Simple question...

[scylla]

In my parish at the Hosanna, we have changed from saying…
Blessed be the one who comes in the name of the Lord
to
Blessed be the one who comes in the name of our God.

Seems kinda small and insignificant, but it seems like a denial of our faith that there is one God. Am I being too picky… (I attend a Church in SoCal so should I just live with experimentation, is this an abuse?)

Thanks
Scylla

 

[benedictgal]

In my parish at the Hosanna, we have changed from saying…
Blessed be the one who comes in the name of the Lord
to
Blessed be the one who comes in the name of our God.

Seems kinda small and insignificant, but it seems like a denial of our faith that there is one God. Am I being too picky… (I attend a Church in SoCal so should I just live with experimentation , is this an abuse?)

Thanks
Scylla

It is an abuse becasue no one is supposed to alter the words of the text of the official prayers of the Church. According to Redemptionis Sacramentum:

[59.] The reprobated practice by which Priests, Deacons or the faithful here and there alter or vary at will the texts of the Sacred Liturgy that they are charged to pronounce, must cease. For in doing thus, they render the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy unstable, and not infrequently distort the authentic meaning of the Liturgy.

When the new translations of the Mass were released, Francis Cardinal Arinze, the Prefect Emeritus of the CDWDS, made it perfectly clear that paraphrases were not allowed. The music has to fit the text, not another way around. Unfortunately, composers like Marty Haugen, Bernadette Ferrel, Dan Schutte and others seem to think that they can improve upon the texts. The Spanish settings written by Bob Hurd are no better.

Furthermore, the Sanctus is taken directly from the Sacred Scriptures. Why must we have to alter the text? This is really bad.

 

[Newbie2]

Yeah, that sorta changes the meaning, doesn’t it?

Abuse? Definite maybe.

Any reason given for the change?

 

[baltobetsy]

They’re both wrong. Someone in your parish has “male-pronoun-phobia.” It’s
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.

You’ll have people all over this thread in a couple of hours advising you to read Redemptionis Sacramentum, highlight the relevant passages, bring them to the priest, and when the priest doesn’t give you satisfaction, go to the Bishop.

Do you sing or say this part of the Mass (Sanctus)? If you sing it, the difference is probably due to a new musical setting. If you say it, there’s somebody who made a conscious decision, and you should approach this person and kindly ask for clarification. You might be surprised at the answer you get. Who knows what they’re thinking.

Is this the only thing they do wrong? It seems that this kind of thing would not be the only thing, since people who don’t like to refer to God as “He” usually make more than one change. If it’s widespread, it is probably worth addressing. If it’s just the music, you can probably express your preference for a setting that uses the correct words (have one in mind - people here can help you with suggestions) and let it go at that.

Although it is very true that no one has a right to change any part of the Mass, and the people have the right to a properly-celebrated liturgy, you really have to do some strategic thinking. If this is the one and only thing that’s wrong, it might not be strategically advantageous to fight this fight. Once you complain, especially if the people in charge are well-entrenched in their ideology, you will be labeled as a troublemaker and largely ignored. There are matters much more weighty than this that might come up later, and you don’t want to take yourself out of the fight now when you might be needed later for something really big. You want your reputation intact when it’s time to address a really big problem, like something that would invalidate the Mass altogether.

If it turns out that now is not the time to make a fuss, say the right words to yourself during the Mass, make an act of reparation for the liturgical abuse, and pray for the people who are behind it.

Betsy

 

[bpbasilphx]

The liturgical text of the Latin and Byzanatine rites here say, “Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord.”

There are slight variants of this in West and East Syrian liturgies, but they are not permitted in the Western or Byzantine ones.

 

[scylla]

Thanks for the responses and the correction.

I think this comes from the Mass of the World setup by Jesse Manibusan?
But in that particular setting it says “the Lord” we just sing it differently, so I do not think it is the composers fault.

I will take the advice and keep my mouth shut. Just wanted to know if it is wrong, and since it is, I will just wait until those who promote the abuses have moved on.

Thanks
God Bless
Scylla
(we have no priest, we are a priest-less parish, so you can guess the ideology behind the management)

 

[Elizabeth_Henni]

You have no priest? I will pray that God sends your parish a priest. I will post this intention on the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary intention list.

God bless you.

Pax Christus,
Elizabeth

 

[diggerdomer]

In my parish at the Hosanna, we have changed from saying…
Blessed be the one who comes in the name of the Lord
to
Blessed be the one who comes in the name of our God.

Seems kinda small and insignificant, but it seems like a denial of our faith that there is one God. Am I being too picky… (I attend a Church in SoCal so should I just live with experimentation, is this an abuse?)

Thanks
Scylla

I agree it seems small and insignificant, not an abuse (unless there are other circumstances that would elevate it to such a concern).

 

[japhy]

I agree it seems small and insignificant, not an abuse (unless there are other circumstances that would elevate it to such a concern).

Yes, diggerdomer, it is an abuse. It seems small and insignificant, but appearances can be deceiving.

“The reprobated practice by which Priests, Deacons or the faithful here and there alter or vary at will the texts of the Sacred Liturgy that they are charged to pronounce, must cease. For in doing thus, they render the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy unstable, and not infrequently distort the authentic meaning of the Liturgy.” (Redemptionis Sacramentum 59)

It is an abuse because it is changing the words of the Mass, part of the Ordinary which by its nature does not change. There is no optional other text to use for the Sanctus. These are not just the words of the Church, they are also the words of Scripture.

Every time some community decides to change the words of the Mass to suit their own tastes and ideologies, they are making the liturgy less and less Catholic. When such a change is made, it is very right to ask why the words have been changed: wwhich words are being avoided, and which are being substituted for them?

 

[japhy]

In my parish at the Hosanna, we have changed from saying…
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord
to
Blessed the one who comes in the name of our God.

I slightly adjusted these two, the first to be the correct words, the second to match the meter (removing “be” from “be the one”).

First of all, it is explicitly not allowed to change the words of the Mass where the Missal does not expressly permit it. The words of the Sanctus (“Holy, Holy, Holy”) are not allowed to be changed. These words come from the Bible, too, so it’s doubly wrong to change them as they are found in the liturgy.

You have to ask why the change was made, and why those particular words were changed. First, “blessed is he” to “blessed the one”. That seems to me to be an aversion to masculine pronouns. Second, “the Lord” to “our God”. That seems to me to be an aversion to calling God “Lord”, which is also a masculine term, and a term of power and dominance. Saying “the God” sounds odd, so they go with “our God”. As you pointed out, that could imply a “our God vs. their God” mentality.

 

[benedictgal]

They’re both wrong. Someone in your parish has “male-pronoun-phobia.” It’s
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.

You’ll have people all over this thread in a couple of hours advising you to read Redemptionis Sacramentum, highlight the relevant passages, bring them to the priest, and when the priest doesn’t give you satisfaction, go to the Bishop.

Do you sing or say this part of the Mass (Sanctus)? If you sing it, the difference is probably due to a new musical setting. If you say it, there’s somebody who made a conscious decision, and you should approach this person and kindly ask for clarification. You might be surprised at the answer you get. Who knows what they’re thinking.

Is this the only thing they do wrong? It seems that this kind of thing would not be the only thing, since people who don’t like to refer to God as “He” usually make more than one change. If it’s widespread, it is probably worth addressing. If it’s just the music, you can probably express your preference for a setting that uses the correct words (have one in mind - people here can help you with suggestions) and let it go at that.

Although it is very true that no one has a right to change any part of the Mass, and the people have the right to a properly-celebrated liturgy, you really have to do some strategic thinking. If this is the one and only thing that’s wrong, it might not be strategically advantageous to fight this fight. Once you complain, especially if the people in charge are well-entrenched in their ideology, you will be labeled as a troublemaker and largely ignored. There are matters much more weighty than this that might come up later, and you don’t want to take yourself out of the fight now when you might be needed later for something really big. You want your reputation intact when it’s time to address a really big problem, like something that would invalidate the Mass altogether.

If it turns out that now is not the time to make a fuss, say the right words to yourself during the Mass, make an act of reparation for the liturgical abuse, and pray for the people who are behind it.

Betsy

Actually, this is a serious abuse. I contacted the CDWDS about something similar (only regarding the Spanish translations of the parts of the Mass mangled by OCP). They told me that this was a serious abuse. They reiterated what was already stated in Redemptionis Sacramentum and stressed that the parts of the Mass are not to be paraphrased nor reworded. They asked me to make copies of all of the questionable settings (English and Spanish) and send them to the Congregation. So far, I found nine questionable Spanish translations and I am still poring through the English. Most of the problematic settings come from OCP, but, GIA also has a handful (Mass of Creation is one such glaring example).

So, the CDWDS does consider things like this to be a serious infraction.

 

[benedictgal]

Thanks for the responses and the correction.

I think this comes from the Mass of the World setup by Jesse Manibusan?
But in that particular setting it says “the Lord” we just sing it differently, so I do not think it is the composers fault.

I will take the advice and keep my mouth shut. Just wanted to know if it is wrong, and since it is, I will just wait until those who promote the abuses have moved on.

Thanks
God Bless
Scylla
(we have no priest, we are a priest-less parish, so you can guess the ideology behind the management)

I would not be silent on this, as this is a serious matter. Even if you do not have a priest, per se, you need to let your bishop know, or, at least the priest who celebrates Mass for you. What you reported is an abuse and it needs to be handled as such. Silence, unfortunately, means ascent.

 

[scylla]

benedictgal, I am already under considerable suspicion as a trouble maker as this is just a small thing that happens among the others at my parish. My Bishop will not do anything, as he is not the type to care about liturgical abuse. I can just be loyal to him and support the good things he does.

Thank you for the encouragement, I do not agree with the whole New Age movement and it’s rejection of Christ, but I have to be loyal to my parish and see if I can quietly affirm truth without being alienated.

Japhy
In my parish at the Hosanna, we have changed from saying…
We originally have on the projector Blessed be the one who comes in the name of the Lord
Even though …
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord is correct and is rendered
as
Blessed the one who comes in the name of our God.

So we went from bad to worse, I do not think it was actually correct in our previous practice at my parish. Thanks for clearing it up for me, as I wasn’t sure.

It seems small and insignificant, yet by adjusting “a” word in John, Jehovah’s Witnesses reject Jesus as God. There is a widespread rejection of Christ in many parishes as the “New Age” Catholics are pretty widespread these days.

Thanks for the responses, I will just pray for the future to take care of it. I have to be loyal to my parish.
If I want to be witness for truth, I think I should be prudent or no one will listen.
Scylla

 

[benedictgal]

benedictgal, I am already under considerable suspicion as a trouble maker as this is just a small thing that happens among the others at my parish. My Bishop will not do anything, as he is not the type to care about liturgical abuse. I can just be loyal to him and support the good things he does.

Thank you for the encouragement, I do not agree with the whole New Age movement and it’s rejection of Christ, but I have to be loyal to my parish and see if I can quietly affirm truth without being alienated.

Japhy
In my parish at the Hosanna, we have changed from saying…
We originally have on the projector Blessed be the one who comes in the name of the Lord
Even though …
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord is correct and is rendered
as
Blessed the one who comes in the name of our God.

So we went from bad to worse, I do not think it was actually correct in our previous practice at my parish. Thanks for clearing it up for me, as I wasn’t sure.

It seems small and insignificant, yet by adjusting “a” word in John, Jehovah’s Witnesses reject Jesus as God. There is a widespread rejection of Christ in many parishes as the “New Age” Catholics are pretty widespread these days.

Thanks for the responses, I will just pray for the future to take care of it. I have to be loyal to my parish.
If I want to be witness for truth, I think I should be prudent or no one will listen.
Scylla

Scylla, you can contact the CDWDS directly. Just explain to them the situation and that previous attempts to have the bishop correct situations of liturgical abuse have been unsuccessful. Unfortunately, that is what we have had to resort to down here. You will find the CDWDS much easier to deal with than the USCCB Committee on Divine Worship. The fact that the CDWDS considers this a serious abuse is enough to warrant communicating this matter to them. As I said, silence means ascent. I could not, in good conscience, allow something like this to fester. That is why, even though it is a sacrifice to wake up at an odd hour to contact the CDWDS, I have done so and am willing to do it again because this is an important matter.

 

[diggerdomer]

Yes, diggerdomer, it is an abuse. It seems small and insignificant, but appearances can be deceiving.

“The reprobated practice by which Priests, Deacons or the faithful here and there alter or vary at will the texts of the Sacred Liturgy that they are charged to pronounce, must cease. For in doing thus, they render the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy unstable, and not infrequently distort the authentic meaning of the Liturgy.” (Redemptionis Sacramentum 59)

It is an abuse because it is changing the words of the Mass, part of the Ordinary which by its nature does not change. There is no optional other text to use for the Sanctus. These are not just the words of the Church, they are also the words of Scripture.

Every time some community decides to change the words of the Mass to suit their own tastes and ideologies, they are making the liturgy less and less Catholic. When such a change is made, it is very right to ask why the words have been changed: wwhich words are being avoided, and which are being substituted for them?

So you’ve never been to a Mass at your parish where something is said that is not specifically prescribed by the GIRM?

 

[mjs1987]

Many of the songs they sing at mass are altered to be politically correct. I think some stupid feminists are in charge of putting together and editing the song books. These days though even many non feminist women are very influenced by feminism and they too have a problem with verses that are male-centric.

 

[japhy]

So you’ve never been to a Mass at your parish where something is said that is not specifically prescribed by the GIRM?

I certainly have. It’s commonplace, I would think. I wish it weren’t so, and in some cases I have spoken to the priest or cantor about the matter.

 

[diggerdomer]

I certainly have. It’s commonplace, I would think. I wish it weren’t so, and in some cases I have spoken to the priest or cantor about the matter.

Sorry to hear that.

In some cases, it may of course be a problem.

In other cases, of course, it’s not (e.g. the presider saying “good morning” during the Introductory Rites, in addition to saying what’s prescribed in the GIRM).

 

[benedictgal]

Sorry to hear that.

In some cases, it may of course be a problem.

In other cases, of course, it’s not (e.g. the presider saying “good morning” during the Introductory Rites, in addition to saying what’s prescribed in the GIRM).

Actually, Pope Benedict XVI considers that to be a problem. He mentions that in The Spirit of the Liturgy. Archbishop Malcolm Ranjinth, the former secretary to the CDWDS, took this point further:

Priests should be conscious of the fact that in their ministry they must never put themselves or their personal opinions in the first place, but Jesus Christ. Any attempt to make themselves the center of the liturgical action contradicts their very identity as priests. The priest is above all a servant of others, and he must continuously work at being a sign pointing to Christ, a docile instrument in the Lord’s hands. This is seen particularly in his humility in leading the liturgical assembly, in obedience to the rite, uniting himself to it in mind and heart and avoiding anything that might give the impression of an inordinate emphasis on his own personality” (Sacr. Carit. 23).

In everything the priest does at the altar he should always let the Lord take control of his being. The words of John the Baptist are important in this matter: “He must increase and I must decrease” (Jn 3:30).

When the priest begins with a secular greeting, he unwittingly makes the Mass about himself. The focus needs to be on Christ. We should not be using secular greetings at the start of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. We reduce the Mass to something of a human activity than something wholly other. We need to stick to what the Church prescribes.

 

[diggerdomer]

When the priest begins with a secular greeting, he unwittingly makes the Mass about himself.

That’s a matter of opinion. Purely subjective.

If the priest omits anything from the GIRM or Missal, that’s a problem.