The PRAYERS AT MASS: Some Changes for Us

The PRAYERS AT MASS: UPDATED EACH WEEK Over the past several years, many experts, linguists and theologians have come together to work on producing an authentic translation of the Sacramentary, or Roman Missal. Originally written in Latin, the Roman Missal contains the prayers that we say at Mass. This updating and effort to remain true to the original Latin Meaning will produce some changes for us in the way we pray at Mass. The basic prayers of the Mass were approved in June of 2008. But it is not known when we will be asked to start using them. There are many parts of the Roman Missal translation that are still in need of official approval so it could still be some time (year or more) before we start using these prayers. However, these approved prayers are by far the most important in terms of changes you will experience. I will offer a snapshot of what is to come in each bulletin.

PRAYER AT MASS(cont.) 3/22/09
After the Creed we have the Prayer of the Faithful. Then follows the Liturgy of the Eucharist with the preparation of the gifts. Here we have a little change in the priest’s and people’s prayers. The priest says: “Pray, brothers and sisters, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.” The people respond with, “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.” Then comes the Eucharistic Prayer. It begins with the three-fold invitation to prayer: Again we see some changes in what we will say. Priest: “The Lord be with you.” People: “And with your spirit.” Priest: “Lift up your hearts.” People: “We lift them to the Lord.” Priest: “Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.” People: “It is right and just.” Comments: It is interesting to note the prayers where the priest observes that the sacrifice is mine and yours. This emphasis drives home the point that the priest can offer the sacrifice but the people have their role to play, making a proper intention to offer this sacrifice too. When the priest asks the people to give thanks to the Lord our God, the people answer simply, “It is right and just.” This brevity will take some getting used to for it replaces “it is right to give Him thanks and praise.” Again, you can see how the music will have to change also to better fit the words.

THE GLORIA: 2/22/09 Again we find a changed prayer. The translation we will have is more loyal to the Latin original. This change will necessitate the writing of new music to fit the words. The guidelines tell us we must keep the text in the song form and not adapt it with different words to suit the music. We will see what our skilled musicians around the English speaking world come up with. In many cases, we will be able to learn and sing the newly translated Gloria in a simple chant form. But that will take some getting used to also. Here is the new form of the 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.”

2nd INTRODUCTORY RITES: 2/15/09 The penitential rite is done in several ways. We are most familiar with the “Lord Have Mercy” and “Christ Have Mercy” antiphons that follow short invocations often done by the Deacon. That will not change. But if we choose to pray the Confiteor it will be different to our ears and tongue. Here it is: “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 what I failed to do, (and, striking one’s chest three times) through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, and all the Angels and Saints, and you my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.” The priest then responds, “May Almighty God have mercy on us, and lead us, with our sins forgiven, to eternal life. And the people respond “Amen.” The big change in this prayer is the “through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault.” In Latin, “mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.” Recapturing the original words does an important thing. It reminds us just how important our sins are, and must not to be taken lightly. “My most grievous fault” and later the three times “through my fault”…we are responsible for our sins, no one else. We take responsibility for them and beg God’s forgiveness. This stance reflects the right relationship we must have with our God. Our God wants to forgive us, but we must acknowledge that our sins are not caused by cultural, genetic or familial factors; they are caused by our choices. We must take responsibility for them. It is then that the greatness of God’s forgiveness is made clear....

INTRODUCTORY RITES: 2/8/09 The words to be used by the priest are a bit changed: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” The response the people make to this and to any time you hear the phrase, “The Lord by with you,” is going to take some getting used to. The people will respond, “And with your spirit.” This more authentic greeting comes directly from Galatians 6:18, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.” It is also found in 2 Timothy 4:22, “The Lord be with your spirit.” More next week...

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