Down yonder some folks were asking about a Latin equivalent for "please" and someone wrote:
Doesn’t Latin have "amabo te"? That’s what I learned, anyhow…
Another person then wrote:
This subject was discussed before on JA.O, and I also asked about "amabo te." I think Jimmy said it wasn’t really used that much.
I don’t recall saying that "amabo te" isn’t used much, though that’s certainly true in prayers. One reason why may be that–I am given to understand–"amabo te" is considered distinctive of women’s speech, but most prayers in Church historically have been lead by and composed for men.
The fundamental thing, though, is that "amabo te" is not a particle, the way "please" is. "Amabo te" is an idiomatic phrase used to express entreaty, but not a particle of entreaty. Literally, "amabo te" means "I will love you."
Every language has ways of expressing entreaty, but in some languages (like English) we have a particle we do it with and in other languages (like Latin) they have a phrase (or other devices) they do it with.
Also, I don’t know that it’s a very Christian sentiment to use "amabo te" in prayers.
I for one would feel *even less polite* saying to God "I will love you if you do this for me" or "Do this for me and I will love you."
I want to love God whether he does it for me or not.
To a native Latin speaker "amabo te" might possibly have lost its literal resonance (the way "roll out the red carpet" has lost its literal resonance for most native English speakers), but I’m not a native Latin speaker, and putting "amabo te" in prayers I say in Latin would totally call attention to its literal meaning in my mind.
Translating it literally into English prayers would be even worse.

