Over the past several years you may have heard much through newspapers, blog postings and Twitter about the forthcoming revised translation of the Roman Missal. You may be wondering “what is the Roman Missal, and how does this new translation affect me and us?”

Take notice of the red book which the priest uses most often during Mass. This red book is call the Sacramentary, which together with the Lectionary for Mass [the book of the readings for Mass] make up the Roman Missal.  This missal is the collection of prayers, chants and instructions [rubrics] use to celebrate Mass. It includes such prayers as the Sign of the Cross, Glory to God, Creed, Eucharistic Prayers and other such prayers. The majority of the prayers we recite or sing at Mass are contained in this book and it is these prayers that have been retranslated from the original Latin into English.

The new translation of the Roman missal will begin to be used at every Catholic Mass liturgy beginning the first Sunday of Advent, November 27th 2011. Some of the prayers that you may be used to reciting or singing with certain words or that you may be used to hearing prayed or sung by the priest at Mass will change.