What Does that Prayer REALLY Say?? (Morning Edition)

Father John Zuhlsdorf, an American Roman Catholic priest, writes an excellent blog (What Does the Prayer Really Say?) about all sorts of things related to the Church.  It's probably one of the most prominent Catholic blogs out there.  When I first discovered his blog, I would go through and pick out the posts about "juicy" stories, like the conflicts between the American bishops and the LCWR (an organization of primarily liberal and rather un-nun-like nuns,) the "culture wars" in the U.S., ripping apart the silliness of the National Catholic Register (which he calls the "Fishwrap") etc.  These are good (and often entertaining) posts.

A Roman Missal (from Wikipedia)

Yet more recently, I've been taking a closer look at some of his other posts.  I started off by following his recommendation and listening to some excellent recordings of Gregorian chant (the Divine Office recorded every day - Latin text with English translation facing is provided); then started carefully reading some of his posts about certain prayers said during Mass (mostly the Collects, see "WDTPRS 21st Ordinary Sunday: the smoke of Satan v. invisible love," for example) and then his commentaries on some of the Saints (see "Beheading of John the Baptist," for example.)  I realized that there is a rich source of information in these which brings out the beauty of the prayers and the stories of the Saints.  (For any lovers of Latin or grammar, they also include grammatical and lexical analyses of the Latin texts.) He has many similar commentaries on other Catholic topics.

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.