What Does Grātiā Plēna Mean?
One of the most familiar expressions in Ecclesiastical Latin appears in the Ave Maria:
Grātiā plēna — “Full of grace.”
The word grātiā means “grace.” It is in the ablative singular, expressing what Mary is full of.
The adjective plēna means “full” and is feminine singular. It describes Mary. The construction grātiā plēna therefore means “full of grace.”
Notice that the idea of “of” is not contained in grātiā itself. The ablative is used because plēnus (“full”) governs the ablative to express what something is full of.
This short phrase gives us a glimpse into how Latin grammar helps us understand the language of Catholic prayer. Even two familiar words can reveal something about how Latin expresses meaning.
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In obsequiō Iēsū Christī.
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