Reform of the reform, or re-inventing the wheel: step one

Recently I received two attractive, clearly-written booklets by Edward Sri, sent to me by the publisher for personal review and promotion:

• A Guide to the New Translation of the Mass, and
• A Biblical Walk Through the Mass: Understanding What We Say and Do In The Liturgy

These booklets, just published by Ascension Press in West Chester, Pennyslvania, are targeted at lay audiences facing the forth-coming introduction of liturgical changes to the Novus Ordo Missae scheduled for U.S. parishes November, 2011.

There is no question the newly translated portions of the liturgy, few in number though they be, are a significant improvement over the existing translations. They are more faithful to the Latin original or the Novus Ordo Missae. In fact, at points, they are nearly an exact translation of the Latin in the usus antiquior, as in the Confiteor, where the new translation reads: "Through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault," or in the Credo, where the new translation has: "Was incarnate of the Virgin Mary." Shades of Trent! They might even re-invent communion rails and kneeling next!

The really amazing thing is the huge impact these relatively minor adjustments in translation is having on the Catholic music and missal publishing industry. Liturgical music composers, publishers, ministers of music, choirs, liturgical ministers, etc. are reved up and running full bore in preparation for all the forthcoming adjustments these new translations will call for in the parishes across the country. When all is said and done, one would like to hope that it will have been much ado about something, at least.