The new translation of the Mass texts will bring about the most significant change in the way English speakers have been experiencing Mass for the past 45 years. Those who were born after Vatican Council II (1962-1965) may find this is the first new translation for them. But those born before the 1960’s may say “here we go again”. Hopefully we will be comfortable with most of the new translation. Some new words will jar us as we try to understand the reasons for the changes. There is no harm in questioning the reason why. While the spoken parts for the congregation may be minimal, all of us will see that most of the prayers recited by the priest have a new translation. Some of these prayers are very lengthy as we will readily notice. In the initial months of the implementation of the new Roman Missal most Catholics will no longer be able to walk into their parish church on Sundays and other days and automatically recite the Gloria, the Creed and other parts of the Mass from memory. Unless they can instantly memorize the new words they will need a guide to help them become accustomed to the new translation of these prayers. So parishes will have pew cards, missalettes with the new translation and moving screens with printed texts etc. to guide us through the initial introductory period.

Active participation in the liturgy which is listening and praying the prayers of Mass requires some work. When the priest says to all of us “let us pray” he is not saying “just listen”; he is saying let us all pray and make this prayer our own. We have an important and often quoted theological principle from the early days of the Church expressed in Latin “lex orandi statuat legem credendi” (the law of prayer is the law of belief) or in more understandable English “the way we pray shows the way we believe”, which is applicable today as it was in ancient times. This principle reminds us that what we say in prayer and how we pray expresses what we believe. If we do not partake of the reception of the Eucharist; if we do not avail ourselves of the sacrament of reconciliation by going to confession from time to time, we show a certain lack of belief in these sacraments. When we come to Mass, we do not just listen to the words of Scripture, the dogmas of our faith expressed in the Creed and other prayers but we try our best, despite the distractions we all have, to unite ourselves with Christ and pour out our praise, our thanks, our hurts, our disappointments, our needs, etc. It is communicating with God. It is expressing what is in our heart and on our mind hoping that God’s will is the same as ours. We must be confident that when we communicate with God, God is listening. Our external participation in the liturgy whether sung or spoken in prayer, active and attentive listening, our gestures and our postures, our silent prayer telling God what is in our heart are the ways we encounter God in the liturgy. Even though some liturgical minister in or near the sanctuary may be doing some work for us assembled, each of us has a role. We all pray together and encourage one another by participating actively. It means opening our mouths to say responses. It means singing along with the cantor, the choir and fellow members of the congregation as best we can. Some have been blessed with wonderful singing voices and great musical ability but all of us have been given the gift of speech. If people let the choir, cantor and those with the best singing voices do all the work we fail in charity by not supporting them in sung or spoken word. God loves the worst singers as well as the best singers. God loves those with radio announcer voices as well as those with “frogs” in their throats!

The words expressed throughout the Mass communicate God’s message to the assembly. The words in song or spoken form that we use express our prayers and praise to God. There is a dialogue going on at Mass not a monologue. There is a dialogue going on between the priest and the people. There is also a dialogue going on between God and his people gathered in worship. We express our thanks and our praise to God for the blessings we have been given; we express our needs to God when we beg God’s help for the blessings we yearn for and feel we need; we express our sorrow for our failings and beg forgiveness from God and our resolution to be a better Christian in what we say and do. Through the words of scripture we hear God’s message not just for people thousands of years ago, but God’s message for us here and now as we try to understand how it applies to us in today’s world. God speaks to us in order to teach us, form us, encourage us and forgive us. Throughout the Mass there are many sentiments expressed. It is the fond wish of the Church that the new translation will help all of us to pray the best we can.

Let us hear the words of the document Liturgiam Authenticam which gave the principles for the new translation and the reasons for the new wording:

“By means of words of praise and adoration that foster reverence and gratitude in the face of God’s majesty, His power, His mercy and His transcendent nature, the translations will respond to the hunger and thirst for the living God that is experienced by the people of our own time.” (#25).

Very Rev. Michael T. Driscoll, O. Carm.
Administrator Pro-Tem