Lectio the Liturgy: Sunday, July 12, 2026

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

Have you ever thought about what we actually do at Mass? While the Mass is worship, in our prayer this week we find two other things we do at Mass that have a natural side and a supernatural side. This week we Lectio the Liturgy with the Prayer after Communion for the 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time.

Having consumed these gifts, we pray, O Lord, that, by our participation in this mystery, its saving effects upon us may grow. Through Christ our Lord.

What other things do we do at Mass? We consume and we participate.

You’re already familiar with what you consume at Mass. The bread and wine may look like something in natural world, however, what we consume is the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Jesus.

Mass Requires Our Participation

The prayer tells us that at Mass, we also participate. Participating sounds like something we take part in, like a sports team, which is what we would do in the natural world.

However, for the word participate, we find the word frequentatione, which means a frequent use. Spiritually, the supernatural side of participating is frequent use of this mystery —stay with me.

I’ve been pondering the difference between participate and frequent use. The example that came to me was the grocery store. We have one grocery store in the small town in Iowa where I live.

When I frequent the grocery store, we form a relationship. I learn about the store, I can easily find what I’m looking for, I get to know the people there, and they get to know me.

While the comparison between the grocery store and the Eucharist isn’t even remotely close, the intent is the same. When we frequently receive the Eucharist, we form a relationship with the One whom we consume and this relationship makes the saving effects upon us grow.

Christ Passes on to Us Victory

The saving effects we find in the prayer are the mysteries of Christ that, through the Sacraments, become our mysteries. It is through the Sacraments that Jesus passes on to us the victories He won while He was on earth.

For example, in His Passion, Death, and Resurrection, Jesus became the bridge that brought us unity to the Father, He overcame the power of sin, and showed us His love for us.

What we receive in the Eucharist, are the graces of His work: union with God, separation from sin, and deeper charity.

As I prayed with this exchange, the way that Christ gives His victories to us through the Sacraments, one word came to mind, and that was holiness. Jesus didn’t come to earth to make us good people. He came to make us holy.

Lectio the Liturgy Sunday July 12, 2026