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“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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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

    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. However, on the feasts website, the chants have been posted for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C), which is this coming Sunday: 6 July 2025.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)
    With each passing day, more is revealed about how the enemies of the liturgy accomplished their goals. For instance, Hannibal Bugnini deeply resented the way Vatican II said Gregorian Chant “must be given first place in liturgical services.” On 6 November 1966, his cadre wrote a letter attempting to justify the elimination of Gregorian Chant with this brazen statement: “What really gives a Mass its tone is not so much the songs as it is the prayers and readings.” Bugnini’s cadre then attacked the very heart of Gregorian Chant (viz. the Proprium Missae), bemoaning how the Proprium Missae “is completely new each Sunday and feast day.” There is much more to be said about this topic. Stay tuned.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“These French offices represent a new case of the old tendency towards local modification—which the Council of Trent had meant to repress. They are commonly attributed to Gallican ideas and are supposed to be not free from Jansenist venom. Some of these local French uses survived almost to our own time. They were supplanted by the Roman books in the 19th century, chiefly by the exertions of Dom Prosper Guéranger (d. 1875).”

— Dr. Adrian Fortescue (d. 1923)

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