All pronunciations are approximate only.
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Click here for Latin terms during Advent.
During Pre-Lent
| Latin Term (pronunciation) | Explanation |
| Septuagesima (sep-too-uh–jes–uh-muh) | “Seventieth” — since the Sunday falls roughly 70 days before Easter. |
| Sexagesima (sek-suh–jes–uh-muh) | “Sixtieth” — since the Sunday falls roughly 60 days before Easter. |
| Quinquagesima (kwing-kwuh–jes–uh-muh) | “Fiftieth” — since the Sunday falls roughly 50 days before Easter. |
During Lent
| Latin Term (pronunciation) | Explanation |
| Invocabit (EEN-voh-cah-BEET) | “When he calls” — comes from the long-standing proper for the day, Psalm 91: “When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” Also known by another special name–Quadragesima (L. – “forty”), but that term can also denote the entire Lenten season because it is roughly a forty-day-long period (allthehousehold.com) |
| Reminiscere (rim-enn-EESK-ehr-ay) | “Remember” the imperative form of reminisci; from the first word of the Introit for the day, traditionally drawn from Latin translations of Psalm 25. |
| Oculi (OH-koo-LEE) | “Eyes” — specifically refers to the eyes of faith that we have been given by God—eyes that see the things of God that pertain to our life and salvation. As the introit states, repeating the lines of the Psalmist (Ps. 25:15), “my eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He shall pluck my feet out of the net.” (allthehousehold.com) (In Latin this reads: Oculi mei semper ad Dominum, quia ipse evellet de laqueo pedes meos: respice in me, et miserere mei; quoniam unicus et pauper sum ego. …) |
| Laetare (lay-TAH-ray) | “To rejoice” (also spelled Lætare): From the first words of the Introit from Isaiah 66:10-14 —“Rejoice with Jerusalem”. The Church has given us a day of joy in a season of repentance, teaching us what it is like to live in Christian joy, even when we are surrounded by the difficulties of living in this fallen world. Historically this Sunday was a preview of Easter, a day when the Church could not hide her anticipation of Christ’s resurrection and thus would relax her fasting traditions–more on that to come in our recipe post for this Sunday. Because the Introit speaks of Jerusalem as a mother, it has also been known as Mothering Sunday and was a day when people would traditionally visit their mothers. While celebrating this Sunday, think about the feast of Christ to come. Not only the feast that He is about to establish for the Church with the giving of His blood and body during Passiontide but also the eternal feast He will celebrate with His Church during life everlasting. (allthehousehold.com) |
| Judica (JOO-dih-kah or YU-dee-kuh) | “Judge” — based on the first word of the Introit from Psalms 43:1-5 (“Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation. Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!”), it has sometimes also been referred to as Dominica passionis, meaning Passion Sunday, or Dominica atra, which recalls how church altars are occasionally draped in black for this day and the remainder of Passiontide. |
During Holy Week
| Latin Term (pronunciation) | Explanation |
| Palmarum (pall-MAR-um) | Latin plural for palms (fronds), short for Dominica palmarum, or Palm Sunday. |
| Maundy Thursday (MAW-dee Thursday) | “Maundy” comes from the Latin word mandatum, or commandment, from Jesus’ words in John 13:34* |
During the Easter Season
| Latin Term (pronunciation) | Explanation |
| Quasimodo Geniti (Kwah-zee-mo-doh Jen-ih-TEE) | Sometimes spelled as a single word, this is the historic name for the second Sunday of Easter. The name comes from the Latin text of the day’s historic introit, which begins with the phrase quasi modo geniti infantes (English: as newborn babes). The introit in turn is based on 1 Peter 2:2-3, which reads: “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” (allthehousehold.com) |
| Misericordias Domini (“MIZ-ear-EE-cord-EE-us DOME-ih-NEE) | Means “the goodness of the Lord,” a phrase that expresses the joy that Christians experience because of the redemptive acts of God. Comes from the historic introit, which begins with the words Misericodias Domini and includes various verses of Psalm 33. The Sunday has long been nicknamed “Good Shepherd Sunday” because the Gospel reading is John 10:11–16: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep…” (allthehousehold.com) |
| Jubilate (“joo-bih-lah-tay” or “yu-bi-lah-tay”) | Means “rejoicing” Comes from the introit for the day (allthehousehold.com) |
| Cantate (“cahn-tah-tay”) | Means “singing” Comes from the introit for the day (allthehousehold.com) |
| Rogate (“ro-GAH-tay”) | Comes from the Latin rogare which means “to ask,” a reference to the strong theme of prayer in the Propers for today. In ancient practice, the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday prior to the Ascension of Our Lord were known as Rogation Days. The Major Rogation was on April 25, also the Feast of St. Mark. (ielcth.org) |
| Exaudi (“eksaudi” or “eks-chawdee”) | The seventh and final Sunday in Easter, also known as “Waiting Sunday.” Comes from the introit for the day from Psalm 143 in which we pray, “Hear (exaudi), O Lord!” (allthehousehold.com) |
All pronunciations are approximate only.
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