The Collect for the Memorial of St. Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church:
“Almighty ever-living God, who raised up the Bishop Saint Athanasius as an outstanding champion of your Son’s divinity, mercifully grant, that, rejoicing in his teaching and his protection, we may never cease to grow in knowledge and love of you. 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.”
Reflection
St. Athanasius fought hard before during and after the council of Nicaea to ensure that the truth about Jesus Christ was taught. God promised that the gates of Hell will not prevail against the Church, so we know that he will provide “champions” of the faith in those times when some hellish lie or falsehood threatens to undermine the Church’s ability to hand on the truth. As a Church of tradition, we rejoice in what Athanasius said and taught even 1700 years later. As a communion of saints, the Church still benefits from his heavenly intercession for our protection from evil and falsehood. We always seek to love God: as rational creatures, we cannot honestly say that we love something or someone if we do not also seek to know it ever more, so we are grateful for the teaching of the Church that enables us to know God better and therefore to love him more. We also pray for the ability to do just that.
So, for your daily contribution to the Church’s collection of prayer,
Meditate on how much the Truth means to you. Do you “never cease to grow in knowledge and love” of God? Pray for God to increase your desire to know him. Then spiritually unite that prayer to all the Masses throughout the world today. That way, when the priest says “Let us pray,” you can be a part of that “us” even if you don’t get to attend Mass.
