Fourth Sunday of Advent

You have likely noticed that, as we did in Lent, we have been singing the ordinary Mass parts in Latin this Advent. The ordinary parts of the Mass are the prayers that remain the same each week: the Kyrie, Gloria (which is omitted in Advent & Lent), Sanctus, and Agnus Dei. They are called “ordinary” because, unlike much of the Mass, these prayers do not change week to week and thus are especially fitting for a common language that all Catholics can learn and sing together. For generations the Church has encouraged the use of Latin for these stable parts of the liturgy so that the faithful can participate with a shared voice no matter where they worship.

Latin has a special place in our Catholic faith. It is a sacred language used in our worship for centuries, a language that has shaped the prayer life of countless saints. Even though the Mass is most commonly celebrated today in our local languages, the Church has never intended for Latin to fade from our liturgical life. Its steady, reverent character helps remind us that the liturgy connects us with Catholics throughout the world and throughout history.

This is why the Second Vatican Council, in Sacrosanctum Concilium, stated that that “the use of the Latin language is to be preserved” and that the faithful should be able to “say or sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them.” The Council fathers desired that Catholics remain familiar with these basic liturgical prayers in Latin so that no matter where we find ourselves, be it Rome, Africa, Asia, or  another parish down the road, we can join in the Church’s universal prayer with ease.

Advent and Lent are especially good moments to lean into this tradition. Both are seasons of preparation and quiet reflection, times when the Church invites us to step back from our usual routines and focus more intentionally on prayer. Singing the Mass parts in Latin gently signals that these seasons are

meant to be different and that we are being invited into deeper silence and expectation.

By using Latin for the ordinary parts of the Mass, we are joining our voices to the wider Church and allowing this shared language to enrich our prayer. May this practice during Advent, and again during Lent, help us enter more fully into the mysteries we celebrate and draw us closer to Christ in a spirit of reverence, unity, and hope.

Nick Labrie

Director of Mission Operations