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Preparation of the Gifts Part 11
In the ancient Roman Liturgy, once
the bread and wine were placed on the altar, the bishop said a prayer over
these gifts and then began the Eucharistic prayer. The Prayer over the
gifts was originally said aloud and later, because of the length of
the prayer, only the conclusion was said aloud. Nowadays, the prayer’s original
name and manner of recitation has been restored.
The prayer over the gifts
concludes the preparation of the bread, wine, altar and congregation.
Unlike the opening prayer of the Mass, which is more expansive and frequently
characterizes the mystery of the day or liturgical season, the prayer over the
gifts is more concise. It requests divine acceptance and expresses the
congregation’s desire to unite itself with the offering to come. The priest
speaks in our name asking the Father to bless and accept these gifts.
Today’s prayer over the gifts
exemplifies these features as well as its brevity.
“God of mercy accept our offering
and make it a source of blessing for us.”
Our response to this prayer is ‘Amen’, and
it is important, as when we use it as a response to prayer, it is used as an
adverb meaning either ‘It is so’ or ‘May it be so’ (may
that happen).
Although the prayer over the gifts is
always used in the context of Mass, we may find it useful to incorporate it
into our daily prayer life. Such a short prayer could provide spiritual
nourishment for us as we reflect on its concrete meaning for our lives both in
times of difficulty and joy.
The preparation of the gifts in the
Liturgy of the Eucharist ends with the Prayer over the gifts.
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