An Introduction to the New Roman Missal

The theme of the New Roman Missal is, Deepen Faith, Nurture Hope, Celebrate Life.

Every Holy Mass must lead to transformation this is possible if we have a

better understanding of  our Liturgy in order to:

- Draw on the rich traditions of our faith.

- To nurture our hope to celebrate the Wedding Banquet in heaven.

- To celebrate the Paschal Mystery in our daily life.

The new changes will come into effect from the 1st Sunday of Advent.  The NEW WORDS reflect the original text in Latin and the English  translation has sought to keep as close to the Latin text as possible.  We will find it more Biblical in the use of Scripture texts and it will bring in the Traditions of the Church.

The ICEL - International Commission on English in the Liturgy comprised of 11 Bishops representing the English speaking countries..

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ROMAN MISSAL

After the Council of Trent (1548-1563), our liturgical books remained relatively unchanged for 400 years.  Some papal initiatives, including the reform of Holy Week in the 1950s, created some modest changes to texts and the liturgical calendar. But when Pope John XXIII called for the 21st ecumenical council, he wanted an aggiornamento (“a re-awakening” “fresh air”) so that the Church would continue to be an instrument of grace in the midst of a modern world.

The first printed Roman Missal dates back to 1474, the first  year of the printing press.  Previous editions were carefully copied by hand.  The Latin versions were revised periodically by various Popes.

Prior to Vatican Council II (1962-65), Latin was the only language used for the celebration of Mass throughout the world.

1962 (Vatican II): Mandates use of the vernacular (language spoken by people)

1973-74: first official English translation known as the Roman Missal approved for use.

1985: second edition published known as the Sacramentary

2000: John Paul II mandates all translations in conformity with original Latin text for linguistic integrity.

2001: “Liturgical Authenticum” gives guidelines for translation from Latin to vernacular 

2007: Ratio Translationis for the English Language 

2011: First Sunday of Advent-implementation of the Roman Missal 

TRANSLATION INTO THE VERNACULAR

“Dynamic equivalency” used for original translation (1973-74) from Latin to English. 

“Dynamic equivalency” expresses the familiarity of the language.

  English is not a richly endowed language.

  Accuracy of classical Latin lost in “poverty” of modern English.

  N.B.: Many third world countries used this translation of English as basis for translation into their vernacular.

“Formal equivalency” mandated by “Liturgical Authenticum” for translation into the vernacular (2007) 

Closer conformity to the theological and scriptural foundations of the Latin Mass

Greater unity of theological concepts in prayers of the Mass in all languages

A Look At Some of the Changes

The Introductory Rites
Greeting
Priest: The Lord be with you.
People: And with your spirit.

Penitential Act: Form A (Confiteor) & Form B

The Gloria
Collect

The Liturgy of the Word
Gospel Dialogue
Nicene Creed
Apostles’ Creed

The Liturgy of the Eucharist
Suscipiat Dominus
Preface Dialogue
Sanctus
Mystery of Faith

The Communion Rite
Sign of Peace
Ecce Agnus Dei

The Concluding Rites
Priest: The Lord be with you.
People: And with your spirit.

(See Links Below for) 

FOR CHANGES IN THE PARTS OF THE PEOPLES IN THE REVISED ORDER OF THE MASS IN THE ROMAN MISSAL, THIRD EDITION SEE HERE

Ear-catching Changes in the New Roman Missal

EXPLORING THE HOLY MASS

We come together at every Eucharist to ponder, reflect and celebrate.  

We experience the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Every Eucharist ought to be a brand new experience.

In the Eucharist we experience the exchange of God's life to us.

Every local Catholic Church is connected to the Universal Church and ultimately to the Heavenly Kingdom.  We gather to celebrate the Paschal Mystery, we are sent out into the world and we return.

SCRIPTURE TRADITION

The Last Supper is the starting point and the origin of the celebration of Holy Mass.

If we look at the Last Supper we find four elements:

1. Jesus takes bread and wine
2. Jesus gives thanks/says a blessing
3. Jesus breaks the bread
4. Jesus gives it as food to the disciples.

When the Apostle met together on the first day of the week, they celebrated the Eucharist in the same way that Jesus did.

Today we too use the same signs and symbols.
We experience more deeply the Paschal Mystery.
We come to meet the Risen Lord
We cannot experience the Risen Lord without experiencing His passion and death.
Every celebration of the Eucharist is linked to the heavenly Eucharist.
To be Christ we have got to know Christ.

LITURGICAL CYCLE

As defined by the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Liturgical Year is "The celebration throughout the year of the mysteries of the Lord's birth, life, death, and Resurrection in such a way that the entire year becomes a 'year of the Lord's grace'. Thus the cycle of the liturgical year and the great feasts constitute the basic rhythm of the Christian's life of prayer, with its focal point at Easter" (§1168).This is still the basic four movements of the Holy Mass today:

1. The gifts are offered by the community and prepared
2. The Eucharistic Prayer
3. The breaking of the bread (fraction rite)
4. Communion 

The Liturgical cycles provides ample opportunity to experience the entire life of Christ as indicated in Sacred Scripture.  In order to truly experience the mysteries of Christ's incarnation, passion, death and resurrection we need to empty ourselves.  At every celebration of the Holy Mass we:

- Listen to the Word
- Break Bread
- Proclaim the Good News
- The Celebration of Holy Mass begins from the Introduction and ends at the
   Dismissal
- We experience the abiding Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist

EVOLUTION OF THE HOLY MASS

30-33 A.D :

PUBLIC MINISTRY OF JESUS:

Meals are important---the wedding feast at Cana, feeding of the 5,000, dining with sinners and tax collectors

JESUS INSTITUTES THE EUCHARIST:

At the Last Supper, He commands His disciples to "Do this in memory of me". (1 Cor.11:23-25, Mt. 26:26-29, Mk. 14:22-25)

POST RESURRECTION MEALS:

The disciples walk with Jesus on the road to Emmaus, but recognize Him in Breaking of the Bread (Luke 24:13-35). Christ prepares breakfast on the seashore.

NEW TESTAMENT

EUCHARIST AS PART OF AN AGAPE MEAL:

Paul scolds Corinth about its Eucharistic practices (1 Cor. 11:17-22, 26-34), and reminds them that "every time we eat this bread and drink this cup we proclaim the death of Our Lord" (11:26)

2nd-8th CENTURIES:

Ignatius of Antioch--Letter to the Philadelphians:

Three things are norm:

1.) gathered assembly

2.) the presidency of bishop

3.) the action of praise and thanksgiving with bread and wine.

JUSTIN MARTYR (150)

1.) Early Christians gathered on a Sunday

2.) Presiders gave thanks

3.) Eucharist taken to absent members

4.) Eucharist part of initiation rite

5.) Infants receive precious Blood

TERTULLIAN (160-255) --on prayer:

1.) Communion on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays

2.) Penitential fasting and Eucharistic feasting are incompatible.

9-10 CENTURIES:

1.) Latin is being used at Mass

2.) private prayers of the priest added to the liturgy

3.) Shift in understanding---priest praying while people doing other things

4.) Priests begin to give Communion in mouth

5.) Communion is distributed after Mass

6.) Gradual removal of cup from laity

9th CENTURY CONTROVERSY:

Radbertus teaches that Christ's presence is real and literal---God multiplies Body of Christ, hosts will bleed;
but Radbertus teaches that the presence of Christ is real and sacramental---bread and wine are true signs of Christ.

11th-12th CENTURIES:

1.) great attitude change
2.) Eucharist not something to eat and drink, but an object to be reverenced
3.) decline in reception of Communion--people don't consider themselves worthy
4.) prolonged elevation of hosts. People have "ocular Communion"
5.) genuflection added at consecration

13th-15th CENTURIES:
1.) 1215 Lateran Council mandates minimum of communion once a year "Easter Duty"
2.) Pope Leo IV established the feast of Corpus Christi in 1264
3.) Thomas Aquinas and others use philosophical arguments "substance"= Body and blood of Christ;
"accidents"= bread and wine

16th-17th CENTURIES:
1.) visits to Blessed Sacrament--Tabernacles built near altar
2.) Processions with blessed Sacrament carried in container
3.) Exposition of blessed Sacrament so faithful might glaze at it followed by Benediction

COUNCIL OF TRENT (1548-1563)

1.) defines Transubstantiation
2.) Order of Mass becomes uniform and in Latin
3.) Eucharist strengthens us spiritually and wipes away venial sins

RITUAL OF 1614

1.) advocates frequent communion at Mass
2.) provides rituals for communion outside Mass

20TH CENTURY

1905
Pope X advocates frequent communion; allows reception at age of reason (7)

1963---Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy

1.) Christ is present in people, priests word, Eucharistic species
2.) reform of the Mass, including return to vernacular language

1965---MASS OF PAUL VI

revised Liturgical year, Sacramentary and Lestionary

1973---IMMENSAE CARITAS

1.) permits extraordinary ministers for distribution for communion
2.) extends faculty to receive more than once per day
3.) eliminates fast for ill and aged
4.) restores reception of Eucharist in the hand

 2000

Missale Romanum Third Edition –

April 10, 2000

Missale Romanum, editio typica tertia promulgated by Pope John Paul II.

Pope John Paul II issued the “third typical edition” of the Roman Missal during the Jubilee Year 2000. The Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani (General Instruction of the Roman Missal) had been published in March 2000 as an introduction to the revised Missal. Theritual text would not be published until March 2002. Once the full text of the Missale Romanum was available, the work of translating it into various languages would begin. 

2001 

Liturgiam Authenticam –

March 28, 2001 

Liturgiam authenticam, Instruction on the use of vernacular languages in the publication of the books of the Roman Liturgy.

To guide the work of preparing translations of the revised Roman Missal, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments issues new instructions for the translation of liturgical texts. The guiding principle for translation is expressed as “formal equivalency.” Liturgiam authenticam #20 states: “While it is permissible to arrange the wording, the syntax and the style in such a way as to prepare a flowing vernacular text suitable to the rhythm of popular prayer, the original text insofar as possible, must be translated integrally and in the most exact manner, without omissions or additions in terms of their content, and without paraphrases or glosses.” 

2002

Vox Clara (Clear Voice) Established –

April 2002 

Vox Clara Committee established.

The Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments gathered bishops and consultants from English-speaking countries to assist in the review and approval of the English translation of the Roman Missal. The Vox Clara (“clear voice”) Committee has been meeting several times each year to review texts submitted to the Holy See for recognitio. 

2003

ICEL Statutes –

Sept. 15, 2003

International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) formally established by the Holy See as a “mixed commission” in accord with the principles of Liturgiam authenticam.

ICEL had originally been established in 1963. Its statutes were revised in order to establish a formal relationship with the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. 

2004

English Order of Mass Draft – February 2004

Draft translation of the Order of Mass presented to English-speaking Conferences of Bishops. 

ICEL presented its first draft of the first section of the Roman Missal, the Order of Mass, for review and comments. Each section of the Missal would go through two drafts, the first of which (the “green book”) would undergo review and modification. The second draft (the “gray book”) would be presented for canonical vote by the Conferences of Bishops, and then submitted to the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments for recognition. 

2008

Order of Mass Confirmed –June 23, 2008 

English translation of the Order of Mass confirmed by the Holy See.

While the revised translation of the Order of Mass cannot be used in the celebration of the Mass, the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments granted the recognitio in order that catechesis on the revised texts could begin and musical settings of the texts could be prepared. 

2009

U.S. Roman Missal Approved –November 17, 2009 

NEW GUIDELINES ADOPTED IN THE NEW ROMAN MISSAL

“The most notable feature of the new translation is that it uses a more formal style of English. Sentences are longer; some sound ponderous. This is so because the new text adheres closely to the original Latin. The Latin prayers are crafted with a poetic vocabulary. They have a rhythm, sentiment and structure designed to be more pleasing to the ear.

The use of formal language is intended to help us worship God more worthily and with noble dignity. This formal language is somewhat removed from our everyday speech so as to conjure up the mystery and beauty of God and allow for a more contemplative appreciation of the divine. The formality has a quality of timelessness that is meant to help the worshipper transcend the immediate and lift her heart and soul to God.”

"Some of the principles behind this new translation therefore are:

1.    A strict adherence of the translation to the original Latin blueprint edition published by Rome. (the present missal we use was translated hurriedly in the late 1960s and in many areas has paraphrased sentences that don’t accurately capture the actual wording or the full subtle meaning of the Latin version which was and is the authorised prototype text. This means that some of the things that look like they have ‘changed’ were actually always there in the authorised Latin text version.

2.    An encouragement that we don’t aim our liturgy at everyday language, but foster a more other-worldly, church-based vocabulary that lifts one higher and encourages one’s breadth of vocabulary.

3.    A more strict connection of the texts to their scriptural references.

4.    People everywhere throughout the world, irrespective of what language they speak, are using the same texts (carefully and rigidly translated). The translation of our mass that we have used over the last forty years has been reassessed and found to have a lot of paraphrasing and loose translation that does not always capture the accuracy of what is actually written in the “masterfile” or “prototype”  of the text, which is the Latin version." 

THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS

The Father sent His Beloved Son Jesus to reveal His love for us through the Incarnation, Passion, Death and Resurrection.  Jesus chose, taught and sent His Apostles to preach the Good News, they in turn have handed down the faith and those who received it have handed over faithfully what they received through Tradition.

It is the duty of the Church to preach and teach the faith in accordance with Scripture and Apostolic Tradition.  In the Jubilee Year Blessed Pope John Paul II wanted to hand over this tradition in totality by giving us the New Order of the Roman Missal which would be faithful to Tradition in the words, gestures, signs and symbols.  It only through

understanding our Faith Tradition that we will value the Sacred Mysteries of the Eucharist.

In every celebration of the Eucharist, the community comes together because God invites us to fellowship with Him.  We come as individuals but we join the community of believers.  By our active participation we engage with the Celebrant.  Both the proclamation of the Word and the Eucharist are important.  \

The Liturgy is both God's work and human work.

It is the work of human hands that produces the daily ordinary food of bread and wine;   God's work transforms the bread and wine through transubstantiation into the Body and Blood of Christ.  The work of Redemption is accomplished in us in the Eucharist.

Our human toil and suffering is our sacrifice which is united with the sufferings of Jesus in the one, holy and perfect Sacrifice offered by Him on Calvary, this is the Sacrament of our Redemption

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"Receiving the Eucharist means adoring Him whom we receive. Only in this way do we become one with Him, and are given, as it were, a foretaste of the beauty of the heavenly liturgy. The act of adoration outside Mass prolongs and intensifies all that takes place during the liturgical celebration itself." 

Pope Benedict XVI – Sacramentum Caritatis 66
from an address to priests in Poland, May 25, 2006