and people are reminded of the bond of mutual charity that should bind the members of Christ's Church together, and of the special part that each plays in the offering of the Holy Sacrifice. The words of the Priest's greeting, "The Lord be with you," are of Jewish origin (see Ruth 2:4), and the parallelism of the greeting and response also follows Jewish models. It is therefore probable that it was from Jewish usage that the Church in the earliest days adopted the salutation for its own worship. At this point in the service, the greeting is particularly appropriate as a reminder that the prayer of the whole Body of Christ is to be offered in the Collect, and that this prayer expresses the charity and brotherhood in which its members dwell.

THE COLLECT

Standing before the altar, the Priest says "Let us pray." Then, with extended hands, he says the special prayer of the day known as the Collect. Other Collects may be added for special commemorations, or as being suitable for the season. The name of the Collect may come from its being the prayer of the Christian "meeting"; it is in any case appropriate as applying to the prayer that "collects" the petitions of the Christian people together. In the Collect we pray for the whole Church of God, commemorating the events of the Christian year or praying for special blessings in virtue of our union with him through his Son, Jesus Christ. Normally the Collects are addressed to God the Father, although some are addressed to God the Son. The blessings for which they ask are such as may suitably be sought: "through Jesus Christ our Lord," as benefits of his redemptive work.