What do these words mean?

[Hokomai]

We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory
**
From the new translation. Can someone explain what Catholics are doing when they do each of the actions I have highlighted in the text? I am interested in the difference in meaning between each of these words. Are each based in a particular theology or scriptural origin? Are they a traditional grouping of devotional actions?
**

 

[YoungTradCath]

We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks** for your great glory
**
From the new translation. Can someone explain what Catholics are doing when they do each of the actions I have highlighted in the text? I am interested in the difference in meaning between each of these words. Are each based in a particular theology or scriptural origin? Are they a traditional grouping of devotional actions?****

These words, as differentiated from the current translation, are just a more faithful translation of the Latin. I suppose you could read about the history of the Gloria In Excelsis Deo by searching it on Google if you want to know more than that.

As far as to what Catholics are doing, I’m not sure what you mean. When these words are sung, the congregation is either listening to the choir or singing with the choir.

 

[Hokomai]

What I was able to find before posting explained the antiquity of the words, but not what they actually mean, or the basis for this meaning in theology or scripture. For example, what is the difference between ‘blessing’ and ‘adoring’ God. I know the difference between blessing and adoring a statue, but what does a blessing add to God? And if we do it, how does it differ from adoring? Do Catholics have to do each of these things to God?

 

[ProVobis]

For example, what is the difference between ‘blessing’ and ‘adoring’ God.

Adoremus te. Benedicimus te.

Adore is an English cognate. Adoremus, literally means “ad” (to), “orare” (pray), or “we pray to you”

Benedicimus, literally means (bene+dic+ending) “we speak well of,” here translated as “we bless you.” How would it sound better, or even reasonable, in English?

 

[Spirithound]

We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks** for your great glory
**
From the new translation. Can someone explain what Catholics are doing when they do each of the actions I have highlighted in the text? I am interested in the difference in meaning between each of these words. Are each based in a particular theology or scriptural origin? Are they a traditional grouping of devotional actions?****

The exact phrasing does not appear to have a Scriptural origin. It was added to the Mass gradually from the 5th to 11th centuries.

As for the meanings of the words, I would only draw some minor differences of connotation between them. “Adore” and “bless” seem to be quieter activities, with “bless” being a vocal activity and “adore” being a silent one. “Praise” and “glorify” are similar, except that praise is given for His inherent qualities, while “glory” is given for what He has done. And giving thanks is quite a different activity from the preceding four. These are just my impressions, and I could be way off

 

[japhy]

Adore is an English cognate. Adoremus, literally means “ad” (to), “orare” (pray), or “we pray to you”

I have also read a related etymology of “adore” as “ad (to) + os (mouth)”:
to “carry to one’s mouth” “to kiss” (ad-os, ad-orare). The Romans performed adoration by placing their right hand on their mouth and bowing. The Greeks paid adoration to kings by putting the royal robe to their lips. The Jews kissed in homage: thus God said to Elijah he had 7,000 in Israel who had not bowed unto Baal, “every mouth which hath not kissed him” (1 Kings xix, 18; see also Hosea xiii). “Kiss the Son lest He be angry” (Psalm ii. 12), means worship, reverence the Son.

 

[ProVobis]

I’m beginning to see the OP’s point. Having done some research on this I found the same English translation, including the Book of Common Prayer.

“we praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks…”

The current missal has it

“we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.”

Did the ICEL see a problem in the '60’s and decide after some deliberation to leave out the “bless” and “adore,” instead substituting “worship” for both? I myself have a difficult time with “blessing” God in the modern English sense, where normally one asks God for His blessing. Don’t get me wrong, I think the Latin is fine with the “benedicimus te” but in the sense that we are speaking well of Him. “Blessing” Him appears to be conveying a different meaning altogether.

bless Verb/bles/1. (of a priest) Pronounce words in a religious rite, to confer or **invoke divine favor upon.**2. Consecrate (something) by a religious rite, action, or spoken formula.

 

[ProVobis]

I have also read a related etymology of “adore” as “ad (to) + os (mouth)”:
to “carry to one’s mouth” “to kiss” (ad-os, ad-orare). The Romans performed adoration by placing their right hand on their mouth and bowing. The Greeks paid adoration to kings by putting the royal robe to their lips. The Jews kissed in homage: thus God said to Elijah he had 7,000 in Israel who had not bowed unto Baal, “every mouth which hath not kissed him” (1 Kings xix, 18; see also Hosea xiii). “Kiss the Son lest He be angry” (Psalm ii. 12), means worship, reverence the Son.

Yes, there is a connection between mouth > os, oris, ori, orem, ore, ora, orum, oribus, ora, oribus and oratio, which in Roman times referred to “speech.” The Latin oratio became Christianized to refer to prayer. It is indeed an interesting etymology.

 

[japhy]

Modern English translations of the Bible are full of instances of people blessing God. The Psalms come to mind:
Psalms 16:7 – I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.

Psalms 26:12 – My foot stands on level ground; in the great congregation I will bless the LORD.

Psalms 34:1 – I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Psalms 68:26 – “Bless God in the great congregation, the LORD, O you who are of Israel’s fountain!”

Psalms 103:1-2, 20-22 – Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, … Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word! Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his ministers that do his will! Bless the LORD, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul!

Psalms 104:1, 35 – Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, thou art very great! Thou art clothed with honor and majesty, … Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more! Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD!

Psalms 115:18 – But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the LORD!

Psalms 134:1-2 – Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, who stand by night in the house of the LORD! Lift up your hands to the holy place, and bless the LORD!

Psalms 135:19-20 – O house of Israel, bless the LORD! O house of Aaron, bless the LORD! O house of Levi, bless the LORD! You that fear the LORD, bless the LORD!
Let’s look for some context clues as to what “Bless the Lord” means in the psalms:

“In the great congregation I will bless the LORD.” (Psalms 26:12; cf. 68:26) – In the maqhel, the qahal, the “assembly”, what Greek-speaking Christians would call the “ekklesia”, what we would call the congregation or church. Blessing the Lord is something that can be done in the midst of His people, publicly.

“I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (Psalms 34:1; cf. 104:35; 115:18) – Blessing the Lord is joined with speaking or singing His praises.

“Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, who stand by night in the house of the LORD! Lift up your hands to the holy place, and bless the LORD!” (Psalms 134:1-2) – Blessing the Lord is joined with an external act of worship or praise, the raising of hands.

 

[ProVobis]

Modern English translations of the Bible are full of instances of people blessing God.

Fair point. But one can always also revisit the translations of:

Psalm 16:7 Benedicam Dominum qui tribuit mihi intellectum;

Psalm 26:12 Pes meus stetit in directo; in ecclesiis benedicam te, Domine.

Psalm 34:2 Benedicam Dominum in omni tempore; semper laus ejus in ore meo.

etc.

I’m not defending the ICEL, but just because the Church of England claimed 500 years ago that “benedicere” translated to “to bless” doesn’t necessarily mean it still holds true today, does it? How many actually associate “to bless” with “to speak well of” today? Or as you put it, “Blessing the Lord is joined with speaking or singing His praises.”

And please, no examples of Benedict and what it means. He’s blessed alright but God is the one who blessed him.

Just trying to follow the OP points, which I think are good ones.

 

[japhy]

When God blesses us, is He not “speaking well” of us? In other words, is it not a particularly benevolent action of His Word toward us? We tend to use “bless” (for people and objects) to mean “consecrate”, but consecration is just one “effect” of God “speaking well” of someone or something.

bless

1. to consecrate or sanctify by a religious rite; make or pronounce holy.
2. to request of God the bestowal of divine favor on: Bless this house.
3. to extol as holy; glorify: Bless the name of the Lord.

 

[Hokomai]

Thank you for all those interesting and illuminating replies. I may be able to clarify this issue I am groping towards with a little thought experiment. I imagine a group in prayer, led by a prayer leader. After some time, the leader says “let us praise God”. The people do. Then the leader says: “now we will stop praising God, and proceed to bless God”. if the words mean different things, is it clear what they would then do? I am not of course suggesting such an approach to group prayer, it’s just an experiment to see if the words appear to be different in the real world of modern English.

 

[japhy]

if the words mean different things, is it clear what they would then do? I am not of course suggesting such an approach to group prayer, it’s just an experiment to see if the words appear to be different in the real world of modern English.

I think one of the reasons for the use of such close synonyms in the Gloria (as in the Psalms) is because that’s a Hebraic way of speaking. You don’t say, for example, “holier” or “holiest”, you say “holy holy” or “holy holy holy”. So too the Psalms are full of doublets or triplets of very similar ideas, such as “I shall bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall be ever in my mouth.”

This is a Roman trait as well, as the Latin of Eucharistic Prayer I (the Roman Canon) reveals: “hóstiam puram, hóstiam sanctam, hóstiam immaculátem” (“a pure victim, a holy victim, an immaculate victim”).

One reason I give in Praying the Mass: The Prayers of the People for this nigh-duplication is: “The abundance of words is a reminder of how constant our praise of God should be. It is also a sign of our inability to describe our response to God’s greatness with just one or two words.”

 

[ProVobis]

Thank you for all those interesting and illuminating replies. I may be able to clarify this issue I am groping towards with a little thought experiment. I imagine a group in prayer, led by a prayer leader. After some time, the leader says “let us praise God”. The people do. Then the leader says: “now we will stop praising God, and proceed to bless God”. if the words mean different things, is it clear what they would then do? I am not of course suggesting such an approach to group prayer, it’s just an experiment to see if the words appear to be different in the real world of modern English.

Excellent points.

The real world of modern English usage includes a lot of overused words, such as IMO “amazing” and “bless,” that they become devoid of meaning after a while. From “God bless you” to “God bless” to “Bless you” to “I give you my blessings” it seems as if we’ve lost the original intent of the word (benedicere “speak well of” in contrast to maledicere “curse”) and just use “bless” like many other idioms without a thought.

Japhy gave you one example from the Canon; let me give you another.

hæc dona, hæc munera, hæc sancta sacrificia illibata,

translated literally they become

“these gifts, these gifts, these holy sacrifices unspotted,”

In Latin dona and munera are distinct and meaningful, but the translations potentially become the same word in the English and most of the intended meaning appears to have vanished.