Question: The priest whispers certain prayers during the offertory at Mass. Why is this, and how can the people participate if he does this?
— Name, location withheld
Answer: There are certain prayers that the priest is expected to recite alone and quietly. The offertory prayers you mention are among them. There are other prayers, just before holy Communion that are also part of these personal and private prayers. While your question is understandable, we do well to note that the liturgy is not just about the people in the pews and what benefits them. The priest needs to pray, too. But more importantly, the whole liturgy is directed to God, not to us and our benefit. This is why the liturgy was, for most of our history, read in Latin, and this was not considered a problem. God knows Latin, and the priest was speaking to him on our behalf. Intelligibility has its place, but is not an absolute requirement.
Msgr. Charles Pope is the pastor of Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian in Washington, D.C., and writes for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. at blog.adw.org. Send questions to msgrpope@osv.com.
| Priest’s Prayers |
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This example of the priest’s personal prayers comes after the Offertory, when the priest goes to wash his hands. From the Missal: “After this, the Priest, bowing profoundly, says quietly: ‘With humble spirit and contrite heart may we be accepted by you, O Lord, and may our sacrifice in your sight this day be pleasing to you, Lord God.’ Then, standing at the side of the altar, he washes his hands, saying quietly: ‘Wash me, O Lord, from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.'” (Psalm 51:2) |
