Love Letters to the Latin Mass 1: In the Beginning

Latin Mass, priest, word, deaf

In principio erat Verbum … (John 1:1)

In Irish, it is said: Cuimhín an tír na Manaigh (pronounced “quivin on tier na monig”), translated roughly as “the land knows the monks.” It infers that the prayers of the early Christians, since the great conversion by St. Patrick in the 5th century, saturated the ground throughout Ireland’s holy places, so much so that they are felt by those who tread it today. Anyone who has walked on the grounds of an old abbey can attest that this is true.

Embedded in the Church

Saint Patrick wrote in Latin and taught in Irish, and soon, the first language in Ireland after Irish was Latin. It was in Latin that prayers were made, and the Mass was celebrated in all areas where the Church grew—in small village chapels, upon hidden Mass rocks, and in the great Cathedrals soon built in each county and townland. In place after place, the same occurred throughout Europe, Asia, India, China, Africa, and the New World, wherever the Roman Catholic Church spread. Latin was the common language that was used for nearly 2,000 years.

When you venture into a historic church, you can observe the depressions on the floor and the grooves in the pews and kneelers—the imprints left by the weight of thousands upon thousands of worshippers. You can join your hand to the darkened wood where centuries of palms oiled the grains beneath the expired breath of prayer. Corners of dirt cannot be cleaned in the leaded glass windows due to millennia of smoke and incense.

It is not just the land that knows the prayers of the faithful. Those holy petitions are embedded in the grout, the stone, the glass, and the wood of every church ever made by hand hundreds of years ago. We can hear the echoes of the bells and the chants still held within the stone walls. We can breathe the air which carries the weighty incense of those Masses—innumerable and eternal—and all of it was in Latin.

Returning to Latin

Latin was the Mass of the great Doctors: Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Teresa of Avila, Francis de Sales. It was also the Mass of the courageous martyrs: Maximilian Kolbe, Teresa Benedicta, Damien of Molokai. The simple holy ones: Thérèse of Lisieux, André Bessette, Martin de Porres. And the joyous reformers: Francis of Assisi, Benedict of Nursia, Phillip Neri. All of our favorite saints, and each of our Catholic grandmothers and grandfathers, no matter where they originated, heard the Mass in Latin.

I began to attend the Latin Mass last year and found it difficult, deep, powerful, and unbelievably beautiful. It drew me back to the solemnity of my faith, and it joined me to the saints who still inspire me and to early childhood memories of Mass with my dear grandmother. It has made me love my Catholic Church even more. I belong to a parish dedicated to preserving the Latin Mass in our diocese. (Thank you, Bishop Daniel Thomas!) My church was built in 1854 and carries the echoes of over 100 years of Latin Masses.

While the other parishes are now in Ordinary Time, we are still in Christmastide until Septuagesima Sunday, three Sundays before Ash Wednesday. We celebrated Epiphany on January 6, in which Father blessed water and chalk (to chalk our doors) for our homes. We look forward to Candlemas on February 2, celebrating the Purification of our Blessed Virgin Mary, in which we will have candles for our home blessed. Traditions of the past serve to deepen our faith and our children’s for the future.

Closing

In this 12-part Love Letter to the Latin Mass, I hope to share aspects that make the Latin Mass so precious and vital to our Church. I am excited to share more with you and pray that these writings will be a blessing to you.

… et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum. (John 1:1)

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13 thoughts on “Love Letters to the Latin Mass 1: In the Beginning”

  1. Pingback: Love Letters to the Latin Mass 3: First We Must Be Cleansed | Catholicism Pure & Simple

  2. Dear Cynthia ,

    You may be surprised to learn that I am Jewish . My interest in Catholic affairs comes from my admiration for Popes John XXIII and John Paul II ,zichronam leveracha ( Hebrew for ,May their memories be a blessing ) ,who did so much to improve relations with the Jewish people.

    I share your feelings about retaining a Latin liturgy that links you with your rich ,age old religious heritage .When I go to synagogue , most of the service is in Hebrew . For those who can’t read the Hebrew ,the prayer book has transliterations and English translations .Our sacred language has an connection with my ancestors going back millenia.The highlight of the Sabbath morning is the reading from the Torah scroll and the Prophets in the very language of King David and the prophets.( I have been to the synagogue at Capernaum on the shores of the Sea of Galilee in Israel where Jesus would have attended a similar service ).

    The point I am trying to make is that a sacred language ,be it Latin, Koine Greek or Hebrew ,adds to the majesty and indeed mystique of a prayer service .As I mentioned above,I am Jewish but I am so moved when I hear Mozart’s Coronation Mass or Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis.Sadly as I hear from my Catholics friends ,the Latin Mass has virtually died out in Australia.

    Shalom from Melbourne Australia

    Yours sincerely ,

    Jock Orkin

    1. Lord bless you for taking the time to write!
      You have hit the nail in the head. It is not just the beauty of the Latin Mass or the words themselves, it is the deeper meaning and connection which the words carry with them, and have carried throughout the centuries. I’m sure there are many words and phrases in Hebrew which are untranslatable into English because the modern language does not posses the nuance or depth of the old. So it is with Latin as well.
      I feel as if I am sitting with my ancestors and the holy saints of my Church when I am partaking in a Latin Mass.
      Thank you again and may the Lord’s peace be with you.
      Cynthia

  3. Hi Cynthia,

    I also discovered the Latin Mass around a little over a year ago and fell in love with it for its beauty and solemnity. I’ve stayed for its intimacy with the Lord and the depth of its prayers.

    Looking forward to the rest of this series.

    1. Connor
      I think intimacy is the perfect description!
      Thank you for your kind email.
      Deo Gratias!

      Cynthia

  4. How does a statement like “the criminal clergy of the demonarchy that now rules in the Vatican is getting ready -soon – to have their perverse puppet Jorge totally outlaw the Latin mass worldwide.” not violate your comment policy. It seems you have one policy for your readers and another for your writers who comment on articles.
    Your own policy states “– Personal attacks/inflammatory remarks against a person or group; including the author and the Pope” are not allowed. It also violates the policy of be charitable.

  5. Pingback: Extra, Extra! News and views for January 18, 2023 – Catholic Mass Online Search

  6. Beautiful article. My only other comment is that Latin is not and never has been the language of any of the Eastern Catholic Churches. Their liturgies are Apostolic and beautiful. Very God centred rather than man centred. Having been to the TLM, you will see the similarities with the Eastern liturgies. There is a unity in diversity. Not so with the Novus Ordo. Orak.

    1. I agree, and though I used “Roman Catholic Church” one time to indicate that Latin only was used with the spread of that part of the Church, I should have been more clear. I’ve attended Masses in various Eastern Rite Churches, and they are indeed stunning.

  7. Pingback: TVESDAY EDITION – Big Pulpit

  8. Pingback: Latin Mass: The Mass Of The Ages, Feared by the Demonarchy – The American Catholic

  9. My heart is full, yet sad, because of what the modernists have done to our Holy Mother Church. Your article touches deep roots within me. Bless you my dear friend.

  10. Dear Cynthia, This is one of the most accurate, most moving, most lovely discussions of the Latin mass I have ever read. Unwittingly, and sadly, you have voiced the primary reasons the criminal clergy of the demonarchy that now rules in the Vatican is getting ready -soon – to have their perverse puppet Jorge totally outlaw the Latin mass worldwide. When you say:

    “I began to attend the Latin Mass last year and found it difficult, deep, powerful, and unbelievably beautiful. It drew me back to the solemnity of my faith, and it joined me to the saints who still inspire me and to early childhood memories of Mass with my dear grandmother. It has made me love my Catholic Church even more. I belong to a parish dedicated to preserving the Latin Mass in our diocese. (Thank you, Bishop Daniel Thomas!) My church was built in 1854 and carries the echoes of over 100 years of Latin Masses.”

    You have stated the primary reason the devils hate the Latin mass and why they have spread the deadly liturgical virus of the novus ordo burly-q theater – and why they will soon require that their happy-clappy worship-oursleves theatricals will be the only “echoes” heard in the new churcharenas. Rumors from the dark side, the Vatican, are that very soon in what will be promulgated as a new “apostolic constitution,” the luciferians who pul the strings of their puppet Jorge wilI completely and utterly outlaw the Latin mass, worldwide. It is no accident that those who attend the novus ordo theaters overwhelmingly reject the doctrine of the Real Presence – and it is crystal clear why the satanic demonarchy in control of the earthly offices, administration, bank accounts, and real estate of Holy Mother Church seek to eradicate worship of God in the form of the Latin mass.

    Any priest, in future, who celebrates the Latin mass will be extirpated from the roll of active clergy and will be denied all benefits of diocesan financial support, health care and pension. These will be true heroes; as will be any bishop, knowing he will be relieved of duty asap once he defies the demons. Who would have thought the Latin mass will be said in secret, with these heroic priests and bishops having to find modern day “priest holes” in which to hide?

    It is no accident that Satan and his wicked minions are proceeding in this way. Outlawing the worship of God will bring division – the devils’ playground. They have been lying for over a dozen years since they ousted Benedict, and they will lie that they are unifying the church by so dividing it. Those perverts placed inthe highest offices of Holy Mother Church by Bella Dodd and AA 1025 are rejoicing.

    I truly believe that, even if I am in purgatory, I will live to see God triumph over these perverted, evil, sodomitic, pederastic , pedophilic priests and prelates and cardinals and that this sinful and criminal clergy, if they are unrepentant, will receive His justice for leading so many of His sheep to hell. I also truly believe that these demons have no clue about the multitude of the good laity around the world, people of faith, power, hope, and profound love of God, and of the legions of the faithful clergy who will rise up to fight the good fight and – backed up by an all-loving, all-powerful God their Papa, will insure that the Latin mass remains and their efforts to outlaw it will only serve to enliven it-forever. Guy, Texas

    (strong message to follow)

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