Q: I have been wanting to make our Lenten Universal Prayer at Mass a little more “focused” during Lent. I was wondering if it would be permissible to use a pattern similar to that in the Liturgy of the Hours, Appendix II. The intercessions are much briefer, and I am sure with a long pause after each one… with a general response from the congregation at the end.
I sure don’t want to break liturgical norms. 🙂
A: I think that this would be fine. Just remember that the prayer is “of the faithful.” So their response is a very important component. You may have short petitions and long silences. That may be enough. But their participation is usually better expressed with multiple responses than with multiple silences. Just depends on the group.