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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

Prayers of Preparation and Farewell

Fr. David Friel · November 5, 2017

E HAVE just passed the annual memorial of St. Charles Borromeo (November 4), the liturgical celebration of which includes one of my favorite passages in the Office of Readings. Drawn from a sermon given by the eminent, reforming bishop of Milan during the last synod he attended, the passage is an encouragement to priests to practice what they preach.

At one point, St. Charles asks: “Are you in charge of a parish? If so, do not neglect the parish of your own soul; do not give yourself to others so completely that you have nothing left for yourself. You have to be mindful of your people without becoming forgetful of yourself.”

In another section of the homily, St. Charles describes the situation of priests who wish to lead good lives, but find it difficult. He raises the example of a priest who complains that his mind is filled with a thousand distractions when he goes to pray his Office or to celebrate Mass. In response to this hypothetical priest, the preacher addresses three poignant questions: “But what was he doing in the sacristy before he came out for the Office or for Mass? How did he prepare? What means did he use to collect his thoughts and to remain collected?”

These questions could well figure into an examination of conscience, not only for priests, but for all who desire to pray wholeheartedly.

The question of what a priest is doing in the sacristy before Mass is a particularly penetrating question, and its answer has a direct effect on the fruitfulness of his prayer.

In an appendix of the Roman Missal, one finds a good selection of prayers to be prayed in the sacristy before and after Mass. They include the famous prayers of St. Ambrose and St. Thomas Aquinas, among others. Many saints and faithful Catholics have written similar prayers for the purposes of preparation and thanksgiving.

Two years ago, I posted a series of reflections on the vesting prayers that may be prayed by the priest before Mass. Just last month, NLM posted scans of the Præparatio ad Missam and Gratiarum Actio post Missam cards that traditionally hung in many sacristies.

Today, I would like to share two prayers that I have found personally beneficial. The first is a prayer of Bl. John Henry Cardinal Newman, to be prayed before Mass. It speaks to the Mother of God and asks for her assistance in entering into the sacred mysteries:

Præparatio ad Missam
O Holy Mother,
stand by me now at Mass time,
when Christ comes to me,
as thou didst minister to Thy infant Lord;
as thou didst hang upon His words when He grew up;
as thou wast found under His Cross.

Stand by me, Holy Mother,
that I may gain somewhat
of thy purity, thy innocence, thy faith,
and He may be the one object
of my love and my adoration,
as He was of thine.

The second prayer I would like to share is drawn from the Maronite tradition. This prayer is prayed by the priest at the end of every Divine Liturgy. It uses the literary device of apostrophe to speak directly to the altar:

Maronite Prayer of Farewell to the Altar
Remain in peace, O holy altar of God.
I hope to return to you in peace.
May the offering I have received from you forgive my sins
and prepare me to stand blameless
before the throne of Christ.
I know not whether I shall be able to return to you again to offer sacrifice.
Guard me, O Lord, and protect your holy Church,
that she may be the way to salvation and the light of the world.
Amen.

Following the encouragement of St. Charles Borromeo, may all of us remain solicitous to enter into the liturgy with attentive minds and hearts!

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman, Maronite Liturgy, Vesting Prayers Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Why A “Fugue” Here?
    I believe I know why this plainsong harmonizer created a tiny fugue as the INTRODUCTION to his accompaniment. Take a look (PDF) and tell me your thoughts about what he did on the feast of the Flight of Our Lord Jesus Christ into Egypt (17 February). And now I must go because “tempus fugit” as they say!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

Had the Church never spoken on this matter, it would still be repugnant to our Catholic people’s sense of what is fit and proper in the holiest of places, that a priest should have to struggle through the prayers of the Holy Mass, because of such tunes as “Alice, where art thou?” the “Vacant Chair,” and others of more vulgar title, which, through the carelessness or bad judgment of organists, sometimes find their way into our choirs.

— Preface to a Roman Catholic Hymnal (1896)

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