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St Rita's By the Bay |
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St Rita's By the Bay |
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The New Roman Missal
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Sean Burkett, on behalf of St Rita's Liturgy Committee, has been running series of atricles in the weekly newsletter on the above subject. These are now collected below for your reference and convenience.
The New Roman Missal - week 1
You have been trying to remember the new responses for a few months now and "with your spirit" still catches you out. It is amazing how we learn things by rote and the mind often
works without any conscious thought.
Why have we been put through this agony, this embarrassing 'I've got it wrong again'? Well for one thing finding ourselves out of step with the rest of the congregation brings us
joltingly back to the task at hand. It is certainly one way to achieve "full, active, conscious participation".
Those of us who remember the days of Latin Masses will remember a time of quiet Mass when the dialogue took place between the Priest and the altar servers. The people in the pews
read their missals or quietly prayed. The Bishops of Vatican II saw the need to get the faithful more involved in Mass and one way was to change from Latin to the vernacular
(Mass in English). The first translations were hurried and sometimes inaccurate. Therefore, forty years later, we are now looking at new translations.
Over the next several weeks the Liturgy Committee is going to present background information to several changes. We hope to be able to highlight these by emphasising the
particular part of Mass. As the celebration of Eucharist is the summit of our faith it will be a good opportunity to reinforce our understanding of the Mass.
What we celebrate at Mass has not changed but the way we celebrate did.
It is important to realize that over time Mass had stopped being a celebration by the gathered community of the faithful. The resolutions of Vatican II are an effort to restore
the role of the faithful in the celebration of Mass.
Jesus instituted the Blessed Sacrament giving us his Body and Blood within the setting of the Jewish Ritual Meal Tradition. This ritual in the meal was a prayer to the Father of
praise, thanksgiving and blessing. The words and actions of Jesus at the Last Supper of Take, Bless, Break and Give (Share) are still the essential elements of the Eucharistic
Prayer as we gather around the Table of the Lord.
However, the way we celebrate Eucharist did change over the centuries.
The celebration of Eucharist is meant to be a public worship performed by the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, that is, by the Head and his members (us). (Vatican II Constitution on
the Sacred Liturgy). Instead, over time Mass had changed to being prayer by the Clergy in place of and in the name of the community, with the faithful having only remote
involvement. Even reception of Communion by those in the pews was considered more a private devotion than an essential element of Mass as we know it today.
Vatican II set out to restore Mass as a public worship in which all members of Christ's Mystical Body could be fully involved.
Getting the translations correct and understanding the meaning of the language will help us to become full, active, conscious participants in this most incredible celebration
called the Sacrifice of the Mass.
The New Roman Missal - week 2
Why did the Church bother with changing from Latin in the first place? Why the concern about having the faithful involved in celebrating Eucharist?
In the opening essay from a collection Celebrating Good Liturgy. A Guide to the Ministries of the Mass Robert Duggan points out that the Church has had forty years of
well-articulated theology of the assembly's role at the Eucharist. Yet many in the pews are still unaware of that theology. Conditions ... through subtle attitudes and behaviour
continue to communicate the message that it is still Father's Mass.
We need to understand our role in the celebration of Eucharist if we are to understand the change from Latin to English and to understand the significance of the new translation.
This role is obviously more than turning up and being a spectator. Remember how one previously defined "hearing" Mass as arriving before the Offertory and not leaving before the
Priest's Communion.
To understand the role we play in celebrating Mass we need to understand the significance of our baptism. Receiving the Sacrament of Baptism is more than receiving membership of a
Christian community. Being baptised means we share in the Priesthood of Jesus Christ and are called into ministry - a ministry that serves the Body of Christ. Each time we gather
to celebrate Eucharist we gather to minister to each other. Even the Priest is first of all a member of the ministering community. Likewise we all share the priesthood, the
baptised priests (the faithful) and the ordained priest.
As we join together for the Eucharistic Prayer the priest consecrates the bread and wine but 'worshipping everywhere by their holy actions, the laity consecrate the world itself
to God' (Lumen Gentium 34). One relies on the other, the ordained priest and the baptised priest.
Just after the Offertory we now stand to begin the Eucharistic Prayer and a very important dialogue takes place concluding with the Priest saying "Let us give thanks to the Lord
our God" and we reply "It is right and just". We have just given assent for the Priest to proceed with the consecration on our behalf. We are very much part of this celebration.
Consider the words of St John Chrysostom writing in the fourth century. "The Eucharistic Prayer is common; the priest does not give thanks alone, but the people with him, for he
begins it only after having received accord of the faithful ... If I say that, it is so that we learn that we are all a single body."
Other writers have also expressed the link between the laity and clergy: 'Both people and ordained ministers are needed to be sacrament of Christ, the one Priest', and 'The
celebration of Mass is the action of Christ and the people of God - the physical Body of Christ.'
We do not come to Mass as if to watch a performance but to be integral players in the action.
This understanding of the role of the lay people led to the start of the Liturgical Movement in the early 1900s. Pope Pius X emphasised that communion is an integral part of the
celebration of Mass in 1905 and lowered the age by which children could receive first communion to seven. Translation of the missal to the vernacular was also permitted. Other
liturgists were also at work. However, it was not until 1963 and Vatican II that significant changes to the Liturgy took place.
The New Roman Missal - week 3
Music
I wonder how everyone feels about music as part of our liturgies. I know how I feel when I attend Mass and there is no music or singing - a little bit sad.
Eucharist is a celebration of thanksgiving and an act of worship to our God. Human beings worldwide tend to celebrate all sorts of events and occasions with music, song and dance.
But music at Mass is more than just providing a joyful atmosphere. We gather as a community to make one united act of worship and the sharing of song is one means of binding us
together as the one Body of Christ.
So how does the Church suggest we use music to enhance our celebration of Eucharist?
In 1958 the Church set out a four-hymn format in the Instruction of Sacred Music to suit the format of the Latin Mass. The four-hymn format probably degenerated to the
three-hymn "sandwich" we came to know and often still use i.e. an Entrance song, a Communion song and a Recessional song.
But is this really what was intended when Vatican II introduced the vernacular? Remember the aim was to give the laity full, active, conscious participation in the Mass. I think
those Bishops gathered in Rome were hoping for something more from our music. It is a matter of singing the Mass rather than singing at Mass.
"Yet the function of music is ministerial, it must serve and never dominate. Music should assist the assembled believers to express and share the gift of faith ...." (From the
Liturgy Documents - Music in Catholic Worship)
The music ministry made up of the musical director, the cantor, the choir and the instrumentalists have an important role to play in assisting the congregation to participate in
celebrating Eucharist. This ministry adds beauty and solemnity to the liturgy and encourages the singing of the congregation (Music in Catholic Worship). The Council of
Vatican II emphatically stated, "Choirs must be diligently promoted." The role of the cantor is also important not just is singing the Responsorial Psalm but in leading and
teaching music to the congregation. "There should be a cantor or choir director to lead and sustain the people in the singing and if there is no choir it is up to the cantor to
lead the various songs." (General Instructions of the Roman Missal)
The Liturgical Documents now suggest that the Music for Eucharistic Celebration can be broken up into several segments.
- Acclamations - Alleluia, "Holy, Holy, Holy," Memorial Acclamation, Great Amen, Doxology to the Lord's Prayer ("For the Kingdom, the power etc.").
- Processional Songs - Entrance and Communion
- Responsorial Psalm
- Ordinary Chants - Lord Have Mercy, Gloria, Lord's Prayer, Lamb of God and Profession of Faith.
- Supplementary Songs - Offertory Song, Song after Communion, Recessional Song.
- Litanies
The New Roman Missal - week 4
Music
I concluded the article last week by listing the various parts of the Mass in which singing is recommended. This is a far cry from the "three hymn sandwich" I referred to. I
have repeated this list below with a few additional notes.
- Acclamations - Alleluia, "Holy, Holy, Holy," Memorial Acclamation, Great Amen, Doxology to the Lord's Prayer ("For the Kingdom, the power etc."). 'These acclamations should be
sung even at Masses when little else is sung.' (Music in Catholic Worship). Note the documents also say that if the Alleluia is not sung it is omitted.
- Processional Songs - Entrance and Communion The communion song should begin with the Priest's Communion. Imagine if the entrance hymn only began as the priest reached the altar.
- Responsorial Psalm
- Ordinary Chants - Lord Have Mercy, Gloria, Lord's Prayer, Lamb of God and Profession of Faith.
- Supplementary Songs - Offertory Song, Song after Communion, Recessional Song. The recessional song has never been an official part of the rite, and instrumental music is quite
acceptable.
- Litanies
It is the singing of the Acclamations (a) and to some extent the Ordinary Chants (d) that called for some new Mass settings because the words had to match the new translations.
The Australian church leaders are anxious for us to be able to sing the Mass and no matter where we travel in Australia be able to participate. Musicians were invited to submit
new compositions and of the fifty submitted entries six have been selected for use.
The six approved Mass settings are:
- Mass of Glory and Praise - revised edition
- Mass Shalom
- Mass of St Francis
- Missa Magis
- Mass of Christ the Redeemer
- Mass of Our Lady Help of Christians
We have been asked to begin by learning one Mass setting and over time add others to our repertoire eventually becoming familiar with all six. You will notice that the particular
Mass setting e.g., Mass of Shalom, has been listed with the words on the screen. This is to help you get to know each setting. Each Mass setting has its own style and theme and so
is appropriate for certain liturgical seasons. It is important that we do not mix and match Mass settings in any one Mass.
There is one other very important recommendation to singing the Mass and that is to learn the Gregorian Chant. I attended the Easter Vigil Mass at Trinity Beach north of Cairns.
The celebrating Priest (Fr Neil Muir) chanted the whole Mass including the gospel. The chanted response from the congregation was spontaneous and enthusiastic and obviously the
congregation was used to the Gregorian Chant. The other remarkable thing was that three quarters of the packed congregation were young people and young families. Young people
read, young people were cantors and young people were musicians. It has been said that young people tend to like the Gregorian Chant as a Mass setting, and after witnessing the
celebration at Trinity Beach I would agree.
Dr Ralph Morton, Director of Music at St Stephen's Cathedral, has this to say. 'From a musical point of view, the closest we can come to know how Jesus and the people of the bible
would have sung is by singing Gregorian Chant. Gregorian Chant is based on Jewish chant in the synagogue. To sing as they did is one more piece in the jigsaw puzzle of
understanding the mind of Christ.' Dr Morton also suggests that learning the Gregorian Chant would be useful at times when the Archdiocese gathers at the cathedral.
"The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as distinctive of the Roman liturgy, therefore .... it should be given pride of place in liturgical services." No 116 Constitution on the
Sacred Liturgy
The New Roman Missal - week 5
"And with your spirit"
During the next few weeks we will look at some specific translation changes. However, I believe there are two important reasons behind the need for new translations. As we
progress from week to week, I want you to keep two things in mind.
Firstly, that initial translation from Latin into English, though done quickly, has served us well and enabled several generations over forty years to participate more fully in
the Mass. The first translation was done quickly in the heady excitement following Vatican II. There was a rush to get started and more importantly there were no guidelines to
assist the translators. Remember it was as recently as Pope Pius X when translation from Latin to the vernacular was first allowed. The words of the original Latin were very
carefully chosen by the Church to accurately express the beliefs of our faith. The new translation endeavours to find appropriate English words to match those Latin words and to
eliminate any ambiguity.
Secondly the call for us at Mass to full, active, conscious participation is simply not a call to be more attentive. Through our baptisms we have become members of the priesthood
of Christ. Someone explained Mass as the Body of Christ gathered to offer worship and thanksgiving with the ordained priest being the mouth of that body. Celebrating Eucharist is
the action of Christ, represented by the priest, and the people of God. We need to understand the language to fully engage in the celebration of Eucharist.
"And with your spirit". This must one of the most jarring of the changes and the most difficult to justify, though it reflects the Latin "Et cum spiritu tuo".
Several times during the celebration of Eucharist the priest will offer a greeting or blessing such as "The Lord be with you" or "May the peace of Christ be with you", and each
time we respond "And with your spirit".
"The lord be with you" and the old response "and also with you" seemed to make sense but English was the only European-based language not to mention "spirit" in the translation.
However there is more to using the word "spirit" than satisfying a Latin translation.
The special meaning of "spirit" goes back to the Hebrew word "ruah" of the Old Testament which means "breath or spirit" and does not mean "you or self". St Paul when writing in
four of his epistles uses "and with your spirit" and seems to address the words to the Christian community as a whole. "Spirit" in this case does not refer to the Holy Spirit but
to having the spirit or mind of Christ as our guiding light. However, we acknowledge the gift of the Holy Spirit which enables us to gather and live in the presence and spirit of
Jesus. So when the priest uses that form of greeting it reminds us that we have gathered as a spiritual community.
There is another important consideration. The response "And with your spirit" is only used to an ordained minister. At the time of ordination each minister is anointed with the
spirit to enable him to lead in sacramental ministry. The bishop receives the "spirit of leadership"; the priest is anointed with the "spirit of grace and counsel of priesthood"
and the deacon receives the "spirit of grace and zeal".
The ordained minister makes the blessing in the name of the Church and our response acknowledges the "spirit" received at ordination.
If a layperson leads a liturgy such as a communion service, that person would include himself or herself in any greeting or blessing e.g. "May God the Father, God the Son and God
the Holy Spirit bless us" or "May we receive the peace of Christ", and the response is always "Amen".
The New Roman Missal - week 6
Before we move on to the next topic there is an interesting point to highlight. You may have noticed that, on a few occasions, I quoted from St John Chrysostom. This man lived in
the late fourth century and it seems so out of place to be quoting a person of that era when considering the translation of the New Roman Missal. St John was born in Antioch in
349, became a priest and in 397 was appointed Patriarch of Constantinople. His sermons and writings did much to explain the Catholic Faith. His eloquence earned him the surname
of Chrysostom (Greek for "golden mouth"). He died in 407. The need of Christians of the fourth century to understand their faith is no different from our need today. The new
translation aims to restore the fundamental beliefs of the Catholic Church.
We celebrated the Feast of St John Chrysostom on 13 September. Last week we considered "and with your spirit". Let us read what St John Chrysostom had to say.
St. John Chrysostom (died 407 AD) explained it this way:
"In the most sacred mysteries themselves (the Mass), the priest prays for the people who in turn pray for him since this is the meaning of the words, 'And with your spirit'".
"If there were no Holy Spirit, there would be neither shepherds nor teachers in the Church ... You acclaimed, 'And also with your spirit'. You would not have done this unless the
Holy Spirit were actually dwelling within him."
Introductory Rites continued.
Scripture also plays a large role in framing the translation. So many words we use or hear will come from the Old Testament, the Epistles or the Gospels. As an example an
alternative greeting that the priest may use is "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" and comes from Paul's letters.
The most significant change in the Penitential Act is the change of wording of the Confiteor - "I confess". "Through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault",
is a direct translation of the "mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa" that some of us will remember. It is interesting to get hold of an old St Joseph's Daily Missal of the
1950s era which had Latin on one page and English on the facing page and compare that translation. The "Lord, have mercy," "Christ, have mercy" and the Greek translation
"Kyrie eleison", "Christe eleison" are still options as is the Rite of Blessing and the Sprinkling of Holy Water.
The Gloria has also changed significantly. The words have changed to give a more accurate translation and to reflect the long tradition of this hymn. Again as mentioned above
this also better connects with Scripture. The rewording of the Gloria is a major reason for the need for new music settings at Mass.
The Introductory Rites conclude with the Collect or Opening Prayer. All of these prayer have been rewritten.