(4.2) The Prayer over the Offerings
Liturgical Prayer and Action
We all stand and the priest invites us to a prayer that signals the conclusion of the Preparation of the Gifts.
The Priest says:
Pray, brethren, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the Almighty Father.
We say:
May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands,
for the praise and glory of his name,
for our good and the good of all his holy Church.
Then “a single Prayer over the Offerings is said, and it ends with the shorter conclusion, that is: Through Christ our Lord. If, however, the Son is mentioned at the end of this prayer, the conclusion is: Who lives and reigns for ever and ever” (GIRM).
We reply: Amen
Origin and meaning
There are many accounts of sacrifices with prayers for the Christian community and one of this early prayers is on a letter written by the Jews in Jerusalem to those staying in Egypt:
“O Lord, Lord God, Creator of all things, you are awe-inspiring and strong and just and merciful, you alone are king and are kind, you alone are bountiful, you alone are just and almighty and eternal. You rescue Israel from every evil; you chose the ancestors and consecrated them. Accept this sacrifice on behalf of all your people Israel and preserve your portion and make it holy" (2 Macc 1: 24-26).