Chapter I of this document is labelled a “Practical Directory.” What does that mean? A modern liturgist would recognize this as a praenotanda, an instruction of how-to. Since the Consilium declined to write up anything more than sample prayers, it is a directory without a real working liturgical text.
It strikes me that the post-conciliar reformers were very trusting of local pastors to provide meaningful texts for this part of the Mass. Did I just write Mass? That would be an incomplete understanding. As we’ll see, the vision in 1966 was that the Prayer of the Faithful would be rendered in other sacramental liturgies, as well as in devotions.
Subsection § 1 of Oratio Universalis has a title: NATURE AND PASTORAL VALUE OF THE PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL. The first five numbered sections address this. Let’s begin with a definition:
1. “Universal prayer” is a term for a prayer or intercession directed to God, made at the invitation of the proper minister and by the faithful as a group. This prayer makes intercession for the various needs of the Church, especially the universal Church, and of the whole world.
2. Thus this prayer has three noteworthy characteristics:
a. It is a petition addressed to God. Therefore it is not the expression of adoration or thanksgiving alone; nor is it in praise of some saint or a summary to give instruction on truths about religious obligations or the nature of the Mass.
b. It is a petition to God chiefly for blessings of a universal kind: on behalf of the whole Church, the world, all those “beset by various needs”; nevertheless it is proper also to pray for the faithful actually making up the assembly.
c. It belongs to the whole congregation (“with the people taking part”), because the assembly responds to the minister’s invitations and does not through a single Amen simply conclude petitions made by the minister alone.
Commentary:
Intercessory prayer is a recognized charism in the Church. At least where charisms are fully recognized it is. Obviously, any person can pray for any other person or people. Perhaps it has a special quality when people who have the charism pray with others in the context of a faith community. Two or more people are fulfilling a directive from the Lord’s public ministry, one in which he has attached certain promises of effectiveness.
The petitions are first for the entirety of the Church and the entirety of the world. I suppose that in some future of humankind when we are spread across the solar system and the stars, that expansion to “people everywhere in the universe” will be a later consideration.
That first characteristic: it is addressed to God, not a sermon or instruction to people. This will be important to those composing the prayer. 2a teaches us not to use the prayer to educate people, and that would include opening eyes to justice and charitable causes, or to teach people about the faith.
2b gives us the four “basic intentions” that every composer considers: the Church and the world first, followed by those in need and the local community. This is a good ordering of the petitions.
2c suggests that the praying assembly responds to the minister. I’m aware of instances in which petitions are rendered and the only voicing by the people is a final Amen after the concluding prayer. I think a mature faith community might make this work occasionally. A vocal response isn’t mandated here, but a mindful, participatory one is. People intent on limiting a sung or spoken response or interlude might want to tread carefully.
Most importantly, this document notes that the Universal Prayer belongs to the people. How does this manifest? My own thought is that the faith community could identify most of the intentions and representatives write them. Ideally, a discussion would take place between ordinary parishioners and the ministry staff.
Whew! That’s a lot for today. Any comments from you readers?
Catholic Sensibility 