Yes, I am reduced to blatantly ripping off bad 70's pop songs. I have been trying to feel out information on the approach of a certain liturgist and the parish dynamics. With the new translation, there are wonderfully talented composers and chant specialists making certain that every parish could have sung propers and ordinary in English and Latin. The idea being that some parishes may need to start with simple chants in English, but that they would learn that:
1) The introit is sufficient for an opening procession and it is always appropriate for the day.
2) The psalms are meant to be chanted
3) The offertory & communion antiphons are always appropriate for the day and the communion antiphon would be no problem for congregations to sing.
Anyway, I was talking with this person about the new translation and the person indicated it was almost as if we were saying or would have to explain that the early 1970’s translation was wrong. I said exactly, though I understand there is hesitation to come right out and say it. This is not an infallible issue, so I will be blunt- if I had turned in a translation from Latin like the current English translation of the mass to any of my language teachers, I would have gotten a D. Entire phrases were left out (mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa), verbs were “translated” in the wrong tense (Credo = I believe, not we believe) etc. It was done to bring a certain “feeling” to the mass, but in the late 60’s and 70’s things were, well, even I had a green polyester suit including a poncho with orange pom poms (mom made it!). This translation is perhaps one step in recovering the sacred.
Our Holy Father may be under a lot of pressure from the forces of status quo, but I am praying there is something promulgated indicating that the preferred way to receive communion is kneeling and on the tongue. I think this would do so much to recover the sense of the Eucharist and Who we receive during communion. The fact that it is more sanitary is just an added bonus.
It never ceases to amaze me that there are Methodists (like my mother) who are kneeling to receive communion at their churches and as far as they are concerned it is just a symbol, yet we Catholics know (or should know) we are, as Jesus stated in the Bible, receiving His Body, Blood Soul and Divinity and in most parishes, we have no choice but to stand.
In the Got Mail, department, I received my copy of The Office Of Compline today. Very crunchy (notes that is). I like.
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