Reading part two of Pope Benedict XVI Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis has been a new and eye opening journey. I met with twelve other people last week after we read part two and believe me the Exhortation is not as intimidating as the title sounds!
It is wonderful to be a part of a group that wants to read what the pope has written. After all, he does write to all of us. This, however, is the first time I have ever read anything written by a pope. He starts part two with "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven"(John 6:32) He goes on to talk about the beauty of the liturgy while sprinkling Latin throughout the Exhortation. Boy, am I glad we have been studying Latin as a family! The Pope also encourages masses said with liturgical prayers recited in Latin. I know this does not happen with frequency in our immediate area.
So, within our group we talked about our families learning the Latin Hail Mary, Our Father, and Glory Be in the home. We have done this as a family for a few years and, yes, my three year old can recite these prayers! There is beauty in praying these prayers like the Father's of old. Now, we are encouraged to pray more prayers in Latin. And, yes, we also study Latin as a family. This is not the easiest for me since I studied four years of French and loved it. Something keeps tugging at my heart to keep moving forward with the Latin, though. Maybe we can get really ambitious and do both. Just when I thought I would throw in the towel on our Latin studies, the Pope has encouraged or exhorted me to keep moving forward. So, we will try to keep the beauty in the home with Latin and Gregorian Chant. We don't do the chanting, but the Carthusian monks on my CD do. It has a calming effect on the household and believe me, I see the beauty in that! Here is the Our Father in Latin:
" PATER NOSTER
QUI ES IN CAELIS
SANCTIFICETUR NOMEN TUUM
ADVENIAT REGNUM TUUM
FIAT VOLUNTAS TUA SICUT IN CAELO ET IN TERRA
PANEM NOSTRUM COTIDIANUM DA NOBIS HODIE
ET DIMITTE NOBIS DEBITA NOSTRA
SICUT ET NOS DIMITTIMMUS DEBITORIBUS NOSTRIS
ET NE NOS INDUCAS IN TENTATIONEM
SED LIBERA NOS A MALO. AMEN"
2 comments:
I am commenting here at your lovely blog because I can't see an email, but please email me on amandpm@bigpond.com and once I have your email address I will more than happy to email you all the saints sheets for the whole year (from Under Her Starry Mantle)
God Bless, Anne
I love payers and hymns in Latin and enjoyed hearing about your family studying Latin together. Any particular resources?
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