Letters on Liturgy II: Sacred Language and Ancient Prayers
Practical suggestions for a parish priest
Above: “Adoration of the Holy Name of Jesus” by El Greco (1541-1614).
Editor’s note: this is a series of personal letters sent to a parish priest to encourage him to bring a spirit of solemnity and reverence to the liturgy. We hope that you will be encouraged to share them with your parish priest as well!
Dear Father,
In my first letter, I addressed the lack of reverence we see in parishes today and its impact on the faith of the laity. I then offered three practical solutions to increase reverence for the Eucharist at Mass. My intention in this present letter is to offer three ways in which sacred language and ancient prayers can be used to foster a greater sense of devotion and piety amongst the laity.
My hope with all of these suggestions is that they serve the dual purpose expressed by Pope Gregory X, namely, “to merit divine favor and at the same time give edification.”1
Roman Canon
Pray the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I) at every Mass. This prayer is the core of the Mass, the actual words by which the priest, through his divine office, effects transubstantiation. Eucharistic Prayer I is one of the oldest parts of the Mass and Pope Francis calls it one of the most “distinctive elements'' of the Roman liturgy.2 The Catholic Encyclopedia tells us:
Since the seventh century our Canon has remained unchanged. It is to St. Gregory I (590-604) the great organiser of all the Roman Liturgy, that tradition ascribes its final revision and arrangement… But our Canon represents rather the last stage of a development that had been going on gradually ever since the first days when the Roman Christians met together to obey Christ's command and celebrate the Eucharist in memory of Him. [emphasis mine]
Thus, Pope St. Gregory I formalized a canon passed down to him; he isn't the sole author, nor does the prayer originate with him.The roots of this prayer trace back to the earliest Christians, handed on from the words of Christ at the Last Supper to its codification during the time of Pope St. Gregory.
Your sacred priesthood connects directly to the first men who said these words, the first men to ever confect the Eucharist, and in the Roman Canon you call on them by name (“Linus, Cletus, Clement, Sixtus, Cornelius…”).
You also recall the connection to the Old Testament sacrifices, foreshadowing Christ. Every significant covenant between God and the Israelites was sealed with a sacrifice, mirroring Christ's sacrifice to seal the New Covenant. This connection holds profound spiritual significance, evoked when you trace the sacrifices of Genesis: "...as you were pleased to accept the gifts of your servant Abel the just, the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith, and the offering of your high priest Melchizedek, a holy sacrifice, a spotless victim."
The Council of Trent tells us in order for the mass to be worthily offered in a holy manner,
the Catholic Church instituted, many years ago, the sacred Canon, so pure from every error, that nothing is contained therein which does not in the highest degree savour of a certain holiness and piety, and raise up unto God the minds of those that offer. For it is composed, out of the very words of the Lord, the traditions of the apostles, and the pious institutions also of holy pontiffs.3
This was the prayer of consecration uttered by St. Padre Pio at his final Mass.
This was the same manner in which St. Isaac Jogues celebrated the sacrament as he preached to the Native American tribes who would eventually provide him with the crown of martyrdom.
This is the Eucharistic Prayer that Pope St. Pius V uttered in the 16th century, just as his predecessors had done for a millennium before him.
This is a core part of the liturgical patrimony of a Catholic priest, a chief connection to the bishops and priests of the past. I implore you, never cast it aside for any reason, especially not for convenience or to “get through” the Mass more quickly.
Latin Prayers
Pray the Kyrie Eleison in Greek and the rest of the ordinary of the Mass in Latin: Gloria in Excelsis Deo, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei. Since the 4th century, the Roman Church has used Latin in Her rites, rituals, liturgies, and official documents; it is the mother tongue of the Church. You can easily find documents from each pontificate of the last century defending and extolling the use of Latin.4
How fitting it is for Catholics across the world to unite in prayer with one voice using the language of Holy Mother Church. How wonderful it is to enter a Catholic Church in Rome, Tokyo, Moscow, or Miami and be able to pray the Agnus Dei or the Sanctus without missing a beat. Many people long for this type of unity in the Church, and it is a core theme of the current pontificate. Imagine a parish separated into both English and Spanish liturgies, something quite common where I live. You effectively end up with two parishes and little to no overlap between the parishioners. The use of a universal language, by contrast, helps by removing barriers to unity in these divided parish settings.
The Second Vatican Council’s document on the liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, states: “the use of the Latin language is to be preserved in the Latin rites.”5 And it teaches that in mass,
steps should be taken so that the faithful may also be able to say or to sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them.6
Pope St. Paul VI, who presided over the changes to the liturgy immediately following the Second Vatican Council, said that in Latin we have “an abundant well-spring of Christian civilisation and a very rich treasure-trove of devotion.” He lamented the opposition to the language of our Church:
For while some are very faithful to the Latin language, others wish to use the vernacular within the choral office. Others, in various places, wish to exchange that chant which is called 'Gregorian', for newly-minted melodies. Indeed, some even insist that Latin should be wholly suppressed. We must acknowledge that We have been somewhat disturbed and saddened by these requests.7 [emphasis mine]
Honoring the Council and cherishing the abundant tradition of our faith, we should strive to maintain Latin whenever possible, imparting it to our children (or to your congregation) through prayer and song.
Bowing at the Name of Jesus
The ancient custom of bowing your head at the holy name of Jesus or the invocation of the Trinity is often neglected in parish life. Encourage your congregation to take up this practice by your preaching and your own actions. As with the other outward gestures we have discussed, this small action from the priest informs his mindset and the disposition of his heart. It honors God and dignifies His Holy Name, making reparations for blasphemies and the flippant violations of the second commandment so common today.
Pope Gregory X (1271-1276) was concerned with the blasphemies and profanations common during his pontificate due to the Albigensian heresy. At the second Council of Lyons (1274), he stated two goals surrounding the Holy Name:
reparation for the insults offered to the Holy Name of God by the Albigensians and other heretics; restriction of the widespread evils of profanity, obscenity, blasphemy, and perjury.
Instead of merely discussing this at a council, he aimed to implement it across the Church to combat heresy and to adhere to St. Paul’s guidance in Philippians 2:9-11 (“...at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…”). Pope Gregory realized that kneeling every time the Lord's name is mentioned during Mass is impractical. He suggested a simple bow of the head as a solution:
Those who assemble in church should extol with an act of special reverence that name with is above every name, than which no other under heaven has been given to people, in which believers must be saved, the name, that is, of Jesus Christ, who will save his people from their sins. Each should fulfil in himself that which is written for all that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow; whenever that glorious name is recalled, especially during the sacred mysteries of the mass, everyone should bow the knees of his heart, which he can do even by a bow of his head.8
The typical Sunday mass goer may be surprised to learn that bowing at the name of Jesus is actually in our liturgical rubrics! The General Instruction of the Roman Missal, in paragraph 275 under a section titled “Some General Norms for All Forms of Mass,” states:
A bow signifies reverence and honor shown to the persons themselves or to the signs that represent them. There are two kinds of bow: a bow of the head and a bow of the body.
A bow of the head is made when the three Divine Persons are named together and at the names of Jesus, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and of the Saint in whose honor Mass is being celebrated.
The faithful should receive instruction in this ancient and beautiful practice, as outlined in the GIRM and the Second Council of Lyons.
Conclusion
Three simple, practical steps—praying the Roman Canon, increasing the use of Latin, and encouraging the bowing of the head at the Holy Name—will help to foster a sense of solemnity and reverence at any parish. I hope that the provided quotes and documents will aid and encourage you in working with your pastor and in teaching your congregation about these precious practices.
May Almighty God bless you and provide for your priestly ministry!
Kosloski, Philip. “Why Catholics Bow Their Heads at the Name of Jesus.” Aleteia, 2 Jan. 2020, aleteia.org/2020/01/02/why-catholics-bow-their-heads-at-the-name-of-jesus/.
Letter of the Holy Father Francis to the Bishops of the Whole World, that Accompanies the Apostolic Letter Motu Proprio Data “Traditionis Custodes.” (https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/letters/2021/documents/20210716-lettera-vescovi-liturgia.html).
Session 22, Chapter 4. On the Canon of the Mass. (https://www.papalencyclicals.net/councils/trent/twenty-second-session.html).
Of particular interest: Pope Pius XII, Mediator Dei; John XXIII, Veterum Sapientia; Pope John Paul II, Dominicae Cenae; Pope Benedict XVI, Sacramentum Caritatis.
Sacrosanctum Concilium (“Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy“), Paragraph 36. (https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19631204_sacrosanctum-concilium_en.html).
Ibid. Paragraph 54.
In his apostolic letter Sacrificium Laudis (“Calling on religious orders to preserve the Latin Office”). (https://lms.org.uk/sacrificium_laudis).
Second Council of Lyons, Constitution II, Paragraph 25. On the Immunity of Churches.
(https://www.papalencyclicals.net/councils/ecum14.htm).