What was wrong with these prayers?

[Anima_Christi]

I am a young Catholic (19) and I love the traditional Latin Mass! I know that we can’t blame all the problems in the Church on Vatican II, and the Traditional Latin mass won’t solve all our problems. I think that as wonderful as the Pauline (Novus Ordo) Mass can be if it is celebrated reverently, like on EWTN, it still does not compare to the Tridentine Mass!
For example, in the Tridentine Mass, the priest begins with prayers at the foot of the altar. He prays Psalm 42:

. . . And I will go in unto the Altar of God: unto God, Who giveth joy to my youth . . .

This was the same thing that the Jewish priests prayed before they served at the altar in the Temple. What was wrong with it? Why fix something that isn’t broken?
Here are just a few examples of traditional Latin Mass prayers:

Accept, O Holy Father, Almighty and Everlasting God, this unspotted Host, which I, Thine unworthy servant, offer unto Thee, my living and true God, to atone for my countless sins, offenses, and negligences: on behalf of all here present and likewise for all faithful Christians, living and dead, that it may avail both me and them as a means of salvation, unto life everlasting. Amen.

Most Merciful Father, we humbly pray and beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ Thy Son, Our Lord, to accept and to bless these gifts, these presents, these holy unspotted sacrifices, which we offer up to Thee, in the first place, for Thy Holy Catholic Church, that it may please Thee to grant her peace, to preserve, unite, and govern her throughout the world; as also for Thy servant Benedict our Pope, and N. . . . our Bishop, and for all orthodox believers and all who profess the Catholic and Apostolic faith.

May Thy Body, O Lord, which I have received and Thy Blood which I have drunk, cleave to my inmost parts, and grant that no stain of sin remain in me; whom these pure and holy Sacraments have refreshed. Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.

Of course, all of these prayers were prayed in Latin, a mystical, holy language which has been made holy by the blood of the martyrs.
My point is, what was wrong with these rich, holy, magnificient prayers that they had to be done away with?? At least, why couldn’t the Tridentine Mass just have been celebrated in the vernacular without doing away with all the prayers?

 

[CatholicNerd]

Anima, while I can’t answer your question about the elimination of the prayers at the foot of the altar, I’d like to point out that the Roman Canon has remained virtually unchanged. The Te Igitur that you quoted, for example, has not changed at all. The text of the Novus Ordo canon begins:

Te igitur, clementissime Pater, per Iesum Chrisum, Filium tuum, Dominum nostrum, supplices rogamus ac petimus, uti accepta habeas et benedicas + haec dona haec munera haec santca sacrificia illibata in primis quae tibi offerimus pro Ecclesia tua sancta Catholica: quam pacificare, custodire, adunare, et regere digneris toto orbe terrarum: una cum famulo tuo Papa nostro , et Antistite nostro , et omnibus orthodoxis atque catholicae et apostolicae fidei cultoribus.

"Most merciful Father, we humbly pray thee, through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, and we ask, that thou accept and + bless these gifts, these presents, these holy and unspoiled sacrifices. We offer them unto thee, first, for thy holy Catholic Church: that thou vouchsafe to keep it in peace, to guard, unite, and govern it throughout the whole world; together with thy servant N. our Pope, and N. our Bishop, and all the faithful guardians of the Catholic and Apostolic faith. "

That is the Anglican Use translation, which is perfectly licit (in Masses of the Anglican Use, obviously!), and follows the Latin–WHICH IS STILL PERFECTLY INTACT

Also, the priest does pray a similar prayer that you included, but it comes before the reception of communion. The Novus Ordo text reads:

“Perceptio Corporis et Sanguinis tui, Domine Iesu Christe, non mihi proveniat in iudicum et condemnationem: sed pro tua pietate prosit mihi ad tutamentum mentis et corporis, et ad medelam percipiendam.”

In English: Lord Jesus Christ, with faith in your love and mercy I eat your body and drink your blood. Let it not bring me condemnation, but health in mind and body.

Also, the priest may pray: “Domine Iesu Christe, Fili Dei vivi, qui ex voluntate Patris, cooperante Spiritu Sancto, per mortem tuam mundum vivificasti: libera me per hoc sacrosanctum Corpus et Sanguinem tuum ab omnibus iniquitatibus meis et universis malis: et fac me tuis semper inhaerere mandatis, et a te num quam separari permittas.”

In English: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, by the will of the Father and the work of the Holy Spirit your death brought life to the world. By your holy body and blood free me from all my sins, and from every evil. Keep me faithful to your teaching, and never let me be parted from you.

---

The prayers are still there, Anima, but the current ICEL translation obscures them so badly that they’ve become very hard to recognize. Pray that the new missal may be promulgated in short order!