The Prayer of the Faithful which is also called the General Intercessions or the Universal Prayer concludes the Liturgy of the Word.

Both of the above names bring out a different aspect of this prayer of God’s people.  The title ‘Prayer of the Faithful’ expresses a theological aspect of this prayer which is that it is indeed the prayer of the Faithful, that is of those who are already part of the Church, the People of God.  In the early centuries of the church, the catechumens who were preparing for baptism were taken out of the Church before the Prayer of the Faithful started precisely because they were not yet a part of the baptised People of God.  This prayer is prayed explicitly by the priestly people of God who come before the Lord in intercession for all human beings.

The term ‘General Intercessions’ or the ‘Universal Prayer’ brings out further the point made above.  These prayers are prayers for the whole world, not just for the Church or for those who are close to us but for the whole world.  Naturally, we pray for ourselves because we need prayer, but it is our task as God’s people to come before the Father in the name of all and especially for those who do not yet know that God is their Father.

These prayers ought to reflect the mission of the Church which is called not to be concerned about itself but about the world it is called to serve as its Lord.  The prayers ought to arise from two sources: the Word of God that has been proclaimed at that Mass and the needs of the society within which that community of believers lives.

These prayers can be formulated by particular members of the community who have the responsibility of doing so.  They are intended to be an expression of the prayer of the community gathered for the Eucharist.

There is a structure to this prayer.  The priest gives an introduction to the prayer which is followed by the stating of the intentions by a member of the congregation and then the priest concludes the prayer by placing all the intentions before the Father in the final prayer.  There may also be short periods of silence after each intention or at the end of the intentions.

Br Fr Frank O’Loughlin