New Roman Missal coming...

On November 27, 2011, the First Sunday of Advent, our Mass will sound a little different. We will be using a newly revised Roman Missal during the Mass. The Roman Missal contains the Order of the Mass, or the way we celebrate Holy Eucharist, with all its accompanying prayers and responses. During the Jubilee Year 2000, Pope John Paul II promulgated a third edition of the Roman Missal.

Anyone who owns a house knows that any building needs to be repaired and renovated after a decade or two, so that the beauty of the original structure can be maintained or even enhanced. We give the walls a new coat of paint, strip and refinish the hardwood floors, put in more insulation, and perhaps include an addition or two to meet the needs of a growing family. Something similar is happening with our Roman Missal.

The upcoming third edition of the Roman Missal contains the same Order of the Mass that was promulgated after the Second Vatican Council. This Order of the Mass follows the Council Father’s mandate for liturgical renewal and reform. But many things have happened since the new Order of the Mass was promulgated in 1969, and even since the second edition was implemented for use in Canada in 1983. For example: we have received from the Holy See additional Eucharistic Prayers; many saints were canonised and their feast days were added to the liturgical calendar of the Church; and the rules for the way we translate the Church’s ritual texts from the original Latin into the vernacular have changed. All of these factors have required a new edition of the Roman Missal. Roman Catholic episcopal conferences, international committees, and the Holy See are working on implementation throughout the world.

One of the most noticeable adjustments that will affect all of us is the way the original Latin texts have been translated into the English language. In the earlier editions of the Roman Missal, the method of translation laid heavy emphasis on the way the receiving community would hear and understand the text. As a result, many of the prayers were substantially simplified to reflect contemporary English usage. Some texts were added which were not found in the original Latin editions. In 2001, the Holy See changed the manner in which liturgical texts are to be translated. Now, translators have to give particular attention to maintaining biblical references, employ inclusive language where possible, avoid simplifying the words and phrases into contemporary terms, and ensure as much continuity as possible between the original text promulgated in Latin and the translated text in English. In other words, the Holy See has a great desire to guarantee that translated texts in the English language mirror, as much as possible, the original texts found in the newest edition of the Missal promulgated in Latin.

This Sunday I am preaching the first of a series of Homilies which Fr. Sherwin and I will use to unpack this process as it unfolds in the coming months and to help our parish know what is "coming down the pipe" so to speak!

Peace