Preparing for the 1st Sunday of Advent: New Roman Missal explanations

from osv.com

Theological quibbling. At first glance, that’s how some of the forthcoming changes to the English-language translation of the Roman Missal might appear. The difference between words and phrases such as “consubstantial” and “one in being,” or “And also with you” and “And with your spirit,” seem to contain within them echoes of the classic Gershwin tune “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off.” It’s all to-may-toes and to-mah-toes, po-tay-toes and po-tah-toes.

But, in fact, that’s not how it is at all.

The Mass, for as poetic as it can sound, is no Gershwin tune. The words it contains aren’t there for their rhyming potential. They’re there because they mean something, because they say something true and important about God, the world and the human condition.

Many of those words were first used in the Mass by apostles, saints and Church Fathers. They were drawn from the scrolls of Hebrew Scripture and the written and oral tradition of the Church. Some are the words of Christ. Others are the words of those who followed him. Through the centuries, the faithful have given their lives to say those words. They’ve also given their lives to ensure that the right words were said.

For all those reasons and more, the words of the Mass matter. They matter a great deal. That’s why the forthcoming changes to the translation that English-speaking Catholics use in the Sacred Liturgy aren’t about theological quibbling or liturgical minutiae. It’s most definitely not to-may-toes and to-mah-toes. It’s serious business … albeit serious business that takes a bit of time and study to understand.

So, what are some of the changes Catholics will encounter starting on Nov. 27, the first Sunday of Advent, that seem small but are actually quite significant?