‘PRIVATE PREPARATION OF PRIEST AND PEOPLE’
It was in France
that various prayers recited by the priest before communion appeared
during the Middle Ages. They were meant as private prayers to foster
the devotion of the priest. The Missal of Pius V (1570) required the
priest to say a prayer for peace, not only at Solemn High Mass, the only
occasion when the peace was exchanged and then only among the clergy,
but also at all other Masses. Two additional prayers were selected from
among the numerous formalae which appeared in the medieval liturgy
books, to stimulate the piety of the priest before communion. All three
prayers are retained today, although with a different disposition.
The
first formula now introduces the rite of peace, whilst the second and
the third remain as a preparation for communion, but the priest may
choose one of the two prayers. Being private prayers, they are said
‘sotto voce’.
The first prayer is:
‘Lord
Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, by the will of the Father and the
work of the holy Spirit your death brought life to the world. By your
holy body and blood free me from all my sins and from every evil. Keep
me faithful to your teaching, and never let me be parted from you’.
The second prayer is:
‘Lord
Jesus Christ with faith in your love and mercy I eat your body and
drink your blood. Let it not bring me condemnation, but health of mind
and body’.
Just
as the priest prays that he may receive Christ’s body and blood to good
effect, so we too as the congregation do the same by silent prayer.
This is another opportunity for individual and silent prayer before
communion. We may wish to reflect on how we prepare for communion?
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