Which eucharistic prayer to use

There are, however, norms guiding the choice of the Eucharistic Prayer found in number of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal. It is, strangely perhaps, the least used now. Blessed Paul VI lamented that his permission of its use had led to the abuse of using it because it is shorter than the others! Eucharistic Prayer III is suitable especially for Sundays, and, I add, it conveniently has a place for the commemoration of the saint of the day or of the patron of the place or community.

Eucharistic Prayer IV may be used on any day that does not have a strictly proper preface: so Sundays in Ordinary Time, and any feasts or memorials or ferial days that have only a common preface.

It has a rather chorus like acclamation that repeats itself too often suggesting it is suitable for use when there are present children or others with low concentration levels but has a complexity of thought, which includes several good evocative phrases.

This makes it not so suitable for children or adults; it also omits several key elements one would wish to see in a Eucharistic prayer, for example there is no mention of the ascension or of Christ in glory or of the creation; the intercession section is too thin.

Prayer H is even worse. Its theology is very brief; it contains congregational responses of some complexity and overall it is too brief to be an adequate Eucharistic prayer. If it is used the whole prayer should be completely sung by a congregation with a sophisticated understanding who can develop the hints offered in the text.

The great features of the Anglican Eucharistic prayers compared with those of other Christian traditions is their reluctance to be too explicit so as to embrace a wide range of views and their wide range of scriptural allusion. I believe that with thought and devotion the prayers we use are very helpful vehicles in doing what a Eucharistic prayer should do, namely recalling what Jesus did with his disciples on the night before he died, to thank God for all he gives to us and in union with Christ to offer our lives and the life of the church in his service.

These prayers have a richness that help us lift our hearts and minds to God so that we can more adequately praise him in heaven and serve him on earth. Christopher Morgan-Jones. Go to Next Page. Go to Previous Page. On Solemnities the Priest is obliged to follow the Calendar of the church where he is celebrating.

On weekdays of Easter Time, Memorials of Saints may rightly be celebrated in full. For the same reason he should choose Masses for the Dead in moderation, for every Mass is offered for both the living and the dead, and there is a commemoration of the dead in the Eucharistic Prayer.

Where, however, the Optional Memorials of the Blessed Virgin Mary or of the Saints are dear to the faithful, the legitimate devotion of the latter should be satisfied. Moreover, as regards the option of choosing between a Memorial inscribed in the General Calendar and one inserted in a diocesan or religious Calendar, preference should be given, all else being equal and in keeping with tradition, to the Memorial in the particular Calendar.

In choosing texts for the different parts of the Mass, whether for the time of the year or for Saints, the norms that follow should be observed. These readings should be followed strictly. In Easter Time, according to the tradition of the Church, instead of being from the Old Testament, the reading is taken from the Acts of the Apostles. For Feasts, two readings are assigned. If, however, according to the norms a Feast is raised to the rank of a Solemnity, a third reading is added, and this is taken from the Common.

For Memorials of Saints, unless proper readings are given, the readings assigned for the weekday are normally used. In certain cases, particularized readings are provided, that is to say, readings which highlight some particular aspect of the spiritual life or activity of the Saint.

The use of such readings is not to be insisted upon, unless a pastoral reason truly suggests it. In the Lectionary for weekdays, readings are provided for each day of every week throughout the entire course of the year; hence, these readings will in general be used on the days to which they are assigned, unless there occurs a Solemnity, a Feast, or Memorial that has its own New Testament readings, that is to say, readings in which mention is made of the Saint being celebrated.

Should, however, the continuous reading during the week from time to time be interrupted, on account of some Solemnity or Feast, or some particular celebration, then the Priest shall be permitted, bearing in mind the scheme of readings for the entire week, either to combine parts omitted with other readings or to decide which readings are to be given preference over others.

In Masses for special groups, the Priest shall be allowed to choose texts more particularly suited to the particular celebration, provided they are taken from the texts of an approved Lectionary. In addition, in the Lectionary a special selection of texts from Sacred Scripture is given for Ritual Masses into which certain Sacraments or Sacramentals are incorporated, or for Masses that are celebrated for certain needs.

Sets of readings of this kind have been so prescribed so that through a more apt hearing of the Word of God the faithful may be led to a fuller understanding of the mystery in which they are participating, and may be educated to a more ardent love of the Word of God. Therefore, the texts proclaimed in the celebration are to be chosen keeping in mind both an appropriate pastoral reason and the options allowed in this matter.