During the next six weeks, we will be offering to you the most used forms in the new translation of the Roman Missal. Please start to look these over and study them, so you may be familiar with the new words when we begin using them on the First Sunday of Advent, November 27th.
Dialogue at the Gospel
Priest: The Lord be with you.
People: And with your spirit.
Priest: A reading form the holy Gospel according to N.
People: Glory to you, O Lord
Liturgy of the Eucharist
Invitation to Prayer
Priest: Pray, brethren, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father,
People: May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his holy Church.
Gloria
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.
New words in the new translation are in red.
Introductory Rites
Greeting
Priest: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Or: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Or: The Lord be with you.
People: And with your spirit.
Penitential Act (A)
The Confiteor
I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, (and, striking their breast, 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.
Penitential Act (B)
Priest: Have mercy on us, O Lord
People: For we have sinned against you.
Priest: Show us, O Lord, your mercy.
People: And grant us your salvation.
New words in the new translation are in red.
Embracing Change in the Liturgy
How can I prepare for the change? There are many ways in which you can prepare for the changes in the Mass:
-Make a conscious effort to participate more fully in the Mass each Sunday and holy days.
-Take advantage of any special catechetical sessions. We will host sessions this fall.
-Visit the Roman Missal Web site listed below to study the new texts and to learn more about the changes.
-Read the new texts of the people’s part at Mass. Begin to study them so that you will be able to pray them well when the new Roman Missal is implemented on November 27th.
-Pray for the renewal of love for the Liturgy here at St. Anthony’s and in the Church.
Now is the Time to Prepare for the New Roman Missal, Third Edition
New words. A deeper meaning. But, the same Mass.
The Roman Missal will be implemented in the United States of America on the First Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2011. In this section of our web site we answer questions and provide information regarding the implementation of the New Roman Missal.
The celebration of Mass is an act of the whole assembly gathered for worship. In the Mass, the Church is joined to the action of Christ. We are joined to this divine action through Baptism, which incorporates us into the risen Christ. This action, which lies at “the center of the whole Christian life” (GIRM#16) is initiated not by us but by God acting in and through the Church as the Body of the Risen Christ. The Liturgy is designed to bring about in all those who make up the worshiping assembly a “participation of the faithful, namely in body and in mind, a participation fervent with faith, hope, and charity” (GIRM#18). To the extent that we are able to participate in this way, the work of redemption becomes personally effective for each of us. By such participation we make the actions and prayers of the Liturgy our own; we enter more fully into our personal communion with Christ’s redeeming act and perfect worship. Over the next few weeks, we will focus on Liturgical Participation in anticipation for the New Roman Missal. If you would like more information or to read over the new translation, please visit the USCCB website at: http://www.usccb.org/romanmissal
Liturgy and Life
At its heart, the Eucharist is a sacrament of communion, bringing us closer to God and to our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ. If we live the fruits of the Eucharist in our daily lives, we will fill our families and our communities with the life-giving qualities that the Liturgy brings: hospitality, concern for the poor and vulnerable, self-offering, and thanksgiving. An ancient saying in the Church reads “lex orandi, lex credendi,” meaning that the law of prayer is the law of faith. More loosely: as we pray, so we believe. That we might add lex vivendi, meaning that as we pray, so we believe, and so we live. In the third edition of the Roman Missal, the bishops and translators have taken great care to ensure that the prayers accurately and fully reflect the mysteries of our faith. Thus, the words that we pray in each liturgical celebration will help to form and strengthen our understanding of the faith.
However, if the effects of the Liturgy stop at the doors of the church, we have not made our prayer and our faith part of our law of living. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) teaches that the Eucharist helps us to grow in union with Christ, avoid sin, increase in charity, strengthen communion with our brothers and sisters, and recognize Christ in the poorest and most vulnerable members of society (CCC 1391-1397). But what does that mean in our daily lives?
Next week we will focus how to live a life of prayer. If you would like more information or to read over the new translation, please visit the USCCB website at: http://www.usccb.org/romanmissal ©2010, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. Used with permission. All rights reserved
Celebrating the Lord’s Day
The primary way in which we celebrate the Lord’s Day is with our participation in the Sunday Eucharist. What better way to celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord than by celebration of the memorial of his Passion, death, and Resurrection? This celebration is not a solitary, private event. Instead, we come together as the People of God, the Church, to worship together with one heart and one voice. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) teaches that “participation in the communal celebration of the Sunday Eucharist is a testimony of belonging and of being faithful to Christ and to his Church” (CCC, #2182). When member of our church community are absent from this gathering, they are missed. No member of the faithful should be absent from the Sunday Eucharist without serious reason. The Liturgy should be the first thing on Sunday’s schedule, not the last. We should arrive on time, prepared in mind and heart ot fully participate in the Mass. Those who cannot attend because of illness or the need to care for infants or the sick deserve our prayers and special attention. Next week we will focus on why we need to attend church and not just pray at home on Sunday’s.
Keeping Sunday – All Day
Not everyone has the freedom to take Sundays away from work. Some people, including medical professionals and public safety workers, must work on Sundays to keep the rest of us safe and healthy. Others must work for economic reasons beyond their control. To celebrate the Lord’s Day more fully, consider trying the following:
Don’t use Sunday as your catch-all day for errands and household chores
Share a family dinner after Mass. Have the whole family join in the preparation and cleanup.
Go for a walk or bike ride and give thanks to God for the beauty of nature.
Spend time reading the Bible or a spiritual book.
Pray the Rosary or the Liturgy of the Hours, alone or with others.
Volunteer in the local food pantry.
Visit parishioners and others who are homebound.
Read Bible stories to your children.
Turn off your gadgets and enjoy the silence.
As we take time each week to celebrate the Paschal Mystery in the Eucharist and to rest from the burdens of our daily lives, we remind ourselves that we are made in the image and likeness of God who “rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken.” Next week we will focus on Living a Life of Prayer.
Q and A
Do the changes in the New Roman Missal mean that the old translation was not valid and orthodox? The current translation was approved by the conferences of bishops and confirmed by the Holy See. Until the new text becomes effective on November 27, 2011, the current translation remains the valid ordinary form of the Liturgy in the Roman Rite. The revised translation attempts to address some inadequacies in the present translation by introducing a more elevated style of language and by retaining many poetic texts and scriptural allusions. The current translation fostered the faith of two generations of Catholics and retains a valid place in church history. For more information and to view the new translation, pleased visit the Roman Missal Website at: www.usccb.org/romanmissal
If my parish likes the old translation better, can we continue using that one? The Holy See has granted the permission to the revised translation and the USCCB has established The First Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2011, as the date for the first use of the New Translation. No parish may continue to use the current translation after November 27th. Parishes will need to use the period before to help parishioners renew their love for the Sacred Liturgy, to understand the changes, and to develop an appreciation for the revised translation.
What will the new Missal mean at St. Anthony’s? In the next several months, we will have many things to do. We will have to replace liturgical books and missalettes. Our priests will practice proclaiming the new texts and will prepare homilies helping the faithful to understand the new translation and to deepen our appreciation for the Liturgy. The music ministers and the people will learn new musical settings for the parts for the mass (such as the Gloria and the Sanctus). Catechists and teachers will help us learn the new prayers. And we will take this opportunity to undertake a reexamination of liturgical practices. We have already started this with our focus this month on the Opening Prayer or The Collect. See below for the catechesis.
What will the process of implementation look like? Now that the date is set for use, November 27, 2011, publication of the new Missal will begin. Catechesis on the new translation and on the Liturgy itself will become even more important. Training for our priests, music ministers, and other liturgical leaders here at St. Anthony’s Church has begun. Formation for all members of our community is being planned for this summer and fall to help to ensure the successful implementation of the new text. We have already started catechesis on the Liturgy with our focus this month on the Opening Prayer or The Collect. See below for the catechesis.
Can we start using the texts approved by the bishops immediately? The translation of the Missale Romanum could not be used in the celebration of the Mass until the complete text was confirmed by the Holy See. Now that the translation has received the recognitio, the USCCB has established the first day on which the new translation may be used as November 27, 2011. Use of the revised text requires preparation and catechesis for both priests and the faithful. When the Mass is celebrated on that First Sunday of Advent, priests will be properly trained, the faithful will have an understanding and appreciation of what is being prayed, and musical settings for the liturgical texts will be readily available.
What’s is the timeline for the approval and implementation of the new Missal? After the Latin Missale Romanum was published in 2002, ICEL began its work of preparing a draft English translation of the text. ICEL presented the first section – The Order of Mass, which contains the fixed prayers of the Mass, including the people’s parts – to the English specking conferences of bishops in 2004. The USCCB approved the final version in 2006, and the Holy See confirmed this section in June 208. the remaining sections were approved in 2007 and 2009. The USCCB completed its approval of the Missal in November 2009. the Holy See granted the final approval of the texts in the spring of 2010. Cardinal Francis George, OMI, president of the USCCB, announced that parish may being using the revised translations on November 27, 2011.
What’s new or different about the revised translation? The style of the translation of the third edition is different. In accord with the rules for translation established by the Holy See, the revised translation follows the style of the original Latin texts more closely, including concrete images, repetition, parallelisms, and rhythm. The English used in the Mass texts is more formal and dignified in style. Where possible, the texts follow the language of Scripture and include many poetic images. In addition, the third edition contains prayer for the celebration of recently canonized saints, additional prefaces for the Eucharistic Prayers, additional Masses and prayers for various needs and intentions, and some updated and revised rubrics (or instructions) for the celebration of the Mass. One of the first changes you will see here at St. Anthony’s from the third edition is a renewal of Sacred Silence. We are currently have silence after the First Reading for you to meditated on the God’s Word before singing the Psalm. We are adding to the silence after communion for your personal pray time with God. In Lent, we will be adding more to the silence during the Opening Prayer or The Collect for us to better reflect on what we want to pray for during the mass.
Bowing Low or Supplices
One of the petitions for the acceptance in the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I) begins with the word supplices. Bowing low, we implore thee. Here again the bodily gesture and the spiritual process are inseparable and flow into one another. This is the gesture of the tax collector, who knows that he cannot endure the gaze of God and so bows low before it. And yet this prayer asks that our sacrifice may come before the face of God, into his sight, and be for us a blessing. The supplices – our being “bowed low” – is the bodily expression, so to speak, of what the Bible calls humility. (cf. “he humbled himself”, Phil. 2:8) Humility is the ontologically appropriate attitude, the state that corresponds to the truth about man, and as such it becomes a fundamental attitude of Christian existence. Arrogance, the ontological lie by which man makes himself God, is overcome by the humility of God, who makes Himself the slave, who bows down before us. The man who wants to come close to God must be able to look upon him – that is essential. But he must likewise learn to bend, for God has bent Himself down. In the gesture of humble love, in the washing of the feet, in which he kneels at our feet – that is where we find Him. Thus, the supplices is a gesture of great profundity. It is a physical reminder of the spiritual attitude essential to faith. Astonishingly, several modern translations of the Roman Canon have simply omitted the supplices. Perhaps they regarded the physical expression, which as a matter of fact has disappeared, as unimportant. Perhaps, too, they thought it was an unsuitable thing for modern man to do. To bow low before a human being, to win his favor, is indeed unfitting. But to bow low before God can never be unmodern, because it corresponds to the truth of our being. And if modern man has forgotten this truth, then it is all the more incumbent on Christians in the modern world to rediscover it and teach it to our fellowmen.
Opening Prayer or The Collect
Have you ever wondered when you are to pray during mass? Most of the time the priest prays and we respond! Not true! The Conclusion of the Introductory Rite is the Opening Prayer also known as The Collect. In and through this prayer, the theme, mood, and focus of each particular celebration of the Mass is summarized. The priest invites the community to prayer by saying “Let us pray”. This is the time we are to think what prayers, petitions and offering we are bringing to the mass. Then, the priest, as the person presiding over a particular community, “collects” all our prayers and then offers one spoken prayer. In the General Instruction of the Roman Missal states “All, together with the priest, observe a brief silence so that they may be conscience of the fact that they are in God’s presence and may formulate their petitions mentally”. (GIRM 54) Over the next month, we will focus on this Sacred Silence during the Opening Prayer, so that we can truly “collect” our prayers together and offer them to God our Father.