Learn Latin? Who, Me?

Time for a little confession (not the sacramental kind, of course). Before I came home to the Catholic Church, I knew just two Latin phrases from the liturgy: Sursum corda and mea culpa.

I ran across sursum corda at a young age, when reading Marie Killilea's books about her family. This was, coincidentally, also my first exposure to things Catholic. I'm not sure how many other faith-specific details I absorbed, but I did remember that the name they gave to their family home meant "lift up your hearts".

After my conversion I started absorbing Latin here and there despite the fact that my parish masses are in the vernacular (although, happily, our masses are very much traditionalist; no liturgical dancers and such). I heard the Agnus Dei once on the radio, and was surprised at how it touched my heart; so much so that I looked up the Latin and memorized it, and now when we sing "Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world ..." there's a soft descant of "Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi ..." in my mind.

On the Internet, I'm seeing Latin everywhere among Catholics. Message forum signatures, blog titles. Whole posts, sometimes. And even if I don't yet understand it all, I like it. No, that's not quite accurate: Something within me responds to it, this ancient language of the Church. And I'm a post-Vatican II convert who has never -- yet -- been to a Tridentine mass.

My husband, who is 60-something, attended Catholic schools and was taught Latin. I must learn it in bits and pieces. But as a convert, and thus made aware of the depth and richness and constancy of the Catholic Church, I think it's just as important for me to know at least some Latin as it was to go through RCIA.

Besides, I'd like to be able to read my blogroll.