Nobis Quoque
July 15, 2026 - The 15th Wednesday in Ordinary Time
Today we come to a very interesting part of the Roman Canon. This section is known as the Nobis quoque which means, “To us also.” In saying this we request of the Lord that he impart to all of us who pray for the dead, as we have just done is the “Commemoration of the Dead,” the same graces that we are requesting for those who have died. This is indicated in the the words “To us, also, your servants, who, though sinners, hope in your abundant mercies.” It is precisely mercy that we hope to attain for the faithfully departed.
The section that follows is a point that is most interesting to me (and hopefully to you). We request once against communion with the saints that have gone before us. However, the list of saints that we now invoke have a particular meaning and reference for us members of the Church Militant. The previous list invokes those who were the “principle martyrs of Rome” and who established, in their blood, the visible body of the Roman Church. However, here we now turn to those who faithfully lived each normative path to holiness within the Church. These “paths” are what we traditionally call “states of life.” In this list we see each of the states of life represented by a particular saint.
John the Baptist represents those who are called to the prophetic state of life. Stephen is a deacon. Matthias is an apostle, Barnabas is a disciple. Ignatius (of Antioch) represents the bishops. Alexander stands in this section for all of the Roman Pontiffs. Marcellinus is a priest. Peter is a type of monastic. Perpetua and Felicity stand here for the married state of life. Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, and Cecilia are each virgins, while Anastasia is a widow. Each of us can look to each of them and find our particular state of life celebrated in the public worship of the Church. I encourage you to take the saint that most closely resembles your state of life and take that saint as a patron for your own life.
We complete our petition with a desire to be united to these saints in heaven. That God grants us forgiveness for any wrong that we have done or for any good that we have neglected to do so that we might see him face to face. Then, as we are commanded in Sacred Scripture we conclude this most earnest petition through Christ, our Lord.
In our next reflection we will conclude our examination of the Roman Canon. I encourage each of you to read through each of these reflections again so that you can set these mysteries deeply into your heart so that each time you hear the Roman Canon at Mass you can more deeply join your prayers to the Prayer of the Roman Church.
In Our Holy Father Dominic,
Fr. Gabriel, OP
Pastor
