Last week, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (CDWDS) formally approved the new translation of the Ordinary of the Mass. This has been a long time coming, as I remember seeing a early draft almost five years ago. Today, the USCCB Committee on Divine Worship released the recently approved parts of the order of the Mass. In my opinion, the new translation will be well worth waiting for. The language is far more poetic, while also maintaining consistency with the original Latin. The imagery within the prayers is far more vivid. The Roman Canon almost looks like a completely different prayer, with a translation that seems to flow better and connects more evenly as a whole.
One example of the improved imagery within the prayers comes in Eucharistic Prayer II. In the Sacramentary, the epiclesis is translated, "Let your Spirit come upon these gifts to make them holy, so that they may become for us the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ." In the new translation, the same line is translated, "Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall, so that they may become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ." I love the imagery of the Holy Spirit coming upon the gifts like the dew on the grass, very gently and peacefully.
I'm looking forward to being able to celebrate Mass using this translation. It's very much worthy of the dignity and beauty of the Mass, and I pray that the rest of the translations are as beautiful as this one is!
Monday, August 4, 2008
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4 comments:
Father, any word on when the new missal will be promulgated? I've heard 2009 and 2010 mentioned.
I've heard those same dates, but it's not looking too likely. In Februrary, the USCCB Committee on Divine Worship published a tentative schedule in their monthly newsletter. The schedule shows the final sections being voted on in November of 2010. Assuming no other sections of the Roman Missal get voted down, as the Proper of Seasons did last June, the earliest we could have a finalized, approved translation is the beginning of 2011. Most likely the translation won't go into force until the First Sunday of Advent following publication, so it probably won't be until December 4, 2011, at the earliest, before we're celebrating Mass with the improved translation.
Father Cory,
We at Sacred Heart School look forward to the upcoming year and the opportunity to work with you and Father Rob.
Bart Freese
principal
Thanks, Bart! I'm looking forward to working with you as well and spending time with the classes.
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