The Way We Pray: A New Translation of What We’ve Always Celebrated

You might have read or heard that there are going to be some changes in the words we pray at Mass – these changes will officially start on the First Sunday of Advent this year. So let’s think about this a little bit and prepare ourselves to understand what’s going on.

During the Second Vatican Council (think of a big, extended, international meeting of Cardinals, Bishops, Church leaders, theologians and experts – the Council lasted from October 1962 to December 1965), various language groups were given the ability to celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass in their own specific languages. That meant that translations from the Latin text needed to be undertaken, approved, and put into practice. Latin of course was, and still is, the official language of our Church – that’s why we’re known as Roman Catholics, or Latin Rite Catholics.

So as the English language translators worked on this “vernacular” project back in the late 1960’s – 1970’s, they used a translation method known as “dynamic equivalence”. Dynamic equivalence attempts to bring out as much of the original meaning as possible while using current idioms, and colloquial ways of speaking. Intended meanings are judged and then put forth. Unfortunately through this method, original meanings might get lost, confused, or even contradict what was originally intended. So since the first English Language Missal was promulgated, the leaders of our Church have been working through the Ecclesial, theological and practical process to provide the English speaking world with a better, more accurate, more traditional, and more precise translation. Thus, the new Roman Missal, 3rd Edition.

So here’s one of the first changes that you’ll experience when we begin praying this new translation.

If you remember your Latin, you might remember the Priests of yore saying:

Dominus Vobiscum

The response from the faithful was:

Et cum spiritu tuo

The old (and still current) translation is:

The Lord be with you. And also with you.

Even with not much education in Latin, the translations don’t match. So for the sake of precision our new translation will be:

Priest: The Lord be with you.
People: And with your spirit.

Now, this dialogue expressing God’s presence and blessing as we begin the liturgy, while beautiful, is not commonly understood English. So it will become part of what we do as Church to come to understand the mystery within the words. Liturgists and theologians and all of us as the faithful will reflect on what is meant. Maybe this phrase is recognition by the faithful of the presence of the Holy Spirit on the office of the priest. Perhaps this phrase is an acknowledgement of Jesus Christ being the one true Priest, and the presider is only acting in accord with the will of Christ. Both ways, by specifically referencing the Priest’s spirit we can affirm his transformation through Holy Orders and pray for his ministry. So, as we all get used to this new exchange, let us pray together, Priest and faithful, for greater communion with the Holy Spirit.