I heard a phrase… “Domine Iesu Christe, integratio per sanctificationem animae meae – fiat voluntas tua.”

I knew what it meant, but did not know why it meant it.

With my limited human knowledge, I will try to unpack it.

“Domine Iesu Christe, integratio per sanctificationem animae meae –
Fiat voluntas tua.”

Domine – this is Lord in the dative? “ne” means that “Dominus” is being referred to directly. No! It’s vocative. I know what it means but I don’t know what “dative” and “vocative” mean as words. Vocative comes from “voca” seemingly, meaning word or speech, perhaps direct speech. “Domine” is addressing one Lord while “Domini” would be plural.
“Iesu” Is Jesus, is it vocative? No… that would be Iesus. So this is gen., dat., or abl…. I don’t know the difference yet.
“per” is through, I don’t think those forms apply. Yeah, “by means of” as a phrase, or as a preposition.

Wait one moment, I have skipped ahead. As I am reading this as a direct address to the Lord Jesus Christ, stating that integration is achieved by the means of sanctification, and then it leads into a surrender of will.

Is Christe vocative? Yes, it is. Why then is Iesu not?

Integratio per sanctificationem… Integration through sanctification. Why omit the ‘o’ and add the ’em’ apart from atmosphere? I do not know, particularly why, but generally this has to do with grammar.

Integratio is a newer word, there are other Latin words that mean similar things, but Integratio feels late, almost modern. Integration as a psychological as well as a theological concept is implied through a backwards connotation. That is to say, the current associations words carry today, apply to words in their original context that would be foreign.

Integratio is either vocative or nominal, or whatever “nom.” is short for. Perhaps someone is hungry, nom nom nom. Why isn’t it the accusative, “Integrationem” if we get “sanctificationem”?

“Sanctificationem” isn’t showing up in my dictionary… Ah, it’s in Wiktionary.
It’s the accusative singular of “sanctificatio”.

“Animae meae” this is “My soul” or “Soul of mine”. I am intuiting that both are vocative.
Accusative means that we’re accusing the noun, “animae”, of being integrated through sanctification… Addressed to the Lord Jesus Christ…

“Animae” is either plural nom nom nom, gen. sing., dat. sing., or vocative plural…
Again, no idea what the difference between any of that is. It’s feminine, I guess? Would Masculine be, “Animus”?

“Meae” is also masculine, it would have to be “mei” for singular gen. or plural nom. and voc. or “meo” for singular dative.

Okay… so putting it all together again.

“(To the) Lord Jesus Christ, integrate (me) through (the) sanctification (of) my soul.”

Now, what if we turned it into an imperative?

Wait, we have yet to analyze that final piece.

Fiat Voluntas Tua.

“Fiat” is subjective… no… subjunctive. “May it” it’s something that can either exist or not exist. It’s singular so if it were plural it would be “fiant”. It’s third person, second would be “fias”, and third would be “fiam”. It’s also active, if it were passive, it would be “fiatur”.

“Fiat” is subjunctive, active, third person, singular, and it’s also present… but what if it were… Oh my breath, it was cut short when I realized how many different words are adjacent to “fiat” by a single node of grammar. It all comes back to the root, “facio” which means “to do”.

Fiat is “to do” in an active, third person, singular, in the present… May (your will) be done. Subjunctive… a verb used to express wishes or hypotheticals… something that doesn’t exist in reality. That’s not quite captured in the English.

“Integratio” and “sanctificatio” are both nouns.

That first sentence is very noun heavy.

“The Lord Jesus Christ, the integration through the sanctification of the soul of me.”

Does Latin have a way of turning nouns into verbs?

Intuitively, “sanctificare” sounds like a verb version of “sanctificatio”.

“Sanctificare” is a verb, present, indicative, active. It’s an “Infinitives”, whatever that means, and is a simultaneous present. Must then mean, “Sanctifying” or “Sanctify” in English.

What if I try, “Integratio per sanctificem meae animae”? Perhaps, “Domine Iesu Christe, sanctificem meae animae – fiat voluntas Tua.”

It’s not “Voluntas meae” which sounds like “Voluntary of me” or “Of my own volition.” – the faculty or power of one’s will. But let’s check the grammar and dictionary definition.

“Voluntas” is either nom. or voc. singular and means “intent”, “wish”, “determination”, and “will” or “willuntas” if you will.

“Tua” means “your” and it’s so many different forms I’m not even going to list them. I don’t know what any of this means. It’s capitalized because it’s used to refer to God. That’s all I know.

Integration person sanctification animal.

I’m quite confused about cases and declensions is well worth the price of having such flexible word order, it will make creative writing more fun.

Let’s go over this again, now with a fine toothed comb.

Domine

Vocative singular of “Dominus” – which means Lord.
Vocative is the case for direct address and comes from “vocare” which means “to call”.
I’ll remember this as it connects to “vocation” which is a particular calling, whether to marriage or the priesthood – “vocation” is also used in secular contexts to refer to a passion job or dream career.
It isn’t dative, which means “to” or “for”.
“Domino” is the dative, which means “to the Lord” – which might mean that “gratia domino” means “thanks to the Lord”.

Iesu

Vocative singular of “Iesus”. Classical nominative is “Iesus”, but ecclesiastical Latin shortens vocatie to “Iesus”.
Not genitive where “Iesu” would mean “of Jesus” or dative as the context is already established as addressing Dominus by using the vocative singular, “Domine”.

Christe

Vocative singular of “Christus”.
The 2nd-declension masculines drop “-us” in vocative such as “Dominus” to “Domine”.

“Domine Iesu Christe” all three are vocative… even “Iesu”.

You might hear it in revered Catholic prayers such as the opening, “Domine Iesu Christe, qui dixisti…”

“Iesu, Fili Dei vivi, te rogámus, audi nos. Christe, audi nos. Christe, audi nos. Christe, exáudi nos. Christe, exáudi nos.” From Ordo Dedicationis Ecclesiae et Altaris

“Integratio per sanctificationem animae meae” a noun phrase, which is elliptical with an missing verb. Whether it’s “be done” or “grant” is unclear, it lacks a clear subject or finite verb. It’s prayer-like but grammatically a nominative phrase.

“Integratio” is a neologism from “integer” meaning “whole” – Both psychological and theological wholeness. It’s not “Integrate through sanctification!” which would be something like, “Integra per sanctificare animae meae!” if both nouns need be verbs to mean “Integrate through sanctifying my soul!”

“Sanctificationem” comes from the verb “sanctificare” and is the object of “per”.

“Animae meae” “of the soul” (possessive) and “My/of mine” (agrees with “Animae”).

O Lord Jesus Christ, grant integration through the sanctification of this soul of mine.

Closing with “Fiat Voluntas Tua” which is an optative wish, not indicative “it is” as “fiat” is subjunctive for hypotheticals/wishes which is followed by the subject, “voluntas”, and “Tua” agrees with “voluntas”.

“Domine, exaudi orationem meam. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.” From La Santa Messa Ed Il Divino Offizio.

Perhaps a better version would be “Per sanctificationem animae meae me integra: fiat voluntas tua!” as “Through sanctification of my soul integrate me: Your will be done!”

“Integration per sanctificationem animae meae” is not a command, like I said earlier, it’s a noun phrase. “The integration through the sanctification of my soul.”

It’s suspended, unfinished, waiting for a verb.

“Fiat voluntas Tua.” Is the verb. Importantly, it’s a verb that leaves the outcome suspended.

The sentence names the process, doesn’t command it to happen.

Integration happens through sanctification of the soul…
Domine Iesu Christe, Fiat voluntas Tua.