A Roman Missal (from Wikipedia) |
From what I gather from the name of the blog, this was the original purpose; up until very recently, the English translations of the Latin prayers were grossly oversimplified often to the extent of loosing much of the meaning. He would make his own faithful translation of the Latin, comment on the meaning, and compare it to the emptiness of the English translation then in use.
Then in 2011, something important happened; the world's English speaking bishops (together with the Vatican) created and approved a new translation which was much more faithful to the original. Comparing these new translations to his "slavishly accurate liturgical translations" there is often very little difference.
When this happened, I remember one commentator asked, "What are going to call your blog now that they fixed the translations?"
Yet, Fr. Z (as he calls himself) continues to have the same name for his blog, and continues to post his analyses and comparisons of the prayers. Why? I can't answer for him, but I suspect that it's at least partly for this reason:
Even though the translations are fixed, there are MANY, MANY people who may listen to the words in Mass and give them little thought (this is often my case, I have to admit). Even when we do pay attention, there are intricacies and depth in the words and phrases that are not immediately grasped. The first time I carefully read one of his commentaries on a Collect prayer, its meaning had an entirely new depth in Mass that Sunday, it's beauty and truth stood out that much more profoundly.
Coming from a fairly intense Evangelical-style Protestant background, I am constantly reminded by those around me to avoid "vain repetitions." When repeated or prescribed prayers are understood in the way they are by Fr. Z, they are anything but vain, and hold true beauty and depth. If anyone is battling the tendency to simply repeat or read out a prayer without giving thought to the meaning, it Fr. Z in his commentaries.
So, even though the translations are fixed, we still need to know What the Prayer Really Says. Fr. Z's title and original purpose is as relevant as ever.
If you are Catholic, I suggest that you before you go to Mass on Sundays (perhaps sometime during Saturday) look through his posts for the last week for his commentary on the Collect (I'm not sure if he always does one.) Whether you are Catholic or not, take a look at one of his commentaries on the Saints and read through them carefully and slowly. They're worth it.
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