The Shape of a Collect
Address, relative clause, petition, closing.
How It Works
| Part | Job | Example |
|---|---|---|
| address | names God | Deus |
| relative clause | says what God has done | qui hanc sacratissimam noctem veri luminis fecisti illustratione clarescere |
| petition | asks with a subjunctive clause | da, quaesumus, ut ... perfruamur |
| closing | a set formula | Per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum |
The petition often begins with da, concede or praesta (grant), and the ut clause names what is asked.
In the example, cuius (whose) belongs with lucis (light), and other words stand between them.
A collect is short, usually one sentence, and the people answer it with Amen.
Examples (4)
- Oremus.
Let us pray.
The priest says this just before the collect. Oremus is the present subjunctive of oro in a call to pray together.
- Deus, qui hanc sacratissimam noctem veri luminis fecisti illustratione clarescere,
God, who made this most holy night shine with the brightness of the true light,
The address (Deus) and the relative clause (qui ... fecisti ... clarescere). This is the first half of the Christmas collect of the Mass at night.
- Da, quaesumus, ut, cuius in terra mysteria lucis agnovimus, eius quoque gaudiis perfruamur in caelo.
Grant, we ask, that we who have known the mysteries of his light on earth may also enjoy his joys in heaven.
The petition: da, then ut and the subjunctive perfruamur. Perfruor takes the ablative gaudiis. The 1962 Missal words the same prayer cuius lucis mysteria in terra cognovimus.
- Per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum, Filium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum.
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.
The long closing of a collect addressed to the Father. When the prayer mentions the Son at its end, the Missal uses the shorter Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. The 1962 Missal ends the Christmas collect that way.
How It Connects
Learn This First
A collect has an address, a relative clause, a petition with ut and a set closing, so purpose clauses, the relative pronoun, let us and the Church sounds come first.
- ut / ne (Purpose: So That, In Order To)So That, In Order to
Know purpose clauses, because a collect asks with ut.
Level 5 - Church Pronunciation
Know the Church sounds, because collects are prayed in Church Latin: caelo is said CHEH-loh.
Foundations - Who, Which, That: qui, quae, quod
Know qui, quae, quod, because a collect names God and then adds a relative clause: Deus, qui ... fecisti.
Level 3 - Let Us: eamus, oremus
Know the hortatory subjunctive, because Oremus, which opens every collect, is a let us form.
Level 5
Related Patterns
Words in This Pattern
Practice The Shape of a Collect in Bubblegum
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