--- title: "Lectio the Liturgy: Sunday, October 23, 2022" description: Julie Storr shares a reflection on the Collect for the Mass for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time. image: https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/20221022%20JStorr%201.png --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/lectio-the-liturgy-sunday-october-23-2022#) [FAITH](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/tag/faith) # Lectio the Liturgy: Sunday, October 23, 2022 Oct 22, 2022 1:00:00 PM  |  by [Julie Storr](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/julie-storr) ![featured image](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/20221022%20JStorr%201.png) *Julie Storr shares a reflection on the Collect for the Mass for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time.* --- This week we Lectio the Liturgy with the Collect for the 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time. Our prayer this week comes from ancient prayer books dating back to the sixth century. I always find it humbling to pray the same prayer and to have the same hopes as our brothers and sisters in Christ did so many years ago.   > Almighty ever-living God, increase our faith, hope and charity, and make us love what you command, so that we may merit what you promise. 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.     In the two petitions of the prayer, we are asking big things of God: that we increase in faith, hope, and charity, and to make us love His commands. Faith, hope, and charity are known as Theological Virtues because they come from God. They are above our nature, they are infused in us, along with sanctifying grace, when we are baptized. These virtues are gifts freely given by God. We do nothing to obtain them; we don’t earn them. Next we ask that God would make us love what He commands—and that always seems like a hard one. The word *make* here means to fashion us, to form us. I would imagine it’s something like being a piece of clay in God's hands as He forms us into a beautiful piece of pottery. In next phrase, the Accrue of the prayer, we pray, “so that we may merit what you promise.” This phrase is a dependent phrase, indicated by the “so that.” This means that deserving God’s promises doesn’t come on its own. To merit what God promises depends on our faith, hope, and charity, and loving God’s commands. *Merit,* (*mereamur* in Latin) means to deserve well. Deserving or meriting God’s promises begins with desiring them. I have to place a value on those promises. How much do I value God's life bearing fruit in me? How much do I value the promise of eternal life with Him? The biggest question is, “How much do I want God's promises?” I need to value His promises enough do to what it takes to live a virtuous life and love His commands. As I thought about this lifestyle, a few saints came to mind. Peter, who had the virtues of faith, hope, and charity, is one example. Peter had to step out of the boat and that step helped him grow in faith. To grow in the virtues of faith, hope, and charity, we have to step out of the boat, too. Strength doesn’t come without exercise.   > [Click to tweet: > I need to value God's promises enough do to what it takes to live a virtuous life and love His commands. #catholicmom](https://ctt.ac/bgaW1)   Living this virtuous life and loving God’s commands is creating a legacy. St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. John Paul II, Padre Pio, saint after saint: their names came to mind. Their examples, given to us in the lives they led, all show a life of faith, stepping out of the boat, strengthening the virtues, and loving what God had for them, trusting in His promises. The great saints received the same graces and virtues we did. Perhaps this Collect is our call to the path to holiness and saintliness, too.   ![null](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/20221022%20JStorr%201%20(1).png?width=1080&height=1080&name=20221022%20JStorr%201%20(1).png) --- Copyright 2022 Julie Storr Images: Canva ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Flectio-the-liturgy-sunday-october-23-2022%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Flectio-the-liturgy-sunday-october-23-2022%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Flectio-the-liturgy-sunday-october-23-2022%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Lectio%20the%20Liturgy%3A%20Sunday%2C%20October%2023%2C%202022) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Flectio-the-liturgy-sunday-october-23-2022%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Flectio-the-liturgy-sunday-october-23-2022%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Julie Storr](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Julie%20Storr%20-%20Julie%20Storr.jpg) ### [Julie Storr](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/julie-storr) Julie Storr surprised herself when she went from “never ever going to be Catholic” to a lover of the lectionary. Her thirst for the Faith is never quenched and she is always surprised at the depth of the relationship with Christ that one can find in the Catholic Church. She and her husband live in Pocahontas, Iowa. Visit her website at [LectioTheLiturgy.com](https://www.lectiotheliturgy.com). [**](https://www.facebook.com/LectioTheLiturgy) ## Related Blog Articles [ Lectio the Liturgy: Sunday, April 23, 2023 Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/lectio-the-liturgy-sunday-april-23-2023) [ Lectio the Liturgy: Sunday, September 26, 2021 Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/lectio-the-liturgy-sunday-september-26-2021) [ Lectio the Liturgy: Sunday, October 2, 2022 Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/lectio-the-liturgy-sunday-october-2-2022) ## Comments ## Donate now [![Support Catholic Mom](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545) [![CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) ##### Subscribe to Catholic Momcast on iTunes or Spotify [![itunes-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/itunes-logo-black.svg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-momcast/id1362352357)[![spotify-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/spotify-logo-black.svg)](https://open.spotify.com/show/15CoipHL7z61IDcYErV0b8?si=hqaQJSxDQgq7S1hxCwsoxQ) ##### CatholicMom on Social Networks [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) ##### About Catholic Mom [Who We Are](https://www.catholicmom.com/about-us) [Contact Us](https://www.catholicmom.com/contact) [Support CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/support-us)   ##### Associated Links [Holy Cross Family Ministries](https://www.hcfm.org/) [Family Rosary](https://www.familyrosary.org/) [Family Theater Productions](https://www.familytheater.org/) [Congregation of the Holy Cross](https://www.holycrossusa.org/) [Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.](https://www.fatherpeyton.org/) [The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life](https://www.peytonfamilyinstitute.org/) ### **Stay connected!** Don’t miss a thing! 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