Why these words?

Editorial Staff

I have noticed that during Mass we say many times some words of which I do not understand the meaning. What do they mean, Amen, Hosanna, Hallelujah? With my friends we never use them and I don’t even know if they’re English. My grandmother told me that they are words used by Jews, but why do we say them if we are two different religions? And couldn’t you replace them with words that are easier to understand?

Jack

My dear friend, I thank you for your question because it gives me the opportunity to say some important things that I care about. These words, which we use during the Liturgy, come from afar. Actually, in our current Liturgy we have words that refer to Hebrew, Greek and Latin. This is because when we celebrate the Liturgy, we make gestures and words that resonate with the many who before us have tried to express their faith. The words you mention are Hebrew. Amen means “I believe in it deeply and this gives me hope and confidence for everyday life”. Hosanna: “We beg you to save us!” or “Please deliver us!”. The word Hallelujah, on the other hand, is a cry of joy and praise that has remained particularly linked to the mystery of the resurrection. In the Liturgy there is often also a Greek word: Kyrie eleison which means “Lord have mercy”. I understand that you propose to translate them into English, but there are words, like gestures, that have a charge in their repetition. Also because when we pray we need to get out of the ordinary to open ourselves to the mystery in which time and space are much wider and even more beautiful. Now that you know the meaning of these words you could also explain them to your friends, and I hope that you can pronounce them with love and conviction, thinking of the many children who have repeated them before you just as you do now.