Expert: J.M.J. West - 12/8/2008

Question
Dear Rev. West,

I would like to know the original biblical words for "Jesus" and "Christ" and what do these words mean? Also, when did the faithful begin to celebrate Mass in Latin?  How was Mass celebrated before?

Thank you.
Happy Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception!

Answer
Gina,

Thank you very much for your question, and a very happy feast of the Immaculate Conception to you, too (belated).  For the record, though I fancy myself reverential, I am not a reverend.  "Mr." will suffice!

Christ comes from the Greek "kristos" which means "annointed," and is analogous to the hebrew "Messiah", also meaning annointed.  The New Testament authors used the word Christ because they spoke and wrote Greek (actually, they often spoke Aramaic, but often wrote in Greek).  The LXX (also called the Septuagint, which was the Greek version of the Hebrew scriptures which the apostles used) uses the term "Christ" where "messiah" would have been used in Hebrew.

Messiah:
http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H4899&t=KJV
Christ:
http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G5547&t=KJV
YOU WROTE:
"Also, when did the faithful begin to celebrate Mass in Latin?  How was Mass celebrated before?"

As for why Latin:

"The Catholic Church began in the days of the Roman Empire, and the language spoken throughout that Empire was Latin. St. Peter moved the seat of Church government from Antioch to Rome, and the Catholic Church government remains centered there to this very day. It was only natural that Latin became the language of the Church. As the centuries elapsed, for example, Latin still remained the language of the educated classes--even into the 18th and 19th centuries. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that Latin should still be the official language of the Catholic Church. It simply always has been. Furthermore, a universal language greatly facilitates the unity of the Church. Ecumenical Councils, for example, have always been held in Latin, enabling bishops from all over the world to communicate with each other easily.

"Moreover, unlike English, French, German and the other languages of the Western world, Latin does not change over the centuries--it is not affected by national idioms, slang and the like-- therefore, in Western countries Latin is the official language of the Mass because it helps to preserve the original purity of the Mass liturgy-- although today, the Mass is usually said in the language of the people. Catholics have always had a complete translation of the Mass Latin in their missal, or Mass handbook, so they have always been able to understand and follow everything the priest says and does at the altar, even when the Mass is in Latin. It should also be borne in mind that the Mass is never exclusively in Latin. All sermons, Gospel and Epistle readings, parish announcements and closing prayers are in the language of the congregation."  (SOURCE: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/a/faq-cc.html#q24)

Hope that was helpful,

Pax Christi,

-J.M.J. West