Many years ago, I had a retreat director who, at the beginning of every conference, read one of the prayers we say during Mass. Not the BIG prayers like the penitential rite, the Gloria, or the Eucharistic Prayers, but the small prayers–like the collect, the prayer over the offerings of the bread and wine, and the prayer after communion.
To be honest, I had never really payed much attention to these prayers. In preparing for Mass, I mostly focused on the readings and responsorial psalm. But some of these little prayers tucked into the Eucharistic rite can provide wholesome nourishment for our life of faith. You might want to check them out sometime. Here are three such prayers we prayed during July. I will offer a few words about each one. The words of the prayer are in bold print. My words in regular print:
July 1 -Collect: … grant, we pray, that we may not be wrapped in the darkness of error, but always be seen to stand in the bright light of truth. Wow! Isn’t this prayer especially relevant for our times when it seems to be getting increasingly more difficult to distinguish truth from fiction or lies or distortions? And isn’t this quest for the truth a life-long quest? And shouldn’t we be demanding honesty from our children, our friends, our church, our businesses, our elected officials, and ourselves? And isn’t it dangerous to believe that we alone have a monopoly on all truth? Years ago someone told me, “We all have a ‘piece of the truth.’ We need each other’s ‘truth’ to make our truth more whole.” That’s one thing I loved about teaching teenagers for over 20 years. Yes, I had truth to impart to them. That’s why they came to my class. But they had truth to give to me too! They needed my truth, yes, but I needed their truth too!
July 6 – Prayer after Communion… that we may profess Him (Jesus) in words and hold fast to him in deeds. This prayer captures the essence of our faith. Faith is expressed in both words and deeds. And let’s face it, it’s often easier to express our faith in words rather than in deeds. It’s easier to talk about love, for example, than it is to love… easier to talk about prayer than it is to actually pray… easier to talk about reaching out to the poor than to actually reach out. And we express our faith in words not simply when we talk about our faith. More importantly, we express our faith in words by the way we use the precious gift of speech throughout our day. Does our speech demonstrate our respect for others? Do our words encourage others and lift them up? And, very importantly, do we refrain from using our gift of speech when it is time to sit down and listen to others?
July 10 – Prayer over the offerings… day by day bring our conduct closer to the life of heaven. This little prayer raises the question: is my current conduct fit for heaven? Would I be comfortable in heaven being who I am today? Would my deepest values coincide with the values found and lived in heaven? Or am I clinging to behaviors that are not very “heavenly”? What behaviors? For example, am I unforgiving or revengeful? Am I so wrapped up in myself, I don’t even notice others? Am I constantly grumpy, pessimistic, impatient? Am I so addicted to my work that I have forgotten how to let go and have fun? Only individuals who know how to relax can enjoy the Heavenly Wedding Reception to which we have all been invited.
For Reflection:
Did anything in this reflection touch you?
Has anyone ever shared their “piece of truth” with you that enriched or broadened your own “piece of truth”?
Has the witness of someone’s deed(s) ever inspired you in a significant way?
How fit for heaven are you right now?
Our song today is Micah 6:8 by the Maranatha Singers. It sings of what God really asks of us: “To Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly with God.” This scripture verse and song touch upon some of the themes in today’s reflection.
As usual, I invite you to comment below on anything about this refection. I love hearing from you–and so do all our readers!
43 Responses
I really struggle with the translation of these prayers at Eucharist.
I don’t know how the Priest can make sense of the Opening Prayers.
give me the old translation any day!!!!
Caroline, Yes, sometimes the translations of the various prayers during Mass can fall short in clarity and conciseness. You might want to put the content of some of those prayers in your own words occasionally. Just a thought. Thanks for writing! Melannie
Thanks Melannie. Hope you have a happy day. Take care. Caroline
Love the July 10 prayer ❤️🩹 I am struggling with being unforgiving with a family member.
Kathleen, I applaud you for taking this little prayer to heart… Melannie
Every week I love the music that you choose, Sr. Melanie! Thank you!
Mary, I admit that I have fun searching for an appropriate song.I’m glad you like them! Melannie
As always, Sister Melannie, an inspiring way for me to start my day (week). So much food for thought. Thank You.
And thank you, Sharon, for your words! Melannie
Good morning, Melannie…
Good morning, all…
You have given us eyes “to see” these hidden, holy prayer gems within the liturgy. Thank you! I know exactly what you mean about students enlightening us with their truth! Their current truth, I have found, is a beautiful, non-judgmental acceptance of their classmates who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community. I love the above quote: “we need each other’s truth to make our truth more whole.” How fit do I feel for Heaven? Not sure, but I’ve been thinking about it more these days after having read Richard R. Gaillardetz’s book, “While I Breathe, I Hope,” his prayerful and truthful musings on life, death, and faith after having been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. A deeply moving read!
John, I’ve heard that Gaillardetz’s book is quite good. I’m adding it to my list. Thanks for your recommendation! Thanks too for sharing a “piece of truth” from your current students. Melannie
I love paying attention to these “small prayers”. They can be quite powerful. I like reading them (in my Word Among Us) before mass.Then I can better hear them during mass. And your reflections are so insightful.I especially liked the thoughts you shared on how we each have a piece of the truth. This makes us a part of something greater, much bigger than ourselves, right? Also, many truths can exist at the same time.
Thank you for sharing your gifts through your blog post each week, Sr M. Such a blessed way to begin my week!
Amy, How wonderful that you’ve been reading these small prayers before Mass. I admire that! Thank you for writing! Melannie
In each AA meeting people share a piece of their truth and I’ve never failed to learn from and be inspired by it. I also must agree with Caroline— sometimes the construction of these prayers is awkward 😬
Mary James, Yes, the power of AA is individuals sharing their stories with trusted individuals. There’s such a power in that! Thanks for reminding us of this great truth! Melannie
Through the mystery of this water and wine may we share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity.
Jim, Amen to these powerful and faith-filled words we hear so often…Melannie
“Only individuals who know how to relax can enjoy the Heavenly Wedding Reception to which we have all been invited.” That word relax really stood out to me. Relaxing implies trust and it brings to mind an image of barriers being let down so Christ can seep in and delight in us as we delight in Him. New hopeful paths forward seem to emerge.
Janet, I love your image of “barriers being let down” and your words “so Christ can seep in and delight in us as we delight in him.” Beautifully said! Melannie
I’m especially drawn to the prayers at the Offeratory. Asking God to accept our gifts of human hands. So simple but so profound.
Thank you for your insights about sharing and accepting each others’ truth. Not always easy but you gave much food for thought Melannie.
That verse from Micah is one of my favorites and is incorporated in my daily meditations.
Loretta, Yes, the offertory prayer you refer to is both simple and profound. And the Micah reference is one of my favorites too! We’re related in more ways than being cousins! Melannie
One of the mass prayers that especially touches me is the one the priest says after we have all recited the Our Father. It places us gently in the lovely embrace of Father God.
“Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.”
Blessings to all this beautiful summer morning and thank you Sister Melannie for bringing us together in prayer. Joanne
Joanne, Thank you for quoting this prayer for us and for reminding us of how beautiful it is…. Melannie
Thanks, Sister Melanie, for highlighting some true gems of our Liturgical prayer. When the new translation was being launched, it was suggested that Catholics could use these texts for personal prayer which I sincerely support. It’s unfortunate that just because the language is not every day speak, many get put off by it. I really do wish that there fellow Catholics take a moment to read these texts slowly and glean the hidden gems within.
All three above prayers are truly inspirational, many thanks. Like Mary Cluley, I also enjoy the beautiful music that you pair with your reflections. I still relish the Wisdom Song by Laura Woodley Osman.
Andre, You raise a good question: what kind of language do we use to “talk” to God? Familiar? Formal? Somewhere in between? Also, the prayers we recite along with others might demand a different “kind” of language than a prayer the priest alone says… And yes, sometimes we just need to read the texts slowly for them to release their wisdom… PS: I have a few relatives in Perth! One of my father’s first cousins emmigrated from the Czech Republic in the late 1940s after the Russians took control. I met her and her adult daughters only twice in my life. Beautiful people! Melannie
Many years ago at a silent Ignation retreat in Grand Coteau, LA, I prayed with Micah 6:8, and it resonated deeply in my soul as a way to live. Thank you for the song. Now I can hum my favorite Bible verse.
P.S. I loved meeting Scout last week. My two golden retrievers give me pet therapy all the time. They’re too rambunctious to provide it on a larger scale.
Valorie, I hope you continue to SING Micha 6:8!… And it’s wonderful that you have your own personal “pet therapy”! Thanks for writing. Melannie
Your blog message fits perfectly withwhat Father’s homily was about last night. He was teaching about Church being sacred space. We come into that place to hear God’ Word, to reflect on it in silence and then to go out of that space and proclaim it by living our lives. I think that the middle part of reflecting in silence is what I need to do a better job at. We have been given all we need from God in the small prayers as well as the BIG prayers. We just need more reflection to be able to proclaim it with our lives. The song repeats the same thing again and again so we can “get it”.
Thanks again, Sr. Melannie for proclaiming God’s word with your thought provoking words.
Martha, Thank you for highlighting our need for personal reflection. One definition of reflection is “serious thought or consideration.” This demands time… And yes, the words of the song are repeated three times, a way to help us reflect on their meaning. I appreciate your comment! Melannie
I too love how you select the music to best match your theme as mentioned above. It’s like the frosting on the cake! You do that so well.
Many thanks
Carolyn
Thanks so much, Carolyn! I’ll remember your words when I’m struggling to find a good song! Melannie
The prayer that particular resonated with me is
July 6 – Prayer after Communion… that we may profess Him (Jesus) in words and hold fast to him in deeds.
This was the lesson that my mother demonstrated in her life everyday. And on July 6 she would have been 100 years young. Mom’s gone almost 4 years now but the lessons she taught via her actions will stay with me forever.
I began reading all the prayers of mass daily about 6 years ago. I believe these 3 little prayers are wonderful and enjoy the inspiration and encouragement they bring to be our best self. Thank you for highlighting them.
Donna, I was touched by your words: How your dear mother LIVED the words of the July 6th prayer throughout her long life… Although you still miss your mother, you are so lucky to have had such a good Mom! Thanks for sharing her with us! Melannie
Very meaningful reflection as always. One year I used the opening prayer for reflection during Lent. I usually just passed over them with a scant reading. This daily reflection helped me be more mindful of the truths within them. I could do it again.
Eileen, How interesting that you used the opening prayers at Mass for reflection that one Lent. What a nice little practice. Thank you for writing! Melannie
Today the prayers for the Feast of the Transfiguration were special.
May the heavenly nourishment we have received, O Lord, we pray, transform us into the likeness of your Son whose radiant splendor you willed to make manifest in his glorious Transfiguration. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Really relished this line from the Daily Prayer of the Church today as well.
Father,
at the Transfiguration in glory of your Only Begotten Son,
you confirmed the mysteries of faith
by the witness to Jesus of the prophets Moses and Elijah.
You foreshadowed there what we shall be
when you bring our sonship to its perfection.
Grant that by listening to the voice of Jesus
we may become heirs with him,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Sr Melanie, so pleased you connected with your Perth cousins. I will keep an eye out for them. 🙂
Andre, Thank you for sharing those two lovely prayers from the feast of the Transfiguration–one of my favorite feasts! And yes, please keep an eye out for my cousins in Perth! My dad’s first cousin escaped with her then boyfriend from the Czech Republic in the late 1940s–running across the border under the cover of darkness. My Dad said to her, “You were very brave.” She smiled and said, “We were very young.” They married in Germany and hoped to go to the US or Canada. Neither country accepted them because, by then, she was pregnant. But Australia welcomed them with open arms! For years, they ran a “sheep dipping” business. I’m sure you know what that means.
For those interested in these ‘little’ prayers of the mass, there is a blog called lectio the liturgy by Julie Storr that you might find interesting. Each week she chooses one of these little prayers for the upcoming Sunday and expands on it, often re-translating it in a more understandable way. I hope you find it as helpful as I do!
Vicki, I’m going to check this out. Thank you for the tip! Melannie…
I just checked it out. I think it’s quite good. She speaks gently and well… her content is good… her main thoughts are in print… and it takes only a couple of minutes. Thanks again, Vicki! Melannie
I do try to pay attention to these “little” prayers. But I wish priests would make more of an effort to stop right before they say them and wait for people to “look up” to see why he stopped and THEN say the prayer, loudly and CLEARLY and slowly. I think some priests just rush thru them to get on to the next “big” thing. They are pretty cool prayers. At one particular time of year the prayer that ends the Angelus is actually used as a “little” Mass prayer. I like that because I can silently say it with the priest. And for daily Mass there is sometimes the same prayer that lasts all week so by Friday it sounds familiar. Thanks for this interesting insight to a “small” thing that can make a difference when we pay attention.
Patt, I’m impressed with your attentiveness to these small prayers at Mass. Thank you for your suggestions and your example! Melannie
Dear Sister Melannie,
Such profound and beautiful thoughts presented that I ran off a copy
because the reflection is worth while to reread from time to time. “Words and deeds” comprise our true relationship with Our Lord and I like to think when we hold true to this we bring a smile to Our Lord’s lips. I would be saddened to know there are times I missed or overlooked those moments of grace filled opportunities. I for one will be more attuned to the smaller prayers at mass. They are a means to be more aware of graces there for the taking.Thank you for your thoughts. Blessings to you!
Carol, I liked your reminder that “words and deeds comprise our true relationship with Our Lord.” And, yes, I’m sure our efforts with kind words and loving deeds certain makes God “smile.” Thanks for responding! Melannie