New Translation Monday: Eucharistic Prayer IV, Part IV (Anamnesis and Second Epiclesis)

As a reminder, past editions of the New Translation Catechesis can be accessed via the top menu bar.

This is the final post in this year-long series.  We take up the concluding Intercessions in the fourth Eucharistic Prayer.

The current text reads:

“Lord, remember those for whom we offer this sacrifice, especially N. our Pope, N., our bishop, and bishops and clergy everywhere. Remember those who take part in this offering, those here present and all your people, and all who seek you with a sincere heart.

Remember those who have died in the peace of Christ and all the dead whose faith is known to you alone. Father, in your mercy grant also to us, your children, to enter into our heavenly inheritance in the company of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, and your apostles and saints. Then, in your kingdom, freed from the corruption of sin and death, we shall sing your glory with every creature through Christ our Lord, through whom you give us everything that is good.”

The new translation has,

“Therefore, Lord, remember now all for whom we make this sacrifice: especially your servant, N. our Pope, N. our Bishop, and the whole Order of Bishops, all the clergy, those who take part in this offering, those gathered here before you, your entire people, and all who seek you with a sincere heart.

Remember also those who have died in the peace of your Christ and all the dead, whose faith you alone have known. To all of us, your children, grant, O merciful Father, that we may enter into a heavenly inheritance with the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and with your Apostles and Saints in your kingdom. There, with the whole of creation, freed from the corruption of sin and death, may we glorify you through Christ our Lord, through whom you bestow on the world all that is good.”

I have placed in bold the changes I wish to discuss.  For reference, the Latin text is:

Nunc ergo, Dómine, ómnium recordáre,

pro quibus tibi hanc oblatiónem offérimus:

in primis fámuli tui, Papæ nostri N.,

Epíscopi nostri N., * et Episcopórum órdinis univérsi, sed et totíus cleri, et offeréntium,

et circumstántium,

et cuncti pópuli tui,

et ómnium, qui te quærunt corde sincéro.

Meménto étiam illórum,

qui obiérunt in pace Christi tui,

et ómnium defunctórum,

quorum fidem tu solus cognovísti.

Nobis ómnibus, fíliis tuis, clemens Pater, concéde,

ut cæléstem hereditátem cónsequi valeámus

cum beáta Vírgine, Dei Genetríce, María,

cum Apóstolis et Sanctis tuis

in regno tuo, ubi cum univérsa creatúra,

a corruptióne peccáti et mortis liberáta,

te glorificémus per Christum Dóminum nostrum,

per quem mundo bona cuncta largíris.

The first change is the word “offer” to “make” in reference to “this sacrifice.”  The Latin phrase is oblatiónem offérimus.  Although offerimus can have a wide range of meanings, in Ecclesiastical Latin, is almost nearly means “offer.”  The new translation gets this right.

Second, we find the restoration of the phrase “the whole Order of Bishops,” a perfect rendering of the Latin Episcopórum órdinis univérsi.  We saw this same thing in Eucharistic Prayer III.  At the time, I wrote,

“Lest us not forget that the bishops are the successors to the Apostles, and as such they enjoy the fullness of the Sacrament of Holy Orders.  I like the addition of this phrase particularly for our time when there is so much discussion surrounding the validity and non-validity of Holy Orders found among Christians not in communion with Rome.  In some cases, the orders are valid (as in the case of the Eastern Orthodox Churches), yet in others they are not (among Protestants).  This prayer emphasizes what it is that makes a bishop a bishop, a reality that is inseparable from the Sacrament of Holy Orders.”

Finally, in this first paragraph there is the change of “those here present” to “those gathered here before you,” and the addition of “entire” before the word “people.”  To look at this, let’s examine the Latin following “the whole Order of Bishops.”  It seems to me that both the current and new translations miss something of the rhythm of the Latin.  The phrase sed et totius cleri means, “but also [or and also] all the clergy,” which the translations have albeit without the conjunction.  Yet it is the repeated conjunction et (“and”) that gives the Latin a certain feel, something lost in both translations.

The clause et offeréntium contains a participle without a noun, so I would give it a literal rendering of “and those offering,” though “those who take part in this offering” is not all too bad.  The clause et circumstántium is similar construction, but meaning “and those surrounding.”  The next clause, et cuncti pópuli tui, means, “and your whole/entire people,” as in the new translation.  The last translation is perfect in the both translations (et ómnium, qui te quærunt corde sincéro), “and all whose who seek you with a sincere heart.”  It is difficult to piece this together, but my best attempt at a literal, but somewhat coherent translation is,

“...and the whole Order of Bishops, and also all the clergy, and those [here] offering, and those [here] surrounding [you], and your entire people, and all who seek you with a sincere heart.”

The only thing that confuses me is, from what I can tell, the two participles (offeréntium and circumstántium) are in the genitive case, which I can’t seem to work into the translation.

This takes us to the second paragraph.  The first change is simple.  The word clement, meaning “merciful” occurs before Pater (“Father”), and has been restored in the new translation.  Second, the phrase “in the company of” has been reduced to “with.”  The Latin only contains cum, so the new translation is correct, yet this is a rare case where the current translation adds a phrase rather than subtracts one.  Third, the phrase “with every creature” is now “with the whole of creation.”  The Latin is cum univérsa creatúra.  Creatura, from what I can tell, is actually a participle.  (If it were a noun, it would have to be singular, which doesn’t make sense in this context.)  “Creation” is the best rendering of it in English, though “created things” is probably more literal, even though the noun “things” is implied.  There is something slightly different between how we understand “creatures” and “creation.”  “Creatures” in English has a suggestion of specifically animated beings, whereas “creation” is a bit more universal, suggesting the entire universe and everything in it.  For that reason, I prefer the new translation.

The very last change is “through whom you give us everything that is good” to “through whom you bestow on the world all that is good.”  There is not much difference in meaning, yet I have to admit that the new version is more aesthetically pleasing.  The Latin phrase is per quem mundo bona cuncta largíris.  Cuncta we saw above (in the form cuncti), and means, “whole/entire/all.”  Largíris is the verb and means “bestow” or “grant.”  Bona is the adjective (with an implied noun of “things” or something similar).  A literal translation is, “through whom you bestow on the world all good things [or all that is good],” just as the new translation has it.

Well, folks, that about does it.  Fifty-two installments over the course of a year: sixteen on the people’s parts, and thirty-six on the priest’s parts.  For those that have followed from the beginning, I thank you for your patience and loyalty.  For those that joined along the way, I thank you for discovering the series and encourage you to go back and read some of the earlier pieces, particularly those on the people’ parts.  My hope, in keeping the “New Translation” page available in the top menu bar, is that these posts will not fall prey to the “older posts” graveyard of the blog format.  You, of course, can help by passing along these links and keeping them alive.  This new translation will be “new” throughout this first year, so hopefully people will be able to use these posts as they learn and teach others about the revised Missal.

I will print one final wrap up piece next week: a sort of reflection on the whole process and the new translation that will be with us in a few short weeks.  Until then, blessings to you and yours.

                  - Jake