Are you ready for some changes?

...in the liturgy that is. Yes, changes are coming and while they may be over a year away they are coming nonetheless. The Vatican has approved the English translation for Masses in the US of A and I thought I might start highlighting a few on this site.

The changes in the liturgy will be most notable in the wording which has been translated to more correctly convey the original Latin of the texts of the Mass.

I'll focus tonight on the introductory rites.

After the Priest says and makes the sign of the cross he can choose to say the following:

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

And our response will be: And with your spirit.

>>gone in the new translation is the common response, "and also with you".

When we move to the penetential act, whwn we recite the formula of the general confession it will be changed and this is our response:

I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have greatly sinned
in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do,
through my fault, through my fault, through my most grevious fault;
therefore I ask the blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints
and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.

The prayer that the Priest says at the conclusion of our confession changes slightly:

May almighty God have mercy on us and lead us, with our sins forgiven, to eternal life.

Now the other options the Priest may use include the following:

Priest: Have mercy on us O Lord. Response: For we have sinned against you.
Priest: Show us O Lord your mercy. Response: And grant us your salvation.

The more commonly used option, which is read by the Priest or the Deacon will sound like this:

Pr or Deacon: You were sent to heal the contrite of heart. Response: Lord have mercy.
Pr or Deacon: You came to call sinners. Response: Christ have mercy.
Pr or Deacon: You are seated at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us. Response: Lord have mercy.

And we come to the Gloria which has some changes. I must admit, I have heard this version many times in liturgies at the Beendictine monastery in my part of the world. This is how the Gloria will be after the changes are made:

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.
We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord God heavenly King, O God, almighty Father.

Lord Jesus Christ, only begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us;
you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.

For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.

So there you have it; the changes in the introductory rites.

I'll tackle so more soon.

Remember, no changes coming to sometime in 2011.