The Case for Latin in Liturgy

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Music written and generously provided by Paul Jernberg. Find out more about his work as a composer here: http://pauljernberg.com

The power of language is underscored in two revealing passages of the Bible. The first is the story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis in which we’re told that in spite of being fallen and compromised, ancient men were able to build a tower so tall that it inspired feelings of equality with God among the builders. And scripture records that the reason they were able to achieve such a lofty goal was because of their common language, which, as a consequence of their hubris, God decides to confiscate by diversifying their language which prevented them from succeeding in this way again.
And the other story is in the book Acts in which the Holy Spirit descends upon the disciples in the form of tongues which, in turn, imbues them with a miraculous ability to speak in a supernatural language that everyone can understand.

And even in just practical measures, when you meet someone who speaks the same language as you, you’re far more likely to treat them as a potential friend than you will as a potential rival – which is the prerequisite of community and community is the prerequisite of the great things that humanity can achieve when we work together. This is the power of language and scripture clearly tells us that having a common language is an undeniable good for us when we use it for good and to the Glory of God who blesses us. So it shouldn’t be a big leap for us to understand why the Church would consecrate a common language for its common use. One, for practical reasons in that it creates cultural and fraternal unity among people who, by their participation in the Church, learn this common language.
Two, because from the earliest days of God’s revelation to humanity, he ordered us to set certain things aside for sacred use, to be made holy.

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