Agnus Dei

I have to admit that I have a special fondness for the Agnus Dei. I think it was probably the first prayer in Latin that I learned (because it was one of the rare ones actually sung in Latin frequently at mass.)

I'm also quite partial to it because it reminds me of Scott Hahn's account of his first mass, which was a major point of transition for me, even before I ever attended my first mass. Reading his book, The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth was a huge eye-opener for me. It made me realize just how scriptural the mass is (and how liturgy itself is mostly taken straight from scripture, as seen throughout this series of posts), and most importantly, it explained that crazy book of Revelation to me for the first time in a way that made sense, lol. All of it is centered around the Lamb of God, and His Supper.

Here is an excerpt that touches on some of what he writes about in more detail in the book:

My most vivid memory of the first Mass I attended was that powerful moment in the Communion Rite where the people say, "Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy on us." "Lamb of God." "Lamb of God." Then they knelt, and the priest held up the host and said, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world"—that was "Lamb of God" four times in less than a minute.

I was sitting in the back pew as simply an observer. But suddenly I knew where I was: I was back in the Book of Revelation where Jesus is called the Lamb of God no less than 28 times in 22 chapters. He’s only called "Lamb" in one other book in the entire New Testament: the Gospel of John, and there just twice. But in the Apocalypse, that’s his main title, more than all the other titles: Lord of Lords, King of Kings, Alpha and Omega, and all the rest. He’s the Lamb of God.

I went back to Mass the next day. I had my pad and pencil, and I had my Bible. This time I had it open to Revelation and I saw things I’d never seen before. I saw a connection in these liturgical actions. Not just one or two. Not even just eight or ten. I made a list of 30 elements: white-robed priests, an altar, a congregation chanting "Holy, holy, holy," the alleluias, the amen, the golden chalices, the book, the invocation of angels and saints. I hardly knew which way to turn—toward the actions on the pages of the Apocalypse, or the action up at the altar. After about 15 or 20 minutes of the second Mass, suddenly I realized they were one and the same action. What I was reading on the page was exactly what I was watching up there at the altar.

Looking back, I truly think this prayer helped me to make an important transition in my life. Up until then, the Bible had been the focus in my spiritual life, the center of my faith. But seeing all this liturgical action centered on the Lamb in the scriptures, in the very last book of the Bible, it was like a launching pad for growth in understanding beyond the words on the page. This allowed me to venture past the scriptures alone, and let go a bit of the skepticism for all this Catholic nonsense I had been clinging to and to feel a sense of surprising confidence in the actions I saw around me at mass, because they were actions I saw in The Book I trusted completely. And the words on the page and the actions around me all pointed to one thing...the Lamb of God.

And it is He who is now the focus of my spiritual life, the center of my faith, and the reason I'm a Catholic.

English:

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: grant us peace.

Latin:

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi: miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi: miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi: dona nobis pacem.

Here's a beautiful Agnus Dei from the wonderful Palestrina.




Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured, While we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted. But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins, Upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed. We had all gone astray like sheep, each following his own way; But the LORD laid upon him the guilt of us all. Though he was harshly treated, he submitted and opened not his mouth; Like a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep before the shearers, he was silent and opened not his mouth. (Is 53:4-7)

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
The next day John was there again with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, "Behold, the Lamb of God." (John 1:29, 35-6)

Now if you invoke as Father him who judges impartially according to each one's works, conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning, realizing that you were ransomed from your futile conduct, handed on by your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless unblemished lamb. (1 Pet 1:17-19)

I looked again and heard the voices of many angels who surrounded the throne and the living creatures and the elders. They were countless in number, and they cried out in a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength, honor and glory and blessing."
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, everything in the universe, cry out: "To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor, glory and might, forever and ever." The four living creatures answered, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped. (Rev 5:11-14)

They cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb." (Rev 7:10)

Pater Noster

After the Memorial Acclamation and Doxology, we stand and sing together the prayer the Christ Himself gave to us.

The catechism explains:

The Lord's Prayer is the most perfect of prayers. . . . In it we ask, not only for all the things we can rightly desire, but also in the sequence that they should be desired. This prayer not only teaches us to ask for things, but also in what order we should desire them.

The first communities prayed the Lord's Prayer three times a day, in place of the "Eighteen Benedictions" customary in Jewish piety.

According to the apostolic tradition, the Lord's Prayer is essentially rooted in liturgical prayer:

[The Lord] teaches us to make prayer in common for all our brethren. For he did not say "my Father" who art in heaven, but "our" Father, offering petitions for the common body.

In the Eucharistic liturgy the Lord's Prayer appears as the prayer of the whole Church and there reveals its full meaning and efficacy. Placed between the anaphora (the Eucharistic prayer) and the communion, the Lord's Prayer sums up on the one hand all the petitions and intercessions expressed in the movement of the epiclesis and, on the other, knocks at the door of the Banquet of the kingdom which sacramental communion anticipates.

In the Eucharist, the Lord's Prayer also reveals the eschatological character of its petitions. It is the proper prayer of "the end-time," the time of salvation that began with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and will be fulfilled with the Lord's return. The petitions addressed to our Father, as distinct from the prayers of the old covenant, rely on the mystery of salvation already accomplished, once for all, in Christ crucified and risen.

From this unshakeable faith springs forth the hope that sustains each of the seven petitions, which express the groanings of the present age, this time of patience and expectation during which "it does not yet appear what we shall be." The Eucharist and the Lord's Prayer look eagerly for the Lord's return, "until he comes."

English:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Latin:

Pater noster, qui es in caelis:
sanctificetur Nomen Tuum;
adveniat Regnum Tuum;
fiat voluntas Tua,
sicut in caelo, et in terra.
Panem nostrum cotidianum da nobis hodie;
et dimitte nobis debita nostra,
Sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris;
et ne nos inducas in tentationem;
sed libera nos a Malo.

In honor of the 4th anniversary of the death of our late Holy Father, John Paul the Great, here is a recording of him singing the Pater Noster.



"This is how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread;
and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors;
and do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one. (Matt 6:9-13)

Sanctus

The creed concludes the liturgy of the Word, and from there we move to the liturgy of the Eucharist.

The priest begins his prayers for the preparation of the gifts (of bread and wine just brought up to him), and the next longish prayer we all say or sing together is the Sanctus. In it, we praise God for His glory with all the angels of Heaven.

In English:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

In Latin:

SANCTUS, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua.
Hosanna in excelsis.
Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.
Hosanna in excelsis.

This is the Sanctus from one of my favorite masses, Bach's Mass in B Minor.



I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, with the train of his garment filling the temple. Seraphim were stationed above; each of them had six wings: with two they veiled their faces, with two they veiled their feet, and with two they hovered aloft. "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!" they cried one to the other. "All the earth is filled with his glory!" (Is 6:1-3)

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. We bless you from the LORD'S house. (Ps 118:26)

The crowds preceding him and those following kept crying out and saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest." (Matt 21:9)

they took palm branches and went out to meet him, and cried out: "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, (even) the king of Israel." (Jn 12:13)

Credo

After all the readings are read at mass, the priest gives a homily. Once the homily is over, we make our profession of faith by saying the Nicene creed.

Growing up where I did, creeds were something viewed with suspicion. There was a clear dichotomy set up between biblical truth and man made creeds.

But in actually reading the creed, I found it to be quite biblical in content. And it's a wonderful thing to be able to state clearly and with confidence what it is the main tenants of our faith are, and especially to do so together with fellow Christians at mass.

A couple years back, comedian Stephen Colbert gave a nice recitation of the Nicene Creed on his show, lol.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
The De-Deification of the American Faithscape
comedycentral.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor NASA Name Contest

You can follow along here:

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven:
[bow during the next two lines:]
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered, died, and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

And in Latin:

CREDO in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem, factorem caeli et terrae,visibilium omnium et invisibilium.

Et in unum Dominum Iesum Christum, Filium Dei unigenitum, et ex Patre natum ante omnia saecula. Deum de Deo, Lumen de Lumine, Deum verum de Deo vero, genitum non factum, consubstantialem Patri; per quem omnia facta sunt.

Qui propter nos homines et propter nostram salutem descendit de caelis. Et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto ex Maria Virgine, et homo factus est.

Crucifixus etiam pro nobis sub Pontio Pilato, passus et sepultus est, et resurrexit tertia die, secundum Scripturas, et ascendit in caelum, sedet ad dexteram patris.

Et iterum venturus est cum gloria, iudicare vivos et mortuos, cuius regni non erit finis.

Et in Spiritum Sanctum, Dominum et vivificantem, qui ex Patre Filioque procedit.

Qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur et conglorificatur: qui locutus est per prophetas.

Et unam, sanctam,catholicam et apostolicam Ecclesiam.

Confiteor unum baptisma in remissionem peccatorum. Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum, et vitam venturi saeculi. Amen.

And here you can practice singing the Credo Gregorian Chant in Latin. ;-)



There is so much reference to scripture packed into the creed, that I'll just provide this link rather than posting all the scripture, because the post would be a page long! The page is not Catholic so the wording is slightly different, but the ideas are the same.

Alleluia!

After the introductory rites, the next part of the mass is the Liturgy of the Word. This is when scripture is read. There is a reading from the Old Testament, then a psalm is sung, then a related reading from the New Testament, and then most importantly a reading from one of the four Gospels. We stand in honor of Christ's own words in the Gospel, and before it is read we sing Alleluia (except during Lent.)

Here's a lovely Alleluia from Vivaldi.



(I was tempted to put Mozart's well known Alleluia, but since I already posted one Mozart I thought I'd restrain myself!)

The gates of Jerusalem shall sing hymns of gladness, and all her houses shall cry out, "Alleluia! "Blessed be God who has raised you up! may he be blessed for all ages!" For in you they shall praise his holy name forever. (Tobit 13:18)

Alleluia! Give thanks to the LORD, who is good, whose love endures forever. (Ps 106:1)

After this I heard what sounded like the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying: "Alleluia! 1 Salvation, glory, and might belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her harlotry. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants."

They said a second time: "Alleluia! Smoke will rise from her forever and ever."

The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, "Amen. Alleluia."

A voice coming from the throne said: "Praise our God, all you his servants, (and) you who revere him, small and great."

Then I heard something like the sound of a great multitude or the sound of rushing water or mighty peals of thunder, as they said: "Alleluia! The Lord has established his reign, (our) God, the almighty. (Rev 19:1-6)

Gloria

After the Kyrie, the Gloria is (usually) sung by all. During the penitential seasons of Lent and Advent, the Gloria is not sung. It's one of the best parts of Christmas, and especially Easter masses, singing the Gloria for the first time in weeks! It's such a joyous prayer.

The first part is probably easily recognizable, even to non-Catholics, because of such Christmas hymns as Angels We Have Heard on High.

The text of the prayer in Latin:

GLORIA in excelsis Deo et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis.
Laudamus te, benedicimus te, adoramus te, glorificamus te, gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam, Domine Deus, Rex caelestis, Deus Pater omnipotens.

Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis; qui tollis peccata mundi, suscipe deprecationem nostram. Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, miserere nobis.

Quoniam tu solus Sanctus, tu solus Dominus, tu solus Altissimus, Iesu Christe, cum Sancto Spiritu: in gloria Dei Patris. Amen.

And the English translation we use in mass:

Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord,
You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Here's a beautiful Gloria from William Byrd, one of my faves!



And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests." (Luke 2:13-14)

Kyrie

The beginning parts of mass are called the introductory rites. We always start off acknowledging our sins and asking God for mercy and pardon, we do this in the pentitential rite, and in the Kyrie.

I once heard a joke about an old lady who was lamenting all the changes to the mass and the movement away from Latin. She complained that the only part they said in Latin nowadays was the Kyrie. Ha ha ha!

If you don't get the joke, it might help to know that the Kyrie is not Latin but Greek. ;-)

The priest (or cantor if being sung) says, and we respond with the following:

Priest: Kyrie, eleison. All: Kyrie, eleison.
Priest: Christe, eleison. All: Christe, eleison.
Priest: Kyrie, eleison. All: Kyrie, eleison.

It is sometimes said in the vernacular as well, in English the translation is:

Priest: Lord, have mercy. All: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: Christ, have mercy. All: Christ, have mercy.
Priest: Lord, have mercy. All: Lord, have mercy.

There are some beautiful musical versions of the Kyrie in sacred pieces and masses composed. I remember in my music history class in college learning about early sacred music, and at the same time outside of school learning about Catholicism and the mass. I remember realizing that all these sounds (which I always found beautiful) that I had known in some of my favorite pieces were actually prayers of the mass. Since then, my absolute favorite pieces of music are sacred music, especially now that I know what words are being said in these prayers being sung.

For instance, here is the Kyrie from Mozart's Mass in C minor. Can anyone listen to this, know the meaning of the words, really internalize those words, make them their own, and NOT be moved to tears? It's the music of angels.



And for my fellow children of the 80s, remember this song? Turns out Mr. Mister wasn't saying "Carrying a laser" after all, lol.

Have mercy on me, LORD; see how my foes afflict me! You alone can raise me from the gates of death. (Ps 9:14)

And as Jesus passed from thence, there followed him two blind men crying out and saying, Have mercy on us, O Son of David. (Matt 9:27)

And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. (Matt 15:22)

And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. (Luke 17:13)

The Seal of God

Our modern world is one full of easily recognizable brands and logos. We see a simple check mark, a bitten apple, or some golden arches and know immediately what they stand for. Humans are drawn to visible, simple representations of larger wholes.

The sign of all signs is that of the cross. This can be drawn on the forehead with the thumb, or it can be a larger sign touching the forehead, chest, left shoulder, then right shoulder. We make the sign of the cross before and after every prayer, we make it when we enter and leave the presence of Christ in a church, we make it simply as a prayer itself, in thanks or in times of suffering. It's a beautiful and visible sign which, while simple, professes the deepest mystery of our faith.

Before he became Pope, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger wrote the following in The Spirit of the Liturgy.

The most basic Christian gesture in prayer is and always will be the Sign of the Cross. It is a way of confessing Christ crucified with one's very body, in accordance with the programmatic words of St. Paul: "[W]e preach Christ Crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gen­tiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Cor 1:23). Again he says: "I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified" (2:2).

To seal oneself with the sign of the Cross is a visible and public Yes to him who suffered for us; to him who in the body has made God's love visible, even to the utmost; to the God who reigns not by destruction but by the humility of suffering and love, which is stronger than all the power of the world and wiser than all the calculating intelligence of men.

The sign of the Cross is a confession of faith: I believe in him who suffered for me and rose again; in him who has transformed the sign of shame into a sign of hope and of the love of God that is present with us. The confession of faith is a confession of hope: I believe in him who in his weakness is the Almighty; in him who can and will save me even in apparent absence and impo­tence....

Thus we can say that in the sign of the Cross, together with the invocation of the Trinity, the whole essence of Christianity is summed up; it displays what is distinctively Christian.

We make the sign of the cross at the beginning and end of each mass. The sign of the cross leads us into the mass, and the following posts will be continuing that walk through the various prayers of the mass, and examining their significance.

Here's a video with some more info about the sign of the cross, as well as a look at a beautiful cross found in nature, in the thorns of a certain bush.



Pass through the city (through Jerusalem) and mark an X on the foreheads of those who moan and groan over all the abominations that are practiced within it. To the others I heard him say: Pass through the city after him and strike!...wipe them out! But do not touch any marked with the X. (Ez 9:4)

"Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." (Rev 7:3)

They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or any tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. (Rev 9:4)

Then I looked and there was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. (Rev 14:1)

Ave Maria

We move now from talking about general forms of prayer, to looking at specific prayers. Probably the most recognizable Catholic prayer is the Hail Mary. It's a prayer that tends to make a lot of non-Catholic Christians squirm a bit, but a closer look at the words themselves reveals that it is partly comprised of scripture, and partly a mere petition to ask for intercessory prayer (as talked about here.) The parts in brackets are not direct quotes from scripture.

Hail [Mary], full of grace, the Lord is with thee. (Luke 1:28)
Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, [Jesus]. (Luke 1:42)
[Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.]

And just because I find it beautiful, here is the text in Latin.

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei,
ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae.
Amen.

In looking at sacred art and the many images of Mary, it's common to see Mary staring at, pointing to, or holding up the child Jesus for us to adore. And this embodies her role, and provides an image of why it is we ask for her prayers at all. Mary, the first to receive Christ into her body, always helps us to draw closer to Him, she points the way to true union with Him.








Here's a lovely Ave Maria with some beautiful sacred art to accompany it. Enjoy!

Praise Him, Praise Him

The last kind of prayer we'll examine is prayer of praise. We can praise God in many ways, in our actions, in our words, and in our hearts. At the heart of praise is an acknowledgement of who God is.

The catechism continues:

2639 Praise is the form of prayer which recognizes most immediately that God is God. It lauds God for his own sake and gives him glory, quite beyond what he does, but simply because HE IS. It shares in the blessed happiness of the pure of heart who love God in faith before seeing him in glory. By praise, the Spirit is joined to our spirits to bear witness that we are children of God, testifying to the only Son in whom we are adopted and by whom we glorify the Father. Praise embraces the other forms of prayer and carries them toward him who is its source and goal: the "one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist."

One thing that struck me when I became Catholic was the realization that one could sing (or chant) prayer. We often praise God through song, and this itself is a form of prayer. (As a side note, this helped me realize that while I condemned "rote prayers" as vain repetition, I had no qualms repeating praises in song, and I didn't consider this to be vain.) There's a saying, commonly attributed to St. Augustine, which says "Qui bene cantat bis orat," - Who sings well prays twice.

2641 "[Address] one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart." Like the inspired writers of the New Testament, the first Christian communities read the Book of Psalms in a new way, singing in it the mystery of Christ. In the newness of the Spirit, they also composed hymns and canticles in the light of the unheard-of event that God accomplished in his Son: his Incarnation, his death which conquered death, his Resurrection, and Ascension to the right hand of the Father. Doxology, the praise of God, arises from this "marvelous work" of the whole economy of salvation.

Once again, the mass itself is one big prayer, and it envelopes all the various forms of prayer, rolling them into a flawless whole.

2643 The Eucharist contains and expresses all forms of prayer: it is "the pure offering" of the whole Body of Christ to the glory of God's name and, according to the traditions of East and West, it is the "sacrifice of praise."

Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God. (Ps 43:4)

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works! (Ps 105:1-2)

They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. (Acts 2:46-7)

He leaped up, stood, and walked around, and went into the temple with them, walking and jumping and praising God. (Acts 3:8)

Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. (Heb 13:15)

Ora Pro Nobis

One of the beautiful things about love is that it causes us to turn outward, it causes us to look outside ourselves and to be concerned with those around us. And so it follows that when we pray fervently for the things which we need ourselves, and we experience God's loving kindness in return, we will naturally start to pray for those around us as well. This is what we call prayer of intercession.

Christ himself is, of course, THE intercessor of all men. He died for us so that we might live. But as Thomas à Kempis put it in The Imitation of Christ, we are called to be "little Christs," and this means, as much as we can, doing for others what Christ did for us.

The catechism explains further:

2634 Intercession is a prayer of petition which leads us to pray as Jesus did. He is the one intercessor with the Father on behalf of all men, especially sinners. He is "able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them." The Holy Spirit "himself intercedes for us . . . and intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."

2635 Since Abraham, intercession - asking on behalf of another has been characteristic of a heart attuned to God's mercy. In the age of the Church, Christian intercession participates in Christ's, as an expression of the communion of saints. In intercession, he who prays looks "not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others," even to the point of praying for those who do him harm.

2636 The first Christian communities lived this form of fellowship intensely. Thus the Apostle Paul gives them a share in his ministry of preaching the Gospel but also intercedes for them. The intercession of Christians recognizes no boundaries: "for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions," for persecutors, for the salvation of those who reject the Gospel.

Catholics also believe that this call extends even beyond the grave, and that those Christians who have died and gone to Heaven continue to intercede for those on Earth. Let us be imitators of Christ, and continually lift each other up in prayer!

But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you (Matt 5:44)

In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the holy ones according to God's will. (Rom 8:26-7)

It is Christ (Jesus) who died, rather, was raised, who also is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. (Rom 8:34)

[Christ] is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he lives forever to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25)

Bear one another's burdens, and so you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Gal 6:2)

Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but (also) everyone for those of others. (Phil 2:3-4)

As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them"; and when he said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:60)

Peter thus was being kept in prison, but prayer by the church was fervently being made to God on his behalf. (Acts 12:5)

With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the holy ones and also for me, that speech may be given me to open my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains, so that I may have the courage to speak as I must. (Eph 6:18-20)

Brothers, pray for us (too). (1 Thess 5:25)

To this end, we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith, that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thess 1:11-12)

First of all, then, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity. (1 Tim 2:1-2)

A Wish List?

The next kind of prayer we'll take a look at may be the kind of prayer people are inclined to most often...prayer of petition. After all, that's when we ask God for stuff!

But even if we start out with a child-like image of God as the great vending machine in the sky, nevertheless the act of turning to God to ask Him for our desires is already itself an implicit acknowledgement that He is creator and Lord of all. Sincere prayer, even if imperfect in object, helps us adjust our attitudes, our perceptions - it humbles us.

One may wonder, if God knows our every need, why is it we need to pray anyway? The answer is, because prayer isn't to help God, it's to help us. Petitioning God first and foremost causes us to recognize our relationship with God as dependent upon Him, and therefore requires humility to even begin to ask for anything.

The catechism explains:

2629 The vocabulary of supplication in the New Testament is rich in shades of meaning: ask, beseech, plead, invoke, entreat, cry out, even "struggle in prayer." Its most usual form, because the most spontaneous, is petition: by prayer of petition we express awareness of our relationship with God. We are creatures who are not our own beginning, not the masters of adversity, not our own last end. We are sinners who as Christians know that we have turned away from our Father. Our petition is already a turning back to him.

Secondly, it requires us to think about what it is we need and why, and therefore helps us to prioritize and hopefully, with maturity and humility, to stop pestering God for that million dollars to drop from the sky and realize that what we should really be asking for (in other words, what we really need) is more patience/humility/charity/[insert virtue here], and not necessarily more stuff.

Of course, one of the primary things we should be asking for often is God's forgiveness. Once again, this requires humility, it also requires repentance, an acknowledgement of wrongdoing and a willingness to accept the grace needed to stop.

2631 The first movement of the prayer of petition is asking forgiveness, like the tax collector in the parable: "God, be merciful to me a sinner!" It is a prerequisite for righteous and pure prayer. A trusting humility brings us back into the light of communion between the Father and his Son Jesus Christ and with one another, so that "we receive from him whatever we ask." Asking forgiveness is the prerequisite for both the Eucharistic liturgy and personal prayer.

Our God is merciful and loving, ready and willing to forgive us our sins when we acknowledge them and turn from them, desiring to give us our every need. The catechism says that "Christ, who assumed all things in order to redeem all things, is glorified by what we ask the Father in his name." And so let us ask boldly and with confidence, glorifying God in acknowledging His sovereignty.


But if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given it. (James 1:5)


Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asks for a fish? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him. (Matt 7:7-11)

Thanks Be To God

In the last couple of posts, one thing you may notice is that typically when fasting is mentioned, prayer is mentioned right alongside it. That's because they go hand in hand.

We all know the exhortation to "pray without ceasing." We renew our focus to do just that during the penitential seasons especially. Prayer is really the foundation of all we do, it fosters our relationship with God and strengthens us. The mass itself is filled with prayer, in fact it is one giant prayer. We'll be taking a closer look at many of the prayers we say at mass in a bit. First, I want to look at some different kinds of prayer, basically what it is we pray for and why.

The first form of prayer we'll be examining is prayers of Thanksgiving.

The catechism says:

2637 Thanksgiving characterizes the prayer of the Church which, in celebrating the Eucharist, reveals and becomes more fully what she is. Indeed, in the work of salvation, Christ sets creation free from sin and death to consecrate it anew and make it return to the Father, for his glory. The thanksgiving of the members of the Body participates in that of their Head.

2638 As in the prayer of petition, every event and need can become an offering of thanksgiving. The letters of St. Paul often begin and end with thanksgiving, and the Lord Jesus is always present in it: "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you"; "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving."

The word eucharist itself means thanksgiving. Before the main Eucharistic prayer during mass, the priest says "Let us give thanks to the Lord our God," and we respond "It is right to give Him thanks and praise."

The act of thanking God, whether in our nightly prayers before bed, in our prayers before mealtime, or at mass is something that reminds us of both our dependence upon God, and His goodness and mercy for all the blessings He bestows upon us.

It seems that often the people who are most thankful for what they have are those who have less than the norm. And so it makes sense that during Lent, while we try to empty ourselves through almsgiving and fasting, while we try to do away with excess and minimize consumption of stuff in general, we in turn learn to recognize the things that truly matter, and to be more thankful than ever for them.

Here's a lovely polyphonic canon sung with simply the words, Deo Gratias - Thanks be to God.



Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. (Ps 107:1)

Riches and honor are from you, and you have dominion over all. In your hand are power and might; it is yours to give grandeur and strength to all. Therefore, our God, we give you thanks and we praise the majesty of your name. (1 Chron 29:12-13)

Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. (Phil 4:6)

Rosaries for Life

Check out Rosaries for Life, which started out as this blog, and if you feel so inclined pledge to pray the rosary every day until the inauguration for the intention, as Archbishop Wuerl stated, “That our nation’s new leaders be guided in their decisions with wisdom and compassion and at the heart of all of their decisions may there be a deep respect for and commitment to the sanctity and dignity of all human life and support for the most vulnerable among us.”

The original idea was to start on November 10th and go through January 20th, but you can either start now and go to the end, or do a couple to catch up. If you can't do a rosary every day, pledge to do one a week. Or even just one!

Whatever you do, let's join together in prayer for our country!

And It's Over.

Finally...

The Obama supporters got their wish. I truly, genuinely hope I'm wrong in my belief that this means the death of so many more unborn children, children that I would give anything to raise as my own while we wait with empty, aching arms as unwanted children are being disposed of as trash legally in our country.

I hope all of us, especially those who hoped for an Obama victory, will be on our knees in fervent prayer the day he fulfills his promise and signs the FOCA, undoing and forbidding any and all restrictions for the murder of children nation wide.

May God forgive us our most heinous sins, and may our future president's heart be softened toward the most defenseless among us.

Election Novena - Day Nine

The prayer in podcast form.

Ninth Day

Opening Prayer

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in us the fire of your love.


Reading

Mt 5:13-16

“You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with
what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are
the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be
hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a
bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light
to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before
others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your
heavenly Father.”


Reflection

How am I salt for my community?
How do I shine your light for all the community to see?
What deeds am I performing in order to glorify God?


Prayer

Lord Jesus,
you give us your love and your grace
to do great things.
Give us the faith
to shine our light
by walking humbly
and acting justly
before our God.

Amen.


Novena Prayer

Immaculate Heart of Mary,
help us to conquer the menace of evil,
which so easily
takes root in the hearts of the people of today,
and whose immeasurable effects
already weigh down upon our modern world
and seem to block the paths toward the future.
From famine and war, deliver us.
From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, from
every kind of war, deliver us.
From sins against human life from its very beginning,
deliver us.
From hatred and from the demeaning of the dignity of the
children of God, deliver us.
From every kind of injustice in the life of society, both
national and international, deliver us.
From readiness to trample on the commandments of God,
deliver us.
From attempts to stifle in human hearts the very truth of
God, deliver us.
From the loss of awareness of good and evil, deliver us.
From sins against the Holy Spirit, deliver us.
Accept, O Mother of Christ,
this cry laden with the sufferings of all individual
human beings,
laden with the sufferings of whole societies.
Help us with the power of the Holy Spirit conquer all sin:
individual sin and the “sin of the world,”
sin in all its manifestations.
Let there be revealed once more in the history of the world
the infinite saving power of the redemption:
the power of merciful love.
May it put a stop to evil.
May it transform consciences.
May your Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light of hope.

Amen.

Election Novena - Day Eight

The prayer in podcast form.

Eighth Day

Opening Prayer

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in us the fire of your love.


Reading

Is 32:15-18

Until the spirit from on high
is poured out on us.

Then will the desert become an orchard
and the orchard be regarded as a forest.

Right will dwell in the desert
and justice abide in the orchard.

Justice will bring about peace;
right will produce calm and security.

My people will live in peaceful country,
in secure dwellings and quiet resting places.


Reflection

How do I recognize the Spirit’s involvement in my life in
the community?


Prayer

Spirit of God,
fill our hearts with peace
so that we may bring peace to our community.

Amen.


Novena Prayer

Immaculate Heart of Mary,
help us to conquer the menace of evil,
which so easily
takes root in the hearts of the people of today,
and whose immeasurable effects
already weigh down upon our modern world
and seem to block the paths toward the future.
From famine and war, deliver us.
From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, from
every kind of war, deliver us.
From sins against human life from its very beginning,
deliver us.
From hatred and from the demeaning of the dignity of the
children of God, deliver us.
From every kind of injustice in the life of society, both
national and international, deliver us.
From readiness to trample on the commandments of God,
deliver us.
From attempts to stifle in human hearts the very truth of
God, deliver us.
From the loss of awareness of good and evil, deliver us.
From sins against the Holy Spirit, deliver us.
Accept, O Mother of Christ,
this cry laden with the sufferings of all individual
human beings,
laden with the sufferings of whole societies.
Help us with the power of the Holy Spirit conquer all sin:
individual sin and the “sin of the world,”
sin in all its manifestations.
Let there be revealed once more in the history of the world
the infinite saving power of the redemption:
the power of merciful love.
May it put a stop to evil.
May it transform consciences.
May your Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light of hope.

Amen.

Election Novena - Day Seven

The prayer in podcast form.

Seventh Day

Opening Prayer

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in us the fire of your love.


Reading

Ephesians 4:1-6

I . . . urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call
you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with
patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to
preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace:
one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one
hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one
God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and
in all.


Reflection

What divisions exist in my community? What structures in
society seem unjust?
How am I striving to achieve justice and peace in my
neighborhood, church, and nation?


Prayer

God of justice,
we are created in your image.
May we glorify you in all of our actions.

Amen.


Novena Prayer

Immaculate Heart of Mary,
help us to conquer the menace of evil,
which so easily
takes root in the hearts of the people of today,
and whose immeasurable effects
already weigh down upon our modern world
and seem to block the paths toward the future.
From famine and war, deliver us.
From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, from
every kind of war, deliver us.
From sins against human life from its very beginning,
deliver us.
From hatred and from the demeaning of the dignity of the
children of God, deliver us.
From every kind of injustice in the life of society, both
national and international, deliver us.
From readiness to trample on the commandments of God,
deliver us.
From attempts to stifle in human hearts the very truth of
God, deliver us.
From the loss of awareness of good and evil, deliver us.
From sins against the Holy Spirit, deliver us.
Accept, O Mother of Christ,
this cry laden with the sufferings of all individual
human beings,
laden with the sufferings of whole societies.
Help us with the power of the Holy Spirit conquer all sin:
individual sin and the “sin of the world,”
sin in all its manifestations.
Let there be revealed once more in the history of the world
the infinite saving power of the redemption:
the power of merciful love.
May it put a stop to evil.
May it transform consciences.
May your Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light of hope.

Amen.

Election Novena - Day Six

The prayer in podcast form.

Sixth Day

Opening Prayer

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in us the fire of your love.


Reading

Mt 5:43-46

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your
neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your
enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you
may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his
sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on
the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you,
what recompense will you have?”

Reflection

Who are my enemies? How do I love them?
How do I live up to the definition Jesus provides for living
a Christian lifestyle, a life of Christian love?


Prayer

God of peace,
Give us the courage
to be reconciled with our neighbors, our enemies.
Give us the vision
to truly see what it means to be a Christian
so that peace and justice may rule in our world.

Amen.


Novena Prayer

Immaculate Heart of Mary,
help us to conquer the menace of evil,
which so easily
takes root in the hearts of the people of today,
and whose immeasurable effects
already weigh down upon our modern world
and seem to block the paths toward the future.
From famine and war, deliver us.
From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, from
every kind of war, deliver us.
From sins against human life from its very beginning,
deliver us.
From hatred and from the demeaning of the dignity of the
children of God, deliver us.
From every kind of injustice in the life of society, both
national and international, deliver us.
From readiness to trample on the commandments of God,
deliver us.
From attempts to stifle in human hearts the very truth of
God, deliver us.
From the loss of awareness of good and evil, deliver us.
From sins against the Holy Spirit, deliver us.
Accept, O Mother of Christ,
this cry laden with the sufferings of all individual
human beings,
laden with the sufferings of whole societies.
Help us with the power of the Holy Spirit conquer all sin:
individual sin and the “sin of the world,”
sin in all its manifestations.
Let there be revealed once more in the history of the world
the infinite saving power of the redemption:
the power of merciful love.
May it put a stop to evil.
May it transform consciences.
May your Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light of hope.

Amen.

Election Novena - Day Five

The prayer in podcast form.

Fifth Day

Opening Prayer

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in us the fire of your love.


Reading

1 Cor 11:26-29

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you
proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of
the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and
blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and
so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats
and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks
judgment on himself.

Reflection

How is the Eucharist central in my life? My community?
Where do I reach out to the body of Christ in my
community?


Prayer

Lord,
we come together at the Eucharist to celebrate
your death and resurrection.
Help us experience authentic worship.
Help us grow in awareness of each person’s dignity,
and increase our sensitivity to injustices.
Guide us to seek ways to redress them.

Amen.


Novena Prayer

Immaculate Heart of Mary,
help us to conquer the menace of evil,
which so easily
takes root in the hearts of the people of today,
and whose immeasurable effects
already weigh down upon our modern world
and seem to block the paths toward the future.
From famine and war, deliver us.
From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, from
every kind of war, deliver us.
From sins against human life from its very beginning,
deliver us.
From hatred and from the demeaning of the dignity of the
children of God, deliver us.
From every kind of injustice in the life of society, both
national and international, deliver us.
From readiness to trample on the commandments of God,
deliver us.
From attempts to stifle in human hearts the very truth of
God, deliver us.
From the loss of awareness of good and evil, deliver us.
From sins against the Holy Spirit, deliver us.
Accept, O Mother of Christ,
this cry laden with the sufferings of all individual
human beings,
laden with the sufferings of whole societies.
Help us with the power of the Holy Spirit conquer all sin:
individual sin and the “sin of the world,”
sin in all its manifestations.
Let there be revealed once more in the history of the world
the infinite saving power of the redemption:
the power of merciful love.
May it put a stop to evil.
May it transform consciences.
May your Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light of hope.

Amen.