USCCB’s Novena of 9 Fridays for the implementation of the new, corrected translation

I have learned that the USCBB has issued a text of a Novena for a Fuller Participation in the Sacrament of the Eucharist for the next nine Fridays, beginning Sept. 30, to help Catholics prepare for the new translation.

DAY/FRIDAY #2 is coming up 7 October.

There are readings and reflections and prayers.  They can be lead by lay people, apparently.

  • Day One, is dedicated to the intention “That priests will celebrate the Eucharist worthily“. [Do I hear an “Amen!”?]
  • Day Two: That all will celebrate the Eucharist with wholehearted trust in God.
  • Day Three: That parents will help lead their children to more conscious and active participation in the Eucharist.
  • Day Four: That our participation in the Eucharistic Liturgy will lead us to greater care for all members of the Body of Christ.
  • Day Five: That those in consecrated life will keep the Eucharist at the center of their lives.
  • Day Six: That the Eucharistic Liturgy will be a source of strength and hope for all the faithful.
  • Day Seven: That all Christians will grow in unity so as to one day share the one table of the Lord.
  • Day Eight: That all the faithful will proclaim the death and resurrection of the Lord through their words and deeds.
  • Day Nine: That all those who have died in faith may celebrate at the wedding feast of the Lamb.

Have a look, have a think, and then discuss!

Note that this is a NOVENA… after the nine day period from the Ascension of the Lord to the Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

Since the same USCCB shortened that nine day liturgical period by moving Ascension Thursday to Sunday, feel free to cut a couple weeks off of their new novena.  Just omit the first two Fridays.  Same impact, right?

o{];¬)

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Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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7 Comments

  1. Mary G says:

    We follow with interest your preparations for the implementation of the new corrected translation. In Australia, the corrected translation was introduced on Pentecost Sunday. No fuss, no bother. And there seems to be very little criticism. Supplied with large copies of the responses, the congregation answer with more volume, more interest! Our priests also seem to be quite at home with their corrected translations. We can only hope and pray that USA accepts the new translations as happily as we have.

  2. JMody says:

    Mary G – thanks for the positive intentions and prayers.

    Fr. Z — as someone born in the 1960’s, raised in the Church as the USCCB has governed it, educated in schools which are run as they directed it, I must ask only half-facetiously …
    “what IS a novena?”

    Coming from the same organization that brought us optional holy days of obligation, sacked churches, abolished devotions, liturgy-of-the-month club (OK, I made that up), hymnals full of songs written by people who were defrocked or arch-heretics, the whole John Jay study, the whole farce of their movie review service (Broke?), and on and on, it is just a little too ironic.

    For all that has been done or sanctioned or winked at in this country over my lifetime, on the watch of the BUREAUCRACY of the USCCB (for there are many more people there than just our bishops) to smash and remove any trace of reverence or piety, this is quite … what’s the word … cheeky, wouldn’t you say?

    Or is it just me?

  3. There’s no chutzpah in admitting stuff has gone wrong, going back to the beginning, and asking for help from God. There is humility, and there is the scandal of God’s mercy.

  4. RobertK says:

    Seeing how the Bishop of ElPaso TX, who is part of the USCCB, has pretty much removed the only priest who offered the EF Mass in his diocese, for being a Catholic priest. Promoting this novena is meaningless to me, coming from the USCCB. Give me a novena for the promotion of the EF Mass. The bishops talk about reverence, but are hypocritical, since most don’t even care for an “already” reverent Roman Mass the EF. Sorry but the USCCB has lost all support from me. Sorry for my rant Father, that’s just how I feel now!.

  5. chironomo says:

    I don’t want my comment to be misunderstood here…but this is a bit like the (initial) response to the abuse crisis when it first began surfacing…make the laity attend classes about child abuse!! I have no objection to a Novena, and I actually think it is a great idea. But it also seems to play into the idea that the apparent problems with the liturgy are all about the laity’s lack of participation. How about a little more fleshing out of that Day One intention, and spell out exactly what is meant by “celebrating the Eucharist worthily”? A little more “The grace and peace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you” and a little less “Good morning folks…great day outside today isn’t it?” would solve many of the issues that the intentions for the remaining days deal with….

  6. Tina in Ashburn says:

    OOh! The bishops are encouraging us to pray about something! I’m trying here not to be too cynical as there are good bishops involved who really do want to promote piety.

    However, I’m curious about why this novena seems to encourage participation in the Eucharist yet doesn’t mention frequent confession or beg God that we become more aware of our sins.

  7. catholicmidwest says:

    I’m with chironomo. I think they’d ought to take it easy on the laity, who after all are generally willing as we’ve demonstrated over and over again since V2. I think they’d ought to make sure the clergy is doing their job. That’s where the problems are with saying mass correctly. I swear, I don’t think some of them can read.

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