Print Issue: October 3, 2002

Collect And Readings Bridge: A Constant God And A Changing Humanity

By Father Theodore Book, Commentary

After the explosion of the Gloria, the Mass takes on a more reflective tone as the priest calls out "Let us pray." It is true that what we have been doing up until now is, indeed, prayer. Still, the opening prayer or collect that the priest is about to pray gathers together the prayers of all the people and expresses something particular about this Mass. The prayer of the collect changes every Sunday and reflects the specific character of this time and season. Some might think it odd that in a Mass that worships the unchanging God, and unceasingly makes present the sacrifice of the cross, there should be parts that change daily. God, it is true, is always the same, and the sacrifice offered by Christ was offered once and for all. But the people who worship at the Mass lack the constancy of Christ, and these changing elements remind us that the Mass is a bridge between the unchanging God and changing men. It shows that we are tied up in the Mass, with our changing joys and sorrows - the anticipation of a new birth at Christmas, the sorrow of death during Lent. Our changing needs, as well, are reflected in these prayers, as they ask for a particular gift according to our varying needs; a particular gift that always points to our one unchanging need - the company of Christ and the saints in heaven. We always ask this prayer of the Father, through our Lord, and in the Spirit. "We ask this thorough our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever." It is an appropriate way to end this prayer because it shows well our bond with the Father. It is Jesus Christ who forms this bond in person, because he has become flesh to unite us to the Father. Because Christ has become one of us, we can call upon the Father as his children. Through Christ we can reach the Father, because he ascended into heaven bearing our human nature. We reach him in the Holy Spirit, who is the bond of love that unites the Father and the Son, and thus unites us with him, as well. They remain one God, unchanged, "for ever and ever," and so it is there that our restless, changing selves find rest at last.

At the close of the collect, everyone sits to listen to the readings. Sitting is the appropriate posture for the readings, because it is the attitude of a student as he listens attentively to his teacher's words. Up until now in the Mass, we have been speaking to God. Now, he will speak to us through the words of scripture. It is a testimony to the divine power in scripture that these words which he gave as fitting for a people so far away and long ago are also perfectly adapted to our own times and needs. The reading of scripture is not simply the repetition of words intended for a far-away people, but it is an intimate conversation between God and each one of us, because when he inspired the scripture he foresaw us hearing it, and sculpted his words to conform to our needs. Indeed, God is so strongly present in his scripture, that with the chant of the Alleluia we rise, out of reverence for Jesus Christ present in his gospel. These are the words that recount the saving events of our savior's time upon earth, and thus, our strong connection with God. To remind ourselves of the importance and power of these saving words, we sign ourselves upon our forehead, lips and chest, asking the Lord to be in our mind, on our lips and in our heart. The priest, as well, does not dare approach the book of the gospels without first praying that the Lord give him the necessary purity. "Almighty God, cleanse my heart and my lips that I may worthily proclaim your Gospel." His greeting to us is also a prayer and a statement: "The Lord be with you." It is the repetition of little phrases like this that give the ritual of the Mass so much of its force to touch our hearts. We are constantly reminded that the Lord is with us, and the priest is praying for us by this little prayer repeated throughout the Mass. Likewise, we pray for the priest many times in our response, asking the Lord to be also with him. Taken together, these repetitions give an otherworldly character to the Mass, reminding us that we are taking part in some way in the unchanging and perpetual celestial liturgy with which the angels are eternally worshiping God. He calls out "A reading from the holy Gospel according to St. Mark." Truly the gospel is holy, but because the words of St. Mark are even more truly the words of God, we respond "Glory to you, O Lord." Perhaps this otherworldliness is emphasized even more as the priest incenses the book of the Gospels, before he reads the saving words that have the power to bring us grace and change our hearts.

When the reading of the Gospel is finished, we again testify to the divinity of the words we have just heard, "The Gospel of the Lord," by responding, "Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ," and then resuming our seats for the homily. Though the words of scripture lack nothing in efficacy, we are often weak in our ability to receive them, and so the words of the priest do much to strengthen us and reveal to us the truths given to us in the scriptures. The priest's homily is not merely a talk, however, nor is it a sort of "break" from the Mass, which we are going to resume again when the priest is finished. Rather, the homily is itself a liturgical act, and the priest is particularly fit for it by the grace of his office. There is a grace given to the priest to preach God's word, and given to those who hear him. This grace is not a substitute for preparation or skill in speaking, nor does it guarantee eloquence or even correctness, but it is present nonetheless. This is why the church grants a partial indulgence to those who piously and attentively listen to preaching. Through the homily we hear the truth of the gospel put forth in a way that is particularly adapted to our place and time, and this helps it to settle in our souls and change our lives.

This is a part of a continuing series of Mass reflections by Father Theodore Book.