Are modern translations of prayers just as approved/valid?

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I hate going between modern English and early modern English when praying, the thee/thou thing vs. You, and so on. Are prayers still approved and liturgical if I swap out all the older English words, and use exclusively modern translations instead? Like “hail Mary full of grace the Lord is with you,” or a modern Our Father prayer? Thank you in advance

ruf.rice.edu/~kemmer/Words04/history/paternoster.html
 
There’s nothing wrong with them, as long as it doesn’t change the meaning of the text. Most of my prayers are in French anyway, but even in French there’s variations on the Hail Mary and the Our Father.
 
I literally just wached called to communion, somone called with this same question. Lol your good ,
 
As long as you recite them from a prayer book that bears the nihil obstat and imprimatur, no problem!
 
OP - Prayers are neither valid/invalid. They simply are prayers. (Only sacraments deal with validity matters.) They also aren’t liturgical unless part of a liturgy (which the Hail Mary never is, officially, and the Our Father only at certain times). As such, prayers don’t need to be written/approved a particular way. Pray away - that you are praying is what’s important.
Anesti33 said:
As long as you recite them from a prayer book that bears the nihil obstat and imprimatur , no problem!
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What?! No, this isn’t necessary. If you know the prayers and aren’t changing meaning, go for it.
 
Prayers must be found with ecclesiastical approbation attached, because of the potential doctrinal issues involved.
 
Then I’m in big trouble, because I pray spontaneously every day without using any book or approved prayer. What would you recommend I do about that?
 
Anesti33 said:
Prayers must be found with ecclesiastical approbation attached, because of the potential doctrinal issues involved.
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Please explain the doctrinal issues involved in changing “thee” and “thou” to “you.”
 
Prayers from your own heart are just that. You aren’t publishing or disseminating them for devotional or liturgical usage. If you are, then they need the imprimatur and nihil obstat, so as not to lead the faithful astray. Notice how Protestant devotionals lack this approval.

I would never catalog a prayer book in our parish library without verifying approbation. I am the librarian.
 
I wasn’t arguing that. I agree no one should publish prayers without approval. You were suggesting earlier that we couldn’t say a prayer that didn’t have approval. That was my point. Thanks for clarifying.
 
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Well, mainly, “thee” and “thou” are intimate, familiar terms of endearment, and “you” lacks this connotation. So those using the older forms are taking a more intimate stance in relation to God or Mary. It’s something to think about.
 
Of course they are! Prayers aren’t judged “invalid” or not “liturgical” just because you substitute modern pronouns for older ones. You’re thinking about prayer too legalistically. The Pharisees followed the Law to the letter, i.e., made sure they followed their “liturgy” precisely, and yet their prayers were not heard because their hearts were far from God.

Your prayers are “approved” by God when they come from a humble and contrite heart, a heart that acknowledges its sins and seeks mercy from God and desires to be an instrument of mercy to others. Your prayer is “liturgical” when you participate in the public prayers of the church; for example, the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours. If you think that changing a few words no longer makes a prayer “liturgical,” then you need to change that view, for that is treating public prayer as if it was some kind of magical incantation where you must pronounce all the words correctly in order to receive the desired result. That is superstitious and contrary to the Christian understanding of prayer, which is based off faith.
 
Oh yeah? Try changing “This is My Body, this is … My Blood”
Or what about the magical “I absolve you…”
Or even as a layperson, try changing up the old, tired, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
 
The three you mentioned are sacraments. Those words must not be changed.

To change a “thee” to “you” is not a problem.
 
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This is interesting. I know this is technically what it means, but when I use a literal modern translation, it makes it FEEL more personal. The thee in my particular modern context makes it seem distant, but you seems more intimate for me. Like I am talking to persons I know rather than reciting a formality
 
Perhaps you would feel it more readily if you spoke a language that still incorporated the formal/intimate distinction, like Spanish or French or Italian.
 
“@Stephen459 accuses us of “magical thinking”!”

Of course the words the priest says to confect the Eucharist cannot be changed by him.
That is not “magical thinking”. The priest is not at liberty to add words to what needs to be said.

I am sure Stephen was talking about people who said rote prayers without the prayers coming from their heart as truly their own.
 
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