1. Latin in Culture
Catherine Cannavina

2. “Ave Maria gratia plena…”
English translation: “Hail Mary full of grace”
Meaning: When we recite this prayer, we are calling for the intercession of Mary, Mother of Jesus, because she was born without sin and she said yes to God when she decided to have Jesus after the angel Gabriel told her about God’s plan for her. We want to be able to accept God’s plan just like her.
Where it comes from: It originated from two passages written in St. Luke’s Gospel. The 1st passage, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee”, comes from when the angel Gabriel greeted Mary, and the 2nd passage "Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.“, comes from when Elizabeth greeted Mary.
How it is used today: It is used as the basis for Angelus prayers and the Rosary. It is usually repeated three times as part of a conductive meditation , as stated by Pope Leo XIII. It can also be repeated ten times in funeral during when the soul ascends into heaven
Where it is used today: It is used in Masses and funerals, and it is also recited during the Angelus, where we commemorate the Incarnation of Mary
Who it is used by today: It has become a essential prayer of many different religious sects such as the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Church, the Eastern Catholic Church, and the Lutheran Church
Prayer Element:
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae.
Amen.
More commonly known in throughout the world as The Hail Mary, the Ave Maria is a Catholic prayer written in Latin that calls for the intercession of the Virgin Mary during a person’s time of need.
Musical Element:
Often set to music , the most famous version of the Ave Maria was composed by Charles Gounod which added melody and words to Johann Sebastian Bach’s first prelude from The Well-Tempered Clavier.
“Ave Maria gratia plena…”

3. “Agnus Dei” English translation: “Lamb of God”
Meaning: Jesus is seen as a sacrificial lamb because he had died for our sins so we could ascend into heaven. So when we break the Eucharist during Mass, we are calling to Jesus because we are recreating the Last Supper, the night before Jesus sacrificed himself
Where it comes from: It originated from what John the Baptist said about Jesus in John 1:29 – “Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world”
How it is used today: It is used as a symbol for Jesus and it is a constant reminder of what he has done for us so that we can live in heaven with him
Where it is used today: It is recited on Sundays at church during the time when the Eucharist is broken
Who it is used by today: It is used in the Mass as the Roman Rite and it is also used in the Anglican Communion, the Lutheran Church, and it is the Western Rite of the Orthodox Church
Liturgical Element:
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona nobis pacem.
Recited when the bread is being broken during Mass, it is meant to invoke Jesus so that he could come and witness the Last Supper we perform at church. We recite the English translation of this prayer .
Musical Element:
It has been transposed into music several times and it can often be used in a sung Mass setting. Notable Mass settings of this liturgical fragment include Johann Sebastian Bach’s Mass in B Minor. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Requiem, and Guillaume de Machaut's Notre Dame Mass
“Agnus Dei”