May Thy faithful people, O God, be strengthened by Thy gifts: that in receiving them they may seek after them the more, and in seeking them may receive them for ever. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen.
~Prayer Over the People, Saturday After Ash Wednesday, Extraordinary Form of the Mass
Ave Maria! In the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, a "Prayer Over the People" is prayed at the end of the Mass during the Lenten season. Above is the one for today. I am so happy that these beautiful prayers have been restored in the third edition of the Roman Missal for the Ordinary Form of the Mass, even though they are optional and vary somewhat from those in the Extraordinary Form.
Today's prayer obviously refers to the many gifts that God so graciously gives us in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Yet there are others, too, for in a multitude of ways God is always blessing us with His gifts. Such is the nature of love -- especially His wondrous love! -- to give freely, abundantly, prodigiously. Over and above, even while treasuring God's gifts and thanking Him profusely for them, we want to do as St. Francis de Sales always advised -- seek the Giver Himself rather than the gifts themselves.
My dear Lord Jesus, in receiving You, may I seek You the more, and in seeking You may I receive You for ever. Amen.
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