29th Sunday of the Year – 16th October 2011
The Royal We
The Queen uses “we” to describe herself and we have been doing the same with the previous translation of the Nicene Creed. The Latin is Credo which translates properly as “I believe” and so we are saying that now throughout the new translation. This will also be consistent with the translation used in other countries since the Second Vatican Council. Thus the Creed remains the faith of the entire Church but each of us proclaims it as our personal faith too in company with other believers.
We also say, “of all things visible and invisible.” Thus is so much better than “seen and unseen” because some things that are visible are unseen at certain times and places like our relatives on the other side of the world or the sun at night. “Invisible” includes our souls, the Kingdom of Heaven and its host of angels and saints.
“I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages……begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father…”
The addition of “begotten” reflects one of the changes to the Gloria and more fully translates the Latin. The theological implication is that Jesus did not just appear as the Son of God but that He was intentionally begotten and His presence has always been part of the divine plan. The replacement of “eternally begotten of the Father” with the new word order makes the point more precisely that Jesus dwelt with the Father before time began as in the prologue of St John’s gospel. “Consubstantial” is a mouthful but the question of how Jesus relates to the Father is enormously important. “Of one being” is closer to the original Greek of the text but the Latin translation uses consubstantialis which means “having the same substance.” Thus in the new translation we use a word we do not use for anything else because it describes the unique nature of Jesus Christ – He is unlike anything or anyone else.
In the middle of the text there are a couple of grammatical alterations but they are not particularly significant. Three more important changes occur towards the end. “Worshipped” is replaced with “adored” as it is throughout the Missal because it is a better translation from the Latin as are the other two new phrases. “I confess” replaces we acknowledge as it is a more forceful expression of what we believe in. Finally, “I look forward to the resurrection” resounds with confidence and gives a stronger ending to our profession of belief in God who gives us faith.
Fr Kevin
The Queen uses “we” to describe herself and we have been doing the same with the previous translation of the Nicene Creed. The Latin is Credo which translates properly as “I believe” and so we are saying that now throughout the new translation. This will also be consistent with the translation used in other countries since the Second Vatican Council. Thus the Creed remains the faith of the entire Church but each of us proclaims it as our personal faith too in company with other believers.
We also say, “of all things visible and invisible.” Thus is so much better than “seen and unseen” because some things that are visible are unseen at certain times and places like our relatives on the other side of the world or the sun at night. “Invisible” includes our souls, the Kingdom of Heaven and its host of angels and saints.
“I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages……begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father…”
The addition of “begotten” reflects one of the changes to the Gloria and more fully translates the Latin. The theological implication is that Jesus did not just appear as the Son of God but that He was intentionally begotten and His presence has always been part of the divine plan. The replacement of “eternally begotten of the Father” with the new word order makes the point more precisely that Jesus dwelt with the Father before time began as in the prologue of St John’s gospel. “Consubstantial” is a mouthful but the question of how Jesus relates to the Father is enormously important. “Of one being” is closer to the original Greek of the text but the Latin translation uses consubstantialis which means “having the same substance.” Thus in the new translation we use a word we do not use for anything else because it describes the unique nature of Jesus Christ – He is unlike anything or anyone else.
In the middle of the text there are a couple of grammatical alterations but they are not particularly significant. Three more important changes occur towards the end. “Worshipped” is replaced with “adored” as it is throughout the Missal because it is a better translation from the Latin as are the other two new phrases. “I confess” replaces we acknowledge as it is a more forceful expression of what we believe in. Finally, “I look forward to the resurrection” resounds with confidence and gives a stronger ending to our profession of belief in God who gives us faith.
Fr Kevin
posted by Sinead Reekie at 11:34 am