Comments on: Mystery

By: Liz

Liz — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:15:44 +0000

Jeffrey — yes I know there is more than language that separates Catholics from Anglicans or Episcopals. And there’s less, IMHO, that separates us than many believe. And, yes, it a whole other topic.

By: Jeffrey Pinyan

Jeffrey Pinyan — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:06:07 +0000

I won’t pursue the discussion any further, then, except to say that there’s more than simply language that separates Catholics from Anglicans, but that’s a whole other topic.

By: Liz

Liz — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 01:39:37 +0000

I hesitate to engage in this discussion at all. I have read some of the new language (not all); I suppose that a part of me has a gut reaction akin to: if I responded to this language form, I would have been Anglican instead of Roman Catholic. Also, although I am not overly familiar with the Latin mass, I am aware that the spanish doesn’t always correspond to the english exactly. But, then, Spanish is a romance language as is Latin, and therefore the alignment may be easier in some ways. I work with multi-lingual websites and I know that the best translations are made the one who is translating into his/her native tongue. I can make sentences in spanish, or french that are technically correct, but just aren’t how a native speaker would express the idea. In the same manner, I’m sure you have read sentences in english that are technically correct, but obviously not written by a native speaker. This seems to be a part of the issue with the “new” wording — at least, that’s how some of the phrasing sounds to my ears: technically correct, but not the way a native english speaker would say it.

I’ll live through it — there is some much in the whole body of the teaching of the church that speaks to me. My only prayer is that I remain close to God and that I remember that living in relationship with God is the most important part.

By: Jeffrey Pinyan

Jeffrey Pinyan — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 00:42:31 +0000

I would suggest that it is not that people want to make Mass (and Catholicism in general) more awesome and mysterious, but rather that the Mass (and Catholicism in general) IS truly awesome and mysterious, and our current English translation does not do the Mass justice in these regards. This new translation will HELP to restore (in the English language) that sense of awe and mystery, but it certainly won’t “magically” do it on its own.

There’s a lot of unwarranted fright and distress over the new translations, and I wonder how many people have sat down with the texts that have been made public and read them with an open mind (and an open Bible!). The link between the words of the Mass and the words of Scripture has been restored to the degree found in the Latin text.

It also helps — though it’s not necessary — to be familiar with the Latin text of the Mass, because that will reveal how much more accurate and faithful to the normative text of the Mass this new translation will be.

Just the thoughts of a fellow blogger who is prepared to receive these changes in a spirit of obedience, trust, and humility.