The collect or prayer is placed at the end of the Hours to collect or gather up the fruits of all the prayers that precede; to beg from God that His grace may follow our actions as it precedes them; that the prayer may be a shield and buckler against all temptations which may be encountered.  The prayers at Prime and at Compline never vary, to remind us, the old writers tell us, that all our acts should be invariably referred to God.  In the early ages of the Church, all public prayers, both in Mass and in Office were offered up by both priests and people with outstretched arms.  This practice is observed still, in a certain way, in Mass.

Benedicamus is the prayer to thank God for all His graces.

Fidelium animae.  This prayer is said after every Hour, unless where the hour is said in choir and followed immediately by Mass.  It Is omitted, too, before the Litany.

De Precibus (Title XXXIV.).  These are prayers which are said at some of canonical Hours, before the collect or oratio.  They commence with Kyrie eleison or Pater Noster.  They consist of versicles and responses and these differ from other versicles and responses, which are generally historic, e.g., In omnem terram exivit sonus eorum, Amavit eum Dominus et laudavit eum.  But the versicles and responses of the preces are always a call to God or an exhortation to praise God (e.g., Fiat misericordia tua, Domine), super nos, Quemadmodum speravimus in te (see Prime, infra, page 193).  These prayers are of great antiquity, mention of them being found in the works of Amalare (ninth century).

They are said in some Offices in Vespers, Compline, Lauds, Prime and Little Hours.  Before the reform of the Breviary by Pope Pius X,, the Preces at Vespers contained six short prayers and the Psalm, Miserere.  In the new Breviary nine short prayers are given in the Preces—­the six former prayers being retained and three new ones, Pro Papa; Pro antistite; Pro benefactoribus, being added.  The Miserere is omitted.  The same additions were made in Lauds and the Psalm, De Profundis omitted.

In Prime and the Little Hours, the preces are unchanged standing in the new Breviary as in the old.

Rubrics.  The Preces are recited in the Office of—­

(1) Prime and Compline on certain days;

(2) Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline of certain feasts.

The preces feriales at Lauds and Vespers are the same in structure.  They have the same structure in Terce, Sext, None, but differ in character.  The preces dominicales at Prime and Compline have a form of their own, additions being made in the preces of Prime when said on a feria.

1.  The Preces Feriales are said at Lauds on Ferias of Lent, Advent and Passiontide, Ember days, except Ember day at Pentecost and on Vigils (except on Vigil of Christmas, Epiphany, Ascension, Friday after Ascension and Vigil of Pentecost)—­when the Office on those days is of the current feria.