The closing prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours for Lauds and Vespers is generally the same as the collect of the Mass. With the implementation of the new English translation of the Roman Missal, those who wish to pray the hours in English are left with two alternative versions of the same prayer: the new and improved translation as found in the missal, and the obsolete translation as appears in the breviary. Eventually, a new English translation of an updated Liturgy of the Hours will be published and indeed is already in the works. Until then, it is permissible to continue using the obsolete collects when concluding the hours. It seems advantageous, however, to use the new translation, not only for the sake of fidelity to the official Latin prayers but also to reinforce the connection between the Liturgy of the Hours and the Liturgy of the Mass, which together form the basis of the Church's public worship. Toward that end, Newman House Press (publisher of Bishop Athanasius Schneider's Dominus Est—It is the Lord!) has produced a 400-page volume containing the collects of the Roman Missal, in Latin and English on facing pages: Oremus—Let Us Pray sells for $25 (US) + $5 shipping and is available directly from the publisher.Sunday, February 05, 2012
The Liturgy of the Hours and the New Missal Translation
The closing prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours for Lauds and Vespers is generally the same as the collect of the Mass. With the implementation of the new English translation of the Roman Missal, those who wish to pray the hours in English are left with two alternative versions of the same prayer: the new and improved translation as found in the missal, and the obsolete translation as appears in the breviary. Eventually, a new English translation of an updated Liturgy of the Hours will be published and indeed is already in the works. Until then, it is permissible to continue using the obsolete collects when concluding the hours. It seems advantageous, however, to use the new translation, not only for the sake of fidelity to the official Latin prayers but also to reinforce the connection between the Liturgy of the Hours and the Liturgy of the Mass, which together form the basis of the Church's public worship. Toward that end, Newman House Press (publisher of Bishop Athanasius Schneider's Dominus Est—It is the Lord!) has produced a 400-page volume containing the collects of the Roman Missal, in Latin and English on facing pages: Oremus—Let Us Pray sells for $25 (US) + $5 shipping and is available directly from the publisher.
