Did you know that a new translation of the Mass will begin this Advent?
On the first Sunday of Advent this year the Catholic Church here in the United States will begin to use a new translation of the Mass. Throughout the next few months bulletin articles will introduce and explain the translation changes that are planned for both the spoken parts of the faithful and the celebrating priest alike.
Of course immediately, one may ask why was there a need for a new translation? As you may know, the official language of the Church is Latin. The official ritual text for the celebration of the Mass is the Missale Romanum (Roman Missal). This text was promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1970 as the definitive text of the reformed liturgy of the Second Vatican Council. That Latin text was translated into various languages for use around the world; the English edition was published in the United States in 1973.
From time to time revisions are required in the Latin text; for example, in the year 2000 Pope John Paul II issued the 3rd edition of the Latin text which contained prayers for the celebration of recently canonized saints, additional prefaces for the Eucharistic Prayers, and additional Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Intentions.
In the course of translating the 3rd edition of the Latin text to English, questions began to arise about translation. For example at one part of the Mass the priest will say: “Let us give thanks to the Lord our God” and, currently, the response is “It is right to give God thanks and praise.” When I returned from Kenya I instantly noticed the difference – there the response was “Ni vema na haki” Meaning “It is right and just.” As it turns out that is what it says in Latin – and it will be the new response in the upcoming translation. Many of the changes are simply returning to a more literal translation of the Latin, many of which were part of the first English translation used in the 1970s. Some of the changes will, at first, sound a bit awkward to our ears, but many of the changes add a new ascetic and poetic sense to our celebration of the Mass. For example, the phrase “from east to west” will return to the original, literal translation: “from the rising of the sun to its setting.”
We never like change, but we are blessed in that we can use this upcoming change as an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the Sacred Liturgy, and to appreciate its meaning and importance in our lives.