Yesterday, my girlfriend went to daily Mass at Blessed Sacrament in Arlington, and came away a bit confused by the Liturgy — she explained to me that it sounded like the Mass, was clearly not being improvised by the priest, and yet was different at almost every point from what she was used to. Turns out, it was the pretty obscure Eucharistic Prayer IV.
If you’re not familiar, there are four Eucharistic Prayers which the priest may do in a normal Mass. You may not have noticed that there is more than one variation on the Eucharistic Prayer, but I bet if you’re Catholic, you’ll recognize at least two of the first three. The area most people notice is at the Institution (the part of the Mass where everyone kneels, leading to the Consecration of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ), since everyone’s attention in on the altar, and what the priest is doing:
- Eucharistic Prayer I is the 1600 year old Roman Canon, and begins the Institution by saying, “The day before He suffered, He took bread in His sacred hands, and looking up to heaven, to You, His Almighty Father, He gave You thanks and praise; He broke the Bread, gave it to His disciples, and said…;“
- Eucharistic Prayer II, based upon the Liturgy of St. Hippolytus of Rome, begins the Institution this way: “Before he was given up to death, a death he freely accepted, he took bread and gave you thanks, He broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said…;“
- Eucharistic Prayer III, a modern reorganization of the Mass done primarily by Cipriano Vagaggini (who wanted things in a more structured order, and more explicit emphasis on the Holy Spirit), begins the Institution: “On the night He was betrayed, He took bread and gave You thanks and praise. He broke the Bread, gave it to His disciples, and said…“
- And finally, Eucharistic Prayer IV, based upon two liturgies from the East — the Apostolic Constitutions of Antioch and St. Basil’s Byzantine Liturgy — has the longest introduction to the Institution: “He always loved those who were His own in the world. When the time came for Him to be glorified by You, His Heavenly Father, He showed the depth of His love. While they were at supper, He took bread, said the blessing, broke the Bread, and gave it to His Disciples, saying…“
…at which point all have identical words of Institution.
Eucharistic Prayer IV’s eastern tilt is obvious: the Roman Rite, historically, is succinct, while the Eastern half of the Church is known for its verbosity. Don’t get me wrong: the Roman Rite goes long, but it does it by adding more and more, like including lengthy litanies of the saints; but typically, if we pray something once in the Roman Canon, we usually don’t pray it again.* On the other hand, Eucharistic Prayer IV just keeps bringing up the glory and grandeur of God, and His work in the various covenants. Oh yeah, Eucharistic Prayer IV is also structured to allow the least adaptation and modification, which might be a good reason to encourage bringing it into fuller use.
Here’s an easy side-by-side comparison of the four different Eucharistic prayers. My personal preference is still for Eucharistic Prayer II for daily Masses, since it’s succinct without leaving much of anything out, and Eucharistic Prayer I for Sunday Masses, since it’s probably the best of the four (not to mention the only one to mention Melchizedek). But I do think that more liturgical “space” needs to be made for Eucharistic Prayers III and IV to have a little room to flourish, if we’re going to keep them as valid alternatives to the first two.
Ah yes: on a completely personal note, I have completed the bar exam, will find out my results on or about September 15th, and will now prepare for my next major test: the MPRE, the ethics exam for new lawyers. Thank you so much for all of your prayers – it was solely by the grace of God that things went as well as they did, whatever the outcome, and I have a real peace about everything.
*There are a few exceptions: both the Agnus Dei (“Lamb of God”) and the Kyrie Eleison (“Lord, Have Mercy”) draw their beauty in part from repetition. The latter prayer is an ancient Greek prayer, and is probably the oldest part of the Mass.
I have been a Liturgy professor for some years. A careful glance at The Roman Canon will show the repetitions, especially with regard to those before and after the Institution and prayer of Oblation.
Eucharistic Prayer 4 is long, but in many ways echoes the Priestly Prayer of Jesus in John 17.
The simplicity of poetic flow was lost when a more literal translation from the Latin was done for the 3rd Edition of the Roman Missal of Paul VI.
Like other early Eucharistic prayers the section before the Institution narrative is a proclamation for reason of the Institution and subsequent prayer of Oblation.
Pity that more priest do not use it and practice it, because it can be very effective. I myself used it today presiding at our conventual liturgy.
Blessing to you and in in your prep for the Ethics exam.
Fr. Peter, OSB
Thank you for this. It’s been so long since I’d looked into the history of the Eucharistic prayers. In these days of rancour and complaint and consequent dread it was good to read a proper and sanely focused explanation.
Btw congratulations on your entry to the Bar! Peace and Blessings!
Good explanation!
Searching the history of Saints in the Canon of the Mass…is it 5 century, 6 or 7 century….as you know; not explained in the Catechism, or other popular laymen sources. As the faithful rattle , be it English or Latin, the liturgy, with mindless care…maybe babble along in Mass. JIM>>>>>
I NOTICED ALMOST EVERY CATHOLIC CHURCH I ATTEND FOR MASES IN NYS, THEY NO LONGER PROVIDE MISSALS TO FOLLOW MASES
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PEOPLE WHO MIGHT CONVERT TO CATHOLICISM ARE LOST BECAUSE OF THIS NOT KNOWING THE WORDS AT MASSES…MOST PROTESTANT HAVE BEEN TAUGHT PRIEST ARE ONLY PRAYING TO MARY, OR PAGAN DEITIES OR SOME OTHER LIE..BY NOT PROVIDING MISSALS IS A BIG MISTAKE…ALSO MANY OR MOST CATHOLICS ARE TOTALLY UNAWARE OF THE PURPOSE FOR MASSES…I AM AN EPISCOPALIAN CONVERT TO CATHOLICISM AND WHEN I CONVERTED IN 1980 CATHOLIC CHURCH ALL HAD MISSALS TO LEARN ABOUT MASS AND I STUDIED MISSAL PRAYERS AND CONCLUDED PROTESTANT LIARS WERE LYING ABOUT MASS IS ALL ABOUT MARY AND DEMON gods….THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS NOW SO LUKEWARN WITH GAY PRIESTS AND BISHOPS EVERYWHERE THEY DON’T PREACH OR TEACH GOSPEL BUT ONLY SPEAK OF LOVE, TOLERANCE AND NICE THINGS…THEY ARE LUKEWARM AND OR APOSTATES WHO NEED A JOB SO THEY REMAIN PRIESTS…I AM SO DISAPPOINTED WITH POPE FRANCIS AND HIS CONFUSION EMBRACING CRAZY JESUIT CRYTO CHRISTIAN TRUTHS…NOW THE CHURCH IS BASICALLY A MAINLINE PROTESTANT NGO IN USA…I PRAY GOD GIVES US A NEW POPE AND A NEW PENTECOST…THE GAY PRIESTS ARE REALLY PREACHING MARXISM AND NEW AGE RELIGIONS
Dear David:
Here in the mid-west “all” Catholic churches (at least the 10 or so that I have attended) have a combination hymnal / lectionary / order of the Mass. So, maybe the problem is a local one. Bring it up with your pastor.
To your point about teaching and preaching and fidelity to the Gospel: I think that there is a wide variety of styles of preaching, of teaching. Some preachers (priests and deacons) should get some remedial education in technique, as well as a good dose of courage, tempered in love.
I suppose that along with straight priests and deacons, some gay priests and deacons are pushing some political agenda or another. This is simply wrong. Jesus gives us the model: Call people to conversion. Love people to conversion. Confront the people in positions of civil and ecclesiastical power when they abuse their power. Of course this will likely get you rejected and erased and possibly killed.
David, please pray for us who are charged with preaching and teaching.
Regards,
Deacon Tom
Being at mass is an aural activity. At that point of the mass, we should be listening to the prayer as the priest recites it. Unless one has a hearing difficulty, “reading along” interferes with the attention we should be paying.
If you are looking for a copy of the Eucharistic prayer online, there are plenty of places where the text of each eucharistic prayer is laid out.
It’s a long time since I’ve read about Eucharist 4 and I like the new translation but the old translation was an easier listen/ read. It’s very beautiful. Should be used more. I guess the new translation puts some priests off due to length. I don’t know.