by Alan Griffiths<\/p>\n
Blessing Holy Water after Vespers tonight (as one does) I was intrigued by the use of the word \u2018even\u2019 in the blessing prayer, and remembered that I had heard it before elsewhere in the new translation and that it sounded a little odd. The line in question reads:<\/p>\n
Almighty and ever-living God, Why \u2018even\u2019 souls?<\/p>\n It is \u2018etiam\u2019 in the Latin \u2013 etiam animae mundarentur\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n If etiam<\/em> is a reinforcing word \u2013 my Latin Dictionary has also, furthermore, too, likewise, besides, even, nay even<\/em>, etc., then I can see that it has the sense of \u2018well, if water cleans [sc. bodies], it must also clean souls ..\u2019 But the text as it stands, without any such elucidation of the sense, makes no sense to me. It ought to translate something like \u2018souls as well as bodies might be cleansed \u2026\u2019<\/p>\n A similar oddity occurs in the Paschaltide preface ending:<\/p>\n
\n<\/em>who willed that through water,
\n<\/em>the fountain of life and the source of purification,
\n<\/em>even souls should be cleansed and receive the gift of eternal life \u2026<\/em><\/p>\n