The changes will be implemented on the first weekend of Advent, the beginning of the Church’s new year. This year, Advent begins on November 27, the Sunday after Thanksgiving. This new translation in no way undoes anything that changed with the 2nd Vatican Council. Simply put, the words that we pray at Mass express our beliefs. Therefore, it is important that the translations capture and express these beliefs clearly.

Most of the changes will be in the words the priest prays. Others take place in the people’s parts. These changes are well thought out, are based in scripture and have been in development for a number of years.

From Bulletin dated December 25, 2011

Opening Prayer (Collect) - O God, who gladden us year by year as we wait in hope for our redemption, grant that, just as we joyfully welcome your Only Begotten Son as our Redeemer, we may also merit to face him confidently when he comes again as our Judge.

Merry Christmas! This Opening Prayer, taken from the Mass for Christmas Eve, wonderfully summarizes what Advent and Christmas are all about. We began Advent by focusing on the Second Coming of Christ, "when he comes again as our Judge." We then shifted our attention to joyful expectation of the first coming, the Nativity. Now today, all our waiting, hoping, anticipating, and expecting are gloriously fulfilled by the birth of our Savior, who humbled himself to redeem us. May we faithfully use the blessings of this Christmas season to become more Christ-like in all we think, say, and do, that we may more effectively build the Kingdom of God here on earth.

Dianne Fox, Director of Music and Liturgy

From Bulletin dated December 18, 2011

Opening Prayer (Collect) - Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son was made known by the message of an Angel, may by his Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of his Resurrection.

Many of you may recognize this beautiful prayer from the Angelus, a devotion which commemorates the Annunciation of the Angel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It corresponds with the Gospel reading today, as we await with joyful expectation the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. This prayer uses the Annunciation as a starting point to a remembrance of the entire Christian mystery. It is a reminder that God used the simple “Yes” of a young Jewish girl to bring salvation into the world. May we imitate the humility of Mary as we welcome the Savior of the world into our hearts this Christmas.

Dianne Fox, Director of Music and Liturgy

From Bulletin dated December 11, 2011

Opening Prayer (Collect) - O God, who see how your people faithfully await the feast of the Lord's Nativity, enable us, we pray, to attain the joys of so great a salvation, and to celebrate them always with solemn worship and glad rejoicing.

The 3rd Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete Sunday. "Gaudete" is the Latin word for "rejoice," and it is today that Advent adopts a lighter tone. We light the pink candle on the Advent wreath, we sing music that is often a little more upbeat, and the prayers of the liturgy, as shown in the Opening Prayer above, specifically mention the joy that we feel at the coming of the Lord. This is also the first Opening Prayer during Advent that explicitly mentions the Nativity. It is at this point in Advent that we turn our attention from the Second Coming to the first coming, the birth of Jesus. Today, let us rejoice that our salvation is at hand, our Lord is coming soon. Come, Lord Jesus!

Dianne Fox, Director of Music and Liturgy

From Bulletin dated December 4, 2011

Opening Prayer (Collect) - Almighty and merciful God, may no earthly undertaking hinder those who set out in haste to meet your Son, but may our learning of heavenly wisdom gain us admittance to his company.

We are once again reminded that we must go out (in haste!) to meet the Lord. We may have had many hindrances in getting here for Mass this Sunday (work, sports, lost shoes, not enough sleep…) but still we come. John the Baptist tells us in today’s Gospel to prepare the way… not for the baby Jesus, but for the Christ that we meet every Sunday here in church in the Eucharist and every day in our families and neighbors. This week let us pray to be open to His presence in every moment of our lives.

Dianne Fox, Director of Music and Liturgy

From Bulletin dated November 27, 2011

Roman Missal News: The Liturgy of the Eucharist (Part II)

Happy Advent! We are here, the first weekend of the new translation of the third edition of the Roman Missal. Somewhat like the start of a new school year, it comes whether we want it to or not, and the excitement of the newness is both exhilarating and exhausting. And just like school, the learning continues, because it will be a long time before this new text doesn’t feel different to us. Last week we began looking at the Liturgy of the Eucharist. We continue with “The Mystery of Faith.” Just that title speaks of the difference. We no longer hear the priest say, “Let us proclaim the Mystery of Faith.” He just simply declares, “The Mystery of Faith” because that is what we must do – make a declaration! There are three acclamations to choose from and each one makes a statement of what Christ has done or will do for us through the sacrifice of his body. The familiar acclamation, “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again” is no longer an option. It was never part of the Latin Mass, but rather an acclamation written to accommodate the English Mass. Nor does is speak of Christ made present in the Blessed Sacrament or of our relationship to Him.

Following the exchange of Peace we sing the Agnus Dei (“Lamb of God”), which has not changed. But after that is the Invitation to Communion with a change in both the Priest’s introduction and our response. Priest: 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. / All: Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed. Although this will sound awkward to many, it is important to understand that this comes directly from scripture. We hear the words of the Centurion in Matthew’s Gospel who begs Jesus to heal his servant, but then declares, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.” The Lord responds, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith” (Mt 8:10). This is the very faith and humility we must have before receiving the Blessed Sacrament. We must make ourselves fitting homes for God’s grace to dwell within us.

As we end the Mass, the options for dismissal all include the same word, “Go.” This isn’t about leaving but rather about commissioning each of us to go forth and spread the Good News to all we meet. This is what the Eucharist is meant to do. It is not about coming to Church once a week, fulfilling an obligation. It is about bringing Christ to all we meet. During this time of Advent as we prepare for the coming of the Lord, remember that it is through each of us that we bring Him to others. May this time be a time of peaceful anticipation for you and for your family, and may the words we hear and pray, as we gather as a family of God, bring you ever closer to the Lord and his promise.

Dianne Fox, Director of Music and Liturgy

From Bulletin dated November 20, 2011

Use of new translation of the Roman Missal begins next week

As many of you know, starting next Sunday, the words we hear at Mass will sound a little different. This is the day we begin using the new translation of the Roman Missal. We also enter into the beginning of the new Church year and the start of Advent. During the next five weeks we will be offering reflections on the Opening Prayer (Collect). The change in the words we pray at Mass offers us an opportunity to experience these prayers in a deeper way. Each week the opening prayer will be printed, along with a few brief comments in the hope that it will help you and your family enter more fully into the meaning of the Advent- Christmas Season.

Dianne Fox, Director of Music and Liturgy

The Liturgy of the Eucharist

I hope that last week you were able to take the time to read through the bulletin insert, which had a side-by-side comparison of our current translation and the new translation, which we will begin using next week. If you missed it, you can find it at http://old.usccb.org/romanmissal/samples-people.shtml.

This week we will begin to look at the prayers from the Liturgy of the Eucharist – both the prayers that we speak and the prayers that we will hear. Beginning with the Sanctus, there is only one simple change at the very beginning: “God of power and might” becomes “God of hosts.” As in the previous changes discussed, this comes directly from scriptural references: “I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne… Seraphim were stationed above… ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts!’ they cried one to the other. ‘All the earth is filled with his glory!’” (Isaiah 6:1-3) and in Luke 2:13, a “multitude of the heavenly host” also announces the birth of Jesus to the shepherds.

Changes in the Eucharistic Prayer that may seem jarring when we hear them are during the Institution Narrative. The first is the changing of the word “cup” to the word “chalice.” Once again, I reprint a Commentary written by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:

Both refer to vessels from which we drink, and both terms appear in the Bible. However, “chalice” implies a special kind of cup – one that is precious and set aside for a noble purpose (in this case, for the “new and eternal covenant”). This is part of the dignified language brought out by the new translation: just as we do not refer to the altar of sacrifice as merely a “table,” so saying “chalice” at this moment emphasizes that the Blood of Christ is no ordinary drink. Such language can help foster greater reverence at the Holy Mass.

The Commentary from the USCCB continues with the following:

A significant change is the revision of the current phrase, “shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven,” to “poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.” …At the most basic level, “for many” is a faithful translation of the original Latin phrase, “pro multis.” Turning to Scripture, Isaiah 53:12 prophesied that the Messiah would take away “the sins of many,” and Christ Himself at the Last Supper also said His Blood would be shed for “many” (Mt 26:28, Mk 14:24).

This does not mean that Christ did not die for the sake of all humanity, for that, too, is indisputable from Scripture. We need only recall 2 Corinthians 5:15 – “He indeed died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” Rather, “for many” upholds the reality that each individual must also accept and abide in the grace won by Christ in order to attain eternal life.* The recovery of this wording affirms that salvation is not completely automatic.

Nonetheless, it should not be interpreted as overly restrictive, either. The fact that Jesus was addressing only the Apostles in the Upper Room while saying, “for you and for many,” implies far-reaching inclusion – that many more besides the Twelve would benefit from this new covenant.

Next week we begin the implementation of the 3rd edition of the Roman Missal. It will take a long time before we are accustomed to reciting the prayers the way we are now, and before our ears will be a-tuned to the words at the Altar. But it seems to me that, like reading a book or seeing a much talked about movie the very first time, the true beauty and passion that we feel for the words will grow as we get to know them. Enjoy the wonder of exploring a new friendship with the Mass!

* Emphasis added

From Bulletin dated November 6, 2011

The Creed - One of the greatest treasures of the Roman Catholic Mass is the ritual aspect of the liturgy. Ritual presents itself in many ways, one of which is in our spoken prayers, which come so freely to us. As we have been preparing for the upcoming 3rd edition of the Roman Missal, the one thing most people have been saying is that, for the time-being, we will be having a “read Mass.” This goes for the priests as well the people. As we begin reading these prayers, and then truly absorbing them, we have an opportunity to truly enrich our prayer life and our connection to the Holy Eucharist. This week we look at the Creed (Nicene). You will notice a number of alterations in the text, and once again, I reprint a Commentary written by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:

The first major change is difficult to miss: the Creed will now say “I believe” instead of “We believe.” Other language groups have been using “I believe” in the vernacular, because it is a straightforward translation of the Latin “Credo.” This offers a recurring opportunity to reaffirm one’s personal faith, just as when individuals respond, “I do,” if there is a renewal of baptismal promises during Mass.

The next change is from “seen and unseen” to “visible and invisible.” The Latin “visibilium” and “invisibilium” convey a more specific demarcation between the bodily and the spiritual realms. For instance, a child playing hide-and-seek may be unseen yet is still considered visible, whereas one’s guardian angel is indeed invisible by nature.

The new Creed translation also recovers Christ’s title, “Only Begotten Son” (“Fili Unigenite”), which we see in the revised Gloria. To say the Son is “born of the Father before all ages” is a profound theological truth, for the Son is not “born” in the human sense of beginning one’s life, but eternally proceeds from the Father while being always fully God. Therefore, we profess that Jesus Christ is “begotten, not made.”

Following this comes a major wording change: from “one in being” to “consubstantial with the Father.” “Consubstantial” (“consubstantialem” in the Latin text) is an unusual word that will require some catechesis, but it is a crucial early theological term, asserting that the Son is of the “same substance” with the Father – meaning He equally shares the Father’s divinity as a Person of the Holy Trinity.

Although it carries the same basic meaning as “one in being,” the more precise use of consubstantial” is an acknowledgement of how the Greek equivalent of the word was so important for safeguarding orthodoxy in the early Church. In the Fourth Century, the description "homoousios” (“same substance”) was affirmed over “homoiousios” (“like substance”). The reality of who Christ is thus hinged upon a single letter!

There is another important change in the middle of the Creed: “and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.” The current wording of “born of the Virgin Mary, and became man” can easily be misinterpreted to mean that Christ did not actually become man until the time He was born. Of course, the reality is that the Son of God took on human nature from the moment of His conception in the Blessed Virgin Mary’s womb, at the Annunciation. By using the term, “incarnate,” the new translation leaves no ambiguity.

One of the remaining minor changes in the new Creed translation is “I look forward to the resurrection of the dead,” by which one expresses a sincere desire, rather than simply “looking for” the resurrection. The Latin “exspecto” conveys a sense of anxious waiting and expectation!

There is no doubt that this prayer may be awkward at first. If we take the time to truly look at the text and the meaning behind the changes it will only draw us closer into the Triune Mystery that enriches our life.

Dianne Fox, Director of Music and Liturgy

From Bulletin dated October 30, 2011

Roman Missal News: Gloria - As we continue to look at some of the changes we will be hearing and speaking in the 3rd Edition of the Roman Missal beginning in Advent we will look at the Glory to God. In my personal opinion, some of the most beautiful changes in text occur during this wonderful hymn of praise. Below is a Commentary on the Glory to God, provided by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal describes the Gloria as “a most ancient and venerable hymn by which the Church, gathered in the Holy Spirit, glorifies and entreats God the Father and the Lamb” (no. 53).

Much of the text of the Gloria comes from Scripture: the first lines are derived from the Angels heralding the glad tidings of Christ’s birth in Luke 2:14 - “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” The opening words (“Glory to God in the highest”) also correspond to the Latin, “Gloria in excelsis Deo” - a phrase universally familiar from the popular Christmas carol, “Angels We Have Heard on High.”

There are clearly substantial differences between the new liturgical text and the Gloria translation that we have been using. The current text reads, “peace to his people on earth,” which the new text expands to “on earth peace to people of good will.” It helps to know that some versions of the Bible render Luke 2:14 as “on earth peace, good will toward men.” The new translation of the Gloria is a richer reference to the fact that the Messiah’s coming brings the world a higher order of divine peace that only the incarnate Son of God can bestow. Those who live in accordance with God’s will and receive His grace shall experience the fullness of this peace.

Turning to the second sentence of the new Gloria, we notice something striking - the new translation recovers entire phrases that were left out of the current translation. Right now, we sing, “we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.” However, the Latin text of the hymn offers five successive ways in which we should pay homage to God: “We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory.” In a general sense, it is true that these all convey the same idea of worshiping God. But liturgical prayer is enhanced by poetic repetition, and these five descriptions of worship do hold subtle distinctions. Together, they combine to express the extent to which it is our Christian duty to give “glory to God.”

The addition of “Only Begotten Son” recovers a key phrase from the Latin text - “Fili Unigenite.” This is a venerable title of Jesus Christ, which speaks of the fact that the Son of God comes forth from the Father, yet is no less an eternal Person of the Divine Trinity.

Unlike our current translation, the new text includes two lines (rather than one) that begin with “you take away the sins of the world,” thereby reflecting the Latin text. By regaining this line and an additional “have mercy on us” in the next line, the new translation features a classic threefold structure of supplication: “have mercy on us… receive our prayer… have mercy on us.” We also see this sort of structure in the Kyrie and Lamb of God.

Next week we will begin teaching (and using) the Glory to God setting chosen for the use of our parish. During the summer members of our parish music ministers got together to help choose a Mass setting for our congregation to use. The setting we chose was the Missa Pacem. Although this is not a new Mass setting, it is new to Saint Mary’s. The Missa Pacem was published originally in 2004, revised in 2010 for the new translation of the Roman Missal. This Mass setting was dedicated to the memory of those who lost their lives on September 11, 2011.

Please continue to prayer for all of our brothers and sisters, that we will be open and welcoming to the changes, so that we can continue to praise God for all he has given us.

Dianne Fox, Director of Music and Liturgy

From Bulletin dated October 23, 2011

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 in what I have failed to do, [And, striking their breast, they say:] through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; [Then they continue:] therefore I ask blessed Mary ever - Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.

This week we continue to look at some of the changes we will be hearing and speaking in the 3rd Edition of the Roman Missal beginning in Advent by taking a closer look at the Confiteor (“I confess…”). The Confiteor is one of the three forms of the Penitential Act; however, it is the only one that will see any variation. The other forms were long ago translated directly. (For ex. “Kyrie eleison”/”Lord, have mercy.”) A reminder that after Vatican II the method of translation attempted to convey the thought or meaning behind the Latin (Dynamic Equivalence). Now the method is a direct, or literal translation (Formal Equivalence). In doing so, we have an opportunity to uncover the scriptural richness of the Latin, which may have been missed in the previous method of translation. In the Confiteor we confess our own individual sinfulness, and in doing so, we acknowledge that God is God, and we are not. David himself proclaims, “'I have sinned greatly in doing this thing.'” (1 Chr 21:8).

Closely following the Latin text, the Confiteor continues: “through my fault, through my fault, / through my most grievous fault.” This will sound different from the previous translation, in which our “fault” is mentioned once (“that I have sinned through my own fault”). The English translation of the third edition of The Roman Missal maintains the original poetic repetition found in the Latin text. At this point, we are instructed to strike the breast. This is not a new gesture; it has always been a rubric in the English translations of The Roman Missal. The words above (“through my fault…”) are said while the person strikes his/ her breast. This is an ancient gesture expressing sorrow and is a sign of our contrition - See Jeremiah 31:19, NAB, “I turn in repentance… I strike my breast”.

As with all the newly translated text, take this as an opportunity rather than a deterrent, to enrich your prayer life, to bring freshness to the way you encounter God through the beautiful ritual of the Mass. And as we approach the 1st Sunday of Advent when we begin using the new translation, I ask that you pray for all of our brothers and sisters, that we all are open and welcoming to the changes, so that we can continue to praise God for all he has given us.

Dianne Fox, Director of Music and Liturgy

From Bulletin dated October 16, 2011

On Monday, September 26, Todd Williamson came from Chicago’s Office for Divine Worship to speak on the upcoming changes to the language of the Third Edition of the Roman Missal, which we will begin using the first Sunday of Advent. We had a wonderful turnout of approximately 70 parishioners. Todd gave both an historic overview of the Roman Missal since Vatican II and a hands-on review of the texts we will be speaking and hearing. I had one parishioner say to me afterward, “What’s the big deal?” After a couple of years working on all of this, I also have had this same response at times.

During the summer we had articles about the upcoming changes, the whys and such. Over the next few weeks I’d like to take the time to highlight just what some of these text changes will be so that we are all prepared. This week, we look at the response to, “The Lord be with you.” This happens at four different times in the Mass: at Introductory Greeting, the Gospel, the Eucharistic Prayer, and at the end of Mass, and is an excellent place to talk about how we got to these translations. At the time of the Vatican II changes in Mass, the method of translation was called “Dynamic Equivalence,” meaning to translate so that it means the same. After Pope John Paul II’s 2000 declaration to revise the Roman Missal for the new millennium, the method of translation changed to a direct translation (“Formal Equivalence”). So, looking at “Dominus vobiscum” (The Lord be with you), the response is, “Et cum spiritu tuo.” Directly translated, “And with your spirit.” This is a reference we see many times throughout scripture, two specifically in Paul: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen” (Gal 6:18), and “The Lord be with your spirit” (2 Tim 4:22). These are not some random words of greeting, but rather a profound statement of our belief and desire to know our Lord in our whole entire being and in one another.

Over the summer I had the opportunity to attend a “practice Mass” of the new translation. Well, four times to respond correctly to “The Lord be with you” and I only got it 50 percent of the time! In other words, this is all going to take some time. The Order of Mass will be provided for us in the pews, and for about six months we’ll all probably be reading our lines. We’ll be limping along together, and in all honesty, the Spirit will be with us in all the bumps along the way!

Dianne Fox, Director of Music and Liturgy

From Bulletin dated October 9, 2011

From Bulletin dated October 2, 2011

From Bulletin dated September 25, 2011

From Bulletin dated September 18, 2011

From Bulletin dated September 11, 2011

From Bulletin dated September 4, 2011

From Bulletin dated August 28, 2011

From Bulletin dated August 21, 2011

What is the Roman Missal?
http://revisedromanmissal.org/Roman_Missal.aspx

FAQ’s
http://revisedromanmissal.org/FAQs.aspx

Changes in the people’s parts
http://old.usccb.org/romanmissal/samples-people.shtml

USCCB: Roman Missal, Third Edition
(has revised texts, commentary, and FAQ sections)
http://old.usccb.org/romanmissal/index.shtml

YouTube Video Series of the Roman Missal from the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
http://www.youtube.com/user/usccb?feature=mhsn#p/c/3F86CF91744092DC/0/vc1Z1XV8elY

Liturgy Training Publications
(materials available for purchase; free online resources)
http://revisedromanmissal.org/Resources.aspx

Archdiocese of Chicago, Office of Divine Worship
(Information about upcoming workshops in the Archdiocese)
www.odw.org

Webcasts from noted scholars and liturgists on the Revised text
http://liturgy.nd.edu/web-catechesis/

PDF and MP3 files of the Ordinary
http://www.npm.org/Chants/order.html

Holy Holy (revised) from The Roman Missal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RD4uRSWY_A&feature=player_embedded

Mystery of Faith (known now as “Memorial Acclamation”) from The Roman Missal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9WOnThJj7k&NR=1

Feel free to call with questions or concerns!
Parish Office
847-864-0333
fax: 847-864-0354
ateoli@stmaryevanston.org