Today, our pastor preached on the theology expressed by rich Collect for today's liturgy (13th Sunday in Ordinary Time). If you recall, the Collect was formerly referred to as the "Opening Prayer" in the former translation of the missal. This particular prayer is a beautiful reflection on Truth vs. Error and Light vs. Darkness; the light of Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, which transforms us by grace, making us
adopted sons and daughters of God versus the stifling darkness of error when we separate ourselves from that Truth:
O God, who through the grace of adoption chose us to be children of light, grant, we pray, that we may not be wrapped in the darkness of error but always be seen to stand in the bright light of truth.
Compare this new translation of the prayer with the older translation that we used to pray:
Father, you call your children to walk in the light of Christ. Free us from darkness and keep us in the radiance of your truth.
Certainly, the older translation is technically
true, okay, but it reads like something that has been gutted of its theological profundity. And, of course, the omission of that striking word,
error.
