Passion Sunday/Fifth Sunday of Lent Collects

Passion Sunday/Fifth Sunday of Lent Collects

Quæsumus, omnípotens Deus, famíliam tuam propítius réspice: † ut, te largiénte, regátur in córpore; et, te servánte, custodiátur in mente.

We beseech you, almighty God, mercifully watch over your family: that, by your generosity, it may be directed in body and, by your perseverance, it may be protected in mind.

See Lauren Pristas

This collect is not found in the 1970/2002 missal. From the 8^th century it was the collect for Passion Sunday.

Fifth Sunday of Lent

Quæsumus, Dómine Deus noster, ut in illa caritáte, qua Fílius tuus díligens mundum morti se trádidit, inveniámur ipsi, te opitulánte, alácriter ambulántes.

We beseech you, O Lord, our God, that by your assistance we may be found eagerly walking in that charity, by which your Son, loving the world, gave himself over to death.

This collect is taken from the Liber Mozarabic Sacramentorum 706 and is there appointed for the second Sunday after the octave of the Pasch.

Christe Deus, qui inter inimicos suspendi  passus es, crucis sustinendo iniuriam, dato nobis perfecte uite tolerantiam : ut charitate illa qua ipse mundum diligens pro eodem mortem subiisti, inueniamur ipsi te opitulante perfecti. Sicque [ad] passionis tuae exempluni inlata  toleremus scandala, ut sanguine crucis tuae omnia pacificante, capitis nostri mereaniur effici niembra.

Pristan’s translation:

O Christ God, who suffered between enemies, by your bearing of the injustice of the cross, the tolerance of the perfect life has been, given to us: so that we ourselves, perfected by your assistance, may be found in that charity with which you, yourself, loving the world underwent death for the sake of the same. And as we suffer the scandals that have arisen according to the example of your passion so, by all making peace by the blood of your cross, may we be worthy to be made members of your head.

Several points;

1.       The older collect is a very good, balanced Lenten prayer but does not in any way address the context of the first Passion Sunday. This is of course not necessary.

2.      The current collect does address the Passion but it was intended for the Fifth Sunday of Lent, which has no special connection with the Passion.

       3.   The Mozarabic prayer is wonderful but is not in the usual Roman form for a Collect.