How we can receive more from the Mass - 6 (silence/Collect)

We have already reflected on silence, and how important it can be for our spiritual life. But in our everyday life, when we are with other people, silence can be a comforting or a challenging experience. 

At its worse, it can be awkward to the point of excruciatingly painful. At its best, it can be powerfully intimate, drawing us closer together – think of a well-observed minute’s silence for someone who has died. 

After we have sung the Glory to God, we come to another of the small silences that we have previously mentioned; the priest says, “Let us pray,” and there follows a short period of silence before the Celebrant prays the Collect. What do you do during this silence? Are you simply waiting for the priest to pray the Collect? 

The Collect is the opening prayer in the celebration of Holy Mass, it gathers together our silent prayers and is spoken on our behalf. But our own prayer actually starts during that silence. The General Instruction tells us that the silence follows so that everyone “may become aware of being in God’s presence and may call to mind their intentions.” (GIRM 54)

If, during that moment of silence, we are simply waiting for the priest to speak, then we are merely passive attendees; but if we are praying together with our community, then we are actively engaged participants of the celebration of the Mass.

So let us, together, embrace these moments of silence. There is no need for awkwardness: we have acknowledged our failings before God and others, we have again been reconciled with our loving, merciful God, and we have sung his praises. We have no reason to be awkward and every reason to stand in silent prayer – before the Eternal, together with our community.