Mer om liturgien: bønnene presten sier med lav stemme
Jeg har nevnt tidligere at vi prester (i moderne tid) ikke særlig detaljert har lært hvordan vi skal feire messen, og at det er knytta usikkerhet og ganske mye ulikhet praksis mellom prestene til deler av liturgien. I dag skriver Father Edward McNamara på zenit.org om bønnene presten ber i messen, ‘stille’ eller heller ‘med lav stemme’. Han presiserer at disse bønnene ikke skal være helt stille (dvs. inni seg / mentalt), jeg forstår det slik at leppene skal bevege seg, og man skal gjerne bruke en hviskende stemme. Jeg må innrømme at jeg tidligere år ikke var så oppmerksom på dette (og ingen hadde nevnt det for meg), men nå syns jeg dette er ett av flere punkt vi prester må få på plass i messefeiringa – og andre prester er sikkert enige med meg. Så til spørsmålet og Father McNamaras svar:
Q: In the Latin rubrics for the Roman missal, we are instructed to recite certain prayers «secreto.» In the English translation the word used is «silently.» Instead, the Italian translation has «sotto voce,» which I use when I recite those prayers, which — for some reason — I feel is more faithful. The Italians know how to translate Latin. In other words, one does not say the prayers silently but under one’s breath, as it were. You must be heard a little bit, though not loudly….
A: Our reader is correct in stating that «silently» is an imperfect translation for the Latin «Secretum.» But he will be happy to know that the recently approved new translation of the Order of Mass changes this expression to the more accurate «quietly.» Therefore when the new missal is eventually published within a couple of years, priests will no longer have this dilemma.
In the ordinary form of the Roman rite this quiet recitation is mostly reserved to the priest’s personal prayers. Among these are his prayers before and after reading the Gospel; sundry prayers before taking Communion; or during the purification of the sacred vessels.
Another are the so-called priestly apologies which are not prayers in which the celebrant excuses himself for being a priest but in which he recognizes his intrinsic indignity and implores divine aid in order to worthily celebrate the august mysteries. These were once abundant in the liturgy but are now few. Examples are the two prayers associated with the washing of hands: «In spiritu humilitatis» and «Lava me Domine.» …. …
It should be said that while the Mass has moments of silent prayer, it has no prayers in silence. That is, all official prayers printed in the missal are meant to be vocalized and are never said just mentally. Most of them are to be sung or recited in a clear audible voice.
Those, such as the examples above, which are said «quietly,» should be at least audible to the speaker himself and may even be slightly louder provided that there is a clear distinction in tone between the personal prayers and the presidential ones. If this is done, then it matters little if the «quiet» prayer becomes accidentally audible due to sensitive microphones.