A “Glory Be” for Rian — in hooked-on-phonics Latin
By: Greg Swann,
Phoenix Real Estate,
Post Archive,
RSS FeedPosted: Monday, June 8th, 2009, 11:26 pm MST
Category: Egoism in Action, Flourishing, Group Therapy
For all of me, the “Glory Be” is the most majestic prayer in Christendom. It was rendered beautifully in the King James Bible:
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
It’s the poetry of the untenable, the thing one does when there is nothing to be done. Catholics know what to do with a prayer like this: Say it over and over again.
But for all of me, the “Glory Be” is that much more powerful in Latin, less supplicating, more invocative:
Glória Patri
et Fílio
et Spirítui Sancto.
Sicut erat in princípio
et nunc et semper
et in sæ´cula sæculórum. Amen.
Teri Lussier’s daughter Rian is in a place where this prayer has moment — even if, like me, you don’t believe in anything beyond nature. The nature to be mastered is your own — to have confidence in a sea of doubt, to have hope when hope has fled, to soldier on when your pain cries out for surrender.
You don’t need to know Latin for it to work its benevolent magic. Here’s the hooked-on-phonics version. Don’t pause for the hyphens, and only emphasize the syllables in ALL CAPS:
Gloria pa-tree
ett fee-leo
ett spear-ih-to-ee SONKT-oh.
see-coot air-ought in prin-KIP-ee-oh
ett noonk ett sem-pair
ett in sigh-COO-lah sigh-coo-LORE-um. Ah-men.
Keep saying it until you feel better. Keep saying it until Rian is back to normal. Doesn’t hurt to light a candle…
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9 Comments so far
Will do.
Me too.
Amen
Consider it done, ad infinitum.
Thank you all.
I started out in life as a Catholic but didn’t join the Church until 29 years later- part of what made the Catholic Church a home, were these beautiful repetitive, meditative prayers. I believe that prayer holds power, not to a bearded gentlemen sitting on a throne in the sky, but as a way to gently focus the mind and tap into the most positive aspects of humanity- this is a favortie prayer of mine as well. Thank you, Greg.
My husband Jamie, who grew up listening to Latin Mass only mis-remembers one thing: “My father will beat your father in dominoes”. He still whispers that to me at inappropriate times during mass. It’s always good for a giggle.
Yes, it never hurts to light a candle:
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/enter.cfm?l=eng&gi=Rian&p=Light_A_Candle_For_Rian
Teri,
Thanks to Cheryl some candles are lit for Rian. Thanks to all the love we have for you and your sweet child many prayers are rising up.
Done
Done as well.