We are T-13 days and counting until the official implementation of the revised Roman Missal. For many of us, November 27, 2011, has been a long time in coming. For me, in particular, I have been looking forward to this day ever since 2008, when the Congregation for Divine Worship released the revised Ordinary for musical and catechetical purposes.
In my diocese, as in many others on these shores, we have been given permission to begin using the sung parts of the revised Ordinary (Gloria, Sanctus, and Memorial). To say that chanting these has been a wonderful experience is an understatement. It's been a great joy. While we must recognize the validity of the current translation, there is much to be said about finally praying the correct text.
Yet, even with this joy, there is a tinge of sorrow. No, I am not mourning the demise of the current "Mass of Creation", let alone any setting written by the St. Louis Jesuits. Rather, I lament the negativity that not a few of my fellow bloggers have displayed when discussing the corrected translation of the Roman Missal. Even publications that claim to be Catholic have written soundly against the translation, one going so far as to cite a 16-year-old "Latin expert".
This is uncalled for and lamentable. The First Sunday of Advent should be a time of joy, not the liturgical End of Days. The Church, in her wisdom, has granted us the special gift of a translation that accurately reflects the sacred nature of the prayers that we recite in an elevated language that is worthy of worship.
This is a time of great renewal in the Church. Come the First Sunday of Advent, let us rejoice and be glad.
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