St. John Vianney and Holy Family
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Welcoming the New Translation of the Roman Missal Eternal God, The following parts of the Roman Missal III have important meaning which parallel the changes that you will see in November. Please take time to read and pray about the following meanings in order to better understand the changes. They are listed in reverse order with the most current parts listed at the top. You may want to start at the bottom of this page from the beginning. Thank you. If you have further questions, please feel free to contact Sr. Jane Weisgram at , SSND at 235-2451 or sjv-srjane@midconetwork.com._______________________________________________________________________________________ Roman Missal III (Part 20) The Communion and Concluding Rites Part 1 Why do you keep coming to Mass? The General Instruction of the Roman Missal has included the purpose of these rites: to glorify God and to sanctify the people. Do you consciously come to give glory to God? When you come, do you have an awareness of being sanctified? For many of us, the reason for coming is to receive communion. It is our nourishment for the week ahead. Once again, the rituals that surround the sharing of Holy Communion are not changing. Everything will look the same. But some words change with the revised translation. The Communion Rite begins with the Lord’s Prayer and continues through the Prayer after Communion. The Our Father is called the Lord’s Prayer because it is what Jesus taught the disciples when they asked him how they were to pray. It is a prayer shared among all Christians. It is both a very simple and a very challenging prayer. In it we acknowledge that we are citizens of heaven and earth. We ask for what we need. There can be any kind of need in our minds and hearts at the time we pray. All are included in the bread. The challenging part is the asking for forgiveness. It is challenging to ask to be forgiven as we know ourselves to be forgiving. Finally we acknowledge we need God’s help to face evil and temptations. Priest and people pray this prayer together, as one community trying to live out this prayer together. We will pray the Lord’s Prayer and the acclamation at the end (“For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and forever”) as usual. The words that change will come from the priest, who will say the following between the prayer and the acclamation: “Deliver us Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ.” Previously the prayer included “from all anxiety.” It will now be clearer that the prayer concerns the circumstances that cause distress, not the interior feeling of anxiety. After the Lord’s Prayer, we will hear the following: “Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your Apostles, Peace I leave you, my peace I give you, look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with your will. Who live and reign for ever and ever.” Our response remains “Amen.” We will then be invited to offer each other the sign of peace. ______________________________________________________________________________________ Roman Missal III (Part 19) Eucharistic Prayer Part 7 The Eucharistic Acclamation “The Mystery of Faith” And we respond, or we will respond, with one of three acclamations. There have always been these three, to which another was added. (Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.) Present translation New Translation Dying you destroyed our death, We proclaim your Death, O Lord, Rising you restored our life and profess your Resurrection Lord Jesus, come in glory. until you come again. ------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------- When we eat this bread and drink When we eat this Bread and drink this cup, this Cup, we proclaim your death, Lord Jesus, we proclaim you Death, O Lord, until you come in glory. until you come again. ------------------------------------------------ -------------------------------------------------- Lord, by your cross and resurrection Save us, Savior of the world, You have set us free. For by your Cross and Resurrection, You are the Savior of the world. You have set us free. Why has the best-known one dropped? The simple answer is that it isn’t in the Latin at all! But it has a weakness in the context of its function as an acclamation. “Its weakness in this context is that it makes a statement of faith about Christ, rather than a prayer to him. It also fails to express your role as the one who shares Eucharist and awaits its fulfillment. The new acclamations will make this function clear.” Since we usually sing the acclamations, we will learn the new as we sing different Mass settings. At the conclusion of the Eucharistic Prayer, the doxology of the priest will be slightly different. We will hear: “Through him, and with, 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 changed word order, once again, follows that of the Latin more closely. And then people say: AMEN! (Have you noticed that Father does not sing this with us? Why would this be?) . . . As the word has only two syllables, we usually sing it several times, and sometimes it is embellished with Alleluia’s as well. It is truly meant to be a great Amen. We sing it as a great Amen since it concludes the great Eucharistic Prayer. We give our great assent to the entire Paschal Mystery and acclaim, “Amen!” _______________________________________________________________________________________ Roman Missal III (Part 18) Eucharistic Prayer (Part 6) “. . .for you and for many . . .” How precious are words, and precious are the meanings of words. The words of the Institution Narrative are especially dear to us. Precious are all the words of Scripture! We like the word “all.” There’s no doubt about it. We say it, we sing it, it’s just so much a part of how we think. So why are we changing to “many” . . . didn’t Jesus come for all? In Matthew 26:27-28 we read: Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” In Mark 14: 24 we read: “He said to them, This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.” As Paul turner writes, “To some, the new translation will make it sound as though Jesus has had second thoughts about just who and how many would be redeemed. It is clear from several places in the New Testament that Jesus came for the salvation of all. Nonetheless, the word in Latin literally means “many,” and this is the word that Jesus himself used at the Last Supper, according to Matthew and Mark.” After the Institution Narrative, the priest announces “The mystery of faith.” This sounds very different from “Let us proclaim the mystery of faith” which is so familiar to us. But to simply announce “the mystery of faith” is certainly a familiar form. We hear, at other times: “The Word of the Lord,” “The Gospel of the Lord,” “The Body of Christ,” “The Blood of Christ.” These are faith-filled statements that prompt us to respond. These words ("The Mystery of Faith”) are in the midst of a prayer that is addressed to God the Father. Making a simple statement helps all of us remain focused on the prayer, yet gives us an opportunity to respond in faith to the Mystery of Faith we have just witnessed. After our response, the priest continues to address the Father with the theme just acclaimed: the memorial of the death and Resurrection of Christ. The purpose of the acclamation is specific: it is an anamnesis, a remembering of the paschal mystery of Christ: we remember Christ in history (past), in mystery (present), and in majesty (future). Next week we will look at the acclamations we use to respond to this Mystery of Faith. _______________________________________________________________________________________ Roman Missal III Part 17 Eucharistic Prayer (Part 5) Last week we looked at the Preface and the Holy, Holy. Now we turn to the “Mystery of Faith” which is, of course, the Institution Narrative. In 2009, Pope Benedict wrote the following in his Holy Thursday homily: . . . breaking the bread is an act of communion, an act of uniting through sharing: it is agape, it is love made corporeal. In the word “agape,” the meanings of Eucharist and love intertwine. In Jesus’ act of breaking the bread, Jesus allows himself to be broken as living bread. In the bread that is distributed, we recognize the mystery of the grain of wheat that dies, and so bears fruit. . . . At the same time, we see that the Eucharist can never be just a liturgical action. It is complete only if the liturgical agape then becomes love in daily life. In Christian worship, the two things become one – experiencing the Lord’s love in the act of worship and fostering love for one’s neighbor. At his hour, we ask the Lord for the grace to learn to live the mystery of the Eucharist ever more deeply, in such a way that the transformation of the world can begin to take place. The mystery of our faith, the Eucharist, has layer upon layer of meaning. We will never reach the depths nor the height, the length nor the width of this mystery. We can “feed off it,” we can eat of it often and find ourselves needing to praise God. Some of what we will hear will be different in the Institution Narrative: We will hear: Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my Body, which will be given up for you. And again, Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the chalice of my Blood, the Blood of the new and eternal covenant, Which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of me. Here we see that little words can make a difference in understanding. We are invited to understand more deeply the mystery of faith. The word “chalice” replaces “cup.” We commonly refer to the vessel as a chalice, a word that is appropriate to the ceremonial nature of the vessel. “Eternal” was chosen over “everlasting” because it carries the meaning of “beyond all measurement of time.” “Poured out” (rather than “shed”): Blood can be shed, wine cannot. So using “poured out” carries the meaning of blood or wine being poured out for us.
Related Liturgical news Beginning September 10-11 we will have new hymnals for use at SJV. They will replace both books currently used, but are a good mix of the hymns we use from both books. They also include the Mass setting we will begin learning in September. The new Mass settings may be used from September, whereas the spoken texts are to be used beginning in Advent. _______________________________________________________________________________________ Roman Missal III Part 16 Eucharistic Prayer (Part 4) The Eucharistic Prayer: Dialogue, Preface and Holy, Holy The entire Mass can be thought of as a dialogue between the priest and the people. So to see the “dialogic” pattern in the Eucharistic Prayer should not surprise us. The Fathers of the Second Vatican Council, in renewing the Liturgy, emphasized that the people should be called to “full, conscious, active participation.” A musical note: Whenever we do dialogues, the priest/deacon has the option to chant them. Wherever you go, parishes will choose differently. But wherever you go, it should be relatively easy to respond . . . you just respond in kind. You should find yourself at home and at ease with this rather quickly. St. Augustine is often quoted as writing: to sing is to pray twice. Chanting the dialogues is mostly easy to do, requires no accompaniment, and heightens participation. Even the lector (or cantor) can do this with the dialogue at the end of the reading: “The word of the Lord.” “Thanks be to God.” The “rule of thumb”: if it is chanted to you, you chant back! The final part of the preface dialogue: “Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.” In Latin the response is: Dignum et justum est. “It is right and just” (a declarative statement without explanation.) The priest then expands on what we have just said. The preface will explain why it is right and just to give God thanks on this particular occasion. As noted last week, the preface changes with the Sunday of the Year. The slight change in the Holy, Holy, Holy is to the word “hosts” rather than “power and might.” This is based on a passage from the book of the prophet Isaiah (6:3). In the passage, the prophet has a vision, in which the angels are in attendance at God’s lofty throne. The angels know how holy God is, and they sing about this holiness to one another. They talk about God but do not address God. This is another indication of God’s holiness. Their hymn is the one we sing in the Holy, Holy, Holy. The difference is that we are addressing God directly. This is a bold prayer! The entire Eucharistic Prayer is a bold prayer! So we sing this universal hymn of praise to God. It is, then, a theme song of all creation, a perfect hymn to praise a holy God. The Latin word Sabaoth is borrowed from Hebrew. It refers to God’s command over an army of angels. It proclaims the power of God. See the previous translation. The word “hosts” means the angelic hosts, the invisible powers that work at God’s command. So the revised translation invites to reconsider the sublime power of God, who has all the forces of nature under control. God certainly is “Holy, Holy, Holy.” About that left out comma: the new translation puts the final “holy” with “Lord God of hosts” so it reads: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts. Now, do you remember how we see it/say it now? How does this change our understanding?
______________________________________________________________________________________ Roman Missal III Part 15 Eucharistic Prayer (Part 3) Last week we read about the various Eucharistic Prayers in the Roman Missal. Each of them follows the same pattern. Remember that all Liturgical Rites are just that: rituals. It is the nature of rituals to follow a set pattern. Let us look at the pattern of the Eucharistic Prayer. Opening Dialogue: We exchange lines with the priest. (See below.) Thanksgiving: recited by the priest, this prayer gives thanks and praise to God. It is specific to the Sunday. We know it as the Preface. Acclamation: Priest and people sing together the Holy, Holy, Holy. This prayer joins our voices with those of the angelic choirs in praise to God. Epiclesis: the priest asks the Holy Spirit to come down upon the bread and wine, and change them into the Body and Blood of Christ. Institution Narrative and Consecration: the story of the Last Supper is recounted. The words: “This is my Body, . . . This is . . . my Blood” are said. Anamnesis: we proclaim the death and resurrection of Christ until he comes again. We sing the Memorial Acclamation. (See below.) Offering: the priest offers to God the consecrated bread and wine. It is the perfect self-offering of Jesus Christ. Intercessions: (Do not confuse these with the General Intercessions offered in the Liturgy of the Word.) The first intercession prays for the unity of those who are filled with the Holy Spirit. We pray for the Holy Spirit to come down on us all, binding us in unity; and we also pray for the living and the dead, for Christians, and for all people. Final Doxology: this prayer concludes the entire Eucharistic Prayer with praise to God the Father; through, with and in Christ; in the unity of the Holy Spirit. We respond in faith with one of the most important words at Mass: “Amen.” (Who does not sing this Amen … so you know why?) The Eucharistic Prayer is the longest prayer of the Mass, and the changes in the translation will affect what we hear more than what we say. It may take us (individually and together) awhile to become accustomed to the new translation. In time it is hoped we will grow in our ability to unite our thoughts with those of the entire community, and with Christ, as we give thanks and praise to God. The few word changes for us are as follows: 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. Holy, Holy, Holy (only the change is noted) Holy, holy, holy Lord, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts. God of power and might. (Note the punctuation changes; what difference do you hear?) Our choirs will help us learn this simple word change, since they will help us learn the new Mass setting we will begin using in late September or early October. Next week we will look a bit more closely at certain parts of the Eucharistic Prayer. This is the “source and summit” of Mass. It is well for us to renew our understanding of it. ______________________________________________________________________________________. Roman Missal III Part 14 The Eucharistic Prayer (Part 2) What do you believe about the presence of Christ in Eucharist? As Catholics, we profess that Christ is present in Eucharist. This is more than just a memorial. This, in fact, is one of the most important mysteries of our faith. Obviously, the bread and wine do not change in their appearance, but in their substance. Christ is now fully and totally present in both of these species. We are encouraged to do what Christ told his followers at the Last Supper to do: Take and eat; Take and drink. (Have you noticed how many of our Communion processional hymns use these very words?) It has not always been the practice for us to receive communion in both forms. (If you travel around a bit, you know that not every parish does it even now.) Christ is equally present in both species, and we receive the fullness of his presence even when we receive only the consecrated bread. We are blessed to be able to receive both the Body of Christ and the Precious Blood. It is in the Eucharistic Prayer that this miracle of change from bread and wine to Christ’s body and blood (transubstantiation) takes place. This is why the Eucharistic Prayer is the heart of the Mass, the summit of our liturgy. The entire prayer Eucharistic Prayer is a dialogue, although the priest has far larger spoken part than does the assembly. That means we listen more. With the new translations, we will need to learn to listen differently, just as our priest needs to learn to pray the prayers differently because of the different translation. We will need to give ourselves, and our priests, a good “learning curve” just to become familiar with the texts. Then we will give ourselves many years to grow into our understanding of them. The translation into English has affected the entire collection of Eucharistic prayers. Since many priests have memorized all or parts of the current translation, they will need time to learn how best to express each of the new translations. It won’t happen in a few months! Expect the sentences to be longer, and somewhat more involved. The vocabulary is broader. We will eventually become accustomed to the changes. Prior to Vatican Council II, which called for the renewal of all our liturgical rites, there was only one Eucharistic prayer (Roman Canon: Eucharistic Prayer I). Three more Eucharistic Prayers were added to this one right after the Council. Eucharistic Prayer I is especially suited to Sundays and special feasts; Eucharistic Prayer II is especially suited to weekdays. It is based on a prayer that dates to the third or fourth century. Eucharistic Prayer III was composed new after the Council, and Eucharistic Prayer IV is based on a fourth century prayer from the Eastern tradition of the Church. There are also Eucharistic Prayers that have been composed for Various Needs and Occasions, with four variations. All of these prayers have been re-translated. If you use a worship aid at home (such as Living In Christ, Magnificat or Give Us This Day), turn to the order of Mass (beginning with Advent 2011) and read these prayers out loud. The more we do this, the more the prayer truly becomes our own, and we will be able to enter into them more easily and fully. May our preparations reward our attention. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Roman Missal III Part 13 The Eucharistic Prayer (Part 1) At the conclusion of the Preparation of the Gifts, The Eucharistic Prayer begins. “The Eucharistic Prayer is the center and summit of the entire Mass. It is a prayer of thanksgiving and sanctification. The priest invites you to lift your heart in prayer. You unite your thoughts with those expressed by the priest, who addresses God in the name of the entire community. The priest and the people all join themselves with Christ to proclaim the marvelous deeds of God.” Thus is summed up the intent of the entire Eucharistic Prayer. This is the heart of the Mass. It exemplifies the way we are intended to live our lives. It tells the story of God’s saving love for God’s people, from creation to Jesus and his last supper, then his death, Resurrection, and presence in our midst at this table. This story reminds us who we are and whose we are. Even more, it helps us become what we eat and drink, the Body and Blood of Christ. We know that the word “Eucharist” means “thanksgiving.” We also know that to be thankful is to be grateful – to offer gratitude. God did not give us something so much as he gave us someone: his very own Son. In the Eucharistic Prayer, in any of its forms, we pray to God the Father, through the Son, that the Holy Spirit will transform bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ so that we might enter into deeper communion with God and one another. We also pray that we be transformed, so that we, “filled with his Holy Spirit may become one body, one spirit in Christ.” This prayer, then, is our response to God’s immense gift of love given to us, especially in the Eucharist. You may be thinking, “Isn’t the entire Mass a prayer of thanksgiving?” Yes, it is. The Eucharistic Prayer holds a special place. It is the great prayer of thanksgiving that the priest prays in our name. It is important that we pray this prayer by listening carefully to what he prays by making it our prayer in the silence of our hearts. In addition to praying at Mass, we pray at other times, of course. We pray to ask for forgiveness. Some of our prayers are prayers of petition. Some are prayers of praise. Others are prayers of adoration. In all these prayers our words show that we adore the God who created us, redeemed us, and loves us forever. Prayers of Thanksgiving help us remember the many reasons we have to be grateful. Because this prayer is the summit, everything that happens in the liturgy is leading us to this high point. The altar is prepared, and gifts of bread and wine have been blessed. The Eucharistic Prayer begins with the priest proclaiming: “The Lord be with you,” (to which we will respond “and with your spirit.”) This great prayer concludes with the liturgical assembly singing, “Amen.” This is a good place to add in this note again: The Bishops have approved the singing of certain parts of the Mass in September, ahead of the general implementation of Roman Missal III. Bishop Quinn has approved this for our Winona diocese. This is so that the assembly will adequately know a Gloria before Advent (we need it for Dec. 8 and for Christmas season) and because the Eucharistic Prayer includes the Holy, Holy, the Mystery of Faith, and the great Amen. We will be learning a new setting beginning sometime in September. The musical settings will help us learn the new wordings, too. ______________________________________________________________________________________ Roman Missal III (Part 12)
______________________________________________________________________________________ Roman Missal (Part 11) Creed: The Meaning behind the (Changing) Words................ (continued) July 17, 2011 In the last column, we considered the words “consubstantial” and “Incarnate.” Now we look at the remaining changes: remember that there is plenty to grow into in our understanding of the mysteries we celebrate!
This concludes the word changes in the Creed. There are possibilities of many meditations on these words, which now seen strange to us, but will, in time, be just a familiar to us as those we’ve been using. Let us use the weeks and months of learning these new words as opportunities to reflect upon the mysteries of faith we profess and confess! Sr. Jane Weisgram, SSND _____________________________________________________________________________________ Roman Missal (Part 10) Creed: The Meaning behind the Changing Words (continued) July 3, 2011 Following are the two “biggest” word changes, at least theologically:
More importantly, looking behind the word or phrase lies the mystery towards which the word or phrase points. The question of how Jesus relates to the Father has immense importance. Many various divisions within the body of Christ have come about because of this relationship. The early Church, at early Councils, had many conversations (indeed arguments) over the nature of the relationship. They chose this word to express the dogma of Jesus’ divinity. The Latin word means having the same substance, which is even more fundamental that “one in Being.” We don’t use the word “consubstantial” for anything else. But it does describe a very unusual thing - the nature of Jesus Christ. He is certainly not like anything or anyone else!
There is a rubric that accompanies this section of the Creed, which reads: “At the words that follow, up to and including and became man, all bow.” If you notice, Father and Deacon Ed have been doing this all along. It may feel a little strange at first, but, since we also bow before receiving Communion, we should be able to adapt pretty easily. This gesture, as one time, was a genuflection . . . anyone remember? Remember that we are a people of many gestures, throughout our liturgy. All of them are meant as expressions of faith in the One to whom we gesture. Sr. Jane Weisgram, SSND _ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Roman Missal (Part 9) The Creed: The Meaning behind the Changing Words
Don’t worry . . . the Creed is still the faith of the entire Church. We are asked to proclaim this as individuals together. Individuals make up any assembly. Our faith assembly gathers to give praise and thanks to God, who gives us all we have. It is well for us to consider the nature of our assembly: we come as individuals, but as individuals Baptized into Christ, and so not just as individuals. Yet, it is good for each to claim and proclaim the faith we hold dear and strive to live. After baptismal promises are made at the Baptism of a child, the priest or deacon usually says: “This is our faith. This is the faith of the Church. We are proud to profess it, in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We believe that Baptism incorporates us into the Body of Christ. An individual becomes part of the body. I profess our faith. It is also true, since we do it at the same time, that we profess our faith. One expression does not eliminate the truth of the other statement. I believe, we believe.
Sr. Jane Weisgram, SSND _______________________________________________________________________________________ Roman Missal III ( Part 8) More on the Nicene Creed Every Sunday we join our voices in expressing our common beliefs. But the Creed is also a prayer. When we pray the Creed, we echo what Catholics have prayed and believed for these many centuries. So praying it is kind of a catechetical review. When someone asks us “What do Catholics believe . . . or what do you believe, this prayer is a good response. Let’s look at the structure of the prayer. It begins with the Trinity: Father, Son and Spirit. In turn, we pray of the Father’s role as Creator, Jesus’ role in the Trinity (as well as his life, death and Resurrection and the future in his eternal kingdom), and the role of the Holy Spirit. Then we pray about our belief in the Catholic Church, the importance of Baptism, and our future bodily resurrection in eternity. This prayer is rich with meaning, history, and faith. It is to be prayed with conviction and one voice with the entire community. But words are limited. How can we define God or what is most important? We try to enter God’s vast mystery with very small steps. Ultimately, we know it’s impossible to name God. Why, then, do we repeat the Creed? Aha! some would say. The Passion, death, and Resurrection of Jesus are not just past events, limited to their place in the history books. Their power flows into us now. We are members in the mystical body, we do not proclaim the Creed arrogantly, but with the humility of forgiven sinners. We also speak with gratitude. From the faith perspective we hold so dear, the phrase “he suffered death and was buried,/ and rose again on the third day” telescope the greatest events of human history into 13 words! Next week we will begin looking at specific words/phrases and what the new translations offers us to grow into in terms of our understanding. Let us remember, through all of this liturgical transition, that some of us have lived through the changes into English after Vatican II. But many of us have known no other translation than the one we are presently using and will use through the rest of Ordinary Time. (That is, through the 34th week of the Church Year, which ends the day before the First Sunday of Advent in late November.) This bears repetition, because we will experience many different things depending on our previous experiences. We know this from all of life, but sometimes forget that it is also true in Church life, which, although it is a life of faith and eternal truths, it is bound in time and place and personal experiences. So, let us all prepare ourselves as best we can to receive these new words for what they have to teach us about what we all hold in faith. Together we can grow into deeper understanding and appreciation of what we believe. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Roman Missal III (Part 7) Our Creed . . . some things to ponder and perhaps rediscover or “see with new eyes” . . . It is not so easy for an individual to state clearly the essence of what one believes, so that others will be able to grasp something of what you actually believe. It is more difficult for a group of people to do this. Now scatter many people, across many miles, who have different local customs of expressing faith, and try to come up with a common expression of faith. It took the early church approximately three centuries after the death of Christ to put together the bedrock of Christian belief we know as the Creed. Emperor Constantine raised Christianity to the status of an approved religion. When he did this, he encountered many theological disputes, especially about the nature of Christ. So, he convened a Council, to be held in Nicea, in 325 AD. A majority of the bishops who attended this council signed their assent to the Creed they produced. As with so many things put into words by a large body of people totally invested in a process, merely signing agreement did not end differences of opinion. Some points remained very controversial. So let us ask: Why do we articulate our beliefs? Why is this so important? What would be lost if not articulated? What would be taken for granted? Let us also ask: What value is there in making a weekly connection with others who share the same beliefs as we hold? Why is it good for us to connect with these thousands of other Christians in this way? You may call to mind these words of St. Paul, written to the Ephesians: “I, therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” (Eph. 4: 1-6) Paul writes with a clear sense of who we are as a people (the “royal priesthood, holy nation” we heard of in last week’s 2nd reading). This plea for unity helps us understand why we should stand together on common ground and share our most important beliefs. The way we live out these beliefs can and does vary greatly, and has done so through the centuries. Yet all hold dear the most fundamental beliefs, crucial to our identity as Catholics. The words can become rote . . . can you say the Creed without help from anyone else? We become accustomed to saying the Creed together, so we don’t pay as much attention week by week. Perhaps the new translation will re-awaken us to the truths we do hold dear, and discover anew that when voices join together, our unity transcends our differences. Sr. Jane Weisgram, SSND _____________________________________________________________________________________ Roman Missal III (Part 6) The Liturgy of the Word . . . The Liturgy of the Word includes the readings, the homily, the creed and the general intercessions. The Readings The Word of the Lord! Thanks be to God! The Introductory Rites have prepared us, now we are ready to listen with our whole heart, mind and soul! The Homily In the homily, the preacher (an ordained minister) normally bases his homily on the Scriptures of the day. But he may also preach about any other texts of the Mass. Both here in the parish and as you travel around, it is quite possible/probable that you will hear one or other text explained. This may be especially important as we experience the work of listening to new texts week by week.(Beginning of course, with the first week of Advent of the next Church year.) The Creed The changes here are more than in the Gloria. Again, the new wording will reflect the Latin wording. The meaning will not change. (Two reminders: 1) the translation we have been using for these 40 or so years used dynamic equivalency, which aims to be faithful to the meaning of words and phrases in vocabulary readily understandable. This was to teach us what the Latin prayers said. Now the new translation is using formal equivalency, which aims to be faithful to the words themselves. Thus the words now will resemble the Latin more faithfully, using a more formal vocabulary. 2) These “new” wordings have been used by much of the Church these many years of our current English translation. Previous Translation We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died, and was buried. On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen. New Translation 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 salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of 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 day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and 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 sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen. There’s much here to be explained. Save this page for reference later. To be continued. . . . Sr. Jane Weisgram, SSND _______________________________________________________________________________________Roman Missal III (Part 5) The Liturgy of the Word This week I offer some historical notes and some quotations from various documents that will help us renew, expand and/or deepen our understanding of this part of the Liturgy we celebrate week by week. Then we will look at the minimal change to this part of the Mass. Historical notes: What we know and refer to as the “Liturgy of the Word” has been part of the ritual prayer of the community going back to the time of the Apostles: read the Acts of the Apostles and note the references to giving testimony to the risen Lord, or to the apostles being faithful to the prayer of the community. Early documents of the church also attest to the primacy of both the Gospels and the letters of Paul and other leaders. St. Justin Martyr writing around the year 155 about Christian worship noted: “On the day we call the day of the sun, all who dwell in the city or country gather in the same place. The memoirs of the apostles and the writings of the prophets are read, as much as time permits. When the reader has finished, he who presides over those gathered admonishes and challenges them to imitate these beautiful things.” Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church # 1345 This is followed by “Then we all rise together and offer prayer for ourselves and for others, wherever they may be so that we may be found righteous by our life and actions and faithful to the commandments, so as to obtain eternal salvation.” A few quotes from current sources: “The readings from Sacred Scripture, together with the chants between the readings form the main part of the liturgy of the Word. … In receiving the Word of God with their hearts and minds, and in responding to it, the people make God’s word their own.” GIRM #55 “With the acclamation Thanks be to God, the assembled congregation pays reverence to the word of God it has listened to in faith and gratitude.” GIRM # 55 “In the Gospel Acclamation, the assembled faithful welcome “the Lord who is about to speak to them.” See the change below. What changes? One letter is added to our response to the announcement of the Gospel. We will say, “Glory to you, O Lord. The added “o” very slightly lengthens the one-syllable form of address to God, and intends to show respect. (Notice other places we do this already. It is not uncommon!) There is a more substantial change to the prayer said by the priest before the proclamation of the Gospel. But it is a prayer intended only for the priest, or the priest and deacon. Sr. Jane Weisgram, SSND _____________________________________________________________________________________Roman Missal III (Part 4) Special Notes on the Gloria (From the parish website or the parish bulletin of May 1st, you may want to have the entire new wording of this prayer nearby.) The Gloria has the most changes of any single prayer, for the people. So we’ll pay it more attention. We change from “his people on earth” to “people of good will.” What’s happening here? First, “people of good will” does express more closely what the Latin text says. But, looking deeper, to say “his people,” saying to whom we belong, is different in meaning from “people of good will,” which describes a quality of people. Indeed, we are to be people of good will. This is worth some meditation time: we are God’s people, and we are created good. So to be people of good will is in part what God created us to be. In the Gloria we are acknowledging that this quality is God-given. So then we give praise to God in a litany that is familiar. The litany summarizes just how we give our praise. It is not inclusive . . . there are other ways we give praise. But these are certainly among the greatest ways: “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.” Surely these words inspire song! So we will look forward to singing them together at least in one or other Mass setting we eventually learn! In the next part of the Gloria, there is another change, this one slight. We change from “only Son of the Father” to “Only Begotten Son.” It is certainly true that Jesus is the only Son of the Father. “Only Begotten Son” says the same thing, but again these words more closely follow the Latin. In case you wonder why these two words are capitalized, it’s because the Latin words are capitalized. So, while in English we would not capitalize them, they are capitalized here to indicate the sanctity of this title of Jesus. The words “you take away the sins of the world” are in this order, again because it is the order of the Latin words. The change here is very small in wording . . . only from “sin” to “sins.” As one writer puts it: “The difference indicates that Jesus takes away not just generic sin from the world, but individual sin. He forgives people their personal sins. In Latin, the word for sins is in the plural.” Post Script on last week’s column: “The Lord be with you”:cf. Judges 6:12; Ruth 2:4; Chronicles 15:2; Luke 1:28 “And with your spirit”: cf. 2 Timothy 4:22; Galatians 6:18; Philippians 4:23; Philemon 25 ______________________________________________________________________________________ Roman Missal III Sunday, April 17th 2011 The Notre Dame Center for Liturgy has a set of short videos worth checking out at: www.liturgy.nd.edu/web-catechesis _______________________________________________________________________________________ Roman Missal III (PART 3) In last week’s column, I wrote about the changes in translation rules and the desire to recapture wording more closely matching the Latin texts of Misale Romanum III. Then you read the changed texts in our own responses within the Introductory Rites. Now we’ll look at the Introductory Rites themselves. Being introductory, these rites are meant to be a help to us to achieve a disposition to participate fully in what is to come: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The Introductory Rites: These rites include everything we do from the beginning to when we sit down. Each piece has it’s own significance. Most parishes use an Entrance hymn or Processional hymn at the beginning of Mass, as the procession moves through the assembly. The procession, led by the cross-bearer and followed by servers, lectors, deacon (when there is one) and priest. It is not by happenstance that the cross comes first. We are each baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Spirit, with the sign of the cross. It is through the cross that Christ won victory for us over sin and death, and it is well for us to honor the cross. It should be carried high enough to be visible above the heads of the assembly. The hymn we sing during this procession takes the place of the Entrance chant, a one-line antiphon that corresponds to a Bible verse. (If we didn’t sing, the antiphon would be read; singing takes precedence.) Then we sign ourselves with the sign of the cross . . . this is the first “dialogue” of the Mass. Anytime there is a statement/response, it is considered a dialogue. (These may at times be chanted, which heightens our awareness of the words. In most cases, we would not need to “learn” these chanted responses, since they flow naturally from what we hear.) Next the priest greets the people. He can choose one of three greetings, the most common of which is “The Lord be with you.” The response will be “And with your spirit.” The response is a closer translation of “Et cum spiritu tuo.” Both the greeting and the response come from different parts of Scripture. In these words we express a desire that the Lord be present to the spirit of the entire community. (As an aside, emphasis in the response would be on the word “your.”) This dialogue is only done by a priest or Bishop. It establishes the interdependence of the priest and the people(us) as we take up our proper roles to praise God. Following this brief dialogue we have the Penitential Act. Again there are three options. When the Confiteor is used, we will notice the word changes (see last week’s bulletin.) Here it is especially important to remember the intent of translators to follow the Latin text. So words like “greatly sinned” and “through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault” (these latter to be accompanied with striking the breast each time), are more closely translated. There is no reflection on one’s virtue intended by the translators! But the more closely translated text does express more “grandly” both the seriousness of our sin and the sincerity of our contrition. In this way it provides a humbler way to collect ourselves before stepping any further into prayer. After the Penitential Rite is the Opening Prayer, or “Collect.” All of these prayers have been retranslated. We will find ourselves having to listen more carefully as our ears become attuned to the new style. Here the syntax changes become more evident that we read about last week. This prayer is intended to help us unite our intentions for the rest of our prayers. The “Amen” at the conclusion of this prayer solemnly affirms our belief in God and the unity of the prayers of everyone present. The Gloria Again, check with the word changes in last week’s bulletin! The words have changed significantly enough that composers have completely revised the Mass settings we already know, and more than 40 – 50 new settings have been completed. Our musicians will help us learn the new wordings through song. Expect to learn at least one “sung-through” Gloria, as well as an antiphon style Gloria. In time we will build up a new repertoire of Mass Settings. The revised translation is meant to reflect the long tradition of this hymn. Rooted in the Scriptures, it gives us words to praise God, and is an occasion to reflect on the forgiving power of Jesus Christ. Next week: The Liturgy of the Word Send along any questions to Sr. Jane Easter Environment The Environment Committee is grateful for the donations made for Easter flowers! As the season of Easter continues, some flowers will need to be changed, so there’s still opportunity to donate flowers as memorials. Besides the flowers, we have created a Baptismal Shell of fabric. Easter Season is the season to be reminded of the power of our Baptism. During Lent there are no Baptisms, so there are usually a few more during the Easter Season! Also, AT Easter Vigil the waters in our font (which were changed before Triduum began) were blessed. If there are any preparing for Easter Baptism, it is especially appropriate to then use the newly Blessed Waters for Baptism. But the entire season is especially good for Baptisms. There is a connection also between the shell and it’s waters poured out on us, and the fabric used in the Baptistery. We hope that as you enter the worship space you are drawn to reflect on the meaning and power of your Baptism. Pray for those who brought you to the font, and for the priest/minister who Baptized you. You might also want to write to them to let them know of your journey into living your Baptismal commitments! ______________________________________________________________________________________ Roman Missal III (PART 2) As we begin this series of however many "spots" it will be, it's good to note that there are a growing number of sites online that offer plenty to pray through on various topics concerning Roman Missal III. One that is most obvious is the page on the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops). You will find it at: www.usccb.org/romanmissal/ Once on the page, click on the "General Resources" and then on "Videos." There you will find a listing of more than a dozen topics to choose from (see list below). Each is about 15 minutes. You can watch from that page or you can go to YouTube to listen. As noted on the web page: "In the video presentations, Msgr. Anthony Sherman, former executive director of the Secretariat of Divine Worship, and Rev. Richard Hilgartner, executive director of the Secretariat of Divine Worship, give an overview of what goes into translating texts as well as what we will hear on the First Sunday of Advent, November 27th 2011. Other sections address the priest's spiritual approach in celebrating the Mass and the place of music to enhance the worship experience." For your convenience, the titles are given here: Process of Translating the Roman Missal What's New in the Roman Missal, Parts 1 & 2 What's New in Orations (Proper Prayers) The Art of Celebrating the Eucharist The Place of Beauty and Music The Presider The Spiritual Disposition The Place of Singing Parish Implementation Also, if you have specific questions you would like to have addressed, please contact Sr. Jane at 235-2451 or email: sjv-srjane@midconetwork.com Sr. Jane Weisgram, SSND _______________________________________________________________________________________ Roman Missal III (Part 1) Bulletin April 3, 2011 In one of the print resources on the new Roman Missal, there is an article by Archbishop Gregory Aymond, who is chair of the Bishop’s Committee on Divine Worship. I have shared this article with the members of our Liturgy Commission, and asked them which points they think the parish should hear. Among the points shared by them are the following:
The Archbishop closes his statement with a reminder that change can be good for us when we take it as an opportunity to “ask God to change our hearts and to make us a more prayerful people as we join in liturgical celebration.” ______________________________________________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION Roman Missal III This edition of the Roman Missal will be used beginning next Advent, which starts Sunday, November 27. There are some notable changes in the translation, due to changes in the rules for translating from the Latin. Archbishop Gregory Aymond, Chair of the Bishop’s Committee on Divine Worship, has written: “As we know, the liturgy is not “about you or me”; it is about May all our efforts to renew our hearts and deepen our understanding of the Mass, bring all of us to greater Please submit your questions, with your names. Some questions may be answered individually while others may be addressed in this column. May God bless us all in the growth we are called to in learning about and
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