Missa Est

Gracious God, we thank you
for the gift of the 1970 ICEL missal,
which we now put to rest
at the direction of the bishop of Rome.

In its words, for the first time in centuries,
generations of English-speaking Catholics
were raised in a eucharistic faith
that came by hearing,
and its responses became
the responses of our hearts.

We give you thanks
for its idiomatic translations
that required little additional catechesis
for us to grasp its meaning,

and for its plain and accessible language,
that led us to approach you
on the familiar and intimate terms
of the one who called you “Abba.”

We thank you
for the generations of Catholics
who were raised on this missal
to a lively and committed faith.
Keep this faith alive in them,
and comfort those
for whom this putting-away is a loss.
Especially comfort them
through the care and consolation
of their sisters and brothers
who do not share, but care about, their feelings.

We thank you
for the gifts of the new missal translation.
May the formal translation
used for in-depth scriptural studies
deepen the faith
of those who pray it,
and make visible the scriptural foundations
of our eucharistic liturgy.
May these new words shine new light
on our ancient faith.

We beg you that this missal
not further divide your church,
that neither its supporters nor its critics
scapegoat or blame the other,
but that both may remember and live
their common eucharistic life.

We ask with special care
that you preserve and deepen the partial communion
that we share with our separated sisters and brothers
despite changes to texts
that we no longer hold in common.

In these and in all things we praise you,
our loving and gracious God,
who is the source of all that Was
and Is and Ever Shall Be,
who abides eternal through all our changes,
and we ask you this
in the name of your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ,
and in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever,
Amen.