Lectio the Liturgy: Sunday, August 24, 2025

Julie Storr shares a reflection on the Collect for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Thank you for joining me as we Lectio the Liturgy with the Collect for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time. I enjoyed meditating on this prayer because it’s a long version of one of the prayers I pray every day.

O God, who cause the minds of the faithful to unite in a single purpose, grant your people to love what you command and to desire what you promise, that, amid the uncertainties of this world, our hearts may be fixed on that place where true gladness is found. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

Thy Will Be Done

In the “who” phrase of the prayer, we find the words single purpose, which is found in the Latin form of the prayer as unius voluntatis, which means one will. It is the minds of the faithful that we ask to be united in this will. This does not mean that all the all the faithful are required to think the same thing. It means that the faithful truly desire what they ask for when they pray, “Our Father, Who art in heaven, Thy will be done.”

Often times when we think about “Thy will be done,” a sense of fear may arise. Often, as I pray with people, I’ve found the there are two common fears that keep someone from surrendering to the will of God.

One fear comes when someone is afraid that God won’t answer the prayer like they want Him to. It is hard to give up control, but it is easier when we truly know who God is.

The second most common fear is that someone may be afraid of God’s will because what if God gives them something that they won’t like. Our go-to here is the Saints. There is not one Saint who lived with regret and sadness because they chose God’s will.

The good news is that there is no need to fear, because in this prayer, we find a great description of God’s will. We ask God to grant that we love what He commands and to desire what He promises.

God's Will for Us

God’s will for us is FOR us. Each day, when I pray, “Lord, make Your will my will,” I, too, need to remember that It’s not all about what I need to surrender to God, I need to remember that He desires to lavish His good things upon me.

The heart of the prayer, what we are really asking for, is that when we face the uncertainties of this world, we can live in a place of true gladness. These uncertainties, also found in Psalm 23:4, are the valleys of the shadows of death and darkness. Hard times happen to everyone, but the Psalm assures us of another of God’s promises, He never leaves us. Notice what a difference it makes when we focus our hearts on His promises!

The benefits of His promises is the cause we find in the opening line of the prayer. His promises are what compels us to unite our minds in a single purpose. Imagine what your prayer group or your parish would be like if everyone would seek the will of God. The best part is that we don’t have to wait for everyone to be on board, we get to start with ourselves.

Lectio the Liturgy Sunday August 17, 2025-1