Posted on 08/18/2006 10:52:01 AM PDT by NYer
Recently a Protestant friend asked me why Catholics do not include, "For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, now and forever," at the end of the Our Father. I really do not know. Can you help me?
The "For thine..." is technically termed a "doxology." In the Bible, we find the practice of concluding prayers with a short, hymn-like verse which exalts the glory of God. An example similar to the doxology in question is found in David’s prayer located in I Chronicles 29:10-13 of the Old Testament. The Jews frequently used these doxologies to conclude prayers at the time of our Lord.
In the early Church, the Christians living in the eastern half of the Roman Empire added the doxology "For thine..." to the Gospel text of the Our Father when reciting the prayer at Mass. Evidence of this practice is also found in the Didache (Teaching of the Twelve Apostles), a first-century manual of morals, worship and doctrine of the Church. (The Didache also prescribed that the faithful recite the Our Father three times a day.) Also when copying the Scriptures, Greek scribes sometimes appended the doxology onto the original Gospel text of the Our Father; however, most texts today would omit this inclusion, relegate it to a footnote, or note that it was a later addition to the Gospel. Official "Catholic" Bibles including the Vulgate, the Douay-Rheims, the Confraternity Edition, and the New American have never included this doxology.
In the western half of the Roman Empire and in the Latin rite, the Our Father was always an important part of the Mass. St. Jerome (d. 420) attested to the usage of the Our Father in the Mass, and St. Gregory the Great (d. 604) placed the recitation of the Our Father after the Canon and before the Fraction. The Commentary on the Sacrament of St. Ambrose (d. 397) meditated on the meaning of "daily bread" in the context of the Holy Eucharist. In this same vein, St. Augustine (d. 430) saw the Our Father as a beautiful connection of the Holy Eucharist with the forgiveness of sins. In all instances, the Church saw this perfect prayer which our Lord gave to us as a proper means of preparing for Holy Communion. However, none of this evidence includes the appended doxology.
Interestingly, the English wording of the Our Father that we use today reflects the version mandated for use by Henry VIII (while still in communion with the Catholic Church), which was based on the English version of the Bible produced by Tyndale (1525). Later in 1541 (after his official separation from the Holy Father), Henry VIII issued an edict saying, "His Grace perceiving now the great diversity of the translations (of the Pater Noster etc.) hath willed them all to be taken up, and instead of them hath caused an uniform translation of the said Pater Noster, Ave, Creed, etc., to be set forth, willing all his loving subjects to learn and use the same and straitly [sic] commanding all parsons, vicars, and curates to read and teach the same to their parishioners." This English version without the doxology of the Our Father became accepted throughout the English-speaking world, even though the later English translations of the Bible including the Catholic Douay-Rheims (1610) and Protestant King James versions (1611) had different renderings of prayers as found in the Gospel of St. Matthew. Later, the Catholic Church made slight modifications in the English: "who art" replaced "which art," and "on earth" replaced "in earth." During the reign of Edward VI, the Book of Common Prayer (1549 and 1552 editions) of the Church of England did not change the wording of the Our Father or add the doxology. However, during the reign of Elizabeth I and a resurgence to rid the Church of England of any Catholic vestiges, the Lord’s Prayer was changed to include the doxology.
The irony of this answer is that some Protestants sometimes accuse Catholics of not being "literally" faithful to Sacred Scripture and depending too much on Tradition. In this case, we see that the Catholic Church has been faithful to the Gospel text of the Our Father, while Protestant Churches have added something of Tradition to the words of Jesus. Nevertheless, the Our Father is the one and perfect prayer given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ, and all of the faithful should offer this prayer, reflecting on the full meaning of its words.
Avvon d-bish-maiya, nith-qaddash shim-mukh.
Tih-teh mal-chootukh. Nih-weh çiw-yanukh:
ei-chana d'bish-maiya: ap b'ar-ah.
Haw lan lakh-ma d'soonqa-nan yoo-mana.
O'shwooq lan kho-bein:
ei-chana d'ap kh'nan shwiq-qan l'khaya-ween.
Oo'la te-ellan l'niss-yoona:
il-la paç-çan min beesha.
Mid-til de-di-lukh hai mal-choota
oo khai-la oo tush-bookh-ta
l'alam al-mein. Aa-meen.
Well, this is interesting:
Aramaic is a Semitic language with a 3,000-year history. It has been the language of administration of empires and the language of divine worship. It is the original language of large sections of the biblical books of Daniel and Ezra, and is the main language of the Talmud. Aramaic is believed to have been the native language of Jesus. Modern Aramaic is spoken today as a first language by numerous, scattered communities, most significantly by Assyrians. The language is considered to be endangered.
Aramaic belongs to the Afro-Asiatic language family. Within that diverse family, it belongs to the Semitic subfamily. Aramaic is a part of the Northwest Semitic group of languages, which also includes the Canaanite languages (such as Hebrew).
From Wikipedia.
Interesting. Jesus the Jew taught a Jewish prayer.
The Aramaic Prayer To Our Father
"Lord's Prayer"
This wording and pronunciation is the closest that
we know to the form which Jesus spoke.
aboon dabashmaya
Our Father in heaven,
nethkadash shamak
Holy is Thy name.
tetha malkoothak
Your Kingdom is coming,
newe tzevyanak
Your will is being done
aykan dabashmaya
on earth as it is in heaven.
af bara hav lan lakma dsoonkanan
Give us bread for our needs day by day.
yamana washbook lan
Forgive us our offenses
kavine aykana daf
as we have forgiven our offenders.
hanan shabookan lhayavine oolow talahn lanesyana
Do not let us enter into temptation.
ela fatsan men beesha
Deliver us from error.
From: Fr. Dale (Dale A. Johnson) barhanna2001@yahoo.com
Formerly in service in Lebanon and Syria
Now in service in the Dominican Republic .
See Dominican Outreach
Fr. Dale's Writings and Books
Within the Catholic Church, Syriac/Aramaic is retained as a liturgical language by several Churches - the Maronite, Chaldean and Syro-Malankara for sure and possibly others as well.
The Words of Institution in the Maronite Church are chanted by the priest, in Aramaic. Each time I hear them, it is like being transported back through time, to the Upper Room.
I recognized three words: aboun (Abba), mana, and ameyn. :) Daddy, food, and "so be it".
Amen!
That's great! Remember, this is a transliteration of the original text.
Here's an amusing story for your efforts. The Maronites call their pastor "Abouna". Recently, our pastor was doing some work at the 150 y/o Methodist Episcopal Church we purchased and which is now being renovated into a Catholic Church. A redneck 'neighbor' stopped by to complain to him about the property survey. He could see Father was a Catholic priest by the clericals he always wears. So, he began by asking Father what his name was. Here is the conversation that ensued:
Neighbor: "What's your name?"
Father: "Father Kairouz."
Neighbor: "I'm not a religious man; what's your name?"
Father: "Father Kairouz."
Neighbor: "Look, I don't care about religion; what's your name?"
Father: "My name is Father Kairouz. If you can't address me by my name, then there is no discussion regarding property lines". (and with that he walked away).
On hearing about this exchange, I suggested that the next time it surfaces, he should simply respond with the truth: "My name is Abouna". The neighbor will think he has an "in" and Father will be respected with his proper title. Lol!
LOLOL!
You were meeting the Lord??? Well, I met the Lord when I got saved and He hasn't left yet...And I don't expect Him to...
I'm sorry you have to go somewhere to meet the Lord...
Physically?
Yes, physically meeting him in the Sacrament of His Body and Blood.
I'm sorry you have to go somewhere to meet the Lord...
No, you are the impoverished one who cannot accept an Incarnate Lord Who feeds us of His own Flesh and Blood. He is not just merely "in my heart" but is incorporated into my very flesh everyday when I consume Him. He is not just a spiritual reality but a Real and Physical Reality. That is part of the mystery of Incarnation. Someday I pray you will understand what Christ said about eating his Body and Blood. It has been the belief of the Church from her ancient roots.
Yes, His flesh is food and His Blood is drink. Jesus said it. So yes, Jesus physically and spiritually abides in me.
If you cannot believe that bread can be changed into His Body or wine into His Blood, how can you believe that you will be raised on the last day? With God nothing is impossible.
Do you have to work at being offensive or does it just come naturally? Your question could have been asked in a way that does not rile those up who believe in the physical presence of Christ in the Eucharist. That you didn't makes me question your sincerity as a Christian.
This phrase in the Lord's Prayer clearly tells us that we will be forgiven the same as we forgive others. So, if we don't forgive others, then we aren't forgiven. I've always wondered how this conforms to the premise "once saved, always saved". If you have been saved once and forever, it seems that this phrase in the prayer would be meaningless.
So it comes naturally.
went to a Catholic service...I ate the cookie...I didn't see Jesus...That's because he's not there
You need to know that you are not allowed to participate in taking Communion in the Orthodox and 22 Catholic churches. Also, you should be aware of the consequences if you do:
No, it is not the same. When Jesus sais "I am the door", he did not have a door in his hands and refer to it specifically, as he did to the bread and wine at the Last Supper. Additional verses regarding the Eucharist, e.g. Chronicles 11:27 for one, confirm that Jesus was not speaking figuratively. 2000 years of teaching and understanding of Scripture tells us the Eucharist is truly the body and blood of Christ. That is why Eastern Orthodox, the 22 Catholic Churches, Anglicans, and Lutherns believe in the true, physical presence. I think I'll stick with the 2000 years of Christian teaching and understanding led by the Holy Spirit than rely on the scriptual interpretation of a Johnny-come-lately who thinks his views trump everyone else's.
Does a priest wave a magic wand
Orthdox, Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans don't practice magic and don't use wands.
Now, instead of trying to hijack another thread, why don't you get back on topic.
Thank you, for listing the English cognates. Chanting the Lord's Prayer in Latin is wonderful. When I went to a General Audience at St. Peter's Square with tens of thousands of us, it was thrilling to hear us all gathered from all corners of the earth chanting it together.
Transubstantiation is a MYSTERY. Just because one cannot logically explain the mysteries of God does not mean they are not Real.
God did not come down to publish a Book and then leave us floundering around for centuries. It's amazing how some Christians can quote chapter and verse, yet refuse to accept the explicit teachings of Christ about the Eucharist. Indeed, those listenng at the time declared "Who can believe him? This is too hard!" and left. It is one of the hardest, even though one of the clearest, mandates of Christ, because it is not simple to grasp.
This is why Christ established a living Church (not just a Bible), guided by the Holy Spirit and incapable of dogmatic error. So not only do we have the teachings of Christ himself, both in words (John, Chap.6) and actions (Last Supper), we have them reaffirmed by the Council of Trent and COUNTLESS Eucharistic miracles and revelations.
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