Preparation of the Gifts Part 9 Invitation to Pray

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PREPARATION OF THE GIFTS PART 9

INVITATION TO PRAY’

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.  

By the 8^th century, a short invitation to pray, followed by silence, was introduced before the prayer over the gifts. Sometimes the invitation was addressed quietly to the assisting clergy, sometimes aloud to the whole congregation. Since the bishop or priest was requesting silent prayer, no formulated response was required.

Gradually, a variety of spoken responses replaced the time for prayerful silence.  The present formula came into general use after the 11^th century.

Today the priest addresses the invitation to the whole congregation. He says:

‘Pray, brethren, that our sacrifice may be acceptable
 to God, the Almighty Father’.

Our response to this invitation to pray is also important because it indicates the congregation’s link with the priest, and also distinguishes a certain bipolar aspect of the liturgy: the worship of God and the sanctification of us, as the faithful people of God.

Whilst sitting, our response to this invitation to pray is:

‘May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands

 for the praise and glory of His name,

for our good, and the good of all His Church’.

Then our body posture changes- we stand. This too is important if we link this to what we have just responded.   Standing together as a congregation is a glimpse of the need for us to pray for not only our good, but also the good of all His Church.  We as a church pray for the greater good- it encourages us to think wider than our own concerns, and to gently remind us that we belong to a much bigger ‘parish or diocese’- as technology suggests we are part of the global village-  the universal church. 

From Sunday May 11 2008, Australian Catholics adopted 2 seemingly minor, yet highly significant changes in the way Mass are celebrated to be in unity with the universal church. I will mention the first only as it relates to this post and the other later in the series.

The first change related to a posture (change from sitting to standing)

1.            When the priest invites the congregation to pray:  ‘Pray brethren that our sacrifice may be acceptable to God the Almighty Father’ at the preparation of the gifts, the congregation now stand before they respond: ‘May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands to the praise and glory of His name for our good and the good of all His Church’.

After years of sitting whilst responding to the priest's invitation to pray, it was initially different to stand. However, the change on the most part was accepted without too much ado.  However, it does make more sense really since the posture of standing in response to the priest’s invitation is a sign of our readiness to enter into the Eucharistic Prayer, which he says on behalf of the congregation. Standing is a formal recognition of the importance of that invitation.

 In the light of the many tragic events in the world, the need to pray for our good and the good of all His Church may be more urgent, and perhaps we could incorporate this prayer into our daily prayer life.