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Dear MHR parishioners, Most likely you have already heard that beginning on the First Sunday of Advent, November 26 & 27, 2011, the Church in the US will begin using a new translation of the prayers at Mass. Other English speaking countries have chosen earlier dates to introduce these new translations of the Liturgy. Undoubtedly we will go through a period of confusion and, perhaps, anger since none of us enjoys change and we have become familiar with the present Mass translations, since we have been using them for some 40 years. At the Second Vatican Council and during the subsequent revision of the Liturgies it was never envisioned that we would have one definitive translation. Rather, it was agreed that the Mass was to be a dynamic and adapting form of worship--other changes would come over time. In fact this "new" translation is not so new in that this is the third recasting of the Mass since Vatican II. It was only English speaking countries that did not adopt the second and third revisions. The Congregation for Divine Worship has now determined that it is time for English speakers to adopt the normative texts for the celebration of Mass, so that all nations will be using the same language and format. You will find that most of the changes to the "people's parts" of the Mass dialogue are minor. More sweeping changes were made to the various collects and canons recited by the priest. The guiding principles in this new translation were: 1) adhere more closely to the Latin original and, 2) reflect a more Scriptural structure. It is my hope that you will endeavor to embrace these changes in the language of the Liturgy and over time we will feel more confident and comfortable with what at first may seem stiff and stilted wording.So that you are not taken completely by surprise on the First Sunday of Advent (November 27), we want you to be familiar with the various resources available at MHR for your use. Please take a moment to review our bulletin inserts in the upcoming weeks for information about the new translation. We also invite you to visit our parish website at www.mhr.org. There you will find links to prominent Catholic websites that provide deeper, theological analysis of the changes coming our way. I am grateful for your commitment to our vibrant MHR community as we explore and embrace the new liturgical translation. Wishing you a blessed Advent Season and a joyous Christmas. Yours in Christ, Father Steve Helpful links for the Revised Roman Missal (implementation November 27, 2011) In-depth Resources on Welcoming the New Translation: http://old.usccb.org/romanmissal General Information: http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/roman-missal/index.cfm http://revisedromanmissal.org/Roman_Missal.aspx FAQs: http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/roman-missal/frequently-asked-questions New Roman Missal for Parents and Adults (created by LifeTeen) http://vimeo.com/25418499 (Length: 10 min & 5 sec.) This video is geared towards parents, but does give a pretty concise explanation of the changes for adults. People Parts (with commentary) http://old.usccb.org/romanmissal/samples-people.shtml Theological Reflections http://old.usccb.org/romanmissal/resources-reflections.shtml
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