Category: The Daily Collection

The Daily Collection is a series of reflections based on the “Collect” of the Mass, which most people call the opening prayer. This section breaks down that prayer and provides a few points of reflection on that prayer. Maybe the reflection will be profound and helpful, maybe it will seem kind of hum-drum, and maybe you’ll have your own insights that are better than mine – great! The goal is to get you to notice the prayer in the first place. They are often beautiful, if not a little dense, and starting to recognize their existence and meaning is just one more way to achieve the “Full, Conscious, Active participation” at Mass called for by the Second Vatican Council. It’s a small way to help you on your way to ordinary holiness.

Daily Collection: St. Norbert

Posted on by Father Albert
Collect taken from the memorial of St. Norbert Collect: O God, who made the Bishop Saint Norbert a servant of your Church outstanding in his prayer and pastoral zeal, grant, we ask, that by the help of his intercession, the flock of the faithful may always find shepherds after your own heart and be fed in the pastures of salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ... " O God, who made the Bishop Saint Norbert a servant of your Church outstanding in his prayer and pastoral zeal," -  Without fail, we continue to give glory to God for the achievements of his saints. Even...Read More

Daily Collection: St. Boniface

Posted on by Father Albert
Collect taken from the memorial of St. Boniface, bishop and martyr Collect: May the Martyr Saint Boniface be our advocate, O Lord, that we may firmly hold the faith he taught with his lips and sealed in his blood and confidently profess it by our deeds. Through our Lord Jesus Christ... "May the Martyr Saint Boniface be our advocate, O Lord," -  Recently, we heard from Jesus that the Holy Spirit is the Advocate, but here we are asking for St. Boniface to be an advocate. It is true that Jesus is the one mediator between God and man - St. Boniface...Read More

Daily Collection: St. Charles Lwanga and Companions

Posted on by Father Albert
Collect taken from the memorial of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs Collect:  O God, who have made the blood of Martyrs the seed of Christians, mercifully grant that the field which is your Church, watered by the blood shed by Saint Charles Lwanga and his companions, may be fertile and always yield you an abundant harvest. Through our Lord Jesus Christ... "O God, who have made the blood of Martyrs the seed of Christians" - We remind ourselves of Tertullian's famous quote about the blood of martyrs. We recognize that Christians who give their lives for the love of God and...Read More

Daily Collection: Seventh Week of Easter – Monday

Posted on by Father Albert
Collect taken from Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter. Collect: May the power of the Holy Spirit come to us, we pray, O Lord, that we may keep your will faithfully in mind and express it in a devout way of life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ... "May the power of the Holy Spirit come to us, we pray, O Lord" - We are in the midst of the Novena to the Holy Spirit, the original novena in the life of the Church. As such, the prayers for this entire week ask for the Holy Spirit and look forward to his coming. "that...Read More

Daily Collection: St. Augustine of Canterbury

Posted on by Father Albert
Collect taken from the memorial of St. Augustine of Canterbury, Bishop Collect:  O God, who by the preaching of the Bishop Saint Augustine of Canterbury led the English peoples to the Gospel, grant, we pray, that the fruits of his labors may remain ever abundant in your Church. Through our Lord Jesus Christ... "O God, who by the preaching of the Bishop Saint Augustine of Canterbury led the English peoples to the Gospel" - Particularity is a part of the faith. While we are all joined to the one Church, we are also a rich diversity of peoples who come to the...Read More

Daily Collection: St. Bede the Venerable

Posted on by Father Albert
Collect taken from the memorial of St. Bede, Priest and Doctor Collect:  O God, who bring light to your Church through the learning of the Priest Saint Bede, mercifully grant that your servants may always be enlightened by his wisdom and helped by his merits. Through our Lord Jesus Christ... "O God, who bring light to your Church through the learning of the Priest Saint Bede" - As always, we credit God for the merits of his saints. In this case, St. Bede is a doctor of the Church, which means that he was a teacher of the faith. So, we acknowledge...Read More

Daily Collection: St. Bernardine of Siena

Posted on by Father Albert
Collect taken from the memorial of St. Bernardine, Priest. Collect:  O God, who gave the Priest Saint Bernardine of Siena a great love for the holy Name of Jesus, grant through his merits and prayers, that we may ever be set aflame with the spirit of your love. Through our Lord Jesus Christ... "O God, who gave the Priest Saint Bernardine of Siena a great love for the holy Name of Jesus," - St. Bernardine was famous for his devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus and his eagerness to spread that love. As with the other saints, we attribute this zeal and...Read More

Daily Collection: Fifth Week of Easter – Wednesday

Posted on by Father Albert
Collect taken from Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter. Collect: O God, restorer and lover of innocence, direct the hearts of your servants towards yourself, that those you have set free from the darkness of unbelief may never stray from the light of your truth. Through our Lord Jesus Christ... "O God, restorer and lover of innocence, direct the hearts of your servants towards yourself" - Innocence is mocked and treated as something that only immature children can have, but it is not so for the Lord. He not only loves innocence, but, by grace restores it. And, the prayer to direct...Read More

Daily Collection: Fifth Week of Easter – Tuesday

Posted on by Father Albert
Collect taken from Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter. Collect: O God, who restore us to eternal life in the Resurrection of Christ, grant your people constancy in faith and hope, that we may never doubt the promises of which we have learned from you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ... "O God, who restore us to eternal life in the Resurrection of Christ" - Before the firs sin, we had eternal life, but the first sin brought death. By bringing our human nature through death and back to life, Christ has paved the way for all human beings to pass beyond death...Read More

Daily Collection: Fifth Sunday of Easter

Posted on by Father Albert
Collect taken from the Fifth Sunday of Easter. Collect: Almighty ever-living God, constantly accomplish the Paschal Mystery within us, that those you were pleased to make new in Holy Baptism may, under your protective care, bear much fruit and come to the joys of life eternal. Through our Lord Jesus Christ... "Almighty ever-living God, constantly accomplish the Paschal Mystery within us," - Note that this is not a description but a request; We are asking God to continue to accomplish the Paschal Mystery within us. Although Christ died and rose once for all we each must go through the process of having...Read More