As we go more throughout the Church year we see ( at least in my view) how some of the old translation of the English was somewhat lacking. We have seen all sort of benefits I think that outweight the problem that some Catholics might have to look a word up.
One benefit is ecumenical !! As this Anglican priest from New Zealand we Catholics and Anglicans / Episcopalians are praying together more closely during the year. See Anglicans and Catholics pray together again (link corrected)
One other benefit is some beautiful imagery has been recovered. At times one wonders why in the old English translation was it lost in the first place. There is no better example of this so far than in the beautiful Easter Exultet that is sung at the beginning of the Holy Saturday Mass. Father Z has an comparision of the text here.
The fact that the Bees have returned has generated some excitement in Catholic and non Catholic circles.
... holy Father, accept this candle, a solemn offering, the work of bees and of your servants’ hands, an evening sacrifice of praise, this gift from your most holy Church. But now we know the praises of this pillar, which glowing fire ignites for God’s honor, a fire into many flames divided, yet never dimmed by sharing of its light, for it is fed by melting wax, drawn out by mother bees to build a torch so precious.O truly blessed night, when things of heaven are wed to those of earth, and divine to the human....
One Anglican noted with excitement that Pope Benedict touched on this at his Holy Saturday Homily. See Pope Benedict’s Easter Vigil Homily . . . and BEES!
After reviewing Pope Benedict's Holy Saturday Homlies as Pontiff , I noticed that the Pope has not touched on the Bees in the Exultet before. He has talked about the Exultet and the symbolism of the Paschal Easter Candle but never on bees.
No doubt Pope Benedict realizing his Homily gets noticed worldwide wanted to highlight this for English speaking Catholics that are rediscovering it.
A Priest In Boston really takes off on Pope Benedict's point today in a beautiful Fashion. See
We Are Christ's Bees . I think that is an excellent meditation to print out and read during the years when as a Catholic you might be getting discourage about the Church. We all have a place and each is important.
Thanks for referencing my site, "Liturgy" - I wonder if a more pertinent post would be the more recent one in which I specifically write about the improvement that the new RC translation provides to realising when ecumenically we are praying the same prayer - something that was not visible previously:
ReplyDeletehttp://liturgy.co.nz/collects-in-common/6872
Christ is risen!
Bosco+
Thanks Father. I actually meant to put that link instead of the one I used in this post. Have corrected now.
ReplyDeleteI had too many windows open I think When I was cutting and pasting