Jewish leaders object to prayer for them

Some Jewish leaders object to Latin Rite Good Friday prayer

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0703900.htm

But the 1962 Good Friday liturgy does include a prayer for the conversion of the Jews, asking God to remove "the veil from their hearts" and help them overcome their "blindness."The prayer says: "Let us pray also for the Jews that the Lord our God may take the veil from their hearts and that they also may acknowledge Our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us pray: Almighty and everlasting God, you do not refuse your mercy even to the Jews; hear the prayers which we offer for the blindness of that people so that they may acknowledge the light of your truth, which is Christ, and be delivered from their darkness."

***

Oh good grief. I've been trying to bite my tongue for the past two days. Perhaps we ought to replace this prayer with one that the increasingly secular Jews regain their own religious observance at all again.

Only Catholics have to bend over backwards and do the politically correct limbo twist, even on the very day that commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. And by way of interfaith education the term "do not refuse your mercy even to the Jews" refers to Christ's forgiveness of all those who crucified him even as he was being tortured and killed. It's a direct reference to Christ's forgiveness, not a cultural judgment, of the people who were in the process of killing him. In fact these similar words are used by St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, who died just after Jesus' death and resurrection, by being stoned by a Jewish mob who objected to his preaching. St. Stephen begged God for the forgiveness of the very persons who were in the processing of stoning him to death. This prayer is actually a very touching and generous commemoration of the heart of the Christian faith, sprung from Jewish roots. Sheesh.

Can you imagine if I told Jewish leaders that reference to waiting for a Messiah offends me, and they should edit their praise and worship, because I believe the Messiah already came and went? Of course I would not do that. So Jewish leaders should lighten up on the sensitivity button and look to their own increasingly secular problems, just as we have. And everyone should be thankful for any sincere prayer.

Let Your Missal Be Your Guide

Now that Pope Benedict XVI has removed the restrictions from the "old Mass" (the so called "Latin Mass") I suggest that people get together with a publishing house to reprint Missals such as my "Saint Joseph Daily Missal." It is fantastic for children of reading age or adults because not only is the Mass presented in easy to follow side-by-side Latin and English, there are beautiful drawings of what the priests and servers are doing at key parts of the Mass. Here's just a random quick sample from my copy:

Left Page:

Making the Sign of the Cross, the Priest says:

(Imagine here a drawing of a Priest making the Sign of the Cross with an altar server standing next to him.)

Indulgentiam, + absolutionem, et remissionem peccatorum nostrorum, tribuat nobis omnipotens et misericors Dominus. S. Amen.
P. Deus, tu conversus vivificabis nos.
S. Et plebs tua laetabitur in te.
P. Ostende nobis, Domine, misericordiam tuam.
S. Et salutare tuum da nobis.
P. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.
S. Et clamor meau ad te veniat.
P. Dominus vobiscum.
S. Et cum spiritu tuo. P. Oremus.

Right Page:

Our Petition for Remission of Sins

May the Almighty and Merciful Lord grant us pardon, + absolution, and remission of our sins. S. Amen.
P. Will You not, O God, give us life?
S. And shall not Your people rejoice in You?
P. Show us, O Lord, Your kindness.
S. And grant us Your salvation.
P. O Lord hear my prayer.
S. And let my cry come to You.
P. The Lord be with you.
S. And with your spirit.
P. Let us pray.

So there is a line by line matching of the Latin to English, with even pictures to illustrate and symbols (for example, where to make the Sign of the Cross) which is easy for even a child who is of reading age to follow. And what more can I say about the words and devotion in the old Mass? Sorry to think that it's more suitable to the solemnity of the celebration of the Mass... after all, why choose this when you can have performing wind chimes and banjo singing We Are the World....

Hope you could visualize it from my typing above. No fancy graphics or photo abilities on my blog, no siree. I vaguely remember what it was like to have coworkers and friends (say nothing of a paycheck, but that's another story) who actually did computer things for me. Now I invest my time in the bare bones straight text.

Learn the freaking Latin already

Jesus Christ did not have painkillers.



You can't be inconvenienced to learn a language - Latin - to provide the traditional mass for parishoners who hunger for it?



I've never stopped carrying my 1962 Missal to Mass and following along with it in the Latin.



Gosh, I'm sick of hearing whining on such an easily resolved matter. You have language CD's. You have brains and hopefully you have faith and dedication. I'm sure that many starving jobless Latin instructors will surface to help. Goodness, enough with the b****ing in advance of Pope Benedict's moto proprio.