Elsewhere in the blogdom, notably here, here, and here, the new ICEL translations have been referenced. I thought my readers would like to see the little 4.5" x 3" card which was passed out to the people just after the April 64 approval for the new texts. I received this card shortly before my first Communion. You can click on the photos for larger text.
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(page 4)While I am personally glad of many of the changes, such as the priest facing the people, English responses, readings being in English - I didn't appreciate that for a while there they seemed to change the Mass every time you turned around, and I really hated niggling changes like "WE believe in one God." And as far as I'm concerned they can ditch the protestant "For thine is the kingdom" jazz. Yes, I know a monk got stoked and wrote it in a margin...so what? Ice that thing.
Slightly annoying is the fact now that we are getting still another translation, some of the things they got right on the FIRST pass are now jacked around once again. What was wrong with "Oh Lord I am not worthy, that you should come under my roof, speak but the word and my soul will be healed?" No. The ICEL boys have to "mark" their territory like a dog on a fire hydrant. Nice try guys, but you know the boys who did it the first time got it right.
I really do not like the versions of the Gloria and Our Father we are too often stuck with singing at Mass now, far too sappy for my taste. And though I don't mind so much the concept of a sign of peace, I really don't like it in practice so much during the winter time. There are always some dummies who will come to Mass rather than stay home when they are really sick who insist on glad handing everyone and bringing the whole herd down with what they've got. And I hate the fact that often times there are parishes / priests which ALWAYS seem to pick a different option than the confiteor.
My fantasy? It won't be a sin to pull a gun on a priest and INSIST they say all the prayers distinctly enough to be heard....and "do the red" I want to hear the confiteor, all of the offertory, (God knows some of them mumble it), ALL of the Eucharistic prayer, and since I'm holding the gun ... Eucharistic prayer number I please. Oh, and I will have a friend train another gun on the cantor and organist...first sappy Gloria or Our Father, and they buy the farm. If the priest gets out of line I will give him the courtesy of a warning shot, then make him "dance" on a 2nd offense. On the 3rd one ... well, you know what they say.... "The third time is the charm."
