As a general rule, priest and lay readers ought to read the Mass readings and prayers at Mass as they come to us from approved Catholic sources. We are Catholic, and try to find our place within Catholic teaching and worship. It is not in the Catholic tradition for the priest, for example, to select readings for Sunday liturgies other than those assigned to be read. To the extent possible, I try to read the texts as they come to us. To be honest, however, sometimes the Scriptural passages are poor or misleading translations, and often I struggle to pray some of the prayers at the altar, because of the wording. Many of these prayers work fairly well in private if one can read them over several times, but public prayers should be understandable and fairly simple, in my opinion. In the words of the Apostle Paul, “In communal worship, your prayers and words should be with understanding (nous, intellect).”
Many of our parishioners may not be bothered by the translations, in part because they may not know that they are misleading. For example, this Sunday we hear in the Gospel passage in which Jesus walked on the water, that “those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, 'Truly you are the Son of God.’” What does it mean, they “did homage” to Jesus? To date I have never heard a parishioner ever use the word, “homage.” No one in Belt or Centerville, for example, said, “I have come to Mass to do homage to Jesus.” The word “homage” is from medieval Europe, and it referred to the oath of obedience and respect which a serf gave to the lord of the manor, his master. The Greek text does not say “homage,” but it uses the word common at the time the Gospels were written to mean “worship,” as in “reverence given to God, or a god, or to a divine being.” Simply put, Peter and the Apostles worshiped the living God in Jesus. They did not just “do him homage.” It is the living God whom they are sensing in Jesus! It has long seemed to me that the translation used at Mass flattens out the mystical experience of early Christians. What the Apostles experienced when Jesus walked on the water and said “I AM” (not, “It is I,” as the translation says), is awe, reverence, even overwhelming fear at the mystery of God in their midst.
Let me put the matter to you differently: You are free to do God homage if you wish. For my part, I want to be open to the experience of awe, wonder, and joy at the mystery of God in man, the mystery of Christ. I come to Mass, not to do anyone homage, but to listen to God, to love Him, and to share that love with my brothers and sisters in Christ. The One who came walking on the water, the I AM WHO I AM, comes to you and me in word and in sacrament, and is present in the depths of our souls. I believe that we are more truly aware of the divine mystery in which we are sharing than were some of the translators who speak to us in the approved texts. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” I truly want all of our people to be drawn into the life-giving mystery of God, and to share His joy with one another. And for this reason, at times, I modify the prayers so that you can understand the words and share with more love and understanding in the mystery of God with us that we are celebrating here and now.
Many of our parishioners may not be bothered by the translations, in part because they may not know that they are misleading. For example, this Sunday we hear in the Gospel passage in which Jesus walked on the water, that “those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, 'Truly you are the Son of God.’” What does it mean, they “did homage” to Jesus? To date I have never heard a parishioner ever use the word, “homage.” No one in Belt or Centerville, for example, said, “I have come to Mass to do homage to Jesus.” The word “homage” is from medieval Europe, and it referred to the oath of obedience and respect which a serf gave to the lord of the manor, his master. The Greek text does not say “homage,” but it uses the word common at the time the Gospels were written to mean “worship,” as in “reverence given to God, or a god, or to a divine being.” Simply put, Peter and the Apostles worshiped the living God in Jesus. They did not just “do him homage.” It is the living God whom they are sensing in Jesus! It has long seemed to me that the translation used at Mass flattens out the mystical experience of early Christians. What the Apostles experienced when Jesus walked on the water and said “I AM” (not, “It is I,” as the translation says), is awe, reverence, even overwhelming fear at the mystery of God in their midst.
Let me put the matter to you differently: You are free to do God homage if you wish. For my part, I want to be open to the experience of awe, wonder, and joy at the mystery of God in man, the mystery of Christ. I come to Mass, not to do anyone homage, but to listen to God, to love Him, and to share that love with my brothers and sisters in Christ. The One who came walking on the water, the I AM WHO I AM, comes to you and me in word and in sacrament, and is present in the depths of our souls. I believe that we are more truly aware of the divine mystery in which we are sharing than were some of the translators who speak to us in the approved texts. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” I truly want all of our people to be drawn into the life-giving mystery of God, and to share His joy with one another. And for this reason, at times, I modify the prayers so that you can understand the words and share with more love and understanding in the mystery of God with us that we are celebrating here and now.
