Christ in proclaiming the mystery of faith, not merely to restate hisworks.


Christ will come again. (See below: “Question of the Week”)

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19. The Lord’s Prayer and Sign of Peace.

ver the last several articles, wehave examined the EucharisticPrayer as the “center and

summit” of the offering of the Mass. Nowthat the offering of Christ’s Body andBlood has been made, presenting to theFather “all glory and honor,” we prepareourselves to partake in the sacrifice moreperfectly through praying the Lord’sPrayer or “Our Father.” We follow thisprayer by asking Christ for a share in thepeace that only he can give. We examineeach of these moments separately:

The Lord’s Prayer

Every offering of the Massincludes the prayer that Jesus gave to hisdisciples when he taught them to pray.As we continue to make ready to pray theMass anew, please note here: the wordsof the Lord’s Prayer have not changed.The way we have all learned to pray thisprayer remains the same. However, thewords by which the priest will invite us topray are changed, giving our praying ofthis prayer deeper significance.

In the new translation, the priest isto use these words in inviting the peopleto pray:

“At the Savior’s command and formed bydivine teaching, we dare to say:”

As we already have seen elsewhere,great emphasis has been placed on

following the Latin words literally,holding more formally to the originalmeaning. These words of invitation topray are another clear example of literaltranslation. Within this translation, it isparticularly noteworthy how the Lord’sPrayer is invited as a “dare.” If nothingelse, hopefully this causes us to stir withthe question of “what are we reallypraying for that we are ‘daring’ to sayit?” When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we“dare” to call God “Our Father,” askingwithin this prayer that the Father’s “willbe done on earth as it is in heaven,” andto “forgive us…as we forgive those….”In short, we are committing ourselves toa way of discipleship that requiresopenness to God’s will in its entirety,which requires the willingness to forgivethat we might be his true children.Hence, we are once more to pray theMass anew through this translation, witha deeper sense of the power and meaningof our prayer.

The Sign of Peace

As with the Lord’s Prayer, thewords by which the priest introduces thesign of peace have seen changes thatmake the prayer more in keeping withthe Latin. The only notable change forthe people is what we have alreadypondered elsewhere, as the people willnow respond to the words “The peace ofthe Lord be with you always,” with the

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response “And with your spirit.” As inother places, this response once againexpresses the awareness of the gracewithin the priest that configures him toChrist in ordination.

As further reflection on the Sign ofPeace, what is very important for all tounderstand is the nature of the peace thatis “offered” in this moment. The priestprays that Jesus Christ may “graciouslygrant [the Church] peace and unity inaccordance with [his] will.” Simply put,the peace that is asked for is not merely amutual peace among participants at HolyMass; we seek the peace of Christ given “notas the world gives” (See John 14:27), which

implies a sharing in salvation. Hence, aswe are exhorted by the priest or deaconwith the words “Let us offer each otherthe sign of peace,” we are not suddenlybeing thrown into a social time; rather,we are to visibly express our share in thepeace of Christ and the true self-sacrificing charity that such peacecontains. (More is said about the “Signof Peace” in the questions below.)

Having prayed according to Jesus’command and for the peace that only hegives, we are made more ready to partakein Holy Communion, where the salvationof Christ, the true Lamb of God, is to bebeheld.

for

Questions of the Week: What is the proper way to “offer” a sign of peace?In GIRM #82, the Sign of Peace and the way that it is offered between individuals is said to be decided byconferences of bishops, who are to be mindful of “culture and customs of the peoples.” Accordingly, the USbishops have designated the “handshake” as the fitting way to offer the Sign of Peace. Furthermore, thesame paragraph tells us that the Sign of Peace is appropriately given by each “only to those who are nearestand in a sober manner.” While some give hugs, or sometimes you see spouses give a kiss to one another, thesignificance of the gesture is to be as a pledge of “self-sacrificing love;” that by expressing this sign, you aresaying “I would willingly die for you than have you sin.” Admitting that most people are not aware of thismeaning of the Sign of Peace, this question serves all of us as a good reminder of the deeper meaning behindthis part of the Mass – that we express self-sacrificing love for one-another as we prepare to receive Jesus’self-sacrifice in the Eucharist. Hence, our goal with the Sign of Peace is never for the sake of pleasantries; itis an expression and participation in the self-sacrificing love of Jesus Christ. What words are supposed to be said by the people during the Sign of Peace?This question may be answered two ways:

- GIRM #154 shows that when people offer peace to one another, they can say “The peace of the Lord bewith you always,” to which the other simply responds “Amen,” (not “And with your spirit.”). Here, theresponse “amen” is a simple acknowledgement of Christ’s peace within each person. (This response wasalso treated in Insert 10 of this series, on the response “And with your spirit.”)

- The offering of the Sign of Peace, while it appears as though each person can openly talk, is not meantas a social time. As we learn to pray the Mass anew, might each and every one of us has an opportunity todignify the Sign of Peace with reverent silence, exchanging the proper sign with one or a few people aroundus (we should not have to leave our pew), saying only the words prescribed in the first part of this answer.May we leave all desire for casual conversation at the door of the Church – for above all we are entering anencounter with God; not merely a social encounter with one another.

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20. The Lamb of God and Holy Communion – Encountering Heaven on Earth.

t the conclusion of the Sign ofPeace, the supplication “Lamb ofGod” begins as the priest breaks

the host. At this moment, we focus on thealtar and the Holy Eucharist seeking tomore fully encounter Christ himself, whoby offering the sacrifice to the Father,now offers himself to us in HolyCommunion as the living bread thatcame down from heaven. In this moment,heaven and earth are truly being unitedin a visible and supernatural way.

In the hymn “Lamb of God” thereare no changes in the text of the newtranslation. The words themselves arebased on those of John the Baptist, whoin seeing Jesus approach, proclaims“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takesaway the sin of the world” (John 1:29).His title for Jesus, “Lamb of God,”contains both the allusion to thePassover sacrifice of the “unblemishedlamb” and the prophecy of Isaiah 53, whoprophesies that he will be “like a lamb ledto the slaughter.” Furthermore, the Bookof Revelation testifies to the “lamb thatseemed to have been slain” to whom allworship and honor is given.

In this proclamation of “Lamb ofGod” and our final preparation for HolyCommunion, several beautiful meaningsare present. At one and the same momentwe proclaim the Lamb of God in heaven,

who was “broken” for us in his savingsacrifice, and the Lamb of God who is“re-presented” for us in the Eucharist.Our proclamation places us in anencounter with Christ in his sacrifice atCalvary as the true Lamb, nowworshiped and glorified with the Fatherand the Holy Spirit by the saints inheaven. Simply put, all time (past,present, and future glory) are present asone. As the supplication “Lamb of God”is sung, the priest prepares for HolyCommunion by breaking the host,placing a small piece in the chalice (thisact is explained in the Questions of theWeek.) In addition, he prays that his ownreception of communion may be fruitful.While the breaking or “fractioning” ofthe host contains great meaning and is tobe carried out in reverence, nonetheless itis not meant to draw undue attention toitself.

For, at the conclusion of thefractioning and the “Lamb of God,” thepriest genuflects, then takes part of thebroken host and presents it (he may holdit over the chalice, or simply over thepaten [the plate with hosts]). He echoesJohn the Baptist in proclaiming the Lambof God, and joins in the response of thepeople to the Lamb. Below is the newtranslation of these words.

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Of particular note in the new translation isthe fidelity to the biblical sources of allthese words. What is equally important isthe clearer expression of humility that thenew translation yields – that we are notworthy of the Eucharist. Yet, God in hismercy still offers us himself so that oursouls may be healed.

When the time comes to approachthe Eucharist, we receive the Lamb of Godwho takes away sins and brings us toeverlasting life. Hence, when we receive

Holy Communion, as in times past, wegive our assent through our “amen.” This“amen” is an expression not only of faith inthe Eucharist, but a humble profession ofCatholic faith and a full assent to thewhole truth that God has revealed andthat the Church proposes for belief. Properreception of the Eucharist places us incommunion with Christ and all the saintsin heaven, through his sacrifice. Indeedhow blessed we are to be called to the truesupper of the Lamb.

Priest:

Behold the Lamb of God,behold him who takes awaythe sins of the world.

Blessed are those calledto the supper of the Lamb.

All:

Lord, I am not worthythat you should enter under my roof,but only say the wordand my soul shall be healed.

healing from sin and its effects.

Questions of the Week: When we sing the Lamb of God, is it acceptable to use other titles, such as “Jesus, Prince of Peace?”Many know music settings for the “Lamb of God” wherein each verse begins with a different title for Jesus.In truth, the only acceptable words are those of the given text itself: “Lamb of God.” GIRM #83 says thatthis given line “may be repeated as many times as necessary until the rite (of fractioning the hosts) hasreached its conclusion, the last time ending with the words ‘grant us peace.’” It does not allow changingthese first words. Accordingly, whether the supplication is sung three or more times, it is always initiatedwith the words “Lamb of God.” Why does the priest put part of the host in the chalice?Part of the ritual of fractioning the Eucharist involves the priest taking a small part of the broken host andplacing it in the chalice. This act, called the “fermentum,” has two different explanations, both symbolizingunity. One is symbolic of unity in the Church. An ancient custom was the entrusting of small pieces of thehost from the Mass of the bishop to deacons, who brought them to the local priests. A piece of host wasplaced in the chalice of each priest offering Mass, as a sign of unity with the bishop. The other meaningconcerns unity in the sacrifice itself. In dying on the cross, as the Lord’s body was pierced and blood andhence they were separated. In the Mass, the Body and Blood of Christ are offered separately (as at the LastSupper), but as one sacrifice. Hence, the priest says these words as he places the small piece of host in thechalice: “May this mingling of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal life to us whoreceive it.” These words call to mind the separation and the union within the sacrifice, or in other words it
calls to mind both Christ’s death and bodily resurrection to new life.
Office of Liturgy and Spirituality, 2830 E. 4th St. Duluth, MN,
The new translations of these texts are very faithful to biblicalsources:o John 1:29 – “Behold, the Lamb of God.”o Revelation 19:9 – The angel proclaims “Blessed are those

who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”o Luke 7:6-7 – The centurion says to Jesus, “Lord…I am not

worthy to have you come under my roof…”

“The supper of the Lamb:” These words connect us to heaven’sworship – at Mass, we participate in heaven on earth.

“Under my roof:” Not literally the “roof” of our mouth; perhapscan be thought of in reference to our bodies as “temples,”where God desires to make his dwelling.

“My soul:” The Eucharist is truly food for the soul – in need of

55812; 218-724-9111.

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21. Concluding Rites – Going Forth.

aving received Holy Communion,we draw near to the end of theMass. In the Eucharist, God

truly dwells within us – for as Jesus saysin John 6:56: “Whoever eats my flesh anddrinks my blood remains in me and I inhim.” While we should take whatmoments of silence are given afterreceiving Holy Communion to give thanksto God for the gift of Holy Communion.Such thanksgiving prepares to be sent outto live this gift of communion with Christ.

As the fitting conclusion of HolyCommunion itself, we all are invited tostand and pray. The priest offers thePrayer after Communion, asking Godthat the mysteries of Christ in theEucharist may have an effect in all ourlives (as was covered in “Insert 12” earlierthis fall). Following the “Amen” of thepeople, the Mass is brought to its properconclusion as the priest blesses the peopleand then either he or the deacon dismissesthem.

The dismissal of the people of theMass is best understood as the “sending” ofthe people to live more fully in Christ. Thenew translation for the concluding ritemakes this truth of being “sent” very clear.In addition, it is noteworthy that PopeBenedict XVI himself has given us threenew formulas for use in dismissing the

people from Mass. We will consider all ofthe formulas for dismissal.

“Go, it is sent”

As we know well, the new translation isvery literal in interpreting the originalLatin prayer texts for Mass. In fact, it isfrom the Latin text of the dismissal thatthe word “mass” is derived. The Latin textis “Ite, missa est.” Literally translated, thewords are “Go, [it] is sent.” At the heartof the statement is the word missa. Takenfrom this word are several familiar wordsin English, including “mission,” “missal,”and of course “mass.” Hence, if we tookthe most literal translation of this phraseas “Go, it is sent,” the “it” may beunderstood as not simply the peoplethemselves, but the “mission” task thatthey are sent to live.

In the new translation, given thatwe take the word “mass” from missa, thewords of the deacon or priest have beenrendered “Go forth, the Mass is ended.”Note that the text says “Go forth”: we areto go forth to live what we have justoffered and received in the Holy Mass. Allare entrusted with taking the gift of HolyCommunion with Christ into their lives, tooffer themselves more perfectly in all thatthey are called to be. Hence, we have anew beginning from every Mass.

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Pope Benedict XVI’s Additions

While the word missa contains the root ofthe English word “mission,” theconnection of these words has universalsignificance. Pope Benedict himselfobserved in 2007 in his exhortation on theEucharist called “The Sacrament ofCharity” that while the word missaoriginally meant “dismissal,” it has grownto contain this character of “mission.”Accordingly, he has given three additionalformulas for dismissal from Mass thatexpress this truth of mission. These textsof Pope Benedict are new and will beofficially used for the first time in thislatest edition of the Roman Missal. Thenew texts are in the box below.

Response of the People

Aware that the priest or deacon maychoose from the four options fordismissing the people, the verbalresponse of the people is unchanged.After the dismissal, the people will stillrespond “Thanks be to God,” givingthanks both that they have not onlypartaken in the Mass, and that they havebeen entrusted with the mission that theyare now sent to live. Hence, the trueresponse of the people is not merely inwords – it is by living the mission ofcharity that we have offered in theEucharist and are called to live as hisdisciples.

Questions of the Week: What gives the Pope authority to “add” prayers to the Mass?As we read in an earlier insert, no individual priest has the authority to change any of the prayers or theritual. However the pope and bishops are given authority to guard and hand down the liturgical rituals of theChurch, always mindful of the purpose of the liturgy and the particular circumstances that may be present.Likewise, the pope, by virtue of being the pope, is able to implement changes or new liturgical practices forthe good of the whole Church. Truly, this happens more frequently than we may have considered – such asPope John Paul II’s declaration of the 2nd Sunday of Easter as “Divine Mercy Sunday,” which he set forth inthe year 2000. Thus, mindful of the whole Church throughout the world, the pope may add or eliminateprayers, give further clarification on prayers, or make adjustments to the way the liturgy is celebrated. I notice people who leave right after they receive Holy Communion. Why is this wrong?Now that we know from the main section of today’s insert the meaning of the dismissal from Mass as asending forth, to leave Mass immediately after receiving Holy Communion has two main problems. First ofall, we have not fully finished the act of receiving Holy Communion itself (which is only accomplished inthe Prayer after Communion). Second, we have not yet received the blessing of God or the exhortation togo forth to live the faith that we have just celebrated. By way of analogy, leaving Mass before the finalblessing is like a soldier marching into battle without being confirmed or directed in his mission.Accordingly, we remain for the final blessing and dismissal so that as we are sent, we go forth with thefullness of God’s blessing and commission.

New Dismissal Options – added at the request of Pope Benedict XVI

1. “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.”literal translation of “Ite ad Evangelium Domini annuntiandum”

2. “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.”literal translation of “Ite in pace, glorificando vita vestra Dominum”

3. “Go in peace.”literal translation of “Ite in pace”

the call to be your witness.”

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All these formulas emphasize thatwe “Go” – we are “sent” to live.Each formula offers a distinct aspectof evangelization and mission.The people respond:“Thanks be to God.”o Not “Thank God it’s over.”o Rather “Thanks be to God for


The Day Has Arrived: We Pray the Mass Anew!

n this 27th day of November, in theyear of our Lord 2011, we arriveat multiple new beginnings.

Today’s Mass celebrates the First Sundayof Advent, the beginning of a new year inthe Church and the beginning of thatseason of the year that places us in amindset of preparation for the coming ofChrist. While our liturgy focuses oncontinuing to prepare, this day alsocontains the long awaited arrival of theofficial use of the 3rd edition of The RomanMissal in its English translation. Ouroffering of Mass today has brought tofruition several months of deliberatepreparation for this new Englishtranslation of the prayers for Mass,culminating in this very day that we areinvited to “pray the Mass anew.”

As we offer today’s Mass with thenew translation, it is quite understandablethat our prayer may seem a little awkwardon several levels. Likely, all of us –including the clergy – will need to relyheavily on a printed text for the prayers,whether from the Roman Missal itself, orfrom a card or booklet in the pews. Suchdependence on a book or card may at firstcause us to question the sincerity orrelevance of our prayer of the Mass fortoday. However, in this same moment ofdependence as we pray the Mass anew onthis First Sunday of Advent, we areinvited to consider some “big picture”realities that can lead us through and

beyond today into a deeper, more fervent,and ultimately very beautiful participationin the Holy Mass that can last for years tocome. Today’s insert on this day of arrivalseeks to remind us that it is reasonable forour prayer today to be a little bitunfamiliar or even difficult – as such abeginning can lead us to a deeper andmore profound encounter with God.Consider the following:

1. This is only the first day.

Obviously, each of us has had many “firsttime” experiences in life: the first day ofschool, the first practice for a sports team,the first day of a new job, etc. It is likelythat each of these “first” occasions wasboth memorable and filled withunexpected moments. Our firstopportunity to pray the new translationsmay still include some accidental wordsfrom of old (e.g. “and also with you…”).Yet today is only the first time. Througheach future offering of the Mass, all of uswill become more comfortable and moreconfident in our praying of the newtranslation. While we may never forgetthis new experience, in time we willbecome quite comfortable and confident inour praying of the new translation of theMass.

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2. Remember Jesus’ teaching on“childlike trust.”

We remember how Jesus exhorts thedisciples that “unless you become likechildren, you will not enter the kingdomof heaven” (Matthew 18:3). Today, mightwe remember that this new beginningoffers us an opportunity to trust Jesus,who willingly gives himself to us in theEucharist, even if our words for praying theMass are still somewhat unfamiliar. Maythis moment remind us of the importanceof trusting in God’s will – for he haswilled through the offering of the Mass inhis memory the greatest spiritual benefitof communion with him.

3. We are “practicing our faith.”

No child is fully successful in walking thefirst time he stands on his two feet; norwill we be “perfect” in our first offering ofthe Mass with the new translation. AsGod’s pilgrim people who still journey inthis life toward the fullness of life inheaven, we are called to “practice” ourfaith, that it may become perfected by Godin his kingdom. Hence, today we“practice” for the first time according tothe new translation, what God himself,through his grace, wills to perfect in us.

4. Repetition leads to deeperunderstanding.

Related to point “2,” children who learnthe Lord’s Prayer in kindergarten mayhave little understanding of the words.However, these children learn the prayerwith great joy at having it memorized. Asthese children grow, all the while prayingthat prayer regularly, they grow inunderstanding of the meaning of theprayer. Today, might we remember thatas we pray using the new translations, weare invited to allow these words tocontinue to resonate in our hearts,increasing their meaning at each and everyoffering of the Mass.

5. Keeping the fire burning.

To prepare ourselves for the newtranslation, we have spent several weekslearning new prayer texts, along withhearing explanations of what the textsreally mean and why we pray them. As webegin to pray the Mass anew, rememberthat our preparation was not just for today.We can see today as a the first of many daysin years to come, all of which are meant todraw us more closely to God the Father inheaven, through Jesus Christ, in the unityof the Holy Spirit.

Question of the Week: With the arrival of the new translation, will there be any new hymns for Mass?Truly the new translation does not directly pertain to hymns that are sung at Mass. However, as we moveforward and become more accustomed to the sacral and elevated style of the new translations, it stands toreason that new hymns will likely be written in keeping with this style. Likewise, it is also quite possiblethat older hymns may be revised to be more consistent with the new translation in style and wording.

Another very real possibility in the future is the increased use of the “Entrance Antiphon” and“Communion Antiphon” for singing instead of hymns. (These “antiphons” are the short verses thatmissalettes typically print in the weekday Mass section of the book). The use of these antiphons as refrains,while a cantor or choir sings verses from a particular psalm, has always been a legitimate option for singingat the beginning of Mass and during Holy Communion. With the new translations of these antiphons, therewill likely be new compositions of these antiphons that will become available.


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Easter 2011: Celebrating Jesus Christ’s Resurrection Anew at Mass.

his is the day the Lord hasmade; let us rejoice and beglad.” Today, we sing

“Alleluia” in praise of Jesus Christ, risenfrom the dead. We proclaim that ourRisen Savior has won the victory over sinand death through his sacrifice onCalvary and his resurrection, and thatthe Lord offers to all of us a share in hisnew life. These are among the mysteriesof faith that we participate in through theoffering of the Holy Mass today, and therenewal of our baptismal promises thatwe will make. Yet, these saving mysteriesof the life, death, and resurrection ofJesus are celebrated beyond today.

While Easter Sunday itself directlyplaces us within the mystery of Jesus’death and resurrection, his saving sacrificeof love is celebrated at each and every Massever offered. The Mass is far more thansimply the meal that Jesus ate with hisdisciples before he died. Jesus institutedthe Holy Eucharist as the way by whichall generations until the end of timewould be able to enter into his sacrificeon Calvary, partaking fully in the victoryover sin and death. Every time the Massis offered, these mysteries of redemptionare made present as the one true sacrificeof Christ. The saving sacrifice is “re-presented” in the sacramental way that

Jesus instituted at the Last Supper,through bread and wine that are offeredto the Father. Through our partaking ofthis offering of Jesus to the Father, wereceive not bread and wine, but the Bodyand Blood of Christ, risen from the dead,that his risen life might truly be in us.Hence, Easter is celebrated not only oncea year, but at every offering of the Mass.

Today, as we celebrate Easter, itis important to inform everyone that weare being invited today to prepare to praythe Mass anew. On the most basic level,hopefully all of us know more fullythrough today’s Easter celebration thegreat gift that the Mass truly is for us –(that we are privileged to receive) the giftof salvation. In the coming months, weare being afforded a beautiful opportunityfor this gift that we receive today togrow, as together we learn new words bywhich we will begin to pray the Masswhen Advent arrives on November 27 ofthis year. Let me explain further.

Several years ago, in the year 2000,the Church issued its latest version of thebook from which the Mass is prayed,called the Roman Missal. For multipleyears since this version was given, workhas been done to translate the originaltexts (written in Latin) into the variouslanguages used throughout the world. A

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year ago, the new English translationwas given official approval for use inMasses offered for the entire Englishspeaking world. Today, we are in themidst of a process to prepare for the fullimplementation of these English prayertexts for Mass. On November 27, whenwe begin the season of Advent, we willbegin praying the Mass anew in thisupdated English translation.

In the meantime, all are invitednow to learn to pray the Mass anew.Bulletin inserts such as this one havealready been placed in your parish’sweekly bulletin for multiple weeks tobegin such preparation. These insertswill continue through the remainingweekends of this spring, and during theweekends of next fall. These inserts givean overview and explanation of how wecan pray the Mass more fully, while

showing us the new versions of theprayers that we will begin using laterthis year. In addition, all of the bulletininserts can be downloaded through theDiocese of Duluth website,www.dioceseduluth.org, under the title“Praying the Mass Anew: Roman MissalResources.” Next fall, weekly attentionwill be given to each of the prayers thatwe may learn the new versions well so asto pray them well.

Through learning to pray theMass anew, may we all grow in deeperunderstanding of our words ofworshiping God at each and everyoffering of the Holy Mass. May we beopened wider to encountering Jesus andhis saving sacrifice. May we alwaysrejoice in this celebration of Easter, madepresent and offered anew at every HolyMass.

Questions of the Week: What’s a Roman Missal and why do we need it? Doesn’t the priest decide what happens at Mass?The Roman Missal is the title of the book that contains all of the prayers and ritual instructions necessary foroffering the Mass. (Note the spelling – we are not speaking of a “missile.”) The word “missal” derives fromthe Latin word “missa,” meaning “mass.” It belongs to the Holy Father and the bishops of the Church tooversee and put forth the prayers and rituals by which the sacraments of the Church are celebrated. For theMass, the Roman Missal serves this purpose.

Jesus Christ himself offered the first Mass at the Last Supper. His act of taking bread and wine andchanging them into his own Body and Blood are at the very core of the Mass. Other elements, such asreading from the Bible during Mass, are also present in the early history of the Church. The Church, rootedas she is in Tradition, is guided through the centuries by the Holy Spirit and entrusted with preserving andhanding on the sacraments and the rituals by which they are celebrated. In this way, all Catholics throughoutthe world truly celebrate the Mass in union with one another, and more properly, in keeping with what Jesushimself established. (Accordingly, priests are to follow what has been handed on to them by the Church.) What value does changing everything have? Shouldn’t the Church be trying to meet people where

they are?The changes in the prayers that are coming are not for the sake of change. The changes that are taking placeat this time, while they will require all of us (especially priests) to learn new versions of prayers, are meantto more clearly express the original Latin words and to lead us to more fully entering into the mystery of theMass. All of us will be invited to pray the Mass more fervently by learning this new English version,challenging as that may be. The new translation has the capacity to lead us to a greater understanding of theMass itself and toward more fully living the Catholic the faith.

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Special Insert: CHRISTMAS 2011

oday a light will shine uponus, for the Lord is born forus; and he will be called

Wondrous God, Prince of peace, Fatherof future ages: and his reign will bewithout end.” These poetic words, drawnfrom the prophet Isaiah and the Gospelaccording to Luke are given in theprayers for the Nativity of the Lord“Mass at Dawn,” as the entrance“antiphon” or verse. The wordsbeautifully speak of the birth of JesusChrist who comes into the world as thetrue light of all nations. It is in the joy ofChrist’s coming that we come to offer theMass and celebrate Jesus Christ who is“Emmanuel,” or “God with us.”

While the greatest source of joyand renewal in our praying of the Massthis day is in the newborn Christ himself,our own experience today of offering theMass is marked by its own newness. For,as we pray this Mass, only four weekshave passed since we fully implementedthe newly translated prayers of the 3rd

edition of the Roman Missal. Duringrecent months we have studied these newEnglish translations of prayers and havegrown in our understanding of the Massitself. Finally, back on November 26-27,as we began our Advent journey, weoffered the Mass with these new

translations for the first time. On thisday that we celebrate the birth of Christ,let us reflect momentarily on how thewords of the prayers for Mass impact ourcelebration. First, however, somebackground is needed on the new prayersthemselves.

In the year 2000 the most recentversion of the book that is used incelebrating the Mass, called the RomanMissal, was issued by the Church – butonly in the Latin language. Since 2000much work has gone into translating theLatin version of the book into the variouslanguages. In 2009 the translation of themissal into English was completed, andin 2010 it was officially approved for use.

Over the last year parishesthroughout the English speaking worldhave been preparing to implement theEnglish version of this latest edition ofthe Roman Missal. Here in the UnitedStates all parishes were to prepare so asto be ready to use this edition fullybeginning on November 27. Today, aswe celebrate Christmas, we have not onlycompleted such preparation; we havetruly begun to pray the Mass anew andare continually being renewed in ourprayer.

Our Christmas Masses todayillustrate what is new and beautiful in the

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new English translation of the prayers.One very visible change that you mayhave observed are references in themissalette or parish bulletin to today’sholy day as “The Nativity of the Lord.”Likewise, the prayers of the Mass thatdirectly speak of today’s celebrationregularly refer to Jesus’ birth using thissame word “nativity.” You may have alsonoticed some different words used duringMass such as “consubstantial” and“chalice,” or the phrase “and with yourspirit.” All of these choices of wordsreflect how the English translations ofthe original Latin prayer texts are moreliteral, using more elevated, sacral, anddoctrinal language. Today, as wecelebrate the Lord’s birth, the words usedin the prayers make the meaning of this

holy day even clearer. In particular, thatthe prayers frequently speak of Jesus as“incarnate” expresses that God has takenon the nature of man “in the flesh” in theperson of Jesus Christ. The “birth” ofChrist is only one moment in the truth ofhis being incarnate and living in thehuman condition.

In days to come, our prayer of theMass will continue to be opened up tomany opportunities for deeperunderstanding of our faith and the wordsthat we pray. May today’s celebration ofthe Nativity of the Lord, when Jesus isborn for us as the light who shines uponus, help to illumine our path, that wemight always pray the Mass in the joythat comes from Christ our Lord.

Questions of the Week: What will be the benefit of these new translations of the prayers?When considering the benefits of the new translations, some of the benefits can already be listed while othersremain to be known. To this point, the preparation for the new translations has aided many people both intheir understanding of the meaning of particular words and prayers used at Mass, and in their understandingof the meaning of the Mass as a whole.

A fundamental principle of how the Church worships is that “the law of prayer is the law of belief” (or inLatin, “lex orandi, lex credendi.”) This principle means that the way that we pray (including both the wordsand the rituals) will inform our way of believing and living the faith. That our prayers and ritual actions havevery definite meaning in light of Sacred Scripture and Tradition serves us in how we understand the truth ofCatholic faith and how we live that truth. Thus, one of the greatest benefits to this new translation hasalready been seen in the renewed learning of the faith that has taken place in the lives of many believers, andthe many more who will continue to grow in their faith by the way we worship. Where can I still learn about the new versions of the prayers?All of the bulletin inserts entitled “Praying the Mass Anew” are available on the website of the Diocese ofDuluth, www.dioceseduluth.org. This series of bulletin inserts treats each of the people’s parts of the Mass ingreat detail. Some of the more notable parts spoken by the priest at Mass are also given extensiveexplanation. In addition to explaining the prayers, all of these inserts contain explanation and teaching on theparts of the Mass as a whole.

To read or download any of the “Praying the Mass Anew” inserts, simply click on the “Office ofWorship” and on “Roman Missal Resources.” You will find a menu item there entitled “Praying the MassAnew” that will give you access to all of the inserts, along with other related materials for the newtranslations of the Roman Missal.

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Ackowledgements

I give thanks to Almighty God and Our Blessed Mother for the gift of the call and the grace to offer myself in this manner. I thank Most Reverend Dennis M. Schnurr, Archbishop of Cincinnati, who as Bishop of Duluth invited me to pursue the M.A. in Liturgy from the Liturgical Institute, Mundelein Illinois, giving me the necessary knowledge and foundation for this endeavor. I thank Most Reverend Paul D. Sirba, Bishop of Duluth, for his constant support and encouragement in carrying out this work. I thank all those associated with the Liturgical Institute, particular Rev. Douglas Martis and Dr. Denis R. McNamara. I thank those who directly assisted in the producing and editing of these inserts: Kyle Eller, Rev. Stephen Hamilton, Rev. Eric Hastings, Nicholas Nelson, Grace Romanek, and Daniel Weiske. Finally, I give thanks to Rev. Roger Landry for his final editing and by whose encouragement and talents these inserts are made widely available.

Documents

Praying the Mass Anewo.b5z.net/i/u/6147516/f/Praying_the_Mass_Anew_by_Fr... · 2011-09-06 · “Praying the Mass Anew” is now given to a wider audience, offering basic catechesis