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8 CatholicOutlook July 2010
A new way of praying …
Rev Peter Williams
The words we use when we pray
publicly are very important.
They are important because
they help shape our religious
consciousness and they tell us
about who we are in relationship
to God and to one another as
members of the Body of Christ.
In the last half of 2011 we will
begin using a new translation of
the Roman Missal, which was
recently approved by the Holy See.
It has been a long process to get
to this point, which began after
the publication of the third edition
of the Missal in Latin in 2002.
For the past eight years the
International Commission on
English in the Liturgy (ICEL) has
been translating the Missal and
sending segments of it to the 11
English-speaking conferences of
bishops that make up ICEL.
There have been lots of
suggestions made about how
to translate the text. Late last
year the Australian Catholic
Bishops Conference voted on
the final segment and the entire
Missal was sent to Rome for
recognitio by the Holy See.
This Missal contains the
texts for the Order of Mass,
Solemnities and Feast Days of
Saints, the Proper of Seasons,
and Masses for Various Needs
and Occasions and Votive Masses
and Masses for the Dead.
Added to this will be specific
Australian observances like
the Feast of Mary MacKillop,
Australia Day and Anzac Day.
The way in which Mass is
celebrated will not change from
the way it is celebrated now, but
when we start using the new
Missal we will be introduced to
some new responses, and some
of the parts of the Mass that we
currently have become familiar
with have been re-translated.
This will mean that we will
have new musical settings to
the Mass as the Gloria (Glory
to God in the Highest) has
been translated so that it is
much closer to the Latin text.
There is a slight change in the
Sanctus (Holy, holy …) and the
Memorial Acclamations have
been re-translated. The Agnus Dei
(Lamb of God) remains the same.
Perhaps one of the biggest
changes we will need to adapt
to is the greeting response to
the priest. We currently say
“And also with you”, but the
new response will be “And with
your spirit”, which is closer to
the Latin “Et cum spiritutuo”.
To help explain and
introduce the changes, the
National Liturgical Council
will prepare material in the
form of bulletin inserts, homily
notes, commentator’s notes,
laminated cards and PowerPoint
presentations with the new texts
that will assist congregations in
preparing for the new translation.
Also available will be a DVD
resource entitled: “Become One
Body, One Spirit in Christ”,
which will be used as the
principal resource in all the
English-speaking countries.
In the Diocese of Parramatta
in preparation for the changes
there will be a process of
education for the clergy and also
for the people of the Diocese.
This will take place over a
number of months before we start
using the new translation. I am
sure that at first we will find some
discomfort using the new texts but
just as people adjusted to the Mass
going from Latin to English in
the late 1960s and early 1970s, we
will soon be using the new texts
and responses with confidence.
Rev Peter Williams is Director
of Liturgy in the Diocese of
Parramatta and Executive
Secretary of the Bishops
Commission for Liturgy.
The new Missal will include specific Australian
observances such as the Feast of Mary MacKillop
Western Sydney Doorknock Appeal
is on again over two weekends:
21-22 August & 28-29 August 2010
Now it is winter and the overnight temperature drops to almost
zero degrees. A growing number of people are experiencing homelessness
and poverty in Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains.
Homeless families have been known to spend cold nights sleeping
in a rundown car. Others may not be able to afford electricity, gas or
firewood to heat their homes or buy food to feed their families.
We need your help to assist with doorknocking for three hours. It is a
great way of having fun, exercising and meeting people in your area
while collecting money for a good cause.
To register as a volunteer for the Doorknock Appeal
Tel (02) 9568 0253 or go to www.vinnies.org.au
Your gift today will give someone
a different tomorrow.
You can make a donation at: www.vinnies.org.au