Traditions from the past

T

wo centuries ago, Archbishop John Carroll worried that Americans would not appreciate the linguistic veil over our worship, and asked that the liturgy in the new United States be in English, not Latin. How did our liturgy come to be in Latin in the first place? In the first century, the dominant language in the regions where the church first flourished was Greek.

Today in much of the world, almost everyone speaks at least a bit of English. Last year, the European Union even considered making English its official language, a curious proposal since only one English-speaking country, Ireland, is a member.

Just as English is a unifying language today, it was hard to function in the ancient world without a smattering of Greek. Even the word “Eucharist” comes from the Greek for “thanksgiving.” For a long time, Greek was the language of worship, even in Rome.

Slowly, society in the west shifted to a bias for Latin and against Greek. Latin first appeared in public prayer at the end of the second century, in the colonial outposts of North Africa. Soon, Latin became the language of
culture, and so as fixed prayer forms were written, they were transmitted in Latin. From Rome and Africa, over the next four centuries, the new liturgical language of Latin spread north to Gaul and Britain.
—Rev. James Field, © Copyright, J. S. Paluch Co.

Previous Week

1 June - 9th Sunday in Ordinary Time

In many parish churches, more rarely in monastery churches and cathedrals, the tabernacle with the Blessed Sacrament is visible from a doorway or aisle in the church. Normally, a person is to give the proper sign of reverence, a genuflection, when passing in proximity to the tabernacle. The word “genuflect” comes from Latin roots meaning bending (or flexing) the knee. A common-sense exception to the rule is for a sacristan who is taking care of the church and can’t be genuflecting every thirty seconds during a vacuum run. Also excepted are persons in procession entrusted with important symbols of the Lord’s presence. So, a cross bearer or a minister carrying the Gospel book, or ministers on their way to their Communion stations do not genuflect. For everyone else, the usual sign of reverence for the Lord’s presence in the Blessed Sacrament is to genuflect on the right knee. The oldest form of reverence during prayer in our tradition is standing; kneeling or genuflecting is a sign borrowed from old civic practice. The posture of kneeling, even on one knee, is a sign of submission. Servants would take this position before their masters in the ancient world. It said: I’m not running away, I’m yours, I’m here for you. This is what your genuflection says when you enter a Catholic church where the place of reservation of the Blessed Sacrament is visible to you: I’m yours. —Rev. James Field, © Copyright, J. S. Paluch Co.