New Translation Of Roman Missal >Our Lady of Grace Parish in Aurora, Ontario

The way Catholics celebrate the Eucharist follows a standard form. We call this the Order of Mass. It is comprised of 4 main parts: The Introductory Rites, the Liturgy of the Word, the Liturgy of the Eucharist, and the Concluding Rites. Our worship is one great dialogue, namely, that God speaks to us and we speak to God. This is reflected in the many prayers and responses spoken by the priest and the people. Our prayers are not spontaneous, but have been given to us from many sources through the generations. They are collected together in the Sacramentary or Roman Missal. Each prayer text conveys aspects of the great mystery of faith that we celebrate.

In 2000, Blessed John Paul II issued a 3rd Edition of the Roman Missal based on the renewal of the sacred liturgy called for by the bishops during the Second Vatican Council. Originally produced in Latin, the texts have been translated into English using a careful method to preserve, as much as possible, the full meaning of the text. On the first Sunday of Advent 2011, we will begin to use this new translation of the Roman Missal. The prayers and acclamations will sound different from the ones we now employ. Therefore, we will need to learn the revised translations of the parts of the Mass. In September, we will begin to introduce these new translations. Further reflection on the parts of the Mass and the meaning of the texts will occur from January to June 2012.

For more information, please go to: www.archtoronto.org/romanmissal.

November 27 Bulletin Update

As the priest invites us to receive Holy Communion, he will say 'Behold', rather than 'This is', 'the Lamb of God'. 'Behold' means 'to look at' and is our invitation to adore Christ who we are about to receive in Holy Communion. We are used to saying 'Lord I am not worthy to receive you' ... This will change to: 'Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed'. This is almost exactly what the Roman Centurion said when he came and begged Jesus to heal his servant.

When Jesus says he will come to the Centurion's house, the man knows that Jesus doesn't need to do that, that just his word will be enough. The Centurion says: 'Lord I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word and my servant will be healed'. Our new reply changes only one word of the Centurion's speech - my servant becomes my soul will be healed. For more information on the Roman Missal and its changes, visit www.archtoronto.org/romanmissal anytime to continue your reflection.

November 20 Bulletin Update

For Catholics, a 'mystery' is not a puzzle that cannot be solved. It is a truth that is so deep that we know we'll never be able to get to the bottom of it; a truth we'll never completely be able to understand. One example of this is our belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. We believe that Christ is truly present but we can't wholly explain it. The priest shows us the host and then the chalice. Then he genuflects and says 'The mystery of faith'. We continue with one of three responses. These are all different from the ones we have been used to and they come directly from the New Testament. So when the priest says 'The mystery of faith' he is inviting us to welcome this Real Presence of Christ. We then make our response, which we address to God. For more information on the Roman Missal and its changes, visit www.archtoronto.org/romanmissal anytime to continue your reflection.

November 13 Bulletin Update

There are two versions of the creed that are used at mass: the Apostle's Creed and the longer Nicene Creed. Most Canadian Catholics are accustomed to using the Apostle's Creed at most celebrations. A number of small changes have been made to ensure that the new translation is more true to the original Latin text. Most notably in the Apostles' Creed, where we previously prayed that “he descended to the dead” we will now use “he descended into hell”.

This brief matter-of-fact statement holds the promise of immense hope for believers. It reminds us that Jesus Christ not only died our death but also entered the realm of the dead and set them free. The “hell” is not that of popular culture – a fiery place of eternal punishment but, rather, the hell of the scriptures, the shadowy domain where the dead are spiritless and lost, cut off from light and life. For more information on the Roman Missal and its changes, visit www.archtoronto.org/romanmissal anytime to continue your reflection.

November 6 Bulletin Update

Parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Toronto will begin to use the new translation of the Roman Missal on the weekend of November 27. Joining us in this journey will be Catholics in all parishes throughout Canada and the United States. Beginning in September 2011, parishes in the Archdiocese of Toronto will begin to learn more about the new translation. You will notice many changes in the words that the celebrant (priest) uses when he celebrates Mass. There are also a few changes to the words that the congregation will use when they respond, also referred to as the "people's parts". We will also introduce new musical compositions as part of the sung Mass settings (Lord of Mercy, Gloria, Holy Holy, Lamb of God, etc.)

It will take some time to get used to these changes - please pray that we will all make the most out of this opportunity to grow as a faith community. We will practice some of these changes before Mass, they may be discussed during the homily and we'll use other appropriate resources to help each other along the way. For more information on the Roman Missal and its changes, visit www.archtoronto.org/romanmissal anytime to continue your reflection.

October 16 Bulletin Update

One of the first things we will notice with the new translation is that, when the priest says 'The Lord be with you', we now say 'And with your spirit' instead of “And also with you.” The new response is much closer to the original Latin. When the Mass was first translated into English we were one of only two languages that did not translate it as 'your spirit'. It is a very biblical response: Paul concludes four of his letters with a very similar expression. For example, at the end of his Second Letter to Timothy, Paul ends by saying, 'The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you'.

If you think about it, for nearly 2000 years Christians have been greeting each other, 'The Lord be with you', 'and with your spirit.' So the new translation will bring unity to this response in all the languages of the world - and with all previous Christian generations. For more information on the Roman Missal and its changes, visit www.archtoronto.org/romanmissal anytime to continue your reflection. Here at Our Lady of Grace Parish: On October 29/30 we will be introducing the new sung mass parts (Gloria, Alleluia, Holy Holy, Great Amen, Lamb of God), and on November 26/27 ( the first Sunday of Advent 2011) we will begin to use this new translation of the Roman Missal for the texts of the prayers of the mass itself.

October 9 Bulletin Update

As we use the new translation we will perhaps notice more biblical connections than we have been used to. The texts of the Mass are precious to us, partly because they were inspired by the bible. These words have come down to us over the centuries, and most of the words we speak at Mass are rooted in the bible. When we gather for Mass, we are praying with words that have been given to us by our ancestors, who knew the bible well and prayed it well. The revised translation tries to make the connections between the bible and the Mass more clear than they are at present.

While the hymns we have come to know will not change, we will have to learn new musical settings for parts of the Mass that are often sung (Gloria, Lamb of God, etc.). Part of our preparation will include rehearsing some of the new musical settings and reflecting on some of the new words we will now be saying and hearing. For more information on the Roman Missal and its changes, visit www.archtoronto.org/romanmissal anytime to continue your reflection.

On October 29/30 we will be introducing the new sung mass parts (Gloria, Alleluia, Holy Holy, Great Amen, Lamb of God), and on November 26/27 ( the first Sunday of Advent 2011) we will begin to use this new translation of the Roman Missal for the texts of the prayers of the mass itself.

October 2 Bulletin Update

The New Transaltion - The Four Presences of Christ

The Second Vatican Council reminded us of our ancient faith: Christ is always present in his church, especially in its liturgical celebrations. So, each time we come to Mass we experience the presence of Christ in four different ways:

Christ is present in the congregation - the people gathered together;
Christ is present in the person of the priest;
Christ is present in the Scriptures that we listen to during Mass;
Christ is present in the bread and wine when it becomes Christ's Body and Blood.

The more we are able to understand and participate in the Mass, the more we will come to appreciate and love it. The new translation will help us to do that because the words we will now use will say more clearly what our faith is teaching us. For more information on the Roman Missal and its changes, visit www.archtoronto.org/romanmissal anytime to continue your reflection.

On October 29/30, Our Lady of Grace music ministry will be introducing the new sung mass parts (Gloria, Alleluia, Holy Holy, Great Amen, Lamb of God), and on November 26/27 ( the first Sunday of Advent 2011) we will begin to use this new translation of the Roman Missal for the texts of the prayers of the mass itself.

September 25 Bulletin Update

Parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Toronto will begin to use the new translation of the Roman Missal on the weekend of November 27. Joining us in this journey will be Catholics in all parishes throughout Canada and the United States. Beginning in September 2011, parishes in the Archdiocese of Toronto will begin to learn more about the new translation. You will notice many changes in the words that the celebrant (priest) uses when he celebrates Mass. There are also a few changes to the words that the congregation will use when they respond, also referred to as the “people's parts”. We will also introduce new musical compositions as part of the sung Mass settings (Lord of Mercy, Gloria, Holy Holy, Lamb of God, etc.)

It will take some time to get used to these changes – please pray that we will all make the most out of this opportunity to grow as a faith community. We will practice some of these changes before Mass, they may be discussed during the homily and we'll use other appropriate resources to help each other along the way. For more information on the Roman Missal and its changes, visit www.archtoronto.org/romanmissal anytime to continue your reflection.

The Archdiocese Office of Formation for Discipleship is offering a general workshop on the Roman Missal at various locations across the Archdiocese- including one on Tuesday September 27 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. here in the parish hall at Our Lady of Grace, Aurora. While open to any parishioner, the workshop will be of particular benefit for lay leaders involved in helping others understand the Mass and for those involved in liturgical ministries such as Ministers of the Word, Ministers of the Eucharist, Ministry of the Word for Children. Registration is not required- and there is no fee…so please mark this date in your calendar and plan to attend.

September 18 Bulletin Update

Until the early 1960s, Mass was celebrated in Latin throughout the world. At the Second Vatican Council, in the early 1960's, it was agreed that Mass could be said in the language of the people where it was being celebrated. There would be no fundamental change to the Mass itself, just the language being used. This would enable us to understand more fully what was being said and help us to participate more fully.

An English translation was made available as quickly as possible, but it was intended to be temporary. A more considered translation would be issued later. Now, some 40 years later, this translation has been approved by the Vatican and we will begin using it in our parishes on the weekend of November 27. Until that time, we will have the chance to learn more about the new translation, become familiar with some of the changes and reflect on the Eucharist in our own lives. For more information on the Roman Missal and its changes, visit www.archtoronto.org/romanmissal anytime to continue your reflection.

September 11 Bulletin Update

When Catholics gather to celebrate the Eucharist, we pray together through fixed or standard prayers. These are contained in the Roman Missal. It is the large, red book that is brought to the priest when he stands at the chair. It is also placed on the altar during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The Roman Missal contains the Order of Mass, or the way we celebrate Eucharist, with all its accompanying prayer texts and responses. During the Jubilee Year 2000, Blessed John Paul II issued a 3rd Edition of the Roman Missal that was first issued by Pope Paul VI. Presented to the Church in Latin, it is being translated into many different languages for use around the world. The method employed for translating the Roman Missal has changed since the 1st and 2nd Editions were translated. In 2002, the Holy See requested that the translation mirror the origi nal Latin text as closely as possible. As a result, many of the newly translated responses in the English language will be slightly different from the ones we know by heart.

The English translation for use in Canada will be implemented on the First Sunday of Advent 2011. Later in September, we will begin to introduce these new translations. Further reflection on the parts of the Mass and the meaning of the texts will occur from January to June 2012. For more information, please go to: www.archtoronto.org/romanmissal

Fr. Joe and I will be attending a priests’ workshop on implementing the Roman Missal on Wednesday September 14. Our parish music ministers and their leaders will be attending a workshop in the parish on Saturday September 17 (those invited are reminded to RSVP to the parish office). The Archdiocese Office of Formation for Discipleship is offering a general workshop on the Roman Missal at various locations across the Archdiocese- including one on Tuesday September 27 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. here in the parish hall at Our Lady of Grace, Aurora. While open to any parishioner, the workshop will be of particular benefit for lay leaders involved in helping others understand the Mass and for those involved in liturgical ministries such as Ministers of the Word, Ministers of the Eucharist, Ministry of the Word for Children. Registration is not required - and there is no fee…so please mark this date in your calendar and plan to attend. R.C.I.A. (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)

September 4 Bulletin Update

When Catholics gather to celebrate the Eucharist, we pray together through fixed or standard prayers. These are contained in the Roman Missal. It is the large, red book that is brought to the priest when he stands at the chair. It is also placed on the altar during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The Roman Missal contains the Order of Mass, or the way we celebrate Eucharist, with all its accompanying prayer texts and responses. During the Jubilee Year 2000, Blessed John Paul II issued a 3rd Edition of the Roman Missal that was first issued by Pope Paul VI. Presented to the Church in Latin, it is being translated into many different languages for use around the world. The method employed for translating the Roman Missal has changed since the 1st and 2nd Editions were translated. In 2002, the Holy See requested that the translation mirror the original Latin text as closely as possible. As a result, many of the newly translated responses in the English language will be slightly different from the ones we know by heart.

Fr. Joe and I will be attending a priests’ workshop on implementing the Roman Missal on Wednesday September 14. Our parish music ministers and their leaders will be attending a workshop in the parish on Saturday September 17 (those invited are reminded to RSVP to the parish office). The Archdiocese Office of Formation for Discipleship is offering a general workshop on the Roman Missal at various locations across the Archdiocese- including one on Tuesday September 27 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. here in the parish hall at Our Lady of Grace, Aurora. While open to any parishioner, the workshop will be of particular benefit for lay leaders involved in helping others understand the Mass and for those involved i n liturgical ministries such as Ministers of the Word, Ministers of the Eucharist, Ministry of the Word for Children. Registration is not required - and there is no fee…so please mark this date in your calendar and plan to attend.