Roman -Third Edition – The , mea culpa, mea maxima culpa! If one can remember attending before the changes introduced at the this phrase may sound familiar. It is the version of the confiteor, an optional prayer offered in the introductory rite of Mass. In this prayer we confess before both God and each other that the times we have chosen to sin are the results of our own failings. The English translation of the line in the third edition will change from ‘through my fault’ to ‘through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault’.

The prayer is an admission of personal responsibility for our failings, that sin is an individual’s rejection of the loving plan that God desires for them. In the same way that we vocalize our sins in the of reconciliation we do so, without naming them as we do when confessing, before we listen and reflect on the Word of God and celebrate the of the Eucharist.

The threefold nature of the confiteor reminds us that our triune God has an inexhaustible love and mercy for repentant sinners. It Fr. John Fogliasso also reminds us of the three times that Peter rejected Christ and [email protected] the three times Christ later let Peter express his love for Him. We 314-634-2315 Ext. 116 may have said no to God at times, but like Peter we are offered These articles have been forgiveness because of the goodness of God. Finally, the threefold written to help the Church nature of the ‘through my fault’ mirrors the pattern found in other of the Magdalen parish prayers of the Holy Sacrifice of Mass. (Holy, holy, holy; Lord have community prepare for the mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy; you take Third Edition of the Roman away the sins of the world…) Missal, which is set to be implemented on the The new translation also directs that while this new phrase is being weekend of November 26-27. spoken all of us should lightly strike our chests in an ancient gesture expressing sorrow and contrition. This might sound like a new instruction, because it has fallen out of usage, but the gesture was never removed from the liturgy.

As we quickly approach the start date for the new Missal let us pray that we will all prepare ourselves for the change, so that the revised prayers will be of use in our developing a more profound and sustaining relationship with the Lord.

-Fr. Fog