Friday, May 23, 2008

Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ - Comparison of Prayers

Pope John Paul II in the Corpus Christi procession in Rome in 2001
(yes, that's how close I was to Our Lord and His Vicar!)

On the liturgical calendar, this Sunday will be the two year anniversary of this blog. Although two years ago, Corpus Christi was a couple of weeks later, so the actual anniversary is not quit here.

This is another one of those frustrating feasts, in the sense that, so many bishops transfer the feast. Here in the United States the feast is perpetually transferred to the following Sunday. I'm not sure if this is the same in the Extraordinary Form or not. I have heard that if something is transferred in the Ordinary Form, then it is also transferred in the Extraordinary form, but I'm not sure if that is true, and if that would apply in this instance since TECHNICALLY the Feast in the Extraordinary Form is the Body of Christ and the Feast in the Ordinary Form is the Body and Blood of Christ. Although I think part of the transfer also has to do with whether a diocese has removed the obligation from the day, in which case it is tranferred to the Sunday.

Grrrrrr! It's all so confusing. So much for Vatican II's simplifying of the rite. And when so many of the faithful are begging for things to be returned to the more traditional way. How this benefits the faithful, I have no idea, because all I see is that people aren't having to make any effort in their faith anymore.

Anyway, on to the comparison of prayers.

Notice how at the end of the Collect and the Prayer after Communion, Christ no longer "reigns" in the I.C.E.L. translation.

Collect (Opening Prayer)

Official Latin from the 1969 & 2002 Roman Missals
Orémus. Deus, qui nobis sub sacraménto mirábili passiónis tuæ memóriam reliquísti, tríbue, quaésumus, ita nos Córporis et Sánguinis tui sacra mystéria venerári, ut redemptiónis tuæ fructum in nobis iúgiter sentiámus.
Qui vivis et regnas cum Deo Patre in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, Deus, per ómnia saécula sæculórum.

Official 1973 I.C.E.L. Translation (Used at Mass in English)
Let us pray. 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.

My Own Literal Translation
Let us pray. O God, Who under this wondrous Sacrament, left to us a Memorial of Your Passion, grant, we beseech You, so as to venerate the Sacred Mysteries of Your Body and Blood, that we may constantly experience the fruit of Your Redemption.
You Who lives and reigns with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Prayer Over the Gifts

Official Latin from the 1969 & 2002 Roman Missals
Ecclésiæ tuæ, quaésumus, Dómine, unitátis et pacis propítius dona concéde, quæ sub oblátis munéribus mýstice designántur.
Per Christum Dóminum nostrum.

Official 1973 I.C.E.L. Translation (Used at Mass in English)
Lord, may the bread and cup we offer bring your Church the unity and peace they signify.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.

My Own Literal Translation
O Lord, we humbly beseech You, graciously grant to Your Church the gifts of unity and peace, which are mystically represented under these sacrificial offerings.
Through Christ our Lord.

Preface
Preface II of the Most Holy Eucharist - On the fruits of the Most Holy Eucharist

Official Latin from the 1969 & 2002 Roman Missals
Vere dignum et iustum est, æquum et salutáre, nos tibi semper et ubíque grátias ágere: Dómine, sancte Pater, omnípotens ætérne Deus: per Christum Dóminum nostrum.
Qui cum Apóstolis suis in novíssima cena convéscens, salutíferam crucis memóriam prosecutúrus in saécula, Agnum sine mácula se tibi óbtulit, perféctæ laudis munus accéptum.
Quo venerábili mystério fidéles tuos aléndo sanctíficas, ut humánum genus, quod cóntinet unus orbis, una fides illúminet, cáritas una coniúngat.
Ad mensam ígitur accédimus tam mirábilis sacraménti, ut, grátiæ tuæ suavitáte perfúsi, ad cæléstis formæ imáginem transeámus.
Propter quod cæléstia tibi atque terréstria cánticum novum cóncinunt adorándo, et nos cum omni exércitu Angelórum proclamámus, sine fine dicéntes:
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus ...

Official 1973 I.C.E.L. Translation (Used at Mass in English)
Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord.
At the last supper, as he sat at table with his apostles, he offered himself to you as the spotless lamb, the acceptable gift that gives you perfect praise. Christ has given us this memorial of his passion to bring us its saving power until the end of time.
In this great sacrament you feed your people and strengthen them in holiness, so that the family of mankind may come to walk in the light of one faith, in one communion of love.
We come then to this wonderful sacrament to be fed at your table and grow into the likeness of the risen Christ.
Earth unites with heaven to sing the new song of creation as we adore and praise you for ever:
Holy, holy, holy ...

My Own Literal Translation
It is truly right and just, proper and availing unto salvation, that we always and everywhere give thanks to You, O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty and Eternal God: through Christ our Lord.
Who, when eating the last supper with His Apostles, and about to carry out the saving Memorial of the Cross for all ages, a Lamb without blemish He offered to You Himself, the acceptable Sacrifice of perfect praise.
You sanctify by this venerable Mystery nourishing Your faithful, so that one world contains, one faith enlightens, and one love joins together the human race.
Therefore we now approach the table of so wonderful a Sacrament, so that, having been filled with the sweetness of Your Grace, we may be transformed into the image of the Divine Form.
Thus, the Heavens and the earth, adoring, sing together to You a new song, and with all the armies of Angels, we proclaim, saying without end:
Holy, Holy, Holy ...

Post-Communion Prayer

Official Latin from the 1969 & 2002 Roman Missals
Orémus. Fac nos, quaésumus, Dómine, divinitátis tuæ sempitérna fruitióne repléri, quam pretiósi Córporis et Sánguinis tui temporális percéptio præfigúrat.
Qui vivis et regnas in saécula sæculórum.

Official 1973 I.C.E.L. Translation (Used at Mass in English)
Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, you give us your body and blood in the eucharist as a sign that even now we share your life. May we come to possess it completely in the kingdom
where you live for ever and ever.

My Own Literal Translation
Let us pray. Make us, we beseech You, O Lord, to be filled with the everlasting possession of Your Divinity, Which is prefigured by our present receiving of Your Precious Body and Blood.
You Who lives and reigns forever and ever.

The Church recommends that a Eucharistic procession be held after (one of) the Mass(es) on this day.

If your parish does not have one, your should encourage your pastor to do it next year. In Rome on this Solemnity (which is still on the proper Thursday) there is a HUGE procession from Saint John Lateran (the Pope's Cathedral) down to Santa Maria Maggiore. I think the route is about 1 kilometer long, and the procession of people ends up being about that long too. By the end, the entire piazza and streets surrounding Santa Maria Maggiore are completely packed.

RS

No comments: