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CHANGES IN THE ROMAN MISSAL, PART 14: Mystery of Faith
[EDITOR’S NOTE: This column is part of an ongoing series written by Father Daniel Merz highlighting many of the historical and theological bases of the upcoming publication of a revised English translation of the Roman Missal. Father Merz is the chairman of the Liturgical Commission for the Diocese of Jefferson City, Mo. — BH]
We continue our look specifically at new translations of parts of the Mass, focusing this time on the “Mystery of Faith,” formerly called the “Memorial Acclamation.” My comments are given per the “footnotes” in the “new text” section below.
Mystery of Faith
PRESENT TEXT
Priest: Let us proclaim
the mystery of faith:
People:
A — Christ has died, Christ is risen,
Christ will come again.
or B — Dying you destroyed our death, rising you restored our life.
Lord Jesus, come in glory.
or C — When we eat this bread
and drink this cup,
we proclaim your death, Lord Jesus,
until you come in glory.
or D — Lord, by your cross
and resurrection,
you have set us free.
You are the Savior of the World.
NEW TEXT
Priest: The mystery of faith. 1
People:
A — [Christ has died… a U.S. adaptation has yet
to be decided by Holy See]
B — We proclaim your death, O Lord,
and profess your Resurrection
until you come again. 2
or C — When we eat this Bread
and drink this Cup,
we proclaim your death, O Lord,
until you come again. 3
or D — Save us, Savior of the world,
for by your Cross
and Resurrection,
you have set us free. 4
1. Prior to the Second Vatican Council, the phrase “the mystery of faith” was not a separate acclamation, but simply part of the Eucharistic Prayer prayed by the priest (actually a part of the Institution Narrative, specifically the words over the Chalice). With the liturgical reforms following the council, Pope Paul VI approved making this phrase the introductory line for an acclamation recited by all. The current English translation facilitated that shift by adding the words “Let us proclaim” to “the mystery of faith.” The actual text of the church, however, had never changed. The new translation removes the additions for a couple of reasons: first, in order to be more accurate to the actual prayer of the church, but second, the shortened phrase can now relate to what has gone before in the prayer as well as to what follows. It is no longer simply an introductory line, but also a proclamation in its own right. The priest prays the words of Christ over the bread and wine, genuflects and then says “The mystery of faith.” This announces to all what is happening on the altar. The assembly responds to the sacrifice of the cross on the altar by proclaiming one of the acclamations that follow.
In the Roman Missal, the church provides three options for this acclamation by the people that is our response to the great mystery present on the altar. The acclamation “Christ has died . . .” is not in the Roman Missal. It was created and approved by the U.S. church (with the blessing of Rome) following the Second Vatican Council. At the present time, Rome has simply approved the translation which is common for the whole English-speaking world. Specific adaptations of each country are still awaiting approval.
2. The first acclamation comes almost entirely from 1 Cor 11:26. The new translation returns to this more biblical rendering. The current translation is rhetorically pleasing, but simply portrays the church telling Christ what he is doing: “Dying, you destroyed our death; rising, you restored our life.” Rather, the church’s prayer is actually a profession of faith in what Christ has done: “We proclaim your death . . . and profess your resurrection.” The last line of this acclamation is not a command to Christ as the current translation would have it, “Lord Jesus, come in glory.” Rather, it is a statement of our resolve to profess our faith and never to cease doing so until the Lord returns.
3. The changes to the second acclamation are minor adjustments to make it more accurate to the prayer of the church. This acclamation, too, is a slightly different edit of the same scriptural citation from 1 Cor 11:26 as before.
4. The third acclamation is also scriptural in origin, from the Gospel of John 4:42 (“We know that this is truly the Savior of the world.”). This is a plea to the savior, present in the mystery on the altar, to save us by the sacrifice of his cross and resurrection.
The reworking of these three acclamations succeeds in bringing forth more clearly the fact that we are responding to (and addressing!) the mystery present on the altar. The new translation returns to the church’s intention of drawing the assembly more deeply into the mystery re-presented on the altar. This acclamation is not meant as a wake up call or simply a way to give the people more lines in the Mass. It is an engagement and a response to the mystery of the cross and resurrection on the altar.
[NEXT COLUMN: We look at “Ecce Agnus Dei” (“Lamb of God”).]
(This article was reprinted with permission from The Catholic Missourian, the newspaper of the Diocese of Jefferson City, Mo.)
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