Since Sunday, we have been congratulating Our Lady, as advised by St. Thomas Aquinas, and the Church itself has recommended to us how to do so-- the Regina Coeli.
Queen of heaven, rejoice! Alleluia!
For he whom you did merit to bear. Allelulia!
Has risen as he said. Alleluia!
What a great prayer! Especially, with the addition of the Alleluia, the prayer becomes a prayer of joy and exultation.
But, what does "alleluia" mean? especially now that we repeat it so often, even at the end of Mass?
Alleluia is from "Hallelu-jah". And hallelu is from hallel and hillel which means "praise be to you." And jah or yah refers to Yahweh.
So Alleluia means Praise to you, O God! or Praise the Lord!!! It's the ancient Catholic way of saying what Protestants love to say: Praise the Lord!!!
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