Thursday, November 12, 2009

John Paul II and the Pater Noster

For you John Paul II and Latin fans out there, Nancy Carpenter Brown links to this video.

Retaining one's innocence in a depraved world

A question for conversation: how does one retain one's innocence (purity of heart, as the Catechism calls it) while at the same time becoming aware of the world as it really is (pretty dark). This is a helpful discussion for parents of teenage children. It is a perennial question in our home school group.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Collect of St. Martin of Tours

I am continually amazed at the inexplicable manner that ICEL translates the collects in the liturgy. Half the time I can't even detect a real ideological principle behind it. They just seem to have delighted in scrambling concepts around. Today's feast is no exception. I'm going to provide the Latin, then my translation, then the ICEL English. Someone explain to me why they changed it. I'm not saying the essential meaning was lost, but there is something lost.

Latin:
Deus, qui in beato Martino episcopo sive per vitam sive per mortem magnificatus es, innova gratiae tuae mirabilia in cordibus nostris, ut neque mors neque vita separare nos possit a caritate tua. Per Dominum....
This isn't difficult Latin. My literal translation:
[O] God, who has been exalted in blessed Martin, both though [his] life and through [his] death, renew in our hearts the wonders of your grace, that neither death nor life may separate us from your love. Through Our Lord....
Now ICEL (with my parenthetical comments:

Father [I understand why they do this, but it irks me nonetheless], by his life and death
[blessed?] Martin of Tours offered you worship and praise [in switching to the active voice, the focus on God is somewhat mitigated. also, it really doesn't say anything in the Latin about worship or praise].
Renew in our hearts [so far so good] the power of your love [okay, so what is wrong with the word "grace," and where did "mirabilia" go, and why is love put here, since it clearly belongs later--this last move distances the prayer somewhat from Romans 8, which is the obvious reference],
so that neither death nor life [okay] may separate us from you.
Grant this...

I just don't think the modification and paraphrasing helps us understand the prayer better.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Wow!

You rarely see this direct a communication by a bishop to a politician. You know, the issues are not as muddy as most people seem to think.

Interview on Drew Marianin on Capital Punishment

I was on Drew Mariani (Relevant Radio) last Friday for about 30 minutes to talk about the death penalty. the interview can be heard here. Click on "hour 2" and go about 12 minutes and 30 seconds into the program. The first part is Drew's own reflections on the impending execution of the D.C. sniper. He, not surprisingly, accepts the Church's position.

New Tractarians

My son at ND has helped start a student organization the purpose of which is to "promote an educational and intellectual atmosphere [at the university] permeated with the Truth of the Gospel and the highest regard for the teachings of the Church." They meet once a week for dinner to discuss topics related to genuine Catholic higher education. Here is their blog: New Tractarians. Both my sons are members of the group.

Not everyone has given up on Notre Dame!