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| WEEK #1 (Oct. 30) You have probably heard that we will have a new Missal starting in Advent, 2011. It's true, but what does that mean? In several pieces over the coming weeks, I will be writing to acquaint you with the new Missal on a variety of levels. The Missal is the book that guides our celebration of the Mass. It contains all the prayers we use, including the texts used by the people such as the Gloria, and the prayers used by the priest-presider. [It's the red book that the priest uses at the altar and at his chair.] Often called the Sacramentary, the new edition will revert to the more traditional title of Missal. What is coming to us is a new translation into English of the [new] third edition of the Missale Romanum [a Latin text]. As the people who are Roman Catholics, or Latin-Rite Catholics, we start with a missal in the original language of Latin, which is then translated into many languages for people to use in their own vernacular tongue. There have been missals for centuries. Most recently, what we might call the first edition was promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1970 after the reform of the Latin Rite in accord with the directives of the Second Vatican Council. In the late 60s and early 70s we used a hastily prepared transla- tion into English for a few years, until a more proper translation was officially approved and published in 1973. Some of us will remember the "prayer cards" in our pews that included the English Mass texts for the people. The second edition of the Missale Romanum was published in 1975. Most of us never noticed those changes when the English version was published. There were some further revisons in 1985. I'll bet most of those got by you too! Then in 2000 a third edition of the Missale Romanum was published in Latin. It's not radically different from the first or second editions – it contains additional prayers for the saints who have been canonized in the last 25 years. It contains more options for prayers at Mass. Some of these we've been using for a while, but they were published after the second edition. The normal course is that the Missale Romanum is then translated into the world's various languages (not just English). This is why we'll notice some changes – the original isn’t much different (just as the second edition wasn't much different than the first edition). But our translation into English will be notable for a couple of reasons. This time around, instead of a "rush job," much more care and many levels of consultation occurred, and so the process took several years. In the course of that preparation, the office in Rome that oversees translations issued a new document that offered new guidelines for translation, and that added more time to the process as well. So this new English translation of the third edition of the Missale Romanum has been a work in progress for about ten years. Now it's been completed and approved, and the publishers are preparing the books that we'll start to use during Mass when Advent arrives. In my future Meanderings, I'll say more about what guided the translation process, and some of the changes we'll notice (and not notice). |
MEANDERINGS ON THE MISSAL by Fr. Ken Schmidt (Condensed and adapted by Fr. Jim Morris) |
Saint Joseph, Michigan
WEEK #2 (Nov. 6) Some of the prayers that we'll be using during our celebration of the Eucharist, starting in Advent, 2011, will be noticeably different because they are newly translated into English. There are two basic approaches to translation – a more formal translation, closer to literal, that tries to reflect not just the words but also the format, style, rhythm, etc. of the original language. The second approach calls for a "dynamic equivalence" which strives to capture the meaning of the text but may not follow the original wording as closely. One wants to stay fairly close, because going too far creates a paraphrase rather than an actual translation. Consider the words of an old Christmas carol, "don we now our gay apparel." Suppose we had a Latin equivalent we were trying to translate into English. A strict translation might render it as "don we now our gay apparel," or, in more up to date English, "we put on now our joyful apparel." That word order is not how we usually speak so a slightly less strict translation might say "now we put on our joyful apparel." But would it be a dynamic equivalent translation or a paraphrase to say "Let’s put on our happy clothes?" In the English translations of the first and second editions of the Roman Missal the translators followed the guidelines of dynamic equivalence. In the third edition, they were instructed to follow the guidelines for a strict translation that more closely follows the Latin original, not just in vocabulary, but in the style and syntax. So we will read, speak, and hear some noticeable differences. A common complaint since the first revision and translation of the Missale Romanum is that something disappeared. It might be described as "less reverent," or "less poetic," or just "less beautiful." The English translation of the third edition of the Missal attempts to restore some of the English language's beauty in the liturgy. So, for example, in Eucharistic Prayer III, where our current translation says "from east to west," which is a dynamically equivalent translation, the new translation will say "from the rising of the sun to its setting," which is a more literal translation but also more poetic. Granted, at other times a more literal translation removes some of the poetry of the original text (because poetry is also rhythm and sound which may get lost in translation). The prayers we use at mass very often use images and phrases from the Scriptures. If we're not as familiar with the Bible we may not notice. A friend of mine, who grew up Catholic but now attends a more-Biblically oriented congregation, came to Mass after several years. He immediately noticed how much of the Mass itself quotes the Scriptures (and not just for the readings!). The new translation that we'll start using in Advent tries to remain faithful to those Scriptural quotations. So for example, before the reception of holy communion the congregation will pray together, "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof . . ." using the words that the centurion speaks to Jesus when he requests that his servant be healed (Luke 7: 6-7). Try listening during Mass to see how many phrases you recognize from the Scriptures. WEEK #3 (Nov. 13) This Advent, we'll begin using a new English translation of our Mass prayers. What does that mean? All of the prayers that the priest uses are freshly translated into English. For many of the prayers of the mass (opening, preparation of the gifts, and after communion) you will probably notice a bit of awkwardness on our part as we get accustomed to the more formal language. Others you won't notice because they are the "private" prayers that the priest says to himself or in a low voice – you don't hear them now and so you won't notice they're different. However, because we priests have memorized so many of those particular prayers, I expect you'll notice we'll have our noses in the book much more until we become more familiar with them. It also means that some of the prayers we use together have been freshly translated. The wording that we're used to (and perhaps can mumble through without hardly thinking) will be changed. They really aren't major changes – but they'll be enough to break our rhythm and throw off our memory if we aren't paying close attention. Don't fret – the new parts will be in the missalette so you don't have to memorize everything in one week. The new wording is an opportunity to help us "tune in" again to what we're saying, instead of just "following the crowd." It is a chance to move out of carelessness or even lack of attention, and bring our prayerful focus to our words and actions as we pray together. We'd never want the incredible gift of the Eucharist to become simply routine or rote. We'll be stretched and perhaps even jarred by some of the new wording, and that can serve to "wake us up." I firmly believe in the importance and power of our words. They can bring elation (I love you), and pain (your mother has cancer); they can cause great harm (by name-calling), and build us up (you did a great job!). |
