FEAST OF FAITH

The General Intercessions

       The general intercessions were restored to the liturgy in the reforms that followed the Second Vatican Council. In these prayers—also known as the “universal prayer” or “prayer of the faithful”—the assembly prays for the Church, the world, and the local community. As the name “prayer of the faithful” reminds us, these intercessions are a privilege of the baptized, which is why any catechumens are dismissed before the Creed and the intercessions. In baptism, we become members of a royal priesthood, and what do priests do? They intercede; they pray. In standing to pray to God as a community, we are living out our royal priesthood.

The intercessions at Mass usually follow a clear pattern, moving from general to specific needs. We pray for the whole Church. We pray for the world and for our nation. We pray for our local community, for those who have died and for all the sick and afflicted. In our united prayer, we reach beyond ourselves and our own needs and grow in awareness of and compassion for the needs of others.