The Collect- how is it different from and similar to Opening Prayer?

ABOUT THE MASS VOL 2 NEW TRANSLATION

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Welcome to my new series called ' About the Mass Series Volume 2-New Translation'

I started this Series back in 2012 and now in 2019, restart the series.

 Why did I start the series in the first place? I had already written a series called About the Mass which explained in detail each element of the Mass.  So why Volume 2?  Let me explain.

In the English-speaking world from First Sunday of Advent 2010, the words said at Mass changed. In some parts, there were significant changes, whilst in others, it may be a word or two. What is important for us to remember is the Mass is the same.  We may wish to reflect on what the Mass is and why we attend Mass.  

I wish to take up this series again not only because it was incomplete but now that time has elapsed and we are used to the New translation for a number of years now, I think it is good to review these changes to make us more aware and more appreciative of the Mass. Understanding some of those changes and why they were made may deepen our knowledge about the Mass but more importantly, deepen our love for the Mass.

Here is the link to the first post of this new series ‘’About the Mass Volume 2- New Translation’’. ‘You may wish to review the 12 posts in this series before following along with its continuation IN 2019.

THE COLLECT

At the end of the Introductory Rite is the Collect (or previously known as Opening Prayer).   The priest invites us to pray silently for a moment, and then, in our name, expresses the theme of the day’s celebration and petitions to God the Father through the mediation of Christ in the Holy Spirit.  In other words, he ‘collects’ or gathers up all the prayers on our behalf and offers them to God. He reads it from the Book of the Chair.  The unfolding of this opening prayer is as follows:

·                     An invitation to prayer: ‘Let us pray’,

·                     A time of silence: a time to present our intentions to God.

·                    The invocation:  these can be varied but they all address God in some form-
             for example- Father, Eternal Father, Lord, God of mercy and power, Father of love.

·                     The anamnesis or thanksgiving:

·                     The request: Give,

·                     The affirmation of the mediation of Christ: ‘Through Christ our Lord’.

·                     Our response: ‘Amen’.

THE MEANING AND IMPORTANCE OF AMEN

Amen is the transcription of a Hebrew word whose root evokes that which is solid, stable, true and faithful. In Scripture, it can be used as an adjective or adverb, but when we use it liturgically as a response to prayer, it is used as an adverb. Amen means either ‘It is so’ or ‘May it be so’ (May that happen). 

The meaning of the Amen that follows all the doxologies is ‘Truly it is so’, but when we implore God: “Have mercy on us and forgive us our sins,” we humbly add Amen, (may it be so). By endorsing any of the prayers that ends with Amen, we are also remembering that we are pronouncing at the same time the name of Jesus. (Revelations: 3:14). What a powerful four-letter word Amen is! 

The Collect (Opening Prayer) is not just a prayer to be heard at Sunday Mass.  It can be useful for Reflection Prayer during the week. You might like to visit my Collect (Opening Prayer series), where I provide reflection questions to ponder and to make the Collect tangible for our lives during the week. I often provide a reflection on the Sunday Gospel as well.

DIFFERENCES FROM PREVIOUS TRANSLATION OF MASS

1. The name:  From Opening Prayer to Collect. The priest ‘collects’ or gathers up all the prayers on our behalf and offers them to God.  If we remember the name of the Prayer at this time, it can help us to know that our prayers are being offered to God.  It is not a time of course to zone out or think of our shopping list for the week.
   
   
2. Translations of the Prayers: As they have all been completely translated, they are longer in sentence structure and can at times be difficult to comprehend. The key is to get in touch with the flow of the prayer so that your heart can join with its intention and that your own prayers can be in tune with it also.
   
   
3. Conclusion Formula: The current translation makes the role of the Persons of the Trinity more precise whereas the previous translation concluded with a formula that usually began ‘’ We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ’’

Introductory Rite is now completed after the Collect has been concluded