- Collect
-
This article is about the Christian prayer. For the telecommunications concept, see collect call. For the hobby, see collecting. For other uses, see Collection (disambiguation).
In Christian liturgy, a collect (stressed on the first syllable: /หkษlษkt/, US dict: kolโฒยทekt) is both a liturgical action and a short, general prayer. In the Middle Ages, the prayer was referred to in Latin as collectio, but in the more ancient sources, as oratio. In English, and in this usage, "collect" is pronounced with the stress on the first syllable. Collects appear in the liturgy of the Mass of the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and some other rites.
Contents
Liturgical collect
Traditionally, the liturgical collect was a dialog between the celebrant and the people. It followed a hymn of praise (such as the "Gloria in Excelsis Deo", if used) after the opening of the service, with a greeting by the celebrant "The Lord be with you", to which the people respond "And also with you" or "And with your spirit." The celebrant invites all to pray with "Let us pray". In the more ancient practice, an invitation to kneel was given, and the people spend some short time in silent prayer, after which they were invited to stand. Then, the celebrant concluded the time of prayer by "collecting" their prayers in a unified petition of a general form, referred to as a collect. Many of these still in use by churches of the West were originally composed in Latin, wherein they adhere to a flowing chanted style. Traditionally, a collect consisted of a single sentence, although this was often accomplished through non-standard punctuation, with a colon or semi-colon taking the place of a period. In some contemporary liturgical texts, this practice has been discontinued in favor of more standard sentence constructions.
In contemporary Catholic usage, the collect corresponds to the Opening Prayer. It is sung or recited audibly throughout by the celebrant, and follows the invocation "Let us pray" usually without a (significant) period of silent prayer, and may or may not employ the greeting dialog ("The Lord be with you / And also with you" or "The Lord be with you / And with your spirit").
Typically two or three collects may be used in a traditional Roman Mass.
For the Anglican rite, Thomas Cranmer (d. 1556) translated into English and retained collects for each Sunday of the year in the Book of Common Prayer; they have been part of subsequent alternative liturgies.
Similarly, Lutheran liturgies have typically retained traditional collects for each Sunday of the liturgical year. In the newly released Evangelical Lutheran Worship, however, the set of prayers has been expanded to incorporate different Sunday collects for each year of the lectionary cycle, so that the prayers more closely coordinate with the lectionary scripture readings for the day. In order to achieve this expansion from one year's worth of Sunday collects to three years, modern prayer texts have been added to the existing traditional set.
Form
Collects (the liturgical action and the prayer) have a recognizable form:
- Invitation ("Oremus" - Let us pray)
- Address (the person of the Trinity who is being addressed, but usually the Father)
- An attribute or quality of the deity, which relates to the petition (often "qui ..." - who)
- The Petition (the matter being asked about or requested)
- The Reason or Result expected (begins with the word "ut" - that)
- Christian conclusion ("per Christum Dominum nostrum" - through Christ our Lord), or other longer doxologies
- General affirmation ("Amen.", untranslated from the Hebrew)
Examples of the prayers
"A Collect for Purity"
- Latin composition
- Deus, cui omne cor patet et omnis uoluntas loquitur, et quem nullum latet secretum: purifica per infusionem Sancti Spiritus cogitationes cordis nostri, ut perfecte te diligere et digne laudare mereamur, per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum. Amen.
- English translation
- Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known and from you no secrets are hid: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
- English translation in the Book of Common Prayer, 1662
- Almighty God, to whom all hearts be open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid; Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
- Analysis
- 2) Almighty God,
- 3) to you all hearts are open, all desires known and from you no secrets are hid:
- 4) cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
- 5) that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name,
- 6) through Jesus Christ our Lord.
- 7) Amen.
"A Collect for the Renewal of Life"
- English composition
- O God, the King eternal, whose light divides the day from the night and turns the shadow of death into the morning: Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep your law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that, having done your will with cheerfulness during the day, we may, when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
- Analysis
- 2) O God, the King eternal,
- 3) whose light divides the day from the night and turns the shadow of death into the morning:
- 4) Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep your law, and guide our feet into the way of peace;
- 5) that, having done your will with cheerfulness during the day, we may, when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks;
- 6) through Jesus Christ our Lord.
- 7) Amen.
References
- Louis Weil. Gathered to Pray: Understanding Liturgical Prayer. Cambridge, MA: Crowley Publications, 1986.
See also
Gregorian chants of the Roman Mass Ordinary Kyrie ยท Gloria ยท Credo ยท Sanctus ยท Agnus Dei ยท Ite missa est , Benedicamus Domino or Requiescant in pace
Proper Accentus Order of the Divine Service in Lutheranism Preparatory Service Entrance hymn and Trinitarian formula (known as the Invocation) ยท Penitential Rite including the Confiteor and Declaration of Grace (or Asperges on Easter)
The Service of the Word Introit ยท Gloria Patri ยท Kรฝrie ยท Gloria ยท Dominus Vobiscum ยท Oremus ยท Collect ยท Old Testament reading ยท gradual (or Responsorial Psalm) ยท Epistle ยท Alleluia (tract during Lent) ยท Gospel ยท Hymn of the day ยท Homily or Postil (Sermon) ยท Nicene Creed (Athanasian Creed on Trinity Sunday) ยท Offertory ยท Prayers of the FaithfulThe Service of the Eucharist Preface (Sursum corda / Sanctus / Hosanna) ยท Eucharistic Prayer (Epiclesis / Words of Institution / Memorial Acclamation) ยท Lord's Prayer ยท Sign of peace / pax (elevation) ยท Agnus Dei ยท Distribution ยท Nunc dimittis ยท Postcommunion ยท Benedicamus Domino ยท Benediction ยท Dismissal ยท Ite missa estParticipants Parts of the Sanctuary altar ยท altar bell ยท altar crucifix ยท altar rails ยท kneeler ยท piscina ยท processional cross ยท tabernacleCandles Liturgical vessels Liturgical objects collection basket ยท holy water ยท incense (use) ยท paten ยท sacramental bread (wafer) ยท sacramental wine ยท thuribleVestments Liturgical books and hymnals Agenda ยท Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book ยท Evangelical Lutheran Worship ยท Lutheran Book of Worship ยท Lutheran Hymnal ยท Lutheran Hymnal with Supplement ยท Lutheran Service Book ยท Lutheran Worship ยท Service Book and Hymnal
Lutheranism PortalCategories:- Christian prayer
- Structure of the Mass
- Lutheran liturgy and worship
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
Look at other dictionaries:
Collect โ โข The name now used only for short prayers before the Epistle in the Mass, which occur again at Lauds, Terce, Sext, None, and Vespers Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Collect ย ย ย ย Collect โฆ Catholic encyclopedia
collect โ I (gather) verb accumulate, acquire, add to, aggregate, amalgamate, amass, assemble, bring to a common center, bring to a point of union, bring together, compile, concentrate, conferre, congerere, conglomerate, consolidate, convene, convocare,… โฆ Law dictionary
Collect โ Col*lect (k[o^]l*l[e^]kt ), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Collected}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Collecting}.] [L. collecrus, p. p. of collerige to bind together; col + legere to gather: cf. OF. collecter. See {Legend}, and cf. {Coil}, v. t., {Cull}, v. t.] 1. To… โฆ The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
collect โ collect1 [kษ lektโฒ] vt. [ME collecten < OFr collecter < L collectus: see COLLECT2] 1. to gather together; assemble 2. to gather (stamps, books, etc.) as a hobby 3. to call for and receive (money) for (rent, a fund, taxes, bills, etc.) 4. to โฆ English World dictionary
Collect โ Col lect, n. [LL. collecta, fr. L. collecta a collection in money; an assemblage, fr. collerige: cf. F. collecte. See {Collect}, v. t.] A short, comprehensive prayer, adapted to a particular day, occasion, or condition, and forming part of a… โฆ The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
collect โ โ . collect [1] โบ VERB 1) bring or gather together. 2) systematically acquire (items of a particular kind) as a hobby. 3) call for and take away; fetch. 4) call for and receive as a right or due. 5) (collect oneself) regain control of onese โฆ English terms dictionary
Collect โ Col*lect , v. i. 1. To assemble together; as, the people collected in a crowd; to accumulate; as, snow collects in banks. [1913 Webster] 2. To infer; to conclude. [Archaic] [1913 Webster] Whence some collect that the former word imports a… โฆ The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
collect โ (v.) early 15c. (trans.), from O.Fr. collecter to collect (late 14c.), from L. collectus, pp. of colligere gather together, from com together (see COM (Cf. com )) + legere to gather (see LECTURE (Cf. lecture) (n.)). The intransitive sense is… โฆ Etymology dictionary
collect โ [v1] accumulate, come together aggregate, amass, array, assemble, cluster, compile, congregate, congress, convene, converge, convoke, corral, flock, flock together, gather, get hold of, group, heap, hoard, muster, rally, rendezvous, round up,… โฆ New thesaurus
collect โ *gather, assemble, congregate Analogous words: mass, *heap, pile: *accumulate, amass, hoard: consolidate, concentrate, *compact Antonyms: disperse: distribute Contrasted words: *scatter, dissipate, dispel: dispense, divide, deal, dole (see โฆ New Dictionary of Synonyms
collect โ To pick up mail from collection boxes or customers โฆ Glossary of postal terms