Maranatha

Maranatha is an Aramaic phrase which occurs once in the New Testament. It also appears in Didache 10:14. It is transliterated into Greek letters rather than translated and, given the nature of early manuscripts, the lexical difficulty rests in determining just which two Aramaic words constitute the single Greek expression.

Translations and use

The NRSV of 1 Corinthians 16:22 translates the expression as: "Our Lord, come!" but notes that it could also be translated as: "Our Lord has come”; the NIV translates: "Come, O Lord"; the Message version paraphrases it as: "Make room for the Master!" This expression is also alluded to in Revelation 22:20: "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "Maranatha" was translated as "Come, Lord!".
In the Latin Church, the word "Maranatha" has been used as a solemn formula of excommunication.

Use in contemplative prayer

Based on the teachings of John Cassian, John Main recommended the recitation of Maranatha as "the ideal Christian mantra", meaning "Come Lord", repeated silently interiorly as four equally stressed syllables Ma-ra-na-tha: "Not only is this one of the most ancient Christian prayers, in the language Jesus spoke, but it also has a harmonic quality that helps to bring the mind to silence. Other words or short phrases could be used but he saw it as important that during the meditation one doesn't think about the meaning or use the imagination." Other Christian authors and communities cultivate similar practices centred on this recitation, such as Pablo d'Ors, who also recommends it as one of the linkages for the practice of contemplative prayer.