I am starting to really like the presidential prayers in the 3rd edition of the Roman Missal. I think there might be many writings on this topic. Although I was originally among those that maligned the new translation, especially in he presidential prayers, I have come to find deep meaning in them.
The 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time we get:
Prayer after Communion
Grant us, almighty God,
that we may be refreshed and nourished
by the Sacrament which we have received,
so as to be transformed into what we consume.
Through Christ our Lord.
Basically in my words, Lord, help us to become what we have received.
I don’t think most of us get that. The first time I saw this I paused and was just silent. It had a profound impact.
On the Feast of the Transfiguration we have:
Prayer after Communion
Grant us, almighty God,
that we may be refreshed and nourished
by the Sacrament which we have received,
so as to be transformed into what we consume.
Through Christ our Lord.
I think many have lost the true belief in the transformative affect of what we do at Mass. Many go because the have to or go to hell, or feel an obligation through that good ole Catholic Guilt. We, for me only a very few years before memory took hold, used to sit there and have the priest turn his back and do his thing. We watched and for the most part missed the point of why we were there. We were there because Father said we had to be there.
Showing up at mass prepared, and not rushing in at last second, finds us ready to ask forgiveness for our sins. Then with a pure heart we ask to become more like Jesus. But it isn’t magic, unfortunately. We have to take what we have received and work at that transformation. Encountering one of God’s creatures after Mass cutting you off and effectively blocking you from leaving the parking lot, do you automatically pray that they arrive safely after such a rush? A sign that we are not quite fully transformed shows up when we find our selves offering an alternate “sign of peace?” Do we offer a prayer for the person that so hurried that they dinged our car door and forgot to leave a note. We have to work to see God’s presence in all those we encounter.
Who would have thought there was so much “meat” in the presidential prayers? I am afraid that if I were not reading them, I might miss the depth of the prayers…
What can you do?
There are great apps and the texts are online. Read them with the readings for the mass. They are a bit stilted in structure, but the meaning there makes it worth the effort.