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. Therese of Lisieux

Posted on by Father Albert
Daily Collection taken from the memorial of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, Virgin Collect: O God, who open your Kingdom to those who are humble and to little ones, lead us to follow trustingly in the little way of Saint Thérèse, so that through her intercession we may see your eternal glory revealed. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son... "O God, who open your Kingdom to those who are humble and to little ones" -- We praise God because of his humble accessibility. Over half the world lives below the poverty line and has no real share in the political and...Read More

Daily Collection: St. Jerome

Posted on by Father Albert
Daily Collection taken from the Memorial of St. Jerome, Doctor of the Church Collect: O God, who gave the Priest Saint Jerome a living and tender love for Sacred Scripture, grant that your people may be ever more fruitfully nourished by your Word and find in it the fount of life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son... "O God, who gave the Priest Saint Jerome a living and tender love for Sacred Scripture" -- We see that the gift of Scripture is so great, that even the ability to love it is a gift. This also reminds us that we all good...Read More

Daily Collection: Feast of the Angels

Posted on by Father Albert
Daily Collection taken from today's feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Collect: O God, who dispose in marvelous order ministries both angelic and human, graciously grant that our life on earth may be defended by those who watch over us as they minister perpetually to you in heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ... "O God, who dispose in marvelous order ministries both angelic and human" -- We praise God in particular for the great diversity and complementarity in his design for the world. Just as Christians work together to be one body in Christ, so the angels are each given their...Read More

Daily Collection: St. Wenceslaus

Posted on by Father Albert
Daily Collection is taken from the optional memorial of St. Wenceslaus, Martyr Collect: O God, who taught the Martyr Saint Wenceslaus to place the heavenly Kingdom before an earthly one, grant through his prayers that, denying ourselves, we may hold fast to you with all our heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son... "O God, who taught the Martyr Saint Wenceslaus to place the heavenly Kingdom before an earthly one" -- We pray daily "thy kingdom come," but how often do we or anyone we know actually live in this manner? We praise God for the witness of a man who had...Read More

Daily Collection: Sts Cosmas and Damian

Posted on by Father Albert
Today's Daily Collection comes from Sts. Cosmas and Damian, Martyrs Collect: May you be magnified, O Lord, by the revered memory of your Saints Cosmas and Damian, for with providence beyond words you have conferred on them everlasting glory, and on us, your unfailing help. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son... "May you be magnified, O Lord, by the revered memory of your Saints Cosmas and Damian" -- To praise the works of the Lord is to praise the Lord. Especially in the case of Martyrs like these two, to remember the great things that a person did for the Love of God...Read More

Daily Collection: Padre Pio

Posted on by Father Albert
Today's Daily Collection is from Padre Pio. Collect: Almighty ever-living God, who, by a singular grace, gave the Priest Saint Pius a share in the Cross of your Son and, by means of his ministry, renewed the wonders of your mercy, grant that through his intercession we may be united constantly to the sufferings of Christ, and so brought happily to the glory of the resurrection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ... "Almighty ever-living God, who, by a singular grace, gave the Priest Saint Pius a share in the Cross of your Son" -- While we thank God for the miraculous gift of Padre Pio's...Read More

Daily Collection: St. Matthew

Posted on by Father Albert
Today's Daily Collection is from St. Matthew, Apostle Collect: O God, who with untold mercy were pleased to choose as an Apostle Saint Matthew, the tax collector, grant that, sustained by his example and intercession, we may merit to hold firm in following you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ... "O God, who with untold mercy were pleased to choose as an Apostle Saint Matthew, the tax collector" -- God's mercy precedes our conversion. In fact, it is the undeserving gift of grace, coming from God's mercy, that enables us to repent at all. By this Mercy, God's grace can fill our hearts and minds,...Read More

Daily Collection: St. Januarius

Posted on by Father Albert
Today's Daily Collection comes from the optional memorial of St. Januarius, Bishop & Martyr. Collect: O God, who grant us to venerate the memory of the Martyr Saint Januarius, give us, we pray, the joy of his company in blessed happiness for all eternity. Through our Lord Jesus Christ... "O God, who grant us to venerate the memory of the Martyr Saint Januarius" -- Recognizing that all holiness is a gift from God, we invoke him as the real source of Januarius' fame. We also recognize that the ability to venerate a saint, the ability to recognize holiness in someone else and to give...Read More

Daily Collection: St. Robert Bellarmine

Posted on by Father Albert
Robert Bellarmine was a Jesuit, a Theologian, and a Canon Lawyer during a tough time in the Church. Collect: O God, who adorned the Bishop Saint Robert Bellarmine with wonderful learning and virtue to vindicate the faith of your Church, grant, through his intercession, that in the integrity of that same faith your people may always find joy. Through our Lord Jesus Christ... "O God, who adorned the Bishop Saint Robert Bellarmine with wonderful learning and virtue to vindicate the faith of your Church," --We understand that all good things come from God, even our own accomplishments. So, instead of thanking Robert...Read More

Introducing the Daily Collection

Posted on by Father Albert
Greetings friends! For a little while now, I've wanted to offer something for reflection that would be a little more frequent and more digestible than the occasional weekend homily. As I was looking over the prayers of the Mass, yesterday, I was struck by the beauty and depth of the Collect for Sts. Cornelius and Cyprian. That's when it hit me - how many people pay much attention to the "opening prayer" for Mass? After the new translation, the prayers are more beautiful and more precise, but I know that the sentences can sometimes be confusing. How many people hear...Read More