Clergy share their thoughts about new translation
November 8, 2011
HOUSTON — Priests in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston have been busy preparing their parishes and themselves for the revised translation of the Roman Missal. Along the way, they've discovered much beauty and meaning in the new text. Several shared what they like most about the translation. 
Father Norbert Maduzia, Pastor, St. Ignatius Loyola, Spring
"I am looking forward to the new Exsultet (Easter Proclamation). The retranslation is much more poetic and the imagery will cause one to picture the scene in your mind's eye. For example: ‘Rejoice, let Mother Church also rejoice, arrayed with the lightning of his glory, let this holy building shake with joy, filled with the mighty voices of the peoples.' Wow! Growing up in Texas and experiencing a true Texas thunderstorm with lightning and thunder, the whole house would light up with the flash of lightening as the house shook from the thunder clap. Imagine God's glory lighting up the Church and the peoples' voices as a thunder clap shaking the building. That's how we are to rejoice as we hear the news of the resurrection."
Father Maurice Restivo, Pastor, Most Holy Trinity, Angleton
"I find most appealing the return to the scriptural images and metaphors in the prayers, for example, the first Sunday of Advent the Collect says ‘Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God, the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ with righteous deeds.' These beautiful biblical images weren't in the '75 translation."
Father Leon Strieder, Associate Professor of Liturgy and Sacraments, St. Mary's Seminary, Houston
"My favorite new translation is in the introduction or refrain to the Gloria, which says, ‘Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to people of good will' because of the ‘good will,' which we did not have before, and the translation of ‘men' to ‘people.' We have to be a people of good will and people willing to be good, and the world ‘people' is more inclusive."
Father Eurel Manzano, Parochial Vicar, Prince of Peace, Tomball
"I'm finding it difficult to find one prayer that stands out from all the rest – they're all beautiful. A prayer that I find exemplary is the collect from the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time:
‘O God, who cause the minds of the faithful
to unite in a single purpose,
grant your people to love what you command
and to desire what you promise,
that, amid the uncertainties of this world,
our hearts may be fixed on that place
where true gladness is found.'
There is a constant interplay here between that which is divided and that which is one — that which is in flux and uncertain to that which is stable and full of lasting gladness — all made possible through God drawing our hearts to His command, His promise."
Father Sean Horrigan, Pastor, Christ the Redeemer , Houston
"I'm excited about the references to sacred scripture that are part of almost each and every one of the new prayers we'll be using in the new Roman Missal. There's a two-fold aspect to the new translation — a reclaiming of the original Latin or getting us back closer to the original Latin text, which is wonderful and the second is a reclamation of our Biblical foundation. When you read these prayers, or we say the Creed or the Gloria, the illusion and references to Sacred Scripture just pop out. They are so much front and center, where, perhaps they were more subtle before. People say Catholics don't know their Bible, but there is no excuse for that anymore. This is a wonderful blessing and I'm really excited about it."