Bulletins

December 24, 2017

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The Second Vatican Council’s earth-shattering document on Divine Worship that envisioned “radical adaptation of the liturgy... [which] entails great difficulties” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 40) still sought to preserve the universal language of the Roman Catholic Church:

“Nevertheless steps should be taken so that the faithful may also be able to say or to sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them.” (SC 54)

In 2002 the revised General Instructions for the Roman Missal issued by Pope St. John Paul II reiterated that “since faithful from different countries come together ever more frequently, it is fitting that they know how to sing together at least some parts of the Ordinary of the Mass in Latin, especially the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer, set to the simpler melodies” (GIRM 41).

As a singular Mass for all the faithful, our parish Midnight Mass for Christmas will take this to heart. We already can chant the Kyrie, Sanctus and Agnus Dei in ancient languages. Praying the rest of the “ordinary” in Latin will entail some lovely sung prayers and just three extended spoken prayers:

“I Confess to Almighty God…”:

Confiteor Deo omnipotenti et vobis, fratres,
quia peccavi nimis
cogitatione, verbo, opere et omissione:
mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.
Ideo precor beatam Mariam semper Virginem,
omnes Angelos et Sanctos,
et vos, fratres, orare pro me
ad Dominum Deum nostrum.

“May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands...”:

Suscipiat Dominus sacrificium de manibus tuis
ad laudem et gloriam nominis sui,
ad utilitatem quoque nostram
totiusque Ecclesia sua sancta.

“Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof…”:

Domine, non sum dignus, ut intres sub tectum meum,
sed tantum dic verbo, et sanabitur anima mea.

The Mass will be glorious! I just purchased a few hundred copies of the booklet “Mass of Vatican II” to help you follow along. It is my personal gift to you. Your using it would be your gift to me.

Venite adoremus! God bless you! Merry Christmas!

Fr. Christopher J. Pollard

P.S. Maybe next week I will buy everyone German lessons so we can all sing “Silent Night” auf Deutsch! Frohe Weinachten!