The Roman Missal for Canada A Review of the Canadian Prayers 2. The Prayers for Canada Day Glenn CJ Byer, MA SLD In the first article we looked at the Preface for Canada Day. Now, let’s take a moment to look at the rest of the prayers for that important civic festival. First a note of what is not there: Why is there is no reference to Psalm 71 (72).8 – the scripture reference that is used in Canada’s motto? The text of this verse is as follows: “May he have dominion from sea to sea; and from the River to the ends of the earth.” Perhaps it is because the ‘he’ in the psalm refers to Solomon, an earthly king, rather than to God. So rather than open that can of worms, the prayers for Canada get at this same reality using another familiar expression, but this time from Psalm 112 (113).3: From the rising of the sun to its setting, praised be the name of the Lord! Now let’s not get confused here, the words don’t actually mean that we can only praise God during daylight hours. In Latin, the place of the sunrise and sunset – east and west to you and me – were also described by the solar events that happened there. It is a poetic way to say that the praise of God should happen at all times and in all places. This same belief is expressed in the Entrance Antiphon taken from Psalm 94 (95).3-4. If ever there was a country that had been gifted, whose very existence is a sign of God’s love, it is certainly Canada. So these antiphons give us the words to praise God for just that. But, as we all know, there is a great deal more to responsible citizenship than just being proud of being Canadian. The prayers acknowledge this, especially in the Collect that asks for wisdom for our leaders and …respect for human life and dignity to every citizen… Our commitment to issues around the dignity of every human life from conception to natural death is at the heart of our Catholic understanding of citizenship. When people ask why we care about this (and they do), it is important not to fall into facile explanations. It is not because babies are cute or because we have a “bleeding-heart” approach to those who commit horrible crimes. The reason we care comes in the next line of the prayer: so that justice may flourish and all peoples live in unity and in peace. Our commitment to life issues is a matter of justice. Unless and until we respect all life, justice, unity, and peace cannot fully exist. Unless and until we honour all that God has created, nothing in the magnificent creation of our land can be truly honoured. It really is as simple and as necessary as that.
Finally, the prayer after Communion highlights some of what makes Canada so special in the world: that we may ever seek reconciliation and justice among all cultures, races and nations. This prayer asks God to build on what is best about our country: our multicultural society, our racial tolerance and our role in peacekeeping in and between war-torn countries. Living in this vast land has been a journey of discovery since the days when people first came here. Long before there was a Canada, this land was already amazing. These new prayers for Canada in the Roman Missal can help Canadian Catholics, and really all people of faith to see that in our Canada we find God’s dominion, as the Collect affirms, in this amazing place, as well as the spiritual dimension of our citizenship. It would be a wonderful thing if the Eucharist would become a part of how Canadian Catholics thank God for this country as we celebrate July 1 every year. The Roman Missal for Canada: A Review of the Canadian Prayers - 2. The Prayers for Canada Day, copyright Š Concacan Inc., 2011. All rights reserved. This text may be reproduced without written permission for personal and parish use. If you do so, please advise the CCCB Publications Service at permission@cccb.ca. For all other usage, please send your request to the publisher at the same address.