EXCERPT:
The Latin version of the prayer provides purposeful hints in the vocabulary at the ancient Church’s practice of training catechumens during this time of Lent in preparation for their baptism at Easter. In many places where RCIA classes are in full swing, these last Sundays of Lent are designated for the “scrutinizes” of candidates. This is why the first time I worked on this prayer for WDTPRS in 2002 I chose to translate imbuo as “initiate”, a legitimate meaning of the verb, rather than a more apparent word like “imbue”. St. Augustine used eruditio in connection with words like correptio and admonitio in the sense of combating misconduct with reproaches and correcting admonishments. Another way of rendering the middle section of the prayer could be “whom Thou hast instructed by the admonishments of the Christian faith” which is redolent of Christian morals. Continue reading →

EXCERPT:
Taking a page from St. Augustine of Hippo (+430), we the baptized who are the Body of the Mystical Person of Christ, the Church, are on a journey with the Lord, the Head of the Church, toward Jerusalem: the Jerusalem of our own passion and the new Jerusalem of our Resurrection. Christ made this journey so that we could make it and be saved in it. In our liturgy the one, whole Mystical Christ is on a Lenten journey. Each year in Lent Christ, in us, travels that road of the Passion, and we, in Him, travel the road marked out by Holy Mother Church and her duly ordained shepherds. We must unite ourselves in heart, mind and will with the mysteries expressed in the liturgy. Our passion, our road to Jerusalem, is in our examination of conscience and good confessions, our self-denial and works of mercy. Continue reading →

EXCERPT:
This Sunday is also called the First Passion Sunday in the older, traditional Roman calendar. The Church begins to die to itself, liturgically speaking. At the beginning of Lent we were to give up decorations, instrumental music, the Gloria, the acclamation Alleluia, and dress in penitential purple. Our senses of sight and hearing were being deprived. From this Sunday onward, statues and images would traditionally be draped in purple, the Iudica me was not recited in the prayers before the altar, the Gloria Patri was not said any longer after the Introit. The Church was imposing a deeper liturgical “fast” in preparation for Easter. This would deepen even more after Palm Sunday. On Holy Thursday we would no long ring bells and would use “clackers” instead. On Good Friday we would merely have the chance to receive Communion with no Mass. The priest would even lose his shoes when he venerated the Crucifix! We are deprived even of light before the Vigil Mass as well as the church building itself, since the Vigil properly begins at midnight and outside. Continue reading →

EXCERPT:
Do not omit, faithful reader, to say a prayer for our bishops and those in charge of preparing translations of our liturgical books. Bishops have very difficult roles in the Church. I imagine that it would be easy for them, constantly under fire from many quarters, to put something like new translations or revisions on the back burner. This must not happen. We must be encouraging, respectfully insistent, and unwaveringly positive in addressing ourselves to them in this issue of critical importance for the ongoing life of the Church in this new millennium. Continue reading →

EXCERPT:
In our collect, similar to those of Advent, we have again an image of motion, of a pilgrimage. The Church is on the road. Taking a page from St. Augustine, it could be said that we the baptized, the Body of the Mystical Person, journey constantly with the Lord, the Head, toward Jerusalem: the Jerusalem of our own Passion and the New Jerusalem of our Resurrection. One whole Mystical Christ is on a lenten journey. Christ in us and we in Him again travel that road marked out each year by Holy Mother Church and her duly ordained shepherds. We must strive to unite ourselves in heart, mind and will with the mysteries expressed in the liturgy. Continue reading →