First the effect it had on me: similar to Fr Ray, I found myself having to resist the instinctive tendency to do such things as the repeated blessings over the gifts and kissing the altar towards the end of the anamnesis. I also found it natural to hold my thumb and index finger together from the consecration onwards. Altogether it filled me a sense of something extremely 'priestly' and reverent. It also emphasised the prayer and offering of the people in a way that the current translation does not. The new translation of EP1 gives full and distinct honour to cleric and lay.
And the people? One asked me why things had to change again. But others said they couldn't wait for the new translation to become normative.
I hear rumours that the Pope will use the new translation during his Masses here in the UK. Surely we should already be preparing the people? I can't see why we must wait until next year.
We are told that before implementation of the new translation we must wait until adequate catechesis has been given to the people. I really think we should just get on with it and I'd really llike to introduce people to other parts of the Mass (e.g. the other Eucharistic Prayers) that pertain to the priest. The responses of the people could possibly wait until an official promulgation. Otherwise they would get confused when they go to Mass elsewhere, and visitors would find it harder to participate.
PeoplesMassCard-NewTranslation
It IS too bad they can't just "get on with it."
ReplyDeletethat's what they did 40 years ago when they dumped it all on us! Just say "Hey, we know we've been using crummy translations for a while now...here it is." ;-D
Seriously, ONE sermon devoted to it, plus ONE or TWO (different times, not content) to explain it to the people, then just do it.
Karen
The Holy Father has made it clear that he wishes the implementation to be both sensitive and incremental.
ReplyDeleteOur bishops have said that they will set a date when it will be introduced in its entirety.
To be obedient to both, we need to introduce the new translation incrementally and sensitively sooner rather than later so that it may be implemented in its entirety when the bishops say that it must.
The bishop of Hexham has already celebrated it with his priests, and the Holy Father is to use it on his visit: can there be any other interpretation of what we ought to do?