A few years ago, our pastor talked to us during homily about receiving the Eucharist reverently. He noticed that more and more receive communion than ever before with very few being conscience of the sin in their lives. Fewer are coming to confession, he said, yet are coming up for communion. Sin has taken a hiatus of sorts.
Here the revised Roman Missal translation brings us closer to remorsefulness at the sins of a fallen people and the desire for forgiveness in preparation for receiving Jesus in the Eucharist.
Current Translation:
I confess to almighty God
And to you, my brothers and sisters,
That I have sinned through
My own fault
In my thoughts and in my words,
In what I have done,
And in what I have failed to do;
And I ask blessed Mary, ever virgin,
All the angels and saints,
And you, my brothers and sisters,
To pray for me to the Lord, our God.
New Translation:
I confess to almighty God
And to you, my brothers and sisters,
That I have greatly sinned
In my thoughts and in my words,
In what I have done and in what I have
Failed to do,
Through my fault, through my fault,
Through my most grievous fault;
Therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin,
All the Angels and Saints,
And you, my brothers and sisters,
To pray for me to the Lord our God.
We strike our breast as we repeat these words, “through my fault, through……fault.” Yes, it accentuates our sinfulness, but the translation is meant to be closer to the words in Latin, which actually prepares us to humbly continue to the Eucharistic prayer and reception of Christ in communion.
Another option of the Penitential Act
Current Translation:
Priest: Lord, we have sinned against you: Lord, have mercy.
All: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: Lord, show us your mercy and love.
All: And grant us your salvation.
New Translation:
Priest: Have mercy on us, O Lord.
All: For we have sinned against you.
Priest: Show us, O Lord, your mercy.
All: And grant us your salvation
The first phrase comes from Baruch 3:2 “Hear, O Lord, and have mercy, for we have sinned before you.
and the second comes from Psalm 85:8 Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for He will speak peace to His people, to His faithful, to those who turn to Him in their hearts.”
For now, I think once a week or so, we should all start to memorize these new responses and prayers. We cannot use them during Mass until November, but it is important that we become aware, understand, and know what to do when these new changes begin.
(© 2011 Ebeth Weidner)
