OBLATION

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for today, the Eight Tuesday in ordinary time, is “Oblation.”

It’s right there in today’s first reading big time.

It’s a word that has made its reappearance in the prayers of the Mass in the latest English from the Latin translation from Advent 2011.

Last night when I started to do my homework about this word “oblation”, I couldn’t get my hands on what’s with it.

There is no study book out as far as I know from the translators about the word on this word.

The translators themselves have some mystery about them. A New Translation was called for after the Second Vatican Council.  A relatively quick English translation came out. I thought it was a breath of fresh air to be saying Mass in English. Others didn’t. Some still think that way. Translations into the native languages of people  was the decision made by World Wide Church and Local Churches. Then the work began and they came up with a whole new translation.

Someone stepped in and put all the work of over 20 years on the shelf - and gave us the translation we have right now in a rather quick period of time.

I heard various things about the translation we’re using now. I heard it was done by a small group who wanted Latin - well when we can’t have that - then we’ll make the English much closer to the Latin than the one we had. I heard others say that Benedict wanted Latin - so get the one we use more Latinesque. I don’t know. I never heard who was behind it - other than a very small group - who never had to appear in public - and didn’t have to defend their translation.

As you might have heard, we priests in general - from polls taken - don’t like the new English translation of the Mass from 3 ½ years  back.  It’s clumsy and complex at times. It gives me feelings of “Ugh”. Priests said it kills the Mass as a prayer.

THE WORD OBLATION

So I had an interesting reaction to the word “oblation”. What’s with this word? Why did they choose it?

I’m praying along - at Mass and become distracted while reading the Mass prayers.

I began to notice that in Canons and in and around the consecration of the Mass - there’s this word “oblation” showing up.  I didn’t like this word - because it’s a word people don’t use - and I thought that was a guiding principal. I know sacrifice - the word we used - the sacrifice of the Mass - not the oblation of the Mass.  I’ve heard people say, “If you have a family, it will call for many sacrifices  - not oblations.

So here it is in today’s first reading for today from the book of Sirach.

I want to know if it has special meanings that will help my spiritual life.

The only thing I came up with after reading about all this last night is that it was the word used to translate into Latin - sacrifices people put on altars to worship God.  Then when people stopped sacrificing animals - killing them on altars - and burning them - and started worshipping God as Christians - the lifting up of the bread and wine, the body and blood of Christ - that offering up - that lifting up - that putting of a priests hands over the offering - that was called the oblation - and then the word sacrifice took over.

TODAY’S FIRST READING

Then last night I read that Sirach in talking about the oblation (The English word in our New American Bible for Sirach 35:1 - he’s saying that the priest better have not just a doing the motions - when he offers the oblation - also translated “Sacrifice” - but he’s putting his heart into it - and it’s a moral heart - a clean heart.  So not just lips but one’s life.

CONCLUSSION -[TO BE CONTINUED.]