Listen to the Word


difference between these two traditions is that self-emptying must postpone the attainment of glory whereas positive loving actions express the glory attained.


Textual analysis: The Prayer After Communion offers one of the few examples in a prayer of a compound verb that takes the dative complement, which in this case is the relative pronoun, cui … compatimur, “with whom we suffer together”. If we were to remove the verb’s prefix com- and restore it as a prep - osition cum, meaning “with”, we would have quocum … patimur, with the same meaning.


Ritual development Opening Prayer: Almighty power is shown most of all by being merciful and compas- sionate. Prayer Over the Gifts:The exchange is not as straightforward as giving to get in return. Rather, our abundant blessing comes through our offering itself: giving, we receive. Weekday Preface 1 of Ordinary Time: Based on the canticle of Philippians 2:5-11, the Preface omits the canticle’s reference to the Incarnation to focus on the Cross. The canticle and Preface are structured in two successive stages. The self-emptying of God even to shedding Christ’s blood on the Cross is followed by Christ’s exaltation. Although the Opening Prayer occurs first in the Mass, it reinterprets the canticle and Preface. All three begin with a reference to almighty God and then refer to self- emptying, which in the Opening Prayer is described in terms of showing mercy and compassion. The Preface, following the can- ticle, contrasts the divine nature with self-emptying, “although he was in the form of God, he emptied himself”. The Opening Prayer, however, unites God’s almighty power with being merciful and compassionate say- ing, “who show your almighty power most especially by being merciful and compassion- ate”. Showing mercy and compassion are supreme expressions of power, not its contrast. Prayer After Communion: The two- stage action of the Preface is reinterpreted in this prayer which begins where the rite of Communion leaves off. The heavenly mys- tery is the communion we share with God


24 | THE TABLET | 18 September 2010


In giving, we receive H


ere the prayers contrast the tradi- tion of self-emptying love with the tradition that emphasises the positive force of loving actions. The


Opening Prayer O God, who show your almighty power most especially by being merciful and compassionate, increase your favour upon us so that you may make the ones running towards your promises to be sharers of heavenly goods. Through our Lord Jesus Christ … Amen.


Prayer Over the Gifts Grant to us, merciful God, that this our offering be acceptable to you, and through it the source of all blessing be opened to us. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.


Sit nobis, Domine, reparatio mentis et corporis


caeleste mysterium, ut simus eius in gloria coheredes,


cui, mortem ipsius annuntiando, compatimur.


Qui vivit et regnat in saecula saeculorum.


(Missale Romanum, 2008)


Weekday Preface 1 of Ordinary Time Truly worthy and just it is, fitting and right, that always and everywhere we give you thanks, Lord, holy Father, almighty eternal God, through Christ our Lord,


in whom it pleased you to restore all things, and you allowed us all to take from his fullness.


For, although he was in the form of God, he emptied himself,


and one another which leads to our integral health of body and mind. In this way we become co-heirs in glory. The Latin text here does not require the postponement of glory until after death, as in the canticle. Rather, we become co-heirs in glory, because the glory of God is a human person fully alive, accord- ing to St Irenaeus of Lyons. Yet our becoming co-heirs in glory accom- panies our suffering together with Christ by proclaiming his death. The precise connec- tion between the expressions “with whom we suffer together by proclaiming his death” is not clear. Perhaps it means that we proclaim his death in the Scriptures and share in the sacramental meal and thereby suffer with him. Or perhaps we proclaim Christ’s death by our sufferings and thereby suffer with him. Nevertheless, conforming ourselves to Christ is expanded to include both coming to


sacraments, O Lord,


so that we may grasp in both mysteries and behaviour the accomplishment of redemption. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.


(The study texts are translated from Latin in collabor ation with Frs Reginald Foster OCD and James Leachman OSB. These texts are not polished translations, but are intended to reveal a theological richness and beauty.)


share in his glory as co-heirs and suffering with him.


The art of celebrating


Gathering to celebrate the liturgy enacts the image of running to share heavenly goods, which we experience in daily life through the power of mercy and compassion. In the exchange of gifts, we realise that in the act of giving we receive. Rather than the two stages of self-emptying and exaltation presented in the Preface, the positive force of showing mercy and compassion are supreme expres- sions of almighty power, not its abnegation. We prepare to return to daily life in a new way, renewed in our full humanity.


■Daniel McCarthy OSB is a monk of St Benedict’s Abbey, Kansas, who writes and teaches on liturgy.


The canticle from Philippians 2:5-11 underlies this Preface, which omits the mystery of the Incarnation to focus on the Cross. The canticle and Preface in turn are reinterpreted in the Opening Prayer to emphasise mercy and compassion as supreme expressions of almighty power


TWENTY-SIXTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME


and through the blood of his Cross established all things in peace,


for which reason he was raised up above all things


and became the cause of eternal salvation for everyone following him.


Post Communionem (Prayer After Communion)


And therefore with Angels and Archangels, with Thrones and Dominations, and with every force of the heavenly army,


we sing the hymn of your glory without end saying: Holy, Holy, Holy …


Prayer After Communion Kindly raise up with continual helps the ones whom you renew with your


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