Today's post on the Covenant blog has some great reflections on liturgy, especially liturgical prayers.

It is a powerfully dignified and thoughtfully worded intercession, but I like to think of how in this prayer there is a journey through space and time. Allow me to explain: the prayer takes us through space by moving from the universal to the particular — we pray first for the universal Church throughout the world. Then, there are prayers for civil and religious authorities — the leaders of our nation, our state, and our Church. Then, we commend to God those whom we know to be suffering in any way, and then finally, we remember the departed and ask for grace to follow their good examples. Through the course of the prayer, we move from praying for the world to remembering the needs of our local cities, towns, and communities, and finally to the needs of our own homes and families. In this way, we travel through “space.”

Liturgical prayers help to "cover all the bases," not just our favorite things.

But I think using the language of Rite I is like singing in a foreign language. We should do it periodically to make ourselves pay attention, and to help us remember the awkwardness that others experience when they come into our gatherings and experience something new and different. Most of the time, however, should be spent praying (and singing) "in the language of the people."

Read the whole post here: