Universal Prayer of the Faithful | Memorial of Saint Bridget of Sweden
Universal Prayer of the Faithful
Already the Church of the first centuries knew and practiced litany prayer invocations for the intentions of the Christian community. It was simply following the command of the Apostle St. Paul, who gives the following indication: "First of all, then, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity." (1 Timothy 2:1-2)
The recommendation of St. Paul we recognize in the Universal Prayer. This Prayer in the form of Litany, after several centuries of practicing it, with time became optional and was not used for many centuries. It was only fully restored after the Second Vatican Council.
The only universal prayer that has been present for almost two thousand years in the Church's tradition is the tenfold prayer exhortations recited in the liturgy of Good Friday. Why is this prayer universal? Because we go beyond our own personal and individual matters and open ourselves to the needs of others.
The community present at the Holy Mass pleads for others. There are enough moments in the liturgy when we can present our personal, private matters to God, for example, before the Collect Prayer or in thanksgiving after receiving Holy Communion. On the other hand, in the universal prayer, liturgical community seems to leave its own environment, and, like the whole Church, it is Catholic, that is, universal, without borders, open to everyone and for everyone.
The Gospel repeatedly introduces us to scenes that describe intercession for others. The intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary during the wedding at Cana in Galilee is eloquent here. There is another important motive for making requests to God for others. It results from the truth of faith, which we rarely realize, that every believer on the basis of received baptism is endowed with a common priesthood (obviously not a sacramental one).
This universal priesthood obliges all believers to open to the needs of their closer and more distant surroundings, because we are all called to make the world, families, rulers, and neighbors more holy.
The Universal Prayer has a fixed structure. At the beginning, the celebrant exhorts those present to introduce their imploring intentions to God. Liturgical regulations recommend that these exhortations be kept in a specific order.
First, we ask for the needs of the Church e.g. by praying for the pope, bishop, mission, unity of Christians, priestly or religious vocations, etc.
The second series of exhortations covers the matters of today's world e.g. prayer for the rulers, for peace, social justice, respect for human rights, etc.
The third group of exhortations refers to people experiencing various difficulties - suffering from hunger, injustice, various deficiencies.
The final series of intentions invites the local community to pray for their own needs.
We respond to every prayer call with an acclamation, e.g. "We ask you - hear us, Lord".
The whole of the Prayer of the Faithful ends with a collective prayer of the celebrant.
Memorial of Saint Bridget of Sweden
THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS" is the title of a small book that contains prayers and meditations by today's patron Saint Bridget of Sweden. Happiness is one of the most sought-after states of human well-being. St. Bridget assures that by saying daily for one year, the 15 prayers that she wrote will be achieved a certain degree of perfection and happiness.
Why does she allow herself to make such bold declaration, which are additionally to apply to everyone without exceptions? According to her revelations, approved by Pope Benedict XIV, this is what Jesus had promised her.
Who was the author of " The Revelations: On the Life and Passion of Our Lord and the Life of His Blessed Mother" and "The Secret of Happiness" that we remember today in the liturgy? She was a Swedish woman from an aristocratic family. Her birth at Finsta Castle near Uppland was prophesied, a prophecy that said, "Her wonderful voice will be heard by the whole world." Initially, there was no indication of this, because for the first 3 years the child did not speak at all. After that, however, not only did she begin to speak, but she quickly mastered the art of reading and writing. She was a wife, mother of eight children, the founder of an order. Her mystical visions influenced the art and piety of Europe.
Her cult in Protestant Sweden is experiencing a renaissance. All Swedish children in the state schools are being taught today about Saint Bridget, despite the fact that compulsory Protestant catechesis removed it from them long time ago. This extraordinary woman is part of the Swedish history and European history. When John Paul II added her to the list of Europe's patrons, he wrote: "I want her to become close not only to those who have received a call to a special consecration, but also to those who were called to the ordinary duties of secular life, especially to the sublime and the difficult mission of starting a Christian family ”. As the only one of the six patrons of Europe, she remained a layperson until the end of her life.
In the Gospel read on the memorial of St. Bridget, Jesus says: I am the true vine - you are the branches. An amazing metabolic process takes place in the vine. With the help of the roots, it draws the appropriate nutrients from the soil to transform these ingredients into a good-looking fruit under the influence of the sun and various photosynthetic reactions in cells.
"Juices of life", i.e. energy, willingness to learn, work, optimism, we draw from various sources: love, friendship, dedication, ambition, jealousy, work, prayer. There may be different sources. We Christians use a special source, our union, implantation, abiding in Christ - the vine. Being in union with Christ encourages us to bear good fruit. Being in union with Christ is like the sun's benevolent rays, that transforms what is temporal into what is eternal, and gives a divine dimension to purely human works. Such a branch full of life, because it was implanted in Christ - the vine, brought so much good fruits for Sweden, Europe and the Church, is St. Bridget
Until Tomorrow
fr. george