The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has issued a Letter to Bishops' Conferences forbidding the use and vocalization of "YHWH" (Yahweh, Jehovah, etc.) in the liturgy, song and prayer.

Please see the following links:

http://communio.stblogs.org/2008/08/on-the-use-of-the-name-of-god.html

http://thenewliturgicalmovement.blogspot.com/2008/08/cdw-issues-directives-on-use-and.html

The latter link has a link to a scan of the Letter itself.

Glory and thanks to God - and praise and honor to Pope Benedict!

Fr. Serge

Blessed be the name of the Lord from henceforth and forevermore.

Fr David Straut

I was always troubled by this practise in the Jerusalem Bible. It seemed a deliberate sacrilege.

Fr David Straut

I grew up so famliiar with it (including that _The Jerusalem Bible_ was our family Bible) that I never gave it much thought until I read Charles Williams' novel _All Hallows Eve_.

Now, hopefully the CDF will issue a reminder that it is a mortal sin to use the *pronounceable* names of God as expletives.

I grew up more familiar with Jehovah than Yawheh. The only context I even remember noticing that form of the name of God was its use in some of those dreadful "Glory & Praise" hymns - and I use the term "hymns" very loosely.

Whereas I never saw it as a sacrilege, it was at the very least distracting to me in the Jerusalem Bible (my favorite translation for devotional reading). That is why I was so excited when CTS issued a version of the Jerusalem Bible which replaced all instances of the Name with "LORD".

In a study Bible, use of the name YHWH certainly makes the original sense the text clearer. That doesn't justify its use in a liturgical setting. Using YHWH in hymns is even worse.

It's not necessary even in the case of a study Bible. What many Bibles have done over the years when translating the tetragrammaton is to use "LORD," as opposed to "Lord."

Ryan

I wonder how fast this word will get to church musicians who regularly schedule a hymn that specifically uses this Divine Name. And I wonder if this will be one of a number of disobediences we have become accustomed to see in the English-speaking Latin Church.

BOB

One of my favorite novels!!!

Fr. Deacon Daniel

I've never been present at a Mass, to my recollection, in which YHWH was read or said/sung.

Alexis

Alexis,

I believe Bob was referring to the (unfortunately) very popular song "You are Near" which includes the Divine Name.

I've been at youth masses where there are contemporary worship songs with the Name present. I've never had to sit through "You are Near" which I suppose it as blessing of sorts

Alexis:

francis is right. We were just treated to that one in my parish this past Sunday.

Should I cut and past this and give it to my pastor and our choir director?

BOB

Just so the youngsters know what we are talking about:

You Are Near
Music and Lyric by Dan Schutte S.J.

Yahweh I know You are near
Standing always by my side
You guard me from the foe
And you lead me in ways everlasting


Lord you have searched my heart
And You know when I sit and when I stand
Your hand is upon me
Protecting me from death
Keeping me from harm

Where can I run from Your love
It I climb to the heavens You are there
If I fly to the sunrise
Or sail beyond the sea
You would still be there

You know my heart and its ways
You who formed me before I was born
In the secret of darkness
Before I saw the sun
In my mother’s womb

Marvelous to me are Your works
How profound are Your thoughts my Lord
Even if I could count them
They number as the stars
You would still be there

I must admit a soft spot for this song, having grown up with it. Of the Glory and Praise repetoire, I always thought this was one of the better ones, it is pretty much pure Scripture.

Fr. Deacon Lance

Another Yahweh using oldy but goody:

Yahweh is the God of my Salvation by Gregory Norbert
http://wpriorymusic.wordpress.com/
Scroll all the way down.

Come to think of it, these are the only two Yahweh using songs I know. Any others out there?

What about personal use? Is this discouraged? For instance I think I was often encouraged to meditate or pray and refelct on the names of God. Such as, the Lord who sees. Or, my provider. Is it irreverent to persoanlly reflect on or call God by these names starting with J. or to refer to Him as "I AM"

"Yahweh I Know You Are Near" is very common in the Philippines, and some charismatic speakers use "YHWH" routinely (often with in conjuction with "El Shaddai", like "let us give thanks to Yahweh-El Shaddai")

I wonder how far this will go.

There are the Messianic Jews who are offended whenever we type the name of God or Lord. Instead they write G-d or L-rd. So I wonder how they pray.

Doesn't the name YWHW mean "I Am Who Am." If so, will that be banned too?

There are, unfortunately, people who live to be offended. If one thing doesn't offend them, they will find something that does. I remember when the "Yahweh" songs appeared. Some of them were written by the St. Louis Jesuits, who for the most part, were neither very good priests nor composers. I mentioned to another musician at the time that we were probably going to sing "Sitting on a Log with Yahweh's Dog," next. I wouldn't mind seeing those wretched songs go into well-deserved oblivion. Of course, mentioning any one of those songs gets a response similar to, "Oh, I love that. It makes me feel good." I don't think feelings were ever the point and purpose of liturgy, so liturgical music should rise above sentimentality in both text and music. Unfortunately, today it rarely does that. My primary thought at the time was that Catholics don't traditionally use the name, "Yahweh," to refer to God. It seems to me that in ancient times, to know the name of someone gave you a certain amount of control over that person. That being the case, think about God giving his name to his people. Using God's name gives his people the ability to call upon him and get his attention. That's really a wonderful gift. But I would think a better context for using that name would be private prayer, not public worship.

byzanTN makes a great point. Forget the use of Yahweh, these songs were always more suitable for a campfire than the Mass. The US Latin Church simply needs to go cold turkey, forget the hymns, chuck the G&P hymnbooks and return to simple plainchant settings.

With all due respects, some of the discourse is offensive and I wonder if the Lord is offended. A dear lady, now nearly 90, and one of my mentors, always said "There but for the grace of God go I." This had come to her from her pious mother. When we meet the Lord our words (written and spoken) will echo for eternity. "The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us!"

May the Lord bless you, ByzanTN. May the Lord bless us all as we seek truth, giving us a compassion like His for those in this forum and those seeking Truth along other paths.

-Pustinik
----------------
"Acquire a peaceful spirit, and thousands around you will be saved." –St. Serafim of Sarov

As far as I know, most of the St. Louis Jesuit composers have since left the priesthood. I know what one of them is doing - enjoying his royalties, but I don't know what happened to the rest of them. They surely wrote some bad music, however. Exactly the music good Pope Benedict is telling us to abandon. I will go with Benedict over the St. Louis Jesuits any day.

Excellent article on the St. Loius Jesuits:
http://www.musicasacra.com/publications/sacredmusic/133/3/3_2.html

As to their current status:
Fr. John Foley, Fr. Roc O'Connor, and Fr. Robert Dufford are still Jesuit priests.
Dan Schutte left the priesthood but is still Catholic.
Tim Manion is now Buddhist.

Tim Manion is now Buddhist? My prayers for him.

Returning back on topic: respect for the name of God:

I hope that I did not come across as disrespectful when I mentioned the Messianic Jews (a largely non-Jewish protestant sect) who are so careful to spell the name of God by omitting the vowel and replacing it with a dash (G-d). Sadly a lot of people take the name of the Lord in vain today, and it is easy to pick up that sinful habit when working among the uneducated or careless. Yet, we must strive to be sober and watchful.

Thankfully, at the pubic college and university where I work, the professors and graduate students are sensitive and speak civilly. However, some of the undergrads, especially college freshmen have a lot to learn.

I spent eight years in Jesuit schools (and almost another three, but a scholarship that saved a year popped up [And was not far from joining them!]), but I still insist that Jesuit music is fully as bad as Franciscan taste in art.

hawk, a great admirer of both orders (with the noted exceptions :))

I guess one would just have to say, "Jumping JHVH!"

A little history behind this ban. The Jews never pronounced the name of God. In fact, we don't know how it is to be pronounced! "I am who am" is permitted because it is not the name of God but a translation, a rendering of what God's name means.

We do say "God" or "Lord" which are not His name but, rather, His function and there is no prohibition against using that in reference to God as, in fact, did the Jews. This is why Adonai is pronounced.

Fr. Deacon Ed

The Hebrew word for God, Elohim, El, etc. was written and pronounced as was even the Name, YHWH. Under a later piety YHWH came not to be written except when required and not pronounced. The Masoretes who were already speculating on the actual pronunciation of Hebrew in general by use of their pointing method did not apply it to the tetragammaton; it became traditional to point it for the susbstitute word to be spoken, either the name in Hebrew (haShem) or Arameic (Shema), or Adoni (Heb. my lords, a plural of majesty). It is the combination of the tetragrammaton and the pointing (vowels) of Adoni that gives the totally incorrect JeHoVaH.

All interesting stuff, but what's it to us Christians. We have been given "the Name" and we say it, with reverence, as St. Paul notes:

That is, "above every name."

The difference between the Tetragrammaton and any other name that God has revealed Himself by is that, to utter the Tetragrammaton "in a sentence" is to say, "I am God."

Think about, "YHWH, turn your face to me." It is to say, "I am God, so God, turn to me." In one sense, Christians are always praying through Jesus, and we mystically adopt the persona of Christ when we pray the Psalms. However, this kind of takes it to the next level.

Jesus' use of the Tetragrammaton as recorded by John is one of the reason He was crucified. He was crucified for blasphemy: that was the blasphemy (or would have been, if He weren't God).

To use the Tetragrammaton is to invoke not just divine grace in prayer but to invoke the Godhead itself.

God has given certain people (e.g., Moses and the other Biblical writers) permission to use His as His delegates, or in order to honor Him.

That is quite different from the name of Jesus, which means, "YHWH is my savior"

I don't believe that anyone has claimed to know precisely the meaning of YHWH; so tell me more.

Once again, I don't know the context or warrant for this claim, especially since what Jesus said in John's gospel is in Greek.



The most profound prayer for Christians is to say, and realize what we say, when we say, especially in the Liturgy, "Our Father."

God did not reveal more in the Old Covenant than what was revealed and perfected in the New by His Son.


You apparently don't believe or accept the plain words of St. Paul.