For those who have mothered us into birth:

• for those we call “mother” who have taught us to be disciples of Jesus,
• for expectant mothers and those whose wombs ache for motherhood,
• for all who have borne the pain of losing a child,
• and for mothers who have passed into the heavens yet are with us always.

May the gentle and strong mothering Spirit of God be their guide and their peace.

We pray to the Lord.

For mothers far away from their children:

• for those in the military and those in other lands, bring them home,

• for mothers separated by divorce, pain, or conflict, give them peace.

May they believe in the promise of God
and hope in Christ who calls all creation to be united in him.

We pray to the Lord.

These intercessions were originally published for the diocese of San Jose, California.

The following article is updated from its first publication in the November 2009 edition of the Diocese of San Jose newspaper, The Valley Catholic.

The short answer is yes…but not for some time.

Since 2000, the English-speaking bishops of the world have been preparing a new translation of the Mass. This is because Pope John Paul II revised the Mass that year, adding some new texts, modifying some instructions, and changing some of the prayers.

Overall, however, the Pope did not make many significant changes to the Mass. So why then are the words changing? Like most documents of the Church, this revised Mass—the third version since Vatican II—was written in Latin. The following year, in a document called Liturgiam Authenticam, the Church issued new guidelines on translating prayer texts from Latin into other languages. This document called for a new way of translating, which emphasized retaining the style, structure, and words of the original Latin, a translation principle called “formal equivalency.” Previously, the Church used the principle of “dynamic equivalency,” which emphasized translating the meaning of the original text rather than its specific words. Because of Liturgiam Authenticam, every language group had to develop new translations of the Mass.

The English translation process is nearing its end, and the latest estimate for when the United States might begin using this new translation is December of 2011.

New words, closer connections

The revised English texts will reflect the style of the Latin texts. Some elements of this style include:

• conciseness
• more noble tone
• concrete images
• repetition
• and rhythmic highlighting of significant words.

We’ll also hear a heightened way of speaking that includes more biblical references. For example, instead of saying, “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed,” the new translation will be, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” This more closely connects to Luke 7:6-7.

The new translation will be used in all English-speaking countries, showing the unity of the Church throughout the world. It will also unite English speakers more closely to those who pray in other languages, since all translations will correspond to the Latin. For example, the new response to “The Lord be with you” will be, “And with your spirit.” In Spanish, we say, “Y con tu espíritu.”

A final vote and recognition

Over the last five years, the United States bishops have been deliberating and voting on sections of the translation. In 2006, they approved the first section, called the Order of Mass, which contains the texts that never change Sunday to Sunday. They sent that section to the Vatican, which gave its approval, called recognitio, in 2008. The next sections the bishops would discuss included the prayers for each Sunday, feast day, saint, and season. In November 2009, the United States bishops voted and approved the last of these prayers and sent it, along with the other ten sections they have already approved, to the Vatican. Now the Vatican will decide whether or not to give the entire translation its recognitio. Once it does, the US bishops will call for a year of preparation before we have permission and are required to use the new English translation at Mass. Go online to the US bishops’ Roman Missal Web site to see the texts of the Order of Mass and for other excellent resources. Remember these texts are for study only and are not to be used at Mass yet.

An opportunity to renew our practice

Let us remember that the Mass is not made up of words alone. The “language” of the Mass includes silence, gestures, music, art, and stillness. It involves proclaiming the Gospel not only in words but also in the way we treat one another, before, during, and after Mass. This is an opportunity for us to renew every aspect of the Mass and to reflect on how we live out its meaning in our daily lives. In preparation for these translation changes, pay closer attention to the words we use at Mass now. Reflect on them throughout the week. What do they mean for you? How do you live them out in your daily interactions with others?

How is your parish or community preparing for these new words to the Mass? Share your thoughts by clicking the “comments” link at the top right of this article.

For the last 40 years, countries around the world have been celebrating Earth Day each April 22. This year, the Catholic Church has made a more intentional commitment to advocating care for the Earth. Pope Benedict XVI has been particularly vocal in calling for Catholics to responsible stewardship of the Earth and its resources:

In nature the believer recognizes the wonderful result of God’s creative activity…The environment is God’s gift to everyone, and in our use of it we have a responsibility toward the poor, toward future generations, and toward humanity as a whole. (Caritatis in Veritate)

The Pope also devoted his message for the World Day of Peace, January 1, 2010, to the Church’s concern for the Earth.

So has the Church become a bunch of "tree-huggers"? Isn’t all this Earth Day stuff a bit too new-agey? Here are three reasons why I think loving and caring for the Earth is a very Catholic discipline and duty:

1. Care for the Earth is care for the Eucharist

God is the Creator "who made heaven and earth" (Psalm 121). The first thing God did was create the world and everything around us. God, in a sense, was the first tree-hugger, for he called all he had made very good. The Earth and all the creatures upon it, under it, and over it are God’s gifts to us. Our response to all God’s gifts is always "thank you"–efharisto–Eucharist.

In the Eucharist, we take the gifts God has given us–grain, grapes, sunlight, fields, knowledge, patience, wisdom, skill–and with the work of our hands make them into bread and wine for the hungry and help and nourishment for the poor. And through the work of the Spirit, these earthly things are transformed into holy gifts for holy people. Love for the Eucharist, then, must be rooted in care for the natural, earthly things we bring to the Eucharistic table. Love for the Body and Blood of Christ must be made authentic by care for everything God has given to us.

2. Care for the Earth is an act of gracious hospitality

God didn’t just make "stuff" so we could have stuff. God made the Earth into a home where human beings and all creatures could thrive. This is essentially an act of gracious hospitality. God made not only room for us; God made a home. So too in our homes. We don’t just surround ourselves with generic, disposable products, thrown away when they are no longer useful. We savor and cherish the things that have meaning for us, the things that are authentic and beautiful. And we honor them even when they have exhausted their practical value–candles burn down; real flowers die–for it is their sacrifice that is grace-filled. We don’t simply get supplies or commodities for our houses. We create a hospitable, comfortable, beautiful, clean, safe place where those we love and those we meet can rest, be renewed, and reach their full potential, even when society says they are "used up."

In the home of the Church, we do the same. We prepare places of worship that aren’t generic; they bear the hand-stamp of the artist, the beauty of authenticity, and the sacrifice of the community. We don’t just decorate a church; we bathe it with holy water, we anoint it with Chrism, we light it with the light of Christ and clothe its altar in baptismal white, and then we feed it with the Body and Blood of Christ. Hospitality is not just about greeting people. It’s about making people feel "at home." Care for the earth isn’t just about having resources or making things nice. It’s about helping everyone thrive and be at home on this planet we share.

3. Care for the Earth unites us to our past and our future

Our entire Christian faith is never just about "now." It’s not about immediate gratification or careless disposal of things no longer useful. We remember the past (anamnesis) in such a way that what we remember God doing for our ancestors is what we understand God to be doing for us now. We remember the future, for what God has done is a foretaste (prolepsis) of what is already happening now around Christ’s heavenly throne with all the saints and angels. And we recall all this now through the grace of the Spirit (epiclesis) whenever we gather in Christ’s name to remember, give thanks, and wait in joyful hope for his coming again.

Care for the earth is a work that roots us to our past. When we begin to connect to a place and the things of nature in that place–the trees, the soil, the water, the air–we are remembering and connecting with our ancestors and the people who touched those trees, walked that land, drank that water, and breathed the same air. Through our care for that place, we become part of that lineage–that communion–of people who were part of that land. And in so doing, we understand more who we are today.

Care for the earth is also a statement of hope in and for the future. We plant seeds for trees we will never see to full stature. We remove trash and waste from water that will flow to other shores. We limit what we expend so that our children’s children will have clean air to breathe. In a way, we become like Moses who prepared a people to enter a land of milk and honey promised not to him but to his descendants.

This Earth Day, let all Christians recall God’s first gift to us. Let us give thanks that God has given all of us a home called Earth. Let us remember our roots and work for the future. With Christ’s Easter promise, let us help bring new life to our own places of the world.

The Archdiocese of Hartford has provided a great resource to help parishes connect the liturgy for Sunday, April 18, 2010, to the observance of Earth Day the following Thursday. Download a free PDF copy of this resource here. For other excellent resources and information on how Catholics can engage others to share in our responsibility for the environment, see the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change Web site. 

And for a look at who our neighbors are on this planet we call home…

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

On Tuesday, January 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit southern Haiti, ten miles from the capital, Port-Au-Prince. Heavy damage, severe injuries, and serious loss of life are expected.

Two Americans still missing in the rubble are Catholic aid workers from the Diocese of Norwich, Connecticut. 

Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. About 80% of Haitians live in poverty.

Donate now to Catholic Relief Services emergency relief in Haiti.

A Prayer After the Earthquake in Haiti

Lord, at times such as this,
when we realize that the ground beneath our feet
is not as solid as we had imagined,
we plead for your mercy.

As the things we have built crumble about us,
we know too well how small we truly are
on this ever-changing, ever-moving,
fragile planet we call home.
Yet you have promised never to forget us.

Do not forget us now.

Today, so many people are afraid.
They wait in fear of the next tremor.
They hear the cries of the injured amid the rubble.
They roam the streets in shock at what they see.
And they fill the dusty air with wails of grief
and the names of missing dead.

Comfort them, Lord, in this disaster.
Be their rock when the earth refuses to stand still,
and shelter them under your wings when homes no longer exist.

Embrace in your arms those who died so suddenly this day.
Console the hearts of those who mourn,
and ease the pain of bodies on the brink of death.

Pierce, too, our hearts with compassion,
we who watch from afar,
as the poorest on this side of the earth
find only misery upon misery.
Move us to act swiftly this day,
to give generously every day,
to work for justice always,
and to pray unceasingly for those without hope.

And once the shaking has ceased,
the images of destruction have stopped filling the news,
and our thoughts return to life’s daily rumblings,
let us not forget that we are all your children
and they, our brothers and sisters.
We are all the work of your hands.

For though the mountains leave their place
and the hills be tossed to the ground,
your love shall never leave us,
and your promise of peace will never be shaken.

Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
now and forever. Amen.

Copyright © 2010, Diana Macalintal. Permission is given to reprint.

Photo: "Weeping Christ" by Broken Lens via Flickr.com. The sculpture, titled "And Jesus Wept," is on the grounds of the Saint Joseph’s Old Cathedral and the diocesan chancery offices for Oklahoma City, OK, which is right across the street from the Murrah Building Memorial.

Many Web sites claim that a University of Iowa study found that each day a child hears on average 432 negative words but only 32 positive words. Whether that’s accurate or not, we can all try to speak more positively.

Gracious God, with only words,
you created the universe and called it “good.”
Help me, then, to use my words well,
to create only life and give blessing this day.

You numbered the stars and called each one by name.
Let me cherish each person I meet
and speak their name with reverence.

You promised that your word is very near to us,
already in our mouths and in our hearts.
Give me your Spirit and teach me what to say.
Stand guard over my mouth and temper my heart
when emotions race and words so easily cut.
Help me know when to speak up,
to be a cry of the poor and a voice in the desert,
and teach me the wisdom to know when to be silent.

Your words calmed the seas, raised the dead,
forgave the sinner, and comforted the mourning.
Give me the grace to speak the simple words:
“Please” and “Thank you.” “Yes.” “I love you.”
Strengthen me to say the words that need to be said:
“I was wrong.” “I’m sorry.” “Forgive me.” “I forgive you.”
Let my “yes” be “yes,” my “no” mean “no,”
and my promises be kept.

Above all, may I remember that
even if I speak with the tongues of angels,
yet do not have love, I am simply making noise.
So let my tongue be silenced if ever I forget you.
Lord, today, make me your word and open my lips*,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

*Make the Sign of the Cross on your lips.

©Diana Macalintal. For more pastoral resources, visit http://blog.todaysparishminister.com.

Here’s a great example of effective online communication. St. James Cathedral in Seattle publishes a slick looking newsletter in PDF format three times a year. In Your Midst has been in publication since December 1996. Take a look at their September 2009 issue, and note especially the interviews with parishioners who answer the question: “Why am I Catholic?”

Do you have other examples of effective online communication that parishes are using? Click on the comments link above and share your stories.