I prefer to pray in Latin

[Michael16]

I love praying in Latin. I pray at least half of my prayers in Latin. I think praying in Latin puts in touch with my Catholic ancestors in the Church and, I think; praying the set prayers in Latin makes my prayers more accurate with the original text.

Does anyone else here prefer to pray in Latin?

 

[Fauken]

Does anyone else here prefer to pray in Latin?

I’d like to start doing it more! I am eagerly anticipating the arrival of my breviaries, which have the LOTH in Latin and English! I can’t wait to use them!

 

[adamhovey1988]

In that case, I should learn to pray in Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic. By the way, that’s completely fine. I sometimes say my rosary in French and at least translate the NT readings for the day into English everyday. I’m American, I’m just trying to learn the language. I think if you’re already praying in Latin, it may benefit you to learn a wee bit more, God bless!

 

[Shakuhachi]

Sometimes, like when I want to identify with medieval monks.

 

[TedThomas]

I love to pray in Latin also.
I almost have the Rosary committed to memory in Latin.

 

[poche]

Dad used to sing this song, “Give me that old Latin religion.” to the tune of “Give me that Old Time Religion.”
I like to pray in Latin sometimes.

 

[UpUpAndAway]

I love to pray in Latin, but I wouldn’t say that I prefer it.

 

[HeDa]

I pray in several languages. If I am not sure that God has completely understood me then I change language and repeat it.

 

[SnoopSword]

praying the set prayers in Latin makes my prayers more accurate with the original text.

adamhovey1988:

In that case, I should learn to pray in Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic.

Hebrew? I don’t see how a much later Aramaic-derived language fits into anything whatsoever.

Maybe that’s why:

“the Church from the very beginning ACCEPTED as HER OWN that very ANCIENT GREEK TRANSLATION of the Old Testament which is called the SEPTUAGINT” -(Dei Verbum 22)

Considering the above, maybe that is why:

‘YHWH’ NOT TO BE USED in liturgy, songs and prayers - letter addressed to the bishops’ conferences of the world concerns the use of the “Tetragrammaton,” the FOUR HEBREW letters YHWH. "In RECENT YEARS, the practice has CREPT IN”- Vatican City, Sep 3, 2008

Can’t make this stuff up. They know why they are doing it:

Jude 1:4 For CERTAIN MEN have CREPT IN unnoticed, who LONG AGO were ¹WRITTEN ABOUT for this CONDEMNATION, ungodly men, who turn the GRACE of our God into LEWDNESS and DENY the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. -( ¹προ·γεγραφ·μεν·οι = having-been-write-before-ed [written about])

Wow what on earth?

“’JEHOVAH/YHWH’ was NEVER USED in the LXX, the Samaritan Pentateuch , the Apocrypha , or in the New Testament" (Nor in ANY MANUSCRIPT of the various of Pseudo-Apocryphal, or Gnostic works of the OT/NT) - catholicapologetics.info

NT, CHRIST DOES NOT USE ‘JEHOVAH’; There are 5,000 copies of the New Testament Christian Greek Scriptures in existence today, yet NOT IN A SINGLE ONE do we find an occurrence of *YHWH/YHVY/Jehovah" (There’s obviously a reason)

 

[Michael16]

Is that because, as Catholics; we are supposed to honor the Jewish injunction not to pronounce God’s True Name?

As for the original text, I mean the text as maintained in Church documents.

 

[semper_catholicus]

Yes! I love Latin as well.

 

[TK421]

I don’t speak Latin , but I can do pig Latin.

 

[SnoopSword]

Is that because, as Catholics; we are supposed to honor the Jewish injunction not to pronounce God’s True Name?

I’ll bottle my anger… (but wow they have definitely ‘crept in’). Anyhow, I think not using YHWH has more to do with this:

Strong’s H3050 יה (JAH) – GOD, LORD, Jah, the Lord, proper name of deity
Strong’s H1943 הוה (hovah) – A ruin, disaster, misfortune, calamity
H3050 יה (GOD) + H1943 הוה (DISASTER) = יהוה “GOD OF RUIN, mischief, calamity”

Let the Anabaptists (30% of all American ‘Christianity’) chase their tale in circles of confusion and error and lies of Strong’s Concordance as they let the Rabbi’s (other Masters/Teachers) teach them what the words mean. They come up with the most laughable things. But in Greek everything means the same Old and New. No confusion. This is how God does things:

God is the author of Sacred Scripture (CCC:105). God would not use multiple languages for His actual ‘written word’ (translations are another topic).

–(for those who are able to receive it)
–Gen 11:7 “Come, let US GO DOWN and CONFUSE their LANGUAGE”
–1 Cor 14:33 For God is NOT the AUTHOR of CONFUSION

 

[CilladeRoma]

The way I understand prayer, especially private prayer, is that it is a conversation between me and who I am praying to/with. Since I only speak American English, I pray in that also.

I don’t mind some Latin in the the Mass and love the Greek Kyrie, but I find it most conducive to pray in my own tongue.

 

[ProVobis]

When I served the Latin Mass the words always hit my ears.

“Emitte lucem tuam et veritatem tuam”

So poetic and to the point.

 

[Dovekin]

When I served the Latin Mass the words always hit my ears.
“Emitte lucem tuam et veritatem tuam”
So poetic and to the point.

I agree, but Is it more poetic or poignant than the English? Send out your light and your truth.

There are things that lose something in translation. St Augustine’s great “Sero te amavi…” from the Confessions is hard to translate. “Late have I loved you…” but “Send light and truth” seems destined for beauty in any language.

 

[ProVobis]

Is it more poetic or poignant than the English?

Depends on how you translate it. Maybe a better example would be the Suscipiat where the alliteration of sound and tongue-twisting is more obvious. The Nicene Creed has more rhyme than any translation I’ve heard. Who was it that said Latin is a language of endings? Made it easier to read when you didn’t have spaces.

 

[Feanor2]

When Benedict encouraged the faithful to learn the basic prayers in Latin I learned the Our Father and Hail Mary. I will eventually learn the Hail Holy Queen.

I usually say these prayers in English but sometimes in Latin as the mood strikes me.

 

[Fauken]

If I’m not mistaken, are we not also supposed to know the responses to the Mass in Latin?

 

[ProVobis]

Indeed. Everyone, not just English speakers.