Latin

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Marilynclssc

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As a 3 year old Catholic, I was wondering on where to go to learn enough latin to make it thru the TLM with out sounding totally uneducated, by the time I came along latin was no longer taught in schools. A sign of the times but a bad one. I would like to eventually like to learn latin but for now I will settle for just knowing enough to make it thru Mass.:confused:
 
Marilynclssc said:
As a 3 year old Catholic, I was wondering on where to go to learn enough latin to make it thru the TLM with out sounding totally uneducated, by the time I came along latin was no longer taught in schools. A sign of the times but a bad one. I would like to eventually like to learn latin but for now I will settle for just knowing enough to make it thru Mass.:confused:
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Its one of the problems with the TLM.

Good luck.

Jim
 
Marilynclssc said:
As a 3 year old Catholic, I was wondering on where to go to learn enough latin to make it thru the TLM with out sounding totally uneducated, by the time I came along latin was no longer taught in schools. A sign of the times but a bad one. I would like to eventually like to learn latin but for now I will settle for just knowing enough to make it thru Mass.:confused:
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Ask in the Traditional form, they can refer you to a Latin-English book you can use to follow along.
 
Marilynclssc said:
As a 3 year old Catholic, I was wondering on where to go to learn enough latin to make it thru the TLM with out sounding totally uneducated, by the time I came along latin was no longer taught in schools. A sign of the times but a bad one. I would like to eventually like to learn latin but for now I will settle for just knowing enough to make it thru Mass.:confused:
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JimR-OCDS said:
Its one of the problems with the TLM.
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I fail to understand how it’s a problem with the TLM.
 
Marilynclssc said:
As a 3 year old Catholic, I was wondering on where to go to learn enough latin to make it thru the TLM with out sounding totally uneducated, by the time I came along latin was no longer taught in schools. A sign of the times but a bad one. I would like to eventually like to learn latin but for now I will settle for just knowing enough to make it thru Mass.:confused:
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You don’t need to learn Latin, per se, you need to learn how to pronounce it. If you have a pew Missal (many churches hand out little booklets), you can follow along and speak at the appropriate times.

It might take you a little while to get used to speaking the Latin words, but I’m sure someone at such a Mass would be happy to take 5 minutes to get you started, and perhaps provide you with a resource.
 
japhy said:
I fail to understand how it’s a problem with the TLM.
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Not understanding the words of the Mass, to me, is a problem and in the case of TLM, where Latin is hardly taught, seldom used, it makes the possibility of obtaining the necessary knowledge to understand, even more difficult.

I don’t have a problem with this, going to a Mass in the vernacular. 😉

Jim
 
Yep, as I’ve said before, all of us who grew up as children when the Mass was in Latin didn’t know what the words meant. We sat there with our parents and mindlessly prayed our rosaries. We weren’t given Missals in Second Grade when we made our First Communion much less getting greatly expanded Missals in Sixth Grade when we were Confirmed.

As an altar boy from fourth through eleveneth grade, I had absolutely no idea what I was saying in Latin nor did the people out in the congregation.

Funny thing is, that from 8th - 12th grade at my Catholic boys high school we had this book each year called “word power”. We were always amazed at just how many English words have their roots in Latin and just how many of them we had heard at Mass or Novena or Benediction, etc. Sorry, can’t help you on this…everyone knows that we had no idea what was going on at Mass until 1968 when things really got rolling and the Mass was mostly in English.

You know, the other funny thing that disturbs me is the connection between Latin and Spanish. It was like, WOW!, I have heard this word before at Mass. Must be sheer coincidence because everyone knows that none of us knew what was going on way back when.

Yep, we’re so much better off today with Mass in the vernacular and all the “a-strummin’ and a-grinnin’” music and the overt Protestant overtones. I am so happy to be englightened. Why, I bet I didn’t understand that Latin prayer in Braveheart! Heaven forbid that I should know a prayer that my ancestors spoke! Everything is more better in the vernacular.
 
japhy said:
You don’t need to learn Latin, per se, you need to learn how to pronounce it.
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Perhaps, but I get the feeling from Marilyn’s question that she *wants *to learn some Latin, and that’s admirable! When I pray, I like to know (at least approximately) the meaning of the words I am praying.

My first suggestion: a Latin-English missal that has the words side-by-side so you can follow along. There is an inexpensive one here: allcatholicbooks.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=ACB&Product_Code=R25x8j&Category_Code=

My second suggestion: There is a free course, “Simplicissimus,” available online that will teach you the Latin you will need to understand the Mass. It is available at latin-mass-society.org/simplicissimus/ . If you scroll to the bottom of the page, you can download the entire course onto your computer (and save to a CD). It’s primarily a reading course, so there is no audio component, but there is a printed pronunciation guide at the beginning.

Good luck!
 
You know regardless of whether or not the mass one’s parish celebrates is in Latin I wish that the Church would start teaching Latin. It is a part of our heritage the official Bible and our original documents from the Vatican are in Latin. I think that it would be great if Catholics could all speak Latin at least at some level. It’s our birthright language and I hope we don’t just let it slip away.
 
rtconstant said:
You know regardless of whether or not the mass one’s parish celebrates is in Latin I wish that the Church would start teaching Latin. It is a part of our heritage the official Bible and our original documents from the Vatican are in Latin. I think that it would be great if Catholics could all speak Latin at least at some level. It’s our birthright language and I hope we don’t just let it slip away.
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Same for me. There are some sites from which one can learn basic latin, and I’m thinking about sitting in on a Latin course at my school.
 
I am starting with Classical Latin and then I will work on Vulgar and Church Latin later. I’m using Wheelock, I think it’s pretty easy to follow along with.
 
Yes I do want to learn Latin in the old fashioned way like we used to do in School. I do not want to follow along in the to Mass like a parrot. I wand to read the Latin and understand exactly what it says.

Thank you to the ones who were able to read between the lines.
 
Marilynclssc said:
Yes I do want to learn Latin in the old fashioned way like we used to do in School. I do not want to follow along in the to Mass like a parrot. I wand to read the Latin and understand exactly what it says.

Thank you to the ones who were able to read between the lines.
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I didn’t mean that, and I’m sorry if it came off that way. Most churches that celebrate the Mass in Latin have a Latin-vernacular missal for you to follow along. That means you will know exactly what you’re saying.

As for learning Latin, that’s going to be a longer process. I suggest a book like “Latin Grammar (For the Reading of the Missal and Breviary)” by Scanlon and Scanlon, published by TAN.
 
Marilyn, I think we could both agree that going to Mass and becoming accustomed to saying the Latin prayers is no more of a “parroting” than going to Mass and rattling off the prayers in English. Both ways can become an occasion of praying in vain.

The goal is to understand what is being prayed so that you can make it your own prayer. In English, we are used to an immediate understanding of the vernacular as it is spoken. That method of prayer may blind us to the value of praying by reading along as the priest prays. Both can be spiritually nourishing. When one reads the English translation in a Missal, he is quietly praying that prayer in his heart. One does not have to understand and be translating the priest’s spoken words in your mind to pray.

I think I’m belaboring the point, but I just bring it up to challenge you to look at “praying at Mass” as something other than unassisted, auricular comprehension.
 
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