Prayer Notes

As you can see many of my prayers notes have jargon that you may not be familiar with so that is what this page is for. Just select a topic.

• Making the Sign of the Cross
• Beating your breast
• Group prayer
• Reading Latin

Making the Sign of the Cross

Some prayers required that you make the sign of the cross, which is usually the beginning and ending of prayers. These are the steps in order to make one.

1. With your right hand place the tips of your thumb, fore, and middle finger together, and close the last two.
2. With your finger tips touch the center of your forehead.
3. Touch the center of your chest, above the breast bone.
4. Touch your left shoulder.
5. Touch your right shoulder.
6. Some cultures venerate the Cross even when making it. To do so kiss the tips of your fingers, which have just made it.

In the prayers words will be given in which you do the touching.
Back to Top

Beating your breast

The beating of the breast is an old and commonly forgotten tradition to show humility. Here are the steps.

1. Make a fist.
2. Place your fist over your traditional heart on the left side of your chest, fingers and wrist towards your body.
3. Gentle pound your chest with a slow beat.

Group prayer

While most prayers are commonly said alone some of the longer one also have special ways to say it in a group. Here are some guidelines, they are for a leader and group.

• Prayers are commonly divided in halves, with the leader reciting the one and the group the other.
• With the Our Father the leader recites until "heaven", then the group finishes it.
• With the Hail Mary the leader recites until "Jesus", then the group finishes it.
• With the Glory Be the leader recites until "Spirit", then the group finishes it.
• If there is a "Let us pray" the leader says it and everyone reads what follows. If there is no group then skip "Let us pray."
• The abbreviation V. is for the leader, and R. is for the group.

Reading Latin

Latin mors non est sed immortalia! The Church is one of the reasons why Latin is still around. Even if you can't understand it you should be able to read it. Here are the guidelines.

• All consonants are pronounced the same with these exceptions.
  • In Latin the c and g are always hard, like cat and gorilla; e.g. civitas (kee-wee-tas), ago (ah-go)
  • In Church Latin c is pronounce like the ch in church; e.g. cælum (chay-loom)
  • The ch is pronounce like the kh in khaki; e.g. Christus (Cree-stoos).
  • The j or consonantal i is pronounced like the y; e.g. iam jam (yahm)
  • In Latin v is pronounce as a w; e.g. victoria (wik-tor-ee-ah).
  • In Church Latin a v is pronounce as a v; e.g. victoria (vik-tor-ee-ah).
• Vowels are pronounced as such
  • An a is pronounce like the a in father (fah-ther), think rich and snooty e.g. ager (ah-gair)
  • A short e is pronounce regularly; e.g. ego (eh-go).
  • A long e is pronounce like a long a, as in they; e.g. miletes (mih-lay-tehs)
  • A short i is pronounce regularly; e.g. nihil (ni-hil)
  • A long i is like a long e, as the i in machine; e.g. mihi (mee-hee)
  • O is pronounce as the o in open; e.g. filio (fee-lee-oh).
  • A short u is like the u in put; e.g. ut (ut).
  • A long u is like the oo, as in rule; e.g. cornua (cor-noo-ah).
• There are only three diphthong in Latin.
  • In Latin ae or oe (also printed as æ) are pronounce like a long i; e.g. æther (eye-ther).
  • In Church Latin ae or oe are pronounce like a long a; e.g. poetæ (poh-eht-tay).
  • An au is pronounce as ou and is out; e.g. audio (ow-dee-oh).
• Consanent blends are pronounced normally; e.g. spero (spay-roh).
• Long and short vowels are frequently ignored and just known in pronouncing the words. In general all vowel are short unless they are long. No I'm not kidding.
• All syllables are pronounced in Latin, even in odd lettering; e.g. filii (fee-lee-ee).
• With accenting the accent goes on the third to last, second to last, or last syllable e.g. , impedimentia (im-ped-dih-men'-tee-ah).

Email -- Back to Chapel -- Links
Chapel Map

Last update: May 3, 2002