2013-06-03     John W        John W's previous articles

 

Corpus Christi Collect confusion

 

As you may know, I decline to use the new translation (like a growing number of priests in many countries).
But yesterday at a prison Mass I used some printed sheets kindly provided by a local Chinese parishioner (who is not aware of the English translation issue). The sheets had the readings and prayers of Corpus Christi. For the Eucharistic Prayer I used the old translation

The New Translation uses "collect" instead of "opening prayer".
For ordinary people "collect" means "gather", as in a collection.
But that's by the way.

What a disaster the Collect is.  See it beside the old translation here:

Old New Comment

Lord Jesus Christ, you gave us the Eucharist
as the memorial of your suffering and death.
May our worship of this sacrament of your body and blood help us to experience the salvation you won for us and the peace of the kingdom where you live with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

O God, who in this wonderful Sacrament
have left us a memorial of your Passion,
grant us, we pray, so to revere the sacred mysteries of your Body and Blood that we may always experience in ourselves the fruits of your redemption. Who live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Old is clearly addressed to Jesus. You know who you are talking to.  New is addressed to "God" but when you hear "your Passion/Body/Blood" you begin to realise "God" here means Jesus.

Also the clumsy "O God...who live  and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit (how come not God the Holy Spirit since you've already called Jesus and the Father "God"?

And: why the need to say "experience in ourselves"?

As many people have said, the New Translation is a hindrance, not a help, to prayer.
It is a pastoral tragedy and a liturgical disaster. Why do something that is bad for the people?
Do we not have a duty to avoid anything that is bad for the people?

Many articles on this theme at The New Translation

Bottom line: in future I'll prepare my own Mass sheets for prison Masses, avoiding the confusing New Translation

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