Elizabeth Wood

My Friends,

Our 10:00am summer schedule takes getting used to. For the 9:00am attendees, it grants an extra hour of sleep or coffee or time to get the family assembled. For those who favor the 11:15am service, the earlier time means a less relaxed start to Sunday. (We won’t mention the unaffected 7:45am contingent for whom I have nothing but admiration).

I remember the days of trying to get two small children fed, washed, dressed, and into the car on time for church. Ironically, I often didn’t model great Christian patience and forbearance: “Where are your shoes?” “No, you can’t bring a lightsaber to church!” “How is your face all sticky again?” But we usually made it on time—okay, sometimes during the first hymn.

And then…my favorite part of the Mass. Perhaps my favorite moment of the week. When we join together and say the Collect for Purity:

“Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are 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 might perfectly love thee and worthily magnify thy holy Name….”

The origins of this collect can be traced back to the 9th century and it first appeared in the Book of Common Prayer in 1549. This prayer invites us to lay ourselves open to a God who knows everything there is to know about us—our insecurities, the things we have been holding in and holding back, the things we have not shared with anyone.

As we say this prayer, I feel myself exhale and cast off everything I brought with me from the past week, silence all the noise, and get out of my own head, ready my heart and mind for all that comes next.

But we don’t need to confine the powerful feelings that this prayer invokes to Sundays. I’m trying to find other opportunities during the busyness of the week to create moments of quiet and openness to God, recognizing that there is nothing I need to hide. With that knowledge I can seek comfort, ask for help for myself and others, express gratitude for prayers answered, own up to my mistakes, and receive forgiveness. There is nothing I need to hold back.

Exhale…

May the power of this prayer lead us all deeper into the knowledge and love of God.

—Elizabeth