Listen to the Word Preface.


From thanks to praise A


n early liturgical hymn, incorporated into the New Testament, inspired – once the Preface genre developed – even the 1970 editing of this


Source: This Preface was slightly altered for the Missale Romanumof 1970 from one that appeared only once previously, in the Verona collection of Mass booklets compiled between 561-574.


Analysis of literary forms Its brevity gives the opportunity to examine the whole Preface’s structure. Introductory formula: The subject of the


Preface is the sentence nos ... gratias agere, “that we give thanks [is truly worthy and just …]” Means: Nestled at the beginning of the


first confession, the prepositional phrase per Filium dilectionis tuae, “with the help of the Son of your love”,


is given as


“through your beloved Son”. The phrase per Filium indicates that God created and recreated “through the instrumentality of the Son”, “by the mediation of the Son”, “with the help of the Son”. The couplet, dilectio- nis tuae, “of your love”, indicates God’s love for the Son, as in “[with the help of the Son] the object of your love”. First confession:We confess faith in the creator and recreator. The compound relative sentence begins Qui … sicut conditor generis es humani, “who, just as … you are the cre- ator of the human race”, given as “For just as … you created the human race”. Second confession:The sentence contin-


ues, ita benignissimus reformator, “so also the most kind recreator”. Implied are the verb es, “you are”, and the reference to the human race. These are supplied in the official English, which also repeats the mediation of the Son, “so also through him with great goodness you formed it anew”. Transitional formula: This unique formula parallels the two confessions by referring first to all creatures, and next to human recreation as the redeemed.


Summary. The source Preface begins: qui per ineffabilem potentiam verbi tui, “who through the ineffable power of your word”. The source refers to the Word of God, which is an abstract way of referring to the intelligibility of God, while the current Preface refers to “God’s Son”, which is more personal if no less intimate. The former refers to the ineffable


16 | THE TABLET | 16 July 2011 PREFACE 3 FOR WEEKDAYS OF ORDINARY TIME


Roman Missal 2010 It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,


always and everywhere to give you thanks,


Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God.


For just as through your beloved Son


you created the human race, so also through him with great goodness you formed it anew.


And so, it is right that all your creatures serve you, all the redeemed praise you, and all your Saints with one heart bless you.


Therefore, we, too, extol you with all the angels, as in joyful celebration we acclaim: Holy …


© International Commission on English in the Liturgy.


power, while the latter to God’s love for the Son. The former emphasises the transcendent Word of God, powerful in creating the human race, while the latter emphasises the incar- nate Son’s role in our recreation. The reference to “the Son of your love” evokes the voice from heaven at the baptism of Jesus and the voice from the cloud at his transfig- uration, declaring Christ Filius meus dilectus, “my beloved Son” (Matthew 3:17, 17:5, Mark 1:11, 9:7, Luke 3:22). This passage also alludes to our sacramental recreation in baptism, when we were adopted as daughters and sons of God in Christ the beloved Son of God. The Preface echoes an early Christian hymn later integrated into the Letter to the Colossians 1:12-20. Like the Preface, the hymn begins, “with joy giving thanks to the Father” (verses 11-12). The saving actions of the Father are described in several relative clauses qui, “who” (verses 13, 15), in quo, “in whom” (verse 14), and causal clauses quia, “because” (verses 16, 19). This is structurally equivalent to the Preface’s relative clause elab- orating the saving deeds of God. The current text of the Preface echoes the


Missale Romanum2008 Vere dignum et iustum est, aequum et salutare, nos tibi semper et ubique gratias agere: Domine, sancte Pater, omnipotens aeterne Deus:


Qui per Filium dilectionis tuae,


sicut conditor generis es humani,


ita benignissimus reformator. Unde merito tibi cunctae serviunt creaturae, te redempti rite collaudant universi,


et uno Sancti tui te corde benedicunt. Quapropter et nos cum omnibus te angelis celebramus,


iucunda semper confessione dicentes: Sanctus …


Study text Truly worthy and just it is, fitting and healthful, that always and everywhere we give you thanks,


Lord, holy Father, almighty eternal God,


who, just as with the help of the Son of your love you are the creator of the human race


so also the most kind recreator. Wherefore all creatures justly serve you, all the redeemed rightly praise you


and your Saints bless you with one heart.


Therefore with all the angels we also honour you, with delightful praise ever saying: Holy …


Prepared in collaboration with Frs James Leachman OSB and Reginald Foster OCD.


early Christian hymn, which refers to the reg- num Filii dilectionis suae, “the kingdom of the Son of your love” (verse 13). The hymn also acclaims Christ through whom “all things … were created” (verse 16). The hymn describes God reconciling all things through Christ (verses 20-22), where the Preface describes our recreation through Christ. The hymn makes explicit the role of the Church as the body of Christ (verse 18), which is only implicit in the Preface. Several statements in the hymn indicate that all of Creation is directed to God in that all things have been created through him and for him (verse 16), God reconciled all things “to himself” (verse 20) and Christ presents us before the Father (verse 22). The conclusion to the Preface likewise shifts from thanks- giving for the saving deeds of God to the praise of God whom all creatures serve, the redeemed praise, saints bless and we with the angels hon- our and praise.


■Daniel McCarthy OSB is a monk of St Benedict’s Abbey, Kansas, who writes on and teaches liturgy.


Their thanksgiving for the saving deeds of God through Christ leads the faithful to the praise of God, writes Daniel McCarthy


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