A translation "boo-boo" I haven't noticed yet in any of the media, Catholic or otherwise.

One liturgical text that is badly "translated" with the result that a major element of its theological content is voided is the Trinitarian ending of the opening prayer at Mass.

The Latin original:

Per Dominum nostrum Iesus Christum Filium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritu Sancti, Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

A correct translation of that:

[We ask this] Through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you IN THE UNITY of the Holy Spirit, O God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Our present English usage omits "in the unity of"-- and replaces it with "and".

The use of "and" does not introduce anything false or erroneous.

However, it deletes entire universes of "Holy Spirit theology", Trinitarian theology, Christological theology, sacramental theology, liturgical theology, the theology of grace and the theology of prayer.

By the way, I've noticed for some years now that the Bishop of San Diego says "in the unity of" instead of "and"-- to which I say both "Amen" and "Deo gratias!"

The birth of St. John the Baptist in the Church calendar: June 24.

Like Christmas, the Birth of St. John the Baptist is a solemnity-- thus ranking liturgically higher than the feast of the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary (September 8).


If June 24 falls on a Sunday, then the Solemnity of the Birth of St. John the Baptist replaces the Sunday that year.

Not so with the Feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary-- which simply "drops out" that year if September 8 falls on a Sunday.

The only birthdays in the Church's calendar year are:

the Solemnity of the Birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ (December 25);
the Solemnity of the Birth of St. John the Baptist;
the Feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Jesus and John are the only two people in the Bible whose names are given by heaven even before they are conceived.

The Son of God said:
"Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist."

I have posted a homily for the occasion.

What's at stake in a new translation?

Click on the following chart to see a larger version of it.


That's only the Gloria.

There are too many similar AND WORSE flaws throughout the English version of the Mass we presently have in use.

There are deliberate gaping HOLES in it.

Here is another example.

Eucharistic Prayer I has the following phrase in Latin.

hostiam puram, hostiam sanctam, hostiam immaculatam, Panem sanctum vitae aeternae.

Here is a rather literal translation of it.

a pure victim, a holy victim, a spotless victim, the holy Bread of eternal life.

Now, here is what we are presently using in English.

this holy and perfect sacrifice: the bread of life.

The Latin word "hostiam" can mean both "victim" and "sacrifice".

However the problem is that the word appears three times in the Latin original, but is AMPUTATED down to only once in our present English version.

That is NOT a translation.

Then, the Latin uses an adjective five times:
pure,
holy,
spotless,
holy,
eternal.

However, our present English text uses adjectives only twice:
holy,
perfect.

That is an AMPUTATION again, NOT a translation.

Another


Some years ago, the English so-called "translators" (I.C.E.L., "International Commission on English in the Liturgy") used by the U.S. bishops began to produce an even newer "translation" of the Mass, but they did even more amputating and also alteration.

The Vatican reviewed their new work, and then pointed out that I.C.E.L. clearly had an agenda of NOT translating, but of PURGING and CHANGING the texts.

Telling that to the U.S. bishops, the Vatican finally directed them to replace their I.C.E.L. translators and to re-structure the I.C.E.L. bylaws.

The U.S. bishops complied.

This month the bishops voted to approve the new translation work which the Vatican is also overseeing.

The texts they voted on were some of the responses of the people during Mass.

Translation of the rest of the Mass is yet to come.

- - - -

Read an excellent article on the translating of the Mass.

Sacred Heart

feelings,
thoughts
and will:

fully open in service of his Father's glory and our eternal welfare


A Homily for the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Living Benedictine Martyr

BROTHER PETER ZHOU BANG-JIU, O.S.B.
Saint Andrew Abbey
Valyermo, California


He entered the monastery in 1950 when it was still in China. Not long thereafter, the Communist revolutionaries kicked out all the non-Chinese monks. The monastery had to start itself all over again from scratch— this time in the high desert east of Los Angeles. The Communists placed Brother Peter under arrest. He refused to renounce his faith. In jail for twenty-seven years, he suffered beatings, torture and was shackled so tightly his right hand became permanently crippled.

His fellow monks in California long believed Brother Peter had been killed. In 1984 they received shocking, joyous news: he was still alive. Somehow, the Communists decided to release him. Brother Peter rejoined his fellow monks in Valyermo.

His only regret: he didn’t receive the crown of dying for his faith.

Let him tell you his own story.

Mount Angel Abbey in Oregon

The Pink Sisters

That is their well-known nickname.


Their formal name is “Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters”.

The website of one of their monasteries has the following.

We are a cloistered-contemplative missionary Congregation, living in community, whose members are entirely dedicated to the contemplative life in the service of perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Thus we offer intercessory prayer for the needs of all. The rose color of our habits, which we wear in honor of the Holy Spirit, symbolizes our dedication to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. Evangelization and the sanctification of priests are particularly remembered in our life of prayer, which includes the singing of the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) in choir.

Want to read more about them?