This morning at Mass, as we honored Our Lady of the Rosary, the words of the Collect (introductory prayer of the priest) delighted my ears:

Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ you Son was made known by the message of an Angel, may, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, by his Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of his Resurrection. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

I recognized these as the same words that we pray each day during the Angelus (with only slight deviations).

There are other times throughout the liturgical year when the prayers use parallel texts that are found elsewhere. An example that comes to mind is on the Feast of Corpus Christi, when the Collect uses the same words as the prayer used for Benediction.

I always find this kind of neat when we hear a text that matches another familiar prayer.

The words of this morning’s prayer struck me for another reason, too. I like the image of grace being “pour[ed] forth…into our hearts.”

The thought of generous, plentiful amounts of grace being spilled upon my needy heart is encouraging. No wonder the Church makes the point of using this prayer multiple times throughout the day and during the liturgical year!

It is interesting that we pray for a pouring forth of grace in close connection to Marian devotions. It makes sense, though, that we ask for this through the intercession of Our Lady, who herself is “full of grace.”

I could certainly use a deluge of grace right now, and every day, for that matter!

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