I am guilty of not following, in any detail, the development and launch of the new translation. Not because I am not interested it's just that I think I am on the right bus (is this a good analogy?) and so tend not to look at the other routes.
I welcome the fact that the old and banal translation is out the door but that's as far as my knowledge goes until I met an old priest friend recently. He has his feet pretty firmly in the 'Ordinary' camp although, he does, at times celebrate the Extraordinary Mass.
He explained to me that he had been, in his words, "trying out the new translation". He went on to say how it had immediately begun to transform the atmosphere in the church.
"We have silence again, it is returning to reverence, the congregation is quiet"
He waxed lyrical; welcoming the return of the word 'soul' as in 'Lord I am not worthy to receive you, say but the word and (I) my soul shall be healed'.
Without using the word soul, he said, people forget that they possess one.
And the saints have returned; if their names are not present in the Mass then we forget to pray to them!
And then he changed tack and said: "What is it with the Bishops?" Now I try to tread a diplomatic line (believe it or not) when it comes to upsetting wise old priests so I looked blank (not hard) and said: "What about the Bishops?"
Then he, of course, went into how Friday abstinence was coming back and also how they were re-thinking some of the Holy Days ("and they only made that decision two years ago"). "Just what is going on?" He asked.
"I think that the Holy Father has been doing great work" Says I, meaning every word of it.
"Yes" he responded "but what else?"
"I believe that we are witnessing the Holy Spirit at work"
"Precisely!" said he and his whole face lit up with great joy that was wonderful to see.
I found his comments interesting to say the least and I shall pay much more attention to how the new translation is introduced and how it develops. I do not think that I will ever budge from my EF seat but I might, just might, be tempted to see what a "new new" Mass is like at some stage in the future.
I say that without any intent of sounding patronising.
I welcome the fact that the old and banal translation is out the door but that's as far as my knowledge goes until I met an old priest friend recently. He has his feet pretty firmly in the 'Ordinary' camp although, he does, at times celebrate the Extraordinary Mass.
He explained to me that he had been, in his words, "trying out the new translation". He went on to say how it had immediately begun to transform the atmosphere in the church.
"We have silence again, it is returning to reverence, the congregation is quiet"
He waxed lyrical; welcoming the return of the word 'soul' as in 'Lord I am not worthy to receive you, say but the word and (I) my soul shall be healed'.
Without using the word soul, he said, people forget that they possess one.
And the saints have returned; if their names are not present in the Mass then we forget to pray to them!
And then he changed tack and said: "What is it with the Bishops?" Now I try to tread a diplomatic line (believe it or not) when it comes to upsetting wise old priests so I looked blank (not hard) and said: "What about the Bishops?"
Then he, of course, went into how Friday abstinence was coming back and also how they were re-thinking some of the Holy Days ("and they only made that decision two years ago"). "Just what is going on?" He asked.
"I think that the Holy Father has been doing great work" Says I, meaning every word of it.
"Yes" he responded "but what else?"
"I believe that we are witnessing the Holy Spirit at work"
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| "Come Holy Ghost, Creator come..." |
I found his comments interesting to say the least and I shall pay much more attention to how the new translation is introduced and how it develops. I do not think that I will ever budge from my EF seat but I might, just might, be tempted to see what a "new new" Mass is like at some stage in the future.
I say that without any intent of sounding patronising.
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