Letters

Offertory prayers (letter)

John Mulholland

Contents - Nov 2002 - Buy a copy now Editorial: The essential role of saints in the Church - Michael Gilchrist Independent inquiry exonerates Archbishop George Pell - Peter Westmore News: The Church Around the World - AD2000 Father Fessio: real US crisis is 'spiritual abuse' - Karl Maurer Australian Bishops' 'complaints protocol' used to uphold orthodoxy - Richard Egan Opus Dei founder Josemaria Escriva canonised at Papal Mass in Rome - AD2000 Report Sydney Archdiocese courses on 'Catechism' - Fr John Flader Catholic schools: restoring a sense of sin - Br John Moylan CFC Australian apologist Raymond de Souza's successful overseas lecture tour - AD2000 Report Events: The Fellowship of St Arnou to hold function in Melbourne Letters: Media war declared (letter) - Fr M. Shadbolt PP Letters: Embryo experimentation (letter) - Brian A. Coman Letters: Radical feminism (letter) - Gordon Southern Letters: Brisbane Synod (letter) - J.F. Nolan Letters: Anglican Church (letter) - Fr James Grant SSC Letters: Office of Bishop (letter) - Fr Brendan T. Walters MSC Letters: Headline (letter) - Michael Starr Letters: Birth control (letter) - Kevin Tighe Letters: Insulting TV program (letter) - K.L. Hanrahan Letters: Tough teachings (letter) - Mrs Maureen Federico Letters: Offertory prayers (letter) - John Mulholland Letters: Exorcists (letter) - Monica J. Hart Letters: EWTN (letter) - Jacqueline Donohue Letters: Anonymity (letter) - Narelle Mullins Books: The New Faithful: Why Young Adults are Embracing Christian Orthodoxy - Michael Gilchrist (reviewer) Books: Scripture Diary 2003 Books: Bernard Of Clairvaux: Essential Writings - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Books: A Generation Betrayed: Deconstructing Catholic Education, by Eamonn Keane - John Young (reviewer) Books: Ideal Christmas Gifts from AD Books Reflection: St Maria Goretti's 'perfect Christian death' - Mary Kenny

It was most pleasing to read that the congregation for Divine Worship is setting guidelines for the translation of the New English Missal. There is also a need to attend to the prayers of the Offertory. However, on perusal of the website given by you at the foot of your article, "New English Missal: Vatican sets guidelines for ICEL" (August AD2000) I did not come across any comment on this point.

The present words ending the introductory Offertory prayers are meaningless or at the best ambiguous. Should not "the bread of life" read "the Body of Christ" and the words "spiritual drink" read "Blood of Christ"? I feel that the existing terminology would not offend the sensitivities those present even if these prayers were recited at a Masonic ritual.

With most of the world's agriculture now mechanised, the words "human hands have made" and "work of human hands" are anachronistic. They also tend to convey a falsehood.

JOHN MULHOLLAND
Tuross Head, NSW

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 15 No 10 (November 2002), p. 15