PREPARING FOR THE NEW TRANSLATION OF THE MASS

The official date for Parishes to begin using the new translation of the Mass is 1st September.  I propose that  we begin using it in the Parish a little earlier; probably beginning from the middle of August.  My reason for doing this is, first of all, that Padraig Hawkins is due to spend the weekend 20th/21stAugust with us; and he has asked if he may celebrate Mass according to the new rite – as he will have only been trained to use that rite.  The second reason for starting a bit early is that Henry Wright (son of Russell and Sonja Wright) and Pippa Buxton are to be married on September 3rd at St Joseph’s and they have asked that the new rite be used for their Nuptial Mass.  So I hope that making a slightly earlier start may be generally acceptable to members of the Parish.

Many of you have already bought the excellent introduction to and explanation of the new translation:  ‘Understanding the Revised Mass Texts’ by Paul Turner.   If anyone who has not already bought a copy of this and would like me to order one – please tell me as soon as possible.  The booklet costs £1.50.

Several weekend Homilies in July and August to highlighted some of the changes we need to get used to – and spelled out the reasons for these changes.  

The Church authorities have published what seems to me an excellent, clearly printed card with all the responses the congregation makes in the course of the Mass.  These cards are intended to be used alongside the Sunday Mass Book or the Sunday Missal and fit easily in both. 

I hope this will help you all to begin to get familiar not only with the words, but also to ‘find your way around’ the various responses that are different from the ones we have been using since the 1970’s.  It will I hope also give you a chance to get used to the ‘geography’ of the cards and to handling them without getting too distracted by the unfamiliar!

Over several weekends, I spoke in more detail in the Homily ‘slot’ about some of the major changes and the reasons for them: changes in the responses you make and also changes that you will notice in the Eucharistic Prayers.

Later in July and early August I offered, to those who were interested, a few Tuesday evenings at St Joseph’s (after the Tuesday evening Mass) and a few Thursday afternoons at Our Lady of Refuge for some ‘Question and Answer Sessions’.  It would be a great help to me to have ‘feed back’ from you about the new translation and issues that you may find puzzling or difficult.

I am myself greatly looking forward to using the new translation and believe it will mean – once we have got used to some unfamiliar expressions – a great enrichment of our worship.  
First, we shall have a much fuller expression of the content of the original, definitive Latin texts.  The new translation is much closer to, much more faithful to, the Latin.  
Secondly, we shall become aware again of how the text of the Mass is full of echoes of the Scriptures – many of these Scriptural allusions, which are there in the Latin, were lost in the English translation we have been using.
Thirdly, we recover some words, some vocabulary, that speaks with great precision about our faith in the divine-human mystery of Jesus:  difficult, unfamiliar words, maybe, but without which we can easily become confused about who Jesus Christ was and is.  
Lastly, the language we shall be using is in a register that really does justice to the sacred, transcendent, divine realities of the Mass. 

SOME NOTES ON THE NEW TRANSLATION OF THE MASS:  No 2

This weekend we looked , during the Homily ‘slot’, at the card that everyone will have when we begin using the new translation (probably in the middle of August).  The card contains all the Responses made by the congregation and also the parts of the Mass that everyone says:  notably the ‘Gloria in excelsis’ and the Creed. 

Greeting:  There are three options for the Priest to choose from.  Note the slight change from our present Mass in option 1 – the word ‘communion’ is used instead of ‘fellowship’.  This is an example of the preference in the translation for closeness to the original Latin (‘communio’) and preference also for more ‘sacred’ language.  ‘Fellowship’ is a word often used with reference to entirely secular associations and groups.  But the big change is in the people’s response in option 3:  ‘The Lord be with you’ and the people reply ‘And with your spirit’.  This response replaces ‘And also with you’.  The new greeting and response is a prayer – certainly not a mere ‘hello!’ offered to each other by Priest and people.  The use of the word ‘spirit’ is a reminder that the Priest has been endowed, as a servant of God, with special gifts of the Holy Spirit at Ordination. The people acknowledge this Spirit-giftedness of the ordained Priest and the response is a prayer that the Priest may fulfil his calling.  This greeting occurs five times in the course of the Mass:  here at the beginning, before the Gospel, at the beginning of the Eucharistic Prayer, at the Sign of Peace and before the Dismissal.  Each time, we are to think of the Holy Spirit being called down to inspire our praise and worship

Penitential Act:  There are three options.  The first option is the ‘I confess…’   The new version of the ‘I confess…’ is much more full than the text we have been using.  It is close to the Latin original and is a clear declaration of our sinful, fallen state.  The traditional threefold ‘mea culpa’ is restored; we acknowledge that we have greatly sinned and this through our own most grievous fault.  It is a call to a deeper penitence and we show this outwardly by striking our breast (with a closed fist).  St Augustine of Hippo describes in one of his sermons how the people at Mass in his day (the 4th century) beat their breasts when they recited the ‘I confess…’    

Gloria in excelsis:  The Gloria is restored to its full length (in faithfulness to the Latin original). We are not unfamiliar with this full version of the Gloria, because it is what we sing when we have the ‘Missa de Angelis’ setting.  The opening words remind us more clearly (as compared with the English version we have been using since the 1970’s) of the Christmas story, as told by St Luke (Chapter 2).  The opening lines do justice to the fact that our praise of God must be extravagant, ‘over the top’. The different words for ‘praise’ - praise, bless, adore, glorify, give thanks – express our wonder at the great glory of  our transcendent God.    In fact the Gloria, in the form we now have it, makes clear the four classic ‘ends’ or ‘objectives’ of the Mass - adoration, thanksgiving, propitiation and petition – as spelt out in the Encyclical ‘Mediator Dei’ (1947).

The Word of the Lord/The Gospel of the Lord:  The words spoken by the Reader, Deacon and/or Priest at the end of the Readings and at the end of the Gospel are now exactly as in the Latin.  There is no ‘This is…’   The rather stark ‘The Word of the Lord’ and ‘The Gospel of the Lord’ refer directly to God’s Word (which we have just heard).  This ‘Word’ is not the print on the page, nor the book, but the voice of the Person of Christ, who is the one we are really listening to as the Scriptures are read in the Liturgy.  ‘The Word of the Lord’ and ‘The Gospel of the Lord’ are dramatic proclamations:  ‘Here He is!’  

 THE NEW TRANSLATION OF THE MASS:  Part 3  

Creed: The most notable difference from the translation we have been used to is that the Creed is now in the form ‘I believe…’, instead of ‘We believe’.  This change represents a return to closer faithfulness to the Latin definitive text. In any case, most vernacular versions, other than the English version, of the Creed since Vatican II continued the use of the ‘I believe…’ form.  Although the form ‘We believe...’ was used in the earliest Greek version of the ‘Nicene Creed’ (the Creed we say or sing at Mass), this earliest version was composed not for liturgical use, but as a theological statement designed to be ‘all-inclusive’, and so to be a means of resolving certain conflicting heretical standpoints.   Once the Creed, in Latin, began to be used in the Liturgy, the ‘I believe…’ form became the norm – as a deeply personal statement of faith.  

Another important change:  ‘visible and invisible’ instead of ‘seen and unseen’.  ‘Unseen’ is different from ‘invisible’ – when I am in London, Paris is for me ‘unseen’.  ‘Invisible’ means never ‘seen’ – the immaterial creation (angels and spirits) are ‘invisible’ and not merely ‘unseen’.  

A further particularly important change in the new translation of the Creed relates to the unique divine-human nature of Jesus Christ.  A technical term is used: ‘consubstantial’.  Jesus Christ is ‘consubstantial – “of one substance” - with the Father’.  This is a term (in the Latin Creed: ‘consubstantialem Patri’) that is used no other context in either theology or liturgy.   It took some time and some bitter controversy in the early days of the Church to arrive at the – again unique – Greek term used to express the divine-human nature of Jesus Christ:  the Greek term ‘homoousios’.  This term means ‘of the same’ (‘homo’ – as in the English ‘homogeneous’) ‘being’ (‘ousia’). When this Greek term ‘homoousios’ needed to be translated into Latin, ‘ousia’/‘being’ was translated as ‘substantia’ (‘substance’) – i.e. ‘that which does not depend on something else in order to exist’. Hence we get the Latin ‘consubstantialis’ (English: ‘consubstantial’).  What we are wanting to say, as the Dominican theologian Fr. Aidan Nichols, O.P. has said, is: ‘the Son is identically the same being as the Father’ – but that would not be very elegant liturgical language!       Two truths have to be safeguarded:  first, the Son is identically the same (divine) being as the Father – in order to be able to save us.  Secondly, the Son is eternally distinct from the Father - in order for the divine one to be endlessly fruitful in itself and in the free act of our creation.   It is essential that we should be absolutely precise about who Jesus Christ is – and above all what we say about him in the Creed, because our praying of the Creed forms our belief.  

We note yet another change at the point when we confess our belief in the Incarnation.  The new text runs:  ‘who was incarnate of the Virgin Mary’ – instead of  ‘was born of the Virgin Mary’.  The new form is exactly the same as what was used in Pope Paul VI’s ‘Credo of the People of God’ – a form of the Creed proposed by Pope Paul VI in the face of some  popular misunderstandings in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council. The use of the technical terms ‘incarnation’ and ‘incarnate’ is necessary in order to make clear the unique manner of Christ’s conception and birth.  The Second Person of the Trinity had to take human flesh (i.e. be ‘incarnate’) in order to ensure our salvation.  Christ’s human nature had to be whole and entire – ‘made flesh’.  As the Church Father St Gregory of Nazianzen (4th century AD) put it:  ‘That which he has not assumed he has not healed, but that which is united to his Godhead is also saved’.  We need to note the guidance in the text of the Creed in the new Missal, that we should bow as we confess the Incarnation.  At Christmas and on the Feast of the Annunciation we should genuflect.   It is also worth noting that the Creed is an act of praise – so it is appropriate that, when possible, we sing it, rather than say it.

THE NEW TRANSLATION OF THE MASS:  Part 4

The Eucharistic Prayer begins with the Dialogue between Priest and People. The congregation’s response to the Priest’s greeting, ‘The Lord be with you’ is now ‘And with your spirit’.  This response is, we may say, a prayer (repeated four times during the Mass) that the grace of the Holy Spirit, imparted to the Priest at Ordination, may be renewed and increased.   A minor change occurs at the end of the Dialogue:  in response to the Priest’s words, ‘Let us give thanks to the Lord our God’, the congregation now says or sings, ‘It is right and just’ (exactly as in the Latin).  This change makes for a much smoother transition to the Preface, which now begins (invariably) with the Priest’s words: ‘It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks…’

At the Sanctus, we now say (or sing): ‘Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Hosts’  ‘God of Hosts’ is a translation of the Hebrew, ‘God of Sabaoth’ – ‘Sabaoth’ means ‘the army of angels/ heavenly hosts’, as in Isaiah, Chapter 6, verse 3.  

There are several important changes to note in the Words of Consecration — spoken by the Priest over the bread and wine.  The Priest now says over the bread to be consecrated, ‘Take this, all of you and eat of it…’ This apparently slight change emphasises that we all share some of the same Bread.  We each eat some of it, so that we may all become together ‘One Body in Christ’.   The words of consecration over the Chalice (NB the use of the sacral language here, to replace the term ‘cup’) now form one single sentence.  The new Covenant is now spoken of as the eternal Covenant instead of the ‘everlasting’ Covenant:  God’s faithfulness is not merely long-lasting; it extends beyond all time.  The Blood of Christ is Blood ‘poured out’, rather than ‘shed’.  The use of the term ‘poured out’ means that a connection is made between the Blood of Christ ‘poured out’ (voluntarily, actively) on the Cross and the Precious Blood ‘poured out’ for us from the Chalice.  

The Precious Blood of Christ is poured out ‘for many’ in the new translation.  This phrase replaces the phrase ‘for all’ that we have been used to in the English Mass since the 1970’s.  This change in no way implies there is a limit to Christ’s saving love.  The New Testament is quite clear that Christ died for ALL people:  eg. 2 Corinthians 5, vv. 14f.: ‘For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for ALL’  See also John 11, v. 52; 1 Timothy 2, v. 4; Titus 2, v. 11; 1 John 2, v. 2.  But also in the New Testament, we hear how Jesus, at the Last Supper, said ‘For this is my Blood of the Covenant, which is poured out for MANY for the forgiveness of sins’ (Matthew 26, v. 28).  So too in St Mark 14, v. 24: ‘This is my Blood of the Covenant, which is poured out for MANY’.  Again, Jesus spoke of his death as a ransom for MANY in Mark 10, v. 45: ‘For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for MANY’.  In St Paul, ‘for many’ and ‘for all’ appear to be interchangeable:  Romans 5, verses 15 & 18: ‘the free gift in the grace of the one man Jesus Christ abounded for the MANY…so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for ALL.’ The new translation is faithful to the New Testament use; and we may also add that, though the Lord desires all people to be saved, nonetheless there is always the possibility of rejection.  We hope, but cannot be certain, that ‘all’ will be saved.  

We will notice a distinct change with regard to the Acclamation that is said or sung after the Consecration.  The Priest acclaims Christ, ‘The Mystery of Faith’. The congregation then continues the Priest’s acclamation, addressing Christ in prayer:  ‘We proclaim your death, O Lord…’ ‘Save us, Saviour of the world’ (there is a choice of three Acclamations).   The acclamation is an act of prayer.  We welcome Him who comes to us to strengthen and sanctify us.  

THE NEW TRANSLATION OF THE MASS:  Part 5

In this final (at least for the moment!) series of comments on the new translation of the Mass, I want to highlight some important changes that have been made in the ‘Rite of Communion’.  

First, we shall notice a marked change in the words the Priest speaks in introducing the ‘Our Father’.   The form of this introduction is now invariable and is a very close rendering of the Latin:  ‘At the Saviour’s command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say…’   This introduction echoes a very important, but often neglected, insight that we find in the Acts of the Apostles:  that a spirit of ‘boldness’ (in Greek ‘Parrhesia’) must be at the heart of our approach to God.  Not through our own merits, but through the merits of Christ and his gift to us of the Holy Spirit, we, who are baptized, have been made worthy and can dare to call God ‘Abba!’, Father.  

The Prayer ‘Deliver us...’ also returns to a close translation of the Latin.  More importantly, the reference to ‘anxiety’ (an interior, subjective state) is now replaced by a prayer that we be ‘kept safe from all distress’ (the ‘distress’ that comes from external, objective dangers and threats).  Over the years since the 1970’s, many Priests have felt uneasy about the term ‘anxiety’ in this context and have sometimes taken on themselves to amend the wording – often qualifying ‘anxiety’ by the addition of ‘useless’ or something similar.  

In the Prayer for Peace, the Church is referred to by the feminine pronoun ‘her’; we are reminded of the nuptial imagery used of Israel and the Church in the Scriptures:  she is the beloved of the Lord God and the Bride of Christ.  Further, the very free paraphrase that we were given in the 1970’s translation has been ‘tightened up’; no longer is there any mention of ‘the kingdom’, which had no place in the original Latin prayer  

At the Invitation to Holy Communion, it is made clear that we are being invited to share not merely in this particular celebration of the Mass (let alone in a mere ‘fellowship meal’), but in nothing less than the Banquet of Heaven: ‘Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb!’ (see The Book of the Apocalypse, Chapter 19, verse 9).   And those invited are ‘Blessed’ – ‘favoured by God’ and not merely ‘happy’.  The apparently minor change from ‘This is the Lamb of God…’ to ‘Behold the Lamb of God…’ is another instance in the new translation of a move away from a rather ‘school-mastery’ teaching attitude (‘This is…’) to a celebration of the Presence of the Lord.   We are immediately reminded of St John the Baptist’s celebration of the Presence of Jesus in St John’s Gospel (Chapter 1, verse 35) and even of Pilate’s ‘Behold the Man’ (St John, Chapter 19, verse 5).   

Finally, in the words we say as our response to the Invitation to Holy Communion, we find restored to us the biblical reference to Our Lord’s miracle, when he healed the centurion’s servant (St Matthew, Chapter 8, verses 5 – 13):  ‘Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed’.  The response is made very intimate and personal:  ‘my roof’, ‘my soul’.  The use of the words my soul’, rather than simply ‘I’ makes more clear that the Lord is coming to the very depths of my being – all that has been given to me by God’s creative Spirit.  We may well say that it is my soul that gives ‘form’ to my body’; and that in a certain sense, my body is ‘within’ my soul.  What is at the very heart of my being is my soul.

Various options are provided for the Dismissal.  The dialogue that leads up to the Dismissal is introduced by the exchange between Priest (or Bishop) and congregation: for the fourth time in the Mass we have the response, ‘And with your spirit’.