← Latinum Institute Ecclesiastical Latin Reading Course
This is Part 203 of the Latinum Institute’s Ecclesiastical Latin Reading Course, designed for autodidact students learning to read the Latin texts of the Catholic Church. Each lesson focuses on a single high-frequency word drawn from the Dickinson Core Vocabulary, with examples taken from authentic ecclesiastical sources including the Vulgate, the Roman Liturgy, and patristic writings.
For the course index, visit:
https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
What does rogāre mean in Ecclesiastical Latin?
The verb rogāre (principal parts: rogō, rogāre, rogāvī, rogātum) is a first conjugation verb meaning “to ask,” “to request,” “to beseech,” or “to pray.” In Classical Latin, it typically meant simply “to ask” or “to request information.” However, in Ecclesiastical Latin, the word takes on a distinctly devotional character, becoming the verb par excellence for humble petition before God and the saints.
The word rogāre is the source of the English word “Rogation” as in the Rogation Days (Diēs Rogātiōnum), those ancient days of prayer and fasting observed before the Feast of the Ascension. The Litany of the Saints employs the formula “Tē rogāmus, audī nōs” (We beseech thee, hear us) as its repeated response to each petition. The Roman Canon itself contains the venerable prayer “Supplicēs tē rogāmus” (We humbly beseech thee), considered among the most ancient and sacred phrases in the Latin liturgy.
Unlike petere (to seek, to strive after) or quaerere (to seek, inquire), rogāre carries a connotation of humble request, often with an acknowledgment of the petitioner’s dependence upon the one asked. It is frequently paired with petere in liturgical texts (”rogāmus ac petimus”) for rhetorical emphasis, following classical patterns of doubling verbs in sacred speech.
Key Takeaways: -
rogāre is a first conjugation verb: rogō, rogāre, rogāvī, rogātum -
In Ecclesiastical Latin, it emphasizes humble petition and beseeching -
It is the root of “Rogation Days” — days of prayer and fasting -
The formula “Tē rogāmus, audī nōs” appears throughout the Litany of the Saints -
Construction: rogāre + accusative (person asked) + ut/nē + subjunctive (thing requested)
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rogāre [roˈɡaːre] — The ‘g’ is always hard as in “go,” never soft. The vowels follow Ecclesiastical (Italianate) pronunciation: ‘o’ as in “more,” ‘a’ as in “father,” ‘e’ as in “red.” The macron over the second ‘a’ indicates a long vowel, giving the word its characteristic three-syllable stress: ro-GAA-re.
rogāmus [roˈɡaːmus] — “We ask/beseech” — the first person plural present indicative active.
rogāte [roˈɡaːte] — “Ask ye!” — the second person plural imperative, as found in “Rogāte ergō Dominum messis.”
rogātum [roˈɡaːtum] — The supine, used in phrases expressing purpose.
supplicēs [supˈpliːtʃes] — “Humbly” or “as suppliants” — used adverbially in the Roman Canon.
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Note: Each word of the Ecclesiastical Latin text appears in bold, followed immediately by its English gloss in plain text. Grammatical markers appear in CAPS.
1.1 Rogāmus we-beseech tē thee-ACC Domine Lord-VOC
1.2 Tē thee-ACC rogāmus we-beseech audī hear-IMPER nōs us-ACC
1.3 Rogāte ask-ye-IMPER ergō therefore Dominum Lord-ACC messis of-harvest-GEN
1.4 Ut that mittat he-may-send-SUBJ operāriōs workers-ACC in into messem harvest-ACC suam his-own-ACC
1.5 Supplicēs humbly tē thee-ACC rogāmus we-beseech omnīpotēns almighty-VOC Deus God-VOC
1.6 Rogō I-ask tē thee-ACC ut that adiuvēs thou-mayest-help-SUBJ mē me-ACC
1.7 Discipulī disciples-NOM rogābant were-asking-IMPERF eum him-ACC dē concerning hāc this-ABL rē matter-ABL
1.8 Rogāvērunt they-asked-PERF Iēsum Jesus-ACC ut that manēret he-might-remain-SUBJ apud with eōs them-ACC
1.9 Nōlī do-not-IMPER rogāre to-ask prō for populō people-ABL istō that-ABL
1.10 Rogāmus we-beseech tē thee-ACC ut that nōbīs us-DAT parcās thou-mayest-spare-SUBJ
1.11 Peccātōrēs sinners-NOM tē thee-ACC rogāmus we-beseech audī hear-IMPER nōs us-ACC
1.12 Deus God-VOC quem whom-ACC rogāmus we-beseech miserēre have-mercy-IMPER nostrī of-us-GEN
1.13 Per through Christum Christ-ACC Dominum Lord-ACC nostrum our-ACC tē thee-ACC rogāmus we-beseech
1.14 Omnēs all-NOM Sānctī saints-NOM et and Sānctae saints-FEM-NOM Deī of-God-GEN ōrāte pray-IMPER et and rogāte beseech-IMPER prō for nōbīs us-ABL
1.15 Clēmenter mercifully exaudī hear-IMPER quod what-ACC supplicēs humbly rogāmus we-beseech
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1.1 Rogāmus tē, Domine. → “We beseech thee, O Lord.”
1.2 Tē rogāmus, audī nōs. → “We beseech thee, hear us.”
1.3 Rogāte ergō Dominum messis. → “Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest.”
1.4 Ut mittat operāriōs in messem suam. → “That he may send labourers into his harvest.”
1.5 Supplicēs tē rogāmus, omnīpotēns Deus. → “We humbly beseech thee, almighty God.”
1.6 Rogō tē ut adiuvēs mē. → “I ask thee that thou wouldst help me.”
1.7 Discipulī rogābant eum dē hāc rē. → “The disciples were asking him concerning this matter.”
1.8 Rogāvērunt Iēsum ut manēret apud eōs. → “They asked Jesus to remain with them.”
1.9 Nōlī rogāre prō populō istō. → “Ask not for this people.”
1.10 Rogāmus tē ut nōbīs parcās. → “We beseech thee to spare us.”
1.11 Peccātōrēs, tē rogāmus, audī nōs. → “We sinners beseech thee, hear us.”
1.12 Deus, quem rogāmus, miserēre nostrī. → “O God, whom we beseech, have mercy on us.”
1.13 Per Christum Dominum nostrum, tē rogāmus. → “Through Christ our Lord, we beseech thee.”
1.14 Omnēs Sānctī et Sānctae Deī, ōrāte et rogāte prō nōbīs. → “All ye holy men and women of God, pray and intercede for us.”
1.15 Clēmenter exaudī quod supplicēs rogāmus. → “Mercifully hear what we humbly beseech.”
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1.1 Rogāmus tē, Domine.
1.2 Tē rogāmus, audī nōs.
1.3 Rogāte ergō Dominum messis.
1.4 Ut mittat operāriōs in messem suam.
1.5 Supplicēs tē rogāmus, omnīpotēns Deus.
1.6 Rogō tē ut adiuvēs mē.
1.7 Discipulī rogābant eum dē hāc rē.
1.8 Rogāvērunt Iēsum ut manēret apud eōs.
1.9 Nōlī rogāre prō populō istō.
1.10 Rogāmus tē ut nōbīs parcās.
1.11 Peccātōrēs, tē rogāmus, audī nōs.
1.12 Deus, quem rogāmus, miserēre nostrī.
1.13 Per Christum Dominum nostrum, tē rogāmus.
1.14 Omnēs Sānctī et Sānctae Deī, ōrāte et rogāte prō nōbīs.
1.15 Clēmenter exaudī quod supplicēs rogāmus.
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Grammar Rules for This Passage:
The verb rogāre is a first conjugation verb following the regular pattern: rogō, rogās, rogat, rogāmus, rogātis, rogant (present indicative active). Its principal parts are: rogō, rogāre, rogāvī, rogātum.
Constructions with rogāre: -
rogāre + accusative of person: The person being asked is put in the accusative case: “Tē rogāmus” (We beseech thee). -
rogāre + ut/nē + subjunctive: When expressing what is asked for, use ut (positive) or nē (negative) with the subjunctive: “Rogāmus tē ut nōbīs parcās” (We beseech thee that thou mayest spare us). -
rogāre + dē + ablative: When asking concerning something: “Rogābant eum dē hāc rē” (They were asking him concerning this matter). -
rogāre + prō + ablative: When interceding for someone: “Rogāte prō nōbīs” (Intercede for us). -
rogāre + double accusative (Classical usage, rarer in Ecclesiastical Latin): Both the person asked and the thing requested in accusative: “Hoc tē rogō” (I ask this of thee).
The Imperative of rogāre: -
Singular: rogā (ask thou!) -
Plural: rogāte (ask ye!) — as in “Rogāte ergō Dominum messis”
Negative Imperative: -
nōlī + infinitive (singular): “Nōlī rogāre” (Do not ask!) -
nōlīte + infinitive (plural): “Nōlīte rogāre” (Do not ask ye!)
Key forms in the examples: -
rogāmus (1st pl. pres. ind. act.): “we ask, we beseech” -
rogāte (2nd pl. imper.): “ask ye!” -
rogābant (3rd pl. imperf. ind. act.): “they were asking” -
rogāvērunt (3rd pl. perf. ind. act.): “they asked” -
rogāre (pres. inf. act.): “to ask”
Note on supplicēs: This word, from the adjective supplex, supplicis (kneeling, suppliant), functions adverbially in the phrase “supplicēs tē rogāmus,” meaning “we humbly/as suppliants beseech thee.” It may also be taken as nominative plural masculine, functioning as a predicate adjective agreeing with the implied subject “we” (nōs): “we, being suppliants, beseech thee.”
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The Theology of Sacred Asking:
In Ecclesiastical Latin, rogāre is far more than a simple request for information. It embodies the Church’s theology of petitionary prayer, wherein the creature approaches the Creator in humble dependence, acknowledging that all good things come from God and must be sought through faithful asking. The very posture of the petitioner—often kneeling (supplex)—is encoded in the language itself.
Rogation Days (Diēs Rogātiōnum):
The word “Rogation” derives directly from rogāre. Rogation Days are ancient days of prayer and fasting observed in the Western Church. The Major Rogation (Rogātiō Māior) falls on April 25th, replacing the pagan Roman festival of Robigalia, at which the Romans sought protection for their crops from blight. The Minor Rogations (Rogātiōnēs Minōrēs) occur on the three days before Ascension Thursday. During these days, the faithful would process through fields and villages, beseeching God’s blessing upon crops and protection from natural calamities. The Litany of the Saints, with its repeated “Tē rogāmus, audī nōs,” forms the heart of these observances.
The Litany of the Saints (Litaniae Sānctōrum):
The formula “Tē rogāmus, audī nōs” (We beseech thee, hear us) is the response to each petition in the Litany of the Saints, one of the most ancient and venerable prayers of the Roman Rite. This litany is sung during ordinations, the Easter Vigil, and other solemn occasions. The repetition of this phrase creates a rhythmic, meditative quality that draws worshippers into the depths of prayer.
The Roman Canon (Canōn Rōmānus):
The prayer “Supplicēs tē rogāmus, omnīpotēns Deus” appears in the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I), the most ancient anaphora of the Roman Church. This prayer asks that the offering be carried by the hands of God’s holy angel to the altar on high, in the sight of the divine majesty. The phrase dates to at least the fourth century and may be apostolic in its essence.
“Rogāte ergō Dominum messis” (Matthew 9:38):
This command of Christ to pray for labourers in the harvest is central to the Church’s theology of vocation. The Vulgate text preserves this call to prayer as a communal responsibility of the faithful. It is read on Rogation Days and on occasions when the Church prays for priestly and religious vocations. The verb rogāte (imperative plural) indicates that this is not merely individual prayer but the corporate beseeching of the whole Church.
Reminder: This lesson is designed for English speakers learning Ecclesiastical Latin.
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From the Vulgate Bible: Matthew 9:37-38 (Jerome’s Translation)
Part F-A: Interleaved Text with Granular Glossing
Tunc then dīcit he-says discipulīs to-disciples-DAT suīs his-own-DAT Messis harvest-NOM quidem indeed multa great-NOM operāriī workers-NOM autem but paucī few-NOM Rogāte ask-ye-IMPER ergō therefore Dominum Lord-ACC messis of-harvest-GEN ut that mittat he-may-send-SUBJ operāriōs workers-ACC in into messem harvest-ACC suam his-own-ACC
Part F-B: Text with Idiomatic Translation
Tunc dīcit discipulīs suīs: “Messis quidem multa, operāriī autem paucī. Rogāte ergō Dominum messis, ut mittat operāriōs in messem suam.”
→ “Then he saith to his disciples: The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore to the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth labourers into his harvest.”
Part F-C: Original Latin Text Only
Tunc dīcit discipulīs suīs: “Messis quidem multa, operāriī autem paucī. Rogāte ergō Dominum messis, ut mittat operāriōs in messem suam.”
Part F-D: Grammar Commentary
This passage exemplifies the construction rogāre + ut + subjunctive. Christ commands his disciples (rogāte — imperative plural) to pray to the Lord of the harvest (Dominum messis) with the purpose (ut mittat) that he may send forth labourers. The verb mittat is present subjunctive, expressing the content of the prayer.
Note the genitive messis (of the harvest), which modifies both Dominum (the Lord OF the harvest) and later messem suam (HIS harvest). This elegant structure links the Lord’s dominion over the harvest to his authority to send workers into it.
The adjective multa (great, abundant) agrees with messis (feminine nominative singular). The word messis is a third declension i-stem noun (messis, messis, f.), not to be confused with second declension nouns.
The particle quidem (indeed) often appears with autem (but) to create an adversative construction: “The harvest indeed [is] great, BUT the labourers [are] few.”
The imagery of harvest (messis) for evangelization became foundational in Christian thought, making this verse a perpetual call to pray for priestly and religious vocations.
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The following fifteen examples are drawn from or modeled upon the petitionary formulae of the Roman liturgy, showing the use of rogāre in its most solemn and sacred contexts.
Part A: Interlinear Construed Text Part F-A: Interleaved Text with Granular Glossing
Tunc then dīcit he-says discipulīs to-disciples-DAT suīs his-own-DAT Messis harvest-NOM quidem indeed multa great-NOM operāriī workers-NOM autem but paucī few-NOM Rogāte ask-ye-IMPER ergō therefore Dominum Lord-ACC messis of-harvest-GEN ut that mittat he-may-send-SUBJ operāriōs workers-ACC in into messem harvest-ACC suam his-own-ACC