by Kiply Lukan Yaworski
SASKATOON — A loving spirit of unity is called for when it comes to the implementation of a new English translation of prayers and instructions for celebrating mass, the director of the national liturgy office said during diocesan Study Days Oct. 20 - 21 in Saskatoon.
Rev. Bill Burke called on pastoral leaders to set aside any annoyance and frustration with parts of the new translation to examine the document as a whole, to appreciate all that it does have to offer, and then to help the faithful understand the changes. “The nature of the General Instruction goes way beyond rubrics. It’s the doctrinal, pastoral context in which the rubrics are being enacted,” he said, stressing the liturgy is about a meaning that goes “way beyond the use of words.”The new translation of the Roman Missal and its revised General Instruction is being implemented in all the English-speaking countries of the world, with different national groups at different stages in the process, reported Burke, who is director of liturgy for the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB).
“There are 11 different English-speaking conferences,” he said. “Each one has to submit their text to Rome for approval.” While the American documents have been approved and published, the Canadian bishops are still waiting a response from Rome about several requested adaptations, explained Burke. Until the final version is certain, the CCCB cannot move forward with implementation, he said, noting that since Canada is a bilingual country, the bishops had to arrive at one set of adaptations for both French and English translations. Burke said resources for explaining and reflecting upon the changes, and on the liturgy as a whole, are being prepared by the CCCB to assist in implementing the new missal and General Instruction, along with new musical settings of parts of the mass, such as the Gloria.
Burke began his presentation by asking parish representatives and ministry co-ordinators from across the diocese to examine the value of “this awesome gift of the eucharist in your lives.” Acknowledging that there is a diversity of opinions and theologies in the faith community, Burke stressed the need for keeping a respectful perspective. “The need for ritual is coded into our DNA as human beings. It’s part of who we are, and how God made us,” he said, describing how this hunger for ritual can be seen in the impromptu roadside shrines that spring up after an accident or death.
But the liturgy goes far beyond such rituals, Burke said, noting how through the ages the church has treasured and guided the celebration of the eucharist. “Through the liturgy we are incorporated more deeply into the very life of the Trinity,” he said. “We don’t go looking for new meanings. We don’t invent the mystery of faith. We don’t invent the gift of the eucharistic liturgy. We receive it, we celebrate it and we pass it on.”
The new document emphasizes transcendence and a sense of the sacred. Instructions about the use of silence, more references to the action of the Holy Spirit, an expanded section on the Liturgy of the Word in the celebration of mass, and notes about posture at different points in the celebration were explored in Burke’s presentation.
The General Instruction also emphasizes the need for unity, Burke said. The document addresses questions of posture, for instance, with the goal of having uniformity of posture among the assembly within a celebration. “The General Instruction talks about reverence expressed in kneeling, in standing, in sitting, in quiet meditation, in participating in the Gospel acclamation,” Burke said. “It has a whole variety of gestures and postures that express reverence, that are appropriate to the particular moment of the celebration.”
Burke explored prayers and passages from the new translation. He invited observations and discussion about some of the changes, and stressed the need for good catechesis, homilies and explanations as the new translation is implemented. “We are going to find a diversity of reaction to these prayers,” predicted Burke, noting the extremes being heard on the “blogosphere” about the new translation and the General Instruction, suggesting that those on both sides are misreading the document. “There has to be a much more respectful dialogue.”
There is great richness in the new translation, added Burke, noting how portions of the translation that at first felt awkward, he now finds profound. And in the end, the “sacrament of unity” is about more than words, it is about redemption.
Sources include:
http://www.prairiemessenger.ca/11_10_2010/liturgy_11_10_10.html
http://www.cccb.ca/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2419&Itemid=1214&lang=eng
http://www.revisedromanmissal.org/
http://www.cccb.ca/site
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