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Bread for the Journey
Week 1 -- Introduction
With the
beginning of Advent 2011, we, as Catholics, will be experiencing
revisions in our Mass. The revisions will be in our responses,
the words that we say in the Gloria and Creed, and in the
prayers, which the priest will say during Mass. These revisions
will mirror more closely an accurate translation from the
original Latin text.
It will take
time for us to acclimate ourselves to the revisions. This,
however, is a time for us to deepen our understanding of the
Mass and to renew our love for the Eucharist which draws us
together as faith communities week after week.
Over the next
several months, we will be offering a series of bulletin
paragraphs to renew us throughout the Archdiocese as we prepare
for the revisions. It is our hope that the paragraphs will
nourish us as the faithful and nurture us on our journey
together.
These summaries
are taken from
Revised Roman Missal--The Introductory Rites, Revised Roman
Missal--And with Your Spirit © 2010 Archdiocese
of Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 3949 South Racine
Avenue, Chicago IL 60609.
For more information about The Roman Missal, visit:
www.usccb.org/romanmissal
Week 2 -- The Roman Missal
Over time, you may have heard much
through newspapers, blog postings, and Twitter about the
forthcoming revised translation of The Roman Missal. You
may be wondering, "What is The Roman Missal, and how does this
translation affect us?"
Take notice of the red book the priest uses most often during
Mass. This book is called The Sacramentary, which
together with the Lectionary for Mass make up The
Roman Missal. The Missal is the collection of prayers,
chants, and instructions (rubrics) used to celebrate Mass. This
includes the Sign of the Cross and opening greeting, Opening
Prayers, Gloria Creed Eucharistic Prayers Holy, Holy, Memorial
Acclamations, and the final blessing. The majority of the
prayers we recite or sing at Mass are contained in this book and
it is these prayers that are currently being retranslated from
the original Latin into English.
Week 3
-- The Lectionary and Sacramentary
Because the amount of scripture proclaimed at Mass increased
following the Second Vatican Council (1962 –1965), the
Missale Romanum (Roman Missal) was divided into two
separate books: The Lectionary for Mass (four volumes of
Sacred Scripture) and The Sacramentary (prayers, chants,
and instructions [rubrics] for the celebration of the Mass). The
Lectionary texts for the dioceses of the United States were
revised in 1998 and are currently used in the liturgy. The texts
that are found in the current edition of The Sacramentary
have been retranslated and will eventually be used in
English-speaking countries. With this translation, the name of
the book will change from The Sacramentary to The
Roman Missal, a translation of the Latin title,
Missale
Romanum.
Week 4
-- Translation of the Roman Missal
All of the prayers we say in English
in the Mass have corresponding Latin texts. After the
Second Vatican Council, the Latin texts were translated into the
vernacular, or common language, of particular regions in the
world.
The first English translation of The Roman Missal was
completed quickly in 1969. It aimed for a “spirit” of the texts
rather than an exact literal translation of the Latin words. A
second revision of these texts occurred in 1975. In 2001, the
Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the
Sacraments, the liturgical commission in Rome, issued a document
outlining the methodology and process for translating
liturgical texts into vernacular languages. This document,
Liturgiam Authenticum, called for a more literal translation
of the original Latin, and so a group of scholars, poets, and
theologians convened and worked painstakingly on providing a
third English translation. The Congregation for Divine Worship
and the Discipline of the Sacraments announced recognition
(official announcement) on April 30, 2010. These texts will
be implemented on November 27, 2011, the First Sunday of Advent.
Week
5 -- Praying What We Believe
When
the translation is used, you will notice slight changes in the
prayers we hear and say at Mass. For example, we will soon
respond, “And with your spirit” to “The Lord be with you.”
Being faithful to the original Latin prayers will enhance the
meaning of the texts. They will be more poetic, and there will
be a more obvious connection to the scriptural roots of our
prayers. Our liturgical principal states, lex orandi, lex
credendi — that is “the law of prayer is the law of faith” or
“that which we pray is that which we believe.” This is why the
prayers of the Church are so important and why the Church has
initiated the process of revising the English translation. The
words of our prayers are what we believe as a Church and form us
as the body of Christ.
Week
6:
-- “And with your spirit”
Probably the most noticeable change for the laity in the revised
translation of The Roman Missal will be the response to
“The Lord be with you,” which restores the phrase “And with your
spirit” in place of “And also with you.” This change is
specifically called for by Liturgiam Authenticam, the
instruction from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the
Discipline of the Sacraments regarding the translation of
liturgical texts. It states that the Latin phrase, Et cum
spiritu tuo, must be translated as literally as possible.
English is the only major European language that does not
mention the spirit in the current translation of this response;
the Greek liturgy of the Eastern Churches also employs the
equivalent of “And with your spirit.” So the new form has both
tradition and widespread use on its side. Underlying the use are
scriptural and theological reasons.
Week 7 -- Introductory Rites
The Introductory Rites of the Eucharistic liturgy introduce and
acclimate us to the particular feast or liturgical season.
These rites include the Entrance song and procession, the Sign
of the Cross, a greeting, Penitential Act, the Kyrie, Gloria,
and the Collect or Opening Prayer.
The Sign of the Cross is marked on our bodies to identify us as
disciples who were baptized into the Triune God: “In the name of
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.” Next, we
acknowledge our dependence on our gracious and merciful God by
asking our Lord to have mercy, or in the Greek: Kyrie eleison.
During the season of Easter, there is the option of replacing
the penitential Rite of Blessing and Sprinkling Holy Water on
the assembly as a reminder of our baptism.
Week
8 -- The Gloria
In Baptism, Christ liberated us from sin and death in order to
be reborn into his life of grace, mercy, and love. Our only
response to God’s kindness, compassion, and mercy is by
offering “Glory to God in the highest.” This ancient hymn is
based on the song from the Gospel according to Luke that the
angels sang to the shepherds that Jesus was born. This was their
song of praise to God who became flesh, became human in the
person of Jesus the Christ. During Advent and Lent, the Gloria
is not sung on Sundays. It returns on Christmas Eve and again
during the Paschal Triduum’s Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy
Thursday evening.
Week 9 --
Revised Text of the Gloria
This chart
indicates the changes which will be made in the Gloria:
Present Text Revised Text
Glory to God in the highest, and
Glory to God in the highest, and
peace to his people on earth.
on earth peace to people of good
Lord, God, heavenly King,
will. We praise you, we bless you,
almighty God and Father,
we adore you, we glorify you,
we worship you, we give you thanks
we give you thanks for your
we praise you for your glory.
for your great glory,
Lord Jesus Christ,
Lord God, heavenly King,
only Son of the Father,
O God, almighty Father.
Lord Jesus Christ,
Lord Jesus Christ,
only Son of the Father,
Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
Son of the Father, you take away
have mercy on us;
the sins of the world, have mercy
you are seated at the right hand
on us; you take the sins of the world,
of the Father: receive our prayer.
receive our prayer;
For you alone are the Holy One,
you are seated at the right hand
you alone are the Lord,
of the Father, have mercy on us.
you alone are the Most High,
For you alone are the Holy One,
Jesus Christ, with the
you alone are the Lord, you alone
Holy Spirit,
are the Most High, Jesus Christ,
in the glory of God the Father.
with the Holy Spirit,
Amen.
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.
Week 10 -- The Opening Prayer or Collect
The Opening Prayer or Collect is the conclusion of the
Introductory Rites. The priest invites personal prayer when he
proclaims: “Let us pray.” There is a brief period of silence.
Then the presider offers the prayer from The Roman Missal.
The prayer unites — that is, "collects" — our personal prayer to the
community prayer from the Missal. The Opening Prayer or Collect
is connected to the season or the feast, and thus indicates what
aspect of Christ’s mystery is being celebrated at this time and
in this place.
Week
11
-- Liturgy of the Word
The Liturgy of the Word begins with the First
Reading at the ambo. Typically, this reading is from the Old
Testament; during the Easter season, the reading is from the
Acts of the Apostles. A period of silence after the reading
allows for people to reflect upon the word they just heard
proclaimed. In many parishes in the United States, the psalm is
sung. Psalms reflect a vast array of emotions as we hear lament,
thanksgiving, praise, and petition. These words help us to
express our own varied expressions of faith.
The
Second Reading is usually an epistle, that is, a letter from the
New Testament. Again, a brief period of silence takes place
after the Second Reading.
During the Gospel procession, “Alleluia” is sung, or during
Lent, an acclamation such as “Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ!”
In many parishes, the Book of the Gospels is accompanied with
candles and, on solemn occasions, with incense. This leads to
the climax of the Liturgy of the Word the proclamation of the
Gospel. Most Sundays, these words are the words of Jesus as
recorded in the accounts of the Gospel.
Week
12
-- The Homily
The homily should connect the readings to the
lives of the assembly. In describing the homily, the GIRM states
that it “is necessary for the nurturing of the Christian life.
It should be an exposition of some aspect of the readings from
Sacred Scripture or of another text from the Ordinary or from
the Proper of the Mass of the day and should take into account
both the mystery being celebrated and the particular needs of
the listeners” (GIRM, 65). The homily juxtaposes the experiences
of the people in the assembly with the texts of the liturgy.
Other texts used in the homily may be a prayer from the
liturgy that speaks to the needs of the assembly at that time,
or a part of the Eucharistic Prayer, or one of the prayers of a
particular rite added to the liturgy of the day such as the
Rites of Christian Initiation of Adults or the Rite of Marriage.
God’s words comfort and challenge us. Perhaps, with that in
mind, the prayer may challenge us to an aspect of God’s
compassion or mercy that will stir us to God’s mission.
Week
13
-- The Nicene Creed
With the revised translation of The Roman
Missal, it might be helpful to take a look at some changes
in the translation of the Creed.
First, why do we even say the Creed during Mass? There are
two main reasons. The Creed serves as the key for understanding
the entire Bible, Old and New Testaments — like a condensed
version of the Bible. This is why it comes at the end of the
Liturgy of the Word. Any understanding of scripture — including
that made during homilies — must be in agreement with the Creed.
Secondly, it serves as a marker or guide for the Communion
that will soon follow. The Creed is our communion in the faith
that enables us to share in Communion in the Eucharist. It
serves as a summary of the Word and a bridge to Communion.
We
will note that at the start of the Nicene Creed, instead of
stating, “We believe”, members of the assembly will say, “I
believe.” Historically, the first liturgical use of the Creed
was at Baptisms and still today, whenever we celebrate a
Baptism, we profess the Creed. As a re-presentation of
our faith, the Creed is most appropriate to Baptism, which
brings others into our faith. The words of the Creed give
us the opportunity for individual ownership of this
faith. It’s similar at Mass. Each of us professes individual
ownership of the common faith that is prepares us for sharing
Holy Communion as a Church: “I believe.”
Week
14
-- Understanding The Creed
In the first part of the Creed, we profess God the Father as
creator. He is “maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible
and invisible.” God is the maker of what is visible, such as the
earth and the stars and you and me. He is maker not only of
“unseen things” (as the former translation has it) but also of
“invisible” things, such as angels. He is also maker of what is
invisible, such as our immortal souls.
In the second part of the Creed, we affirm our faith that
Jesus Christ is both divine and human. The same man who became
flesh, “incarnate of the Virgin Mary” (in other words, who
received our human nature from her) also suffered death on the
cross. This man is God from God and Light from Light. John’s
first letter tells us that God is light (1 John 1:5 –7), and we
believe that Jesus is divine light.
Week
15
-- “Consubstantial” with the Father
In the present Creed text, we say that Jesus
is, “one in being with the Father.” The revised Creed text will
state that Jesus is, “consubstantial with the Father.”
Consubstantial is a word that refers to the core substance.
Consubstantial refers to the core substance of who Jesus is;
this core substance being the same core substance of who God the
Father is. The word professes specifically that the divinity of
Jesus and the divinity of the Father is one and the same,
without saying that Jesus is the Father or vice versa (kind
of like how ice and steam are both water without being the
same thing). Consubstantial is an important word. It was
debated by theologians and bishops for centuries as they sought
the best word to clarify this great truth about Jesus. It
deserves our respect and attention.
Week
16 -- The Creed Reflects the Scriptures
The Creed professes faith in the Holy Spirit and the Church. The
current translation states, “we acknowledge one baptism,”
whereas, the revised text will state, “I confess one baptism.”
Our job is not simply to acknowledge Baptism, but to confess our
faith in its saving power.
The current text also states that we “look for the
resurrection of the dead” as though it were lost. However, the
revised text will state that we “look forward” to the
resurrection, a belief that fills us with hope and expectation.
The Creed opens up for us the correct understanding of the
Bible and calls us to communion in faith so that we can approach
the altar to receive Holy Communion, the body and blood of our
Lord, human and divine, con-substantial with the Father in his
divinity, and consubstantial with you and me in his humanity.
Week
17
-- Prayer of the Faithful
After the Creed, the presider invites the assembly to the
intercession of the Prayers of the Faithful which flow from the
homily and the Word of God. They juxtapose the needs of the
Church, the world, the oppressed, and the local community with
God’s word proclaimed in the liturgy. These prayers are meant to
be general or universal, meaning they are not particular
for any one person or for any one thing. For example, instead of
praying only for Aunt Joan who is struggling with illness, we
pray for all the sick and ill. The presider concludes the
Prayers of the Faithful with a prayer, which marks the end of
the Liturgy of the Word. The Liturgy of the Eucharist is next.
Though we cannot see words, their power, especially if they
are Christ’s words proclaimed in liturgy, touch us with comfort
or challenge us to live Christ’s mission given to the Church.
• • •
For more information
contact:
Director of Adult Faith Formation
•
320 Mulberry St.
Waterloo IA 50703.
Phone:
319-234-9912 • Email:
DBQ208s3@arch.pvt.k12.ia.us
Last Update: 01.24.11 |