The Collegeville Prayer of the Faithful - by Michael Kwatera (Mixed Media Product)

About the Book

Words and Gestures in the Liturgy is a call to attentiveness. What do the various movements in the liturgy mean? How do words affect and effect liturgical actions? Antonio Donghi explains that these gestures emerge from the experience of prayer; they are a response to the invitation to relationship with God. This revised and expanded edition of Actions and Words: Symbolic Language and the Liturgy (1997) pulls readers into an active and knowledgeable participation in the worship of God.

Book Synopsis

Let us bring our prayers to the Lord."

Each week when the community comes together for Mass, we gather to listen to the Word, to partake of the Eucharist, and to pray. The Prayer of the Faithful is marked by the same needs from week to week, but it is always an opportunity to approach God collectively in a way that reflects the richness of our particular celebration. This series of prayers by Father Michael Kwatera is rooted in the present moment: the liturgical season, lectionary readings, and the needs of the church. He draws on the readings, as well as the significance of feasts and of other celebrations. He is also attuned to the many ways we approach God, in language that is clear and attentive to the oral quality of the prayer.

"To place prayerful words on human lips and in human hearts is a most sacred work," writes Father Kwatera in the introduction. The fruit of this work is a set of texts that invites the community to draw near to God each week in prayer.

The Collegeville Prayer of the Faithful-a convenient compilation of the previously published volumes, with additional feasts added-includes a CD-ROM of intercessions that can be easily adapted for parish use. Each prayer is provided in a Word file that allows users to easily personalize the intercessions for their own parish.

Father Michael Kwatera, OSB, PhD, is Director of Oblates and Director of Liturgy for Saint John's Abbey, Collegeville, Minnesota. He is also a teacher and practitioner of Christian Liturgy and is the author of several Liturgical Press books, including Come to the Feast: Liturgical Theology of, by, and for Everybody (2005), and the coauthor of To Thank and Bless: Prayers at Meals (2007).

"

Review Quotes

I'm amazed at how poetic The Prayer of the Faithful can be when composed by one who loves the liturgy and loves the people and the world for which we pray. Michael provides beautiful prayers that can be readily used 'as is' or easily adapted to each faith community. This resource is always on my desk.Barbara Guenther, Pastoral Associate for Liturgy and Music, Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Catholic Community, Albuquerque, New Mexico

In this comprehensive volume, Fr. Kwatera offers a generous array of prayerfully crafted intercessions, grounded in Scripture. These strong, yet malleable prayers are a poetic gathering of the needs and concerns of the universal Church, which allow the inclusion of needs pertinent to the local Church. The Collegeville Prayer of the Faithful: General Intercessions for Years A, B, C is a valuable resource for parishes, seminaries, and houses of formation.Sister Marie Garman, IHM, Incarnation of Our Lord Parish, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

These intentions follow the categories given in the GIRM 2002, are poetically written, reasonably short, with wonderful introductions for the presider and concluding collects. This is a great resource to have, and I recommend it for every parish and other liturgical community.Liturgical Ministry

This book is an invaluable resource for all those who compose the Prayers of the Faithful for liturgy. Tied to the Sunday Scriptures, the intercessions use key phrases to reinforce the Liturgy of the Word. Their lyrical style moves the heart and soul as we pray for the needs of all the world. I would not want to miss having this book in my resource library.Patricia Spence, Liturgy and Music Coordinator, Immaculate Conception Church, Rice, Minnesota