"like the dewfall"

If you're a Mass-going Catholic, you are undoubtedly familiar with the changes to the Roman Missal that have caused more funny moments at Mass in the last three or so months than I can count. If you're not Catholic, or a non-Mass-going Catholic, this post probably won't mean much, if anything to you. Read it anyway. ;-)

But those of you who are Catholics of the Mass-going variety, mmmhmm, you know what I mean, slipping into "And also with you," instead of saying "And with your spirit," or stumbling over "consubstantial"... or forgetting that "It is right and just," not "It is right to give Him thanks and praise."

Everyone seems to be getting somewhat adjusted to the words of the new translation now - though I admit that every so often, I subconsciously panic during the Lord's Prayer, thinking I'm going to mess up the words to something that didn't change.

All humor aside, have you listened, really listened, to the words in the new translation of the Mass? They're stunningly beautiful. The more literal re-translation of the Mass from the Latin has (in my opinion) added an entire new dimension of beauty to its words.

One of my favorites: dewfall. "Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall, so that they may become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ." It's a beautiful word to begin with, I think, but the meaning beneath it is even more extraordinary, as it recalls how God nourished the Israelites in the desert with manna that came with the morning dewfall. And not only that, but - to get geeky on you - in order for dew to fall in the natural sense, the dewpoint must be reached. This is, effectively, where the air has become saturated with moisture, and can't hold any more - so it deposits on the earth as dew. "Sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall..." It's like asking God to saturate the celebration of the Mass so thoroughly and deeply with His Spirit that it will overflow from the gifts brought for consecration to all of us through the nourishment of the Eucharist. 


Ah, yeah. I could go on to write about a few more of my favorites, but the dewfall gets me every time, so I think I'll save those for later (so many things to save for another time!). Peace, and all good, my friends.