Introducing the new educational Blog:
Mass, Missal, and Mission Blog to help Marianists prepare for the new translation of the Missal.
I had an inspiration. At least, it seems like an inspiration and I don’t get those everyday. So this is the beginning of a BLOG in preparation for the full implementation of the ROMAN MISSAL, editio typica 3, in its new English translation. I want to encourage you to to drop me a line with questions that you think would be helpful for your local assembly to be more deeply engaged in the Liturgy and to pay more attention to parts of the Mass that may have been neglected in various ways. Jerry.chinchar@gmail.com
As you know, the Missale Romanum—Editio Typica 3 [the Latin original] of the (new) Roman Missal was revised around 2002 to include some of the new Saints created under the auspices of JP2. The revised Editio Typica also changed a number of rubrics (official church law with regard to the “doing” of the Eucharistic liturgy). We might consider some of them as a tightening up because of perceived abuses and we might consider some of them as expanding various usages. Nonetheless, “rubrics” are much more than “suggestions” and we would do well to understand what they are really inviting us into. Thus, I would encourage all of you “out there” to read the GIRM (General Instruction on the Roman Missal). Please, Don’t think of the GIRM as primarily a rulebook. Rather, think of it as a helpful explanation of why we do certain things in the liturgy and of the various ways it invites us all to a fuller, deeper, more focused and aware participation in the divine mystery of our salvation. You can find it on-line [see link-1 below], or you can purchase it from Amazon.com [see link-2 below].
Don't forget: The Roman Missal developed over a long, long history, starting with the era before internet, before word processing, before instant messaging, and even before the Printing press.
Don't forget: The Roman Missal developed over a long, long history, starting with the era before internet, before word processing, before instant messaging, and even before the Printing press.
The Roman Missal is a great treasure for us because it contains prayers that transcend the ages; prayers which give voice to our common faith. LEX ORANDI, LEX CREDENDI. That is a treasured expression in Latin which Basically communicates the principle: The way we pray in the Liturgy expresses the way we believe; thus, the way we believe gets expressed in the way we pray together. The “we” must be understood in the bigger picture: WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER AS A UNIVERSAL CHURCH.
So, I am starting this little BLOG, to help the readers, (primarily my Marianist family: the Society of Mary, the Marianist Sisters, and the many lay Marianists), to enter more fully into the sacred action together with Catholic Sisters and Brothers AROUND THE WORLD.
We walk the journey of faith together, each of our communities being attentive like Mary and attentive and responsive to “do whatever He tells us.” One of the things he is telling us these days, I think, is that we belong to the Church and our celebration of the Eucharist makes the fullest sense when are truly in communion with the Church as the Body of Christ. Christ who reveals the Father (the visible image of the invisible God) and who —by our baptism—shares his divine life with us, nourishing and strengthening us each day as we come together in praise and thanksgiving, renewing our “yes” to “follow Lamb wherever he goes.”
Because there was hardly any catechesis done about the great liturgical prayer tradition of the Church back around 1970 when we first went to an English liturgy, more and more people across the USA are realizing that this is an opportunity to learn more, to participate more fully, and to let the Lord who gathers us together also send us forth to live the Mission of Love and Salvation.
Across these past forty years, there were many misunderstandings about the parts of the Mass and their meaning; thus, there were many good-willed but mistaken “adjustments” to the liturgical texts and movements. Sometimes we did not understand the true role of music and singing nor did we understand or enter into the common gestures that would help participation to be full, active and CONSCIOUS. A new opportunity presents itself to us now.
The new edition of the Missal (in its English translation) gives us a new opportunity to come to appreciate more completely the parts of the Liturgy which may have been excluded from our conscious participation. Every human endeavor gets criticism of various kinds. This Blog does not have as a goal a focus on the deficiencies of the new translation. Rather, I will try to point out "teachable moments" embedded within the Missal so that praying the Liturgy together can be a more deliberate, significant, and meaningful experience, nourishing and strengthening us to embrace more fully our Baptismal identity as disciples of Jesus, as his very Body sent out in MISSION to our broken world.
So, while the Scriptures for any one liturgy are indeed important—and it is praiseworthy to concentrate on them—for our participation to be full we need to enter meaningfully into the sung dialogs, the prayers and the common gestures more deeply as well so that our covenant with the Lord might truly lead us out from Mass into Mission.
For music, it will mean--in some places—the putting aside of many favorite or well-known Mass-settings, taking more practice, placing less dependency of recorded music or simply passive listening; and in other places, it will mean expanding repertoire to be more congruent with the liturgy of the day and season, especially for the proper daily responsorial psalm, and the sung eucharistic acclamations, all of which have new texts.
For music, it will mean--in some places—the putting aside of many favorite or well-known Mass-settings, taking more practice, placing less dependency of recorded music or simply passive listening; and in other places, it will mean expanding repertoire to be more congruent with the liturgy of the day and season, especially for the proper daily responsorial psalm, and the sung eucharistic acclamations, all of which have new texts.
I'm going to do this BLOG in two ways:
1) Sometimes as a FAQ: questions which have come and which may come up.
Among the changes your assembly will experience are:
* new wordings in familiar dialogs* new texts for the MYSTERY OF FAITH ACCLAMATION (and the elimination of many old favorites;
* a new appreciation of what “progressive solemnity” means; what are the spots that the liturgy always expects song, and the fact that there are moments within the liturgy that have great urgency for singing and other moments that require less.
This may feel like going thru a conversion experience for some. Being inn this together as Church implies that we can't be Frank Sinatra with the Liturgy (“I want it my way.”).
2) I will give cross references to sites on the internet that I have found to be helpful and insightful about the great prayer tradition in the Roman Rite.
FINAL NOTE for today:
- Sometimes I will compose an answer to the question at hand;
- Sometimes I will give a cross reference to something on the web that I think addressees the issue well.
I encourage you to drop me a line with questions that you think would be helpful in your local assembly. It would be helpful to me if you tell me what parts were particularly meaningful for you. Hopefully, the texts and links I provide will bring a realization that the efforts we put into the Liturgy, day by day, are worth it.
Grace and Peace to you!
FR. JERRY
ALONG SIDE of this booklet,
I would recommend this very helpful commentary:
You-Tube like videos from a scholar Jesuit
about implementing the RomanMissal in our communities and apostolates. Very Helpful!
While they may complain a bit about them, Marianists usually have admiration for Jesuits who share insights, do heroic ministry, or write outstanding articles.
Fr. John Baldovan, SJ, from Boston College, speaks from the heart to his Jesuit confreres about the new translation of the Missal and how they might deal with the changes in both rubrics and prayer texts.
Check out these five short videos. I think you will resonate with the concerns and get something out of John’s information and insights. I think you will find him both engaging and interesting.
This is a five part series with each segment taking about 3 minutes.
Fr. John Baldovan, SJ with Five short flicks about “How to treat the new Missal” http://www.jesuit.org/index.php/2011/05/31/video-series-offers-insight-and-assistance-in-transition-to-new-translation-of-roman-missal/
Grace and Peace to you!
JERRY
