Saturday, December 10, 2011

Poured out for you, and for many

Excerpts from the book, A Guide to the New Translation of The Mass written by Edward Sri, S.T.D. and printed by Ascension Press in 2011.

The previous translation of the Mass referred to Jesus’ blood having redemptive value “for all”, but the new translation uses the words “for many”. This revision remains closer to Jesus’ actual words of institution in the gospels. It is also more harmonious with the Latin text of the Mass, and uses wording that has been used in the liturgy for centuries. The new translation points to the reality that while Jesus died for all, not everyone chooses to accept this gift. Each individual must choose to welcome the gift of salvation in Christ and live according to that grace, so that they may be among “the many” who are described in this text.

Jesus, by speaking at the Last Supper about his own blood being poured out “for many”, was associating himself with the suffering servant figure prophesied by Isaiah (53:11-12). Jesus is the one who offers his life for the “many”. This should not be understood to be in opposition to the fact that Jesus died “for all (1 Timothy 2:6).

Along with these short weekly posts detailing some of the more obvious changes, I'm presenting an indepth look at the Mass. You can find it below the Written Assignments section in the right hand column.

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