September 7, 2011
Last week I reviewed for you the history, the reasons, and the thinking behind the New Roman Missal that will come into full use later this fall. Already before Mass began today we shifted into the new translation of the Gloria Hymn so that by the time Advent begins you should be fairly well comfortable with the new wording. The cards you find in the pews will remain there for your use until we make a decision about new hymnals which will be a considerable financial burden for us that I hesitate to assume at this time. Eventually we will try publishing a Liturgy Sheet for each week and see how that works for awhile.
There are two other matters in the new Missal that deserve some attention. The first of these is the Profession of Faith we make after the homily as the Liturgy moves from the Word to the Eucharist. As I said last week, the revised translation from the Latin is now closer to the Latin original. In the last forty years, translators have learned a lot and there is now a concern to express our faith with more precision.
The Profession of Faith we most commonly use is the Nicene Creed. What you will notice immediately is that it will now begin with “I” rather than “We.” The Latin word is in the singular: I; and that singular form has been used everywhere else in the world except here, so now we shall say what everyone else says. Personally I find this change leading us closer to our use of the Profession of Faith in Baptism. I think this is a good change. If you remember, at Baptism, the profession of faith and the renewal of that profession is always in the singular. You hear this every time we have a Baptism. I ask the question: “Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty?” and the response comes: “I do.” As we now begin to Profess our Faith each Sunday, there will be that obvious connection between that moment and the Baptismal Liturgy.
A little further into the text “seen and unseen” is now going to read: “Of all things visible and invisible.” This change is more precise. I have family in Denver who are visible but unseen. We believe that God made things we cannot see for whatever reason and also made things that are invisible. In the same phrase of the Creed we will say that we “believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the ONLY BEGOTTEN Son of God. The old translation said: “only Son of God.” These words also appear in the Gloria, and the change emphasis that Jesus did not “only” or “merely” materialize as the Son of God, but that he was intentionally BEGOTTEN – his presence was always in the divine plan. The words: “Born of the Father before all ages” become: “Eternally begotten of the Father” because it is more precise since it is our believe that Jesus dwelt with the Father before time began.
Now perhaps the biggest and most obvious change in the Creed comes with the introduction of a word that is certainly a “mouthful” for children.
“Consubstantial”. This replaces the expression: “one in being” to describe the relationship between Jesus and the Father. It is a word that is used for nothing else, so why not use it to describe something that is completely unique? The relationship between Jesus and God is essential to our Faith as Christians, and heresies have divided Christians over this issue in the past. The early church carefully considered how to express this relationship and carefully chose a word that expresses the dogma of the Divinity of Jesus. Jesus and the Father are not just one in “being”, they are one in substance.
The same principal then brings the word “Incarnate” into the new translation replacing the words: “born of the Virgin Mary.” This birth is unique. The Word (Jesus) did not become Flesh at birth. The Word was present at conception by the power of the Holy Spirit. There are a several other changes that in my opinion are not as significant and challenging to our thinking, and there is not enough to time to mention them all, but one final one strikes me as powerful. Near the very end the old translation said: “we acknowledge one baptism….” The new one says: “I confess.” It is stronger and more forceful. One baptism is not something we simply acknowledge. It is something we firmly believe in. This involves the heart not must the mind. So, the changes in the translation of the Creed are a good example of what I spoke of last week: the effort to translate into English a deeper and more precise expression of the original Latin text
The other matter shows up most clearly at communion time when the priest lifts up the Body and Blood of Christ and says: This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Happy are those called to his supper.” The new translation goes like this:
“Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.” To which you will now respond: (take a look at the card in the pew) Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” This is a good example of several other changes that will ring a note of familiarity once the whole translation goes into use. The guiding principal was an effort to make more obvious texts and words of the Sacred Scriptures as we use them in our prayer. I think you recognize more quickly the words of the Centurion who came to Jesus asking for the life of his sick son. A connection is also made in the part said by the priest now using the word: “Blessed”. These words should strike a familiar note connecting us to the Beatitudes which in Matthew and Luke say: “Blessed are you.”
Two final observations. After the Words of Consecration or the Words of Institution, the priest called for the assembly to proclaim the mystery of faith with the words: Let us Proclaim the Mystery of Faith.” Now the priest will simply say: THE MYSTERY OF FAITH just as in other places similar statements say: The Word of the Lord, or The Body of Christ. The are simple faith-filled statements that prompt a response. When this occurs, the priest is in the middle of a prayer directed to God. In the old translation the focus shifted from God to address the assembly then turns the attention back to God. By omitting the words: “LET US” the focus stays upon God. The priest makes a announcement, and the people make an acclamation. The response you make is an acclamation, not a proclamation. An acclamation is addressed to someone; a proclamation is made about someone. So you will address someone. It is an acclamation. You are not talking to each other about someone. There will be three acclamations: they are slightly different, just enough to get you mixed up, but then you will have to pay attention rather than just rattle off something by rote memory. Previously there were four, and one goes missing because it is a proclamation rather than an acclamation: “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.” You see? That is a proclamation: talking about someone. It is not an acclamation. Here at Saint Mark in time you will know which one to sing by the musical introduction, and sometimes it will be printed in the worship sheet.
Finally, the deacon is not excused from the challenge of the new translation. He gets several options that better suggest that what is happening is not simply our departure from the building, but that we are entering the world with a mission. He will say: “Go Forth! The Mass is ended.” or “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord!” or “Go in peace glorifying the Lord by your life!” or simply: “Go in peace.”
Now there is much more that could be said in greater detail, but I have no reason to believe that it would be of great help. Simply keep in mind that the Mass is not changing, and our prayer is not changing. Only the words are changing. Remember that this change is an effort to deepen our sense of this great and awesome mystery, and at the same time continue to stir in our minds and hearts a connection between our words and the words of Sacred Scripture. Best of all, these changes will call us all out of our routine and sometimes mindless repetition and challenge us to think, to remember, to pray, and to acclaim with full heart and mind the wonder of the faith we share and celebrate at this altar.