I did see the word symbolize and I know the meaning in context, but we US Catholics because we are surrounded by protestantism that sees communion as a symbol are very sensitive of that word even when used correctly. The magis’ gifts symbolize ultimately that which are the gifts we present to the Lord which are bread and wine.
I run a bi-lingual parish (English and Spanish) so I looked at the Spanish prayer. (In the US we usually use the translation that comes from Mexico.) That said, here is the original Spanish and its English translation (by yours truly):
** Mira Señor, con bondad los dones de tu Iglesia, que no consisten ya en oro, incienso y mirra, sino en tu mismo Hijo, Jesucristo, que bajo de las apariencias de pan y de vino, va a ofrercerse en sacrficio y a dársenos en alimento y que vive and reina por los siglos de los siglos **
*Look upon, Lord, with kindness the gifts of your Church, that do not consist now in gold, incense and myrrh, but rather in your own Son, Jesus Christ, who, under the appearances of bread and wine, is going to offer himself in sacrifice and give himself to us in food and who lives and reigns for ever. *
My apostolate as a lay assistant to the chaplain (long term & palliative care institution) is 90% in french but my first language is english. The french wording of the prayer is a little different and translations from french to english usually need to be made in some type of context rather than literally word for word. What I found most striking in french was that instead of the word “symbolize” they use the word “reveal” and it (“reveal”) clearly refers to the gifts of the Magi (Genesius [re post# 5] all the french agree with you-
.)
A couple of primers beforehand:
In french
s’immoler means literally to immolate oneself. But the correct translation within context is to sacrifice oneself ( if we were to complete the sentence, we would say “for the many” which concurs with Mark 10:45 ). Furthermore usually we would say that the priest immolates the victim and offers the victim, but because Christ is both Priest and Victim, it is both common and proper in french to use the reflexive form of the verb immolate for Christ’s Offering.
The
etymology of the word immolate says it comes from the Latin ***immolare ***meaning to sacrifice, sprinkle with sacrificial meal. That takes on a further significance due to the Old Testament first chapters of Leviticus ] requirements that the blood from animal sacrifices to God had to be sprinkled and all cereal offerings had to be sprinkled with salt.
Immolare also ties the two words from the prayer in the Missal
“sacrifice” and
“food” together, doesn’t it ?
I believe I can offer a good informal interpretation of the French prayer , but it is the idiom rather than the literal word which gives meaning. An example would be the french expression "
pour les siècles des siècles" which literally translates “for centuries of centuries” or “centuries upon centuries” but actually expresses, “forever and ever”. The prayers used in French-speaking parishes of Canada today is identical to
those used in France
We often say, in order to translate , that Christ gives himself
as food. But as in FrRobertJCarr’s translation from Spanish, the French prayer also has a stronger sense than “as” (“comme” in french) . Instead, the word
“en” which commonly implies in this sense, “in” is used. So literally and identical to the Spanish translation, “who gives Himself
in food” .The meaning would end up being diluted if we were to use “
as food” instead for the sake of being just slightly more coherent in english.
All of that being said, the prayer over the gifts for the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in French today was :
Prière Sur Les Offrandes
Regarde avec bonté , Seigneur, les dons de ton Église qui ne t’offre plus ni l’or, ni l’encens, ni la myrrhe, mais celui que ces présents révélaient, qui s’immole et se donne en nourriture: Jésus, le Christ, notre Seigneur. Lui qui règne avec toi pour les siècles des siècles— Amen.
(my informal translation)
Prayer Over the Gifts
Look with kindness, Lord, upon the gifts of your Church who no longer offers you gold, nor incense, nor myrrh, but He Whom these presents reveal, who sacrifices Himself and gives Himself in food: Jesus, the Christ our Lord. Who reigns with you forever and ever. Amen
