The Collect for Week 20 O God, who have prepared for those who love you good things which no eye can see, fill our hearts, we pray, with the warmth of your love, so that, loving you in all things and above all things, we may attain your promises, which surpass every human desire. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. The Collect for Week 21 O God, who cause the minds of the faithful to unite in a single purpose, grant your people to love what you command and to desire what you promise, that, amid the uncertainties of this world, our hearts may be fixed on that place where true gladness is found. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
I never appreciated these until I started reading Father Z's blog. Then I understood why - they were so boring until the wording was fixed with the new missal.....
The Collect for Week 22 God of might, giver of every good gift, put into our hearts the love of your name, so that, by deepening our sense of reverence, you may nurture in us what is good and, by your watchful care, keep safe what you have nurtured. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. See how it is God who accomplishes all in our hearts. How I reverence His Holy Name!
It wasn't until very recently that I understood that the Collect is the collected prayers of all the people. This has greatly helped me pay attention. Imagine being back in the Catacombs in Ancient Rome in the cave at Mass. Imagine what the Collected Prayers must have been like back then. They were praying for their very lives. Imagine their fervour. Mary has said if only one priest in the entire world would say Mass like the Apostles did the Chastisement might be averted. What a pity we cannot say the Collect like those in the caves...
