Translations and the Guardian Angel Prayer

Tridentine Community News (January 9, 2011):

More comments and questions have been generated about translations into the vernacular than about any of our other column topics. This week, a reader asked about the Prayer To One’s Guardian Angel found in the Manual of Indulgences. The current (2006) edition phrases the prayer as follows:

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom his love entrusts me here, enlighten and guard, rule and guide me. Amen.

Our reader mentioned that she had been taught a different wording of this prayer:

Angel of God, my Guardian dear, to whom His love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.

She asked if reciting the “old” wording of the prayer still gained a Partial Indulgence. The answer is found in two places:

First, the heading to this prayer in the Manual of Indulgences states: “A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who devoutly invoke the care of their guardian Angel with a duly approved prayer (e.g.: Ángele Dei).” The widely-recalled traditional translation has not been abrogated, thus it is presumably still “a duly approved prayer”, seeing as how it is a translation of the same original Latin prayer with the same essential meaning. Thus the old wording would indeed be suitable to gain the indulgence.

Second, the First General Concession in the opening section of the Manual of Indulgences states: “A partial indulgence is granted to the Christian faithful who, while carrying out their duties and enduring the hardships of life, raise their minds in humble trust to God and make, at least mentally, some pious invocation.” In other words, most any sincerely offered prayer will gain a partial indulgence, as long as one has a general intention to gain indulgences.

Why specify any particular prayers at all, if any prayer will do? The Church is instructing the faithful about the principal subjects for which to pray. Clear examples are given for those areas, to serve as models for other, perhaps more spontaneous prayers. The faithful might not necessarily think to pray for the Holy Father, for the souls of the faithful departed, or for the intercession of Ss. Peter & Paul, were it not for some master guidelines, provided in this principal reference book for devotional prayer.

We should be grateful to Holy Mother Church for the liberality with which she offers grants from her treasury of graces.

Next St. Albertus Mass: January 23

The first Extraordinary Form Mass at St. Albertus Church in 2011 will be held in two weeks, on Sunday, January 23 at noon.

Music for this Mass will be provided by members of the choir of Detroit’s St. Matthew Church. The Mass setting will be Albert Rosewig’s Mass in F, a rarely-performed composition for which sheet music was discovered while cleaning up the choir loft at St. Albertus. Celebrant for this Mass will be Fr. Mark Borkowski.

Additional Tridentine Masses at St. Albertus in 2011 will be held on the following Sundays at noon: March 20, May 15, July 17, August 21, September 18, October 16, and November 6.

Mass Intentions Available

You may request that a Mass be said for a specific intention, or for a living or deceased person(s). Fill out one of the pink forms found at the missal table at the entrance to the church, place the form in an envelope with the Mass stipend ($20 for a Requiem Mass with Catafalque; $10 otherwise), and drop the envelope in the collection basket. To find out if a specific date is available for an intention, at St. Josaphat, call the office at (313) 831-6659; at Assumption-Windsor, call (519) 734-1335.

At the present time, Assumption has most of the dates in 2011 booked. St. Josaphat, however, has many dates open, especially for weekday Masses. Readers from Assumption who would like a Mass intention earlier than can be provided at Assumption are welcome to mark on the Mass Intention form that St. Josaphat is acceptable, and we will forward your offering across the river. Make your check out to the Windsor Tridentine Mass Association, and the WTMA will forward the stipend to St. Josaphat.

Tridentine Masses This Coming Week

Principal Sunday Masses are not listed.

Mon. 01/10 7:00 PM: Low Mass at St. Josaphat (Feria after the Epiphany)

Tue. 01/11 7:00 PM: Low Mass at Assumption-Windsor (Feria after the Epiphany)

Thu. 01/13 7:00 PM: High Mass at St. Josaphat (Commemoration of the Baptism of the Lord)

[Comments? Please e-mail tridnews@stjosaphatchurch.org. Previous columns are available at www.stjosaphatchurch.org. This edition of Tridentine Community News, with minor editions, is from the St. Josaphat bulletin insert for January 9, 2011. Hat tip to A.B.]