Below, we examine changes to the texts within the Liturgy of the Eucharist. More general questions and answers on the new translation of the Roman Missal are available here, and we have also considered the changes to the Introductory Rites of the Mass and the Liturgy of the Word.

May the Lord accept…and the good of all his holy Church
This response remains unchanged except for the addition of the word “holy” in the end phrase. This word appears in the Latin text and so is being added to the English edition.

Preface dialogue
The change in the response to “The Lord be with you” as “And with your spirit” has already been noted. The only other change in this dialogue is the final response, which is what is found in the Latin: “It is right and just”.

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord (Sanctus)
The only change to this text is the phrase “Lord God of hosts” instead of “God of power and might”. “Hosts” or “armies” are the usual translations of the Hebrew word “Saboath”. Here it means the “heavenly hosts of angels” – a phrase that we are familiar with from the second verse of the Christmas hymn “Silent Night”.

Memorial Acclamation
The introduction to the memorial acclamation is now simply the words “The Mystery of Faith” – a straightforward translation of the Latin text.

The 1975 Missal gave us five acclamations, including “My Lord and My God” for use in Ireland only. In the new edition of the Missal for Ireland, we find four acclamations. The first acclamation is a new translation of the Latin text that the acclamations “Christ has died…” and “Dying you destroyed our death…” were both based upon. These familiar acclamations do not appear as they are not direct translations of the Latin. Also “Christ has died…” contains statements about Christ rather than, more suitably, being addressed to Christ.

There is almost no change in the second acclamation (“When we eat this Bread…” ), while in the third acclamation (now beginning, “Save us, Saviour of the world”) there is a change to the current word order. The acclamation “My Lord and my God” is included for Ireland.

New Mass settings have been composed to take account of the changes to the texts.

Behold the Lamb of God …
Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof
But only say the word and my soul shall be healed.
The invitation to Communion begins with the priest taking the host and holding it raised above the paten or above the chalice. The new translation captures more the Biblical wording of John 1:29 and Revelations 19:9: “Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.” The use of “Blessed” rather than “Happy” is a stronger reflection of its biblical root and highlights that there is significant difference between being “blessed” and being “happy”.

The priest and people respond together: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” Again this translates fully the Latin text in the Missal, which is taken from the response of the Centurion to Jesus at Capernaum (Matthew 8:9), substituting “my soul” for “my servant”. The response “under my roof” may be confusing when we first hear it but it makes more sense when we are aware of its Biblical roots.