Editing Catholic Mass (section)

=== Part 3: THE EUCHARISTIC PRAYER or PRAYER OVER THE OFFERINGS===

* For full texts of various Eucharistic Prayers, see [https://universalis.com/static/mass/orderofmass.htm Order of the Mass (Universalis Publishing)]
** Official translation of Vatican II Order of the Mass

* here for [https://www.liturgyoffice.org.uk/Missal/Text/EP1-A4.pdf Eucharistic Prayer no. 1]

====Notes on the Eucharistic prayer====

*The Eucharistic prayer is conducted on the “altar”

* In Mass, the altar is both the sacrifice and the body of Christ:
<blockquote>The altar, around which the Church is gathered in the celebration of the Eucharist, represents the two aspects of the same mystery: the altar of the sacrifice and the table of the Lord. This is all the more so since the Christian altar is the symbol of Christ himself, present in the midst of the assembly of his faithful, both as the victim offered for our reconciliation and as food from heaven who is giving himself to us. ([https://www.usccb.org/sites/default/files/flipbooks/catechism/350/ CCC 1383])</blockquote>

=====Prayer to God the Father through the Son=====

*the Eucharistic prayer is addressed to the Father through the Son
*through the presence of Christ in the priest (ordained by the Holy Spirit)

=====the Eucharistic prayer...=====
*= a prayer of praise and thanksgiving
*= an invitation to join together with Christ
*repeats Jesus' words at the Last Supper
*the people respond to the prayer with various "acclamations"
*the entirety of the Eucharistic Prayer is called the "anaphora"

==== Eucharistic Prayer origin ====

* in the modern, Vatican II, Mass, there are various Eucharistic Prayers
* the first, Eucharistic Prayer I (EPI), is the original prayer, called "The Roman Canon" (canon for standard, agreed upon)
** it alone was used prior to the 1970s
** it has its origins in the earliest Church, thus we can attribute it to the Apostles, themselves, who taught the early Christians how to pray, who taught the Liturgy of the Eucharist at the very beginning of the Church
*** see https://www.lsm.org.uk/media/PDF/Eucharist-13.pdf
*

====A. Preface Dialogue & Thanksgiving====

* called "The Thanksgiving"
* [https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/general-instruction-of-the-roman-missal/girm-chapter-2 from GIRM Ch 2, no. 79]: 
** "The thanksgiving (expressed especially in the Preface), in which the Priest, in the name of the whole of the holy people, glorifies God the Father and gives thanks to him for the whole work of salvation or for some particular aspect of it, according to the varying day, festivity, or time of year."

* the priest speaks for the people and the church through Christ 
<blockquote>Priest: The Lord be with you.

People: And with your spirit.

Priest: Lift up your hearts.

People: We lift them up to the Lord.

Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God

People: It is right and just.</blockquote>
*'''"Lift up your hearts"'''
**see "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself" ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/12?32 Jn 12:32])
*'''"It is right and just" [to give thanks to the Lord"]'''
**"It is right and just to entrust oneself wholly to God and to believe absolutely what he says. It would be futile and false to place such faith in a creature" (CCC 150) 
***"right" as in it is the correct, necessary thing to do ("Give thanks to the Lord our God") 
****"just" as in "owed" or "duty fulfilled"
****we owe it to God to "give thanks"

* see [https://www.catholicherald.com/article/columns/right-and-just/ Right and just - Arlington Catholic Herald]

==== B) Preface ====
*in a petition to the Father, the priest recites a prayer and petition for the Father to bless and accept the sacrifice in communion with all the Church and the Saints
*the priest reads the "preface" (before), which celebrates the feast, if any, and the "mystery" of the Eucharist
**prefaces are dedicated to different liturgical days, seasons and purposes, such as Advent, Nativity, Lent, Easter, Ordinary Time and also for Sacraments of Matrimony and of Healing (for the dead)

====C) Sanctus or Acclamation====
*the priest then extends his hands as if on the Cross
*and leads the faithful in the "Sanctus"
*from the [https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/general-instruction-of-the-roman-missal/girm-chapter-2 GIRM Ch 2]:
**"The acclamation, by which the whole congregation, joining with the heavenly powers, sings the Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy). This acclamation, which constitutes part of the Eucharistic Prayer itself, is pronounced by all the people with the Priest."
* all chant or sing, "'''''Holy, Holy, Holy'''''" as the cherubin sing in constant praise of God
** we are joining the angels and saints in praise of God
** note that Hebrew does not have comparatives and superlatives, such as in English, "holy, holier, holiest"
*** so the repetition, "Holy, Holy, Holy", creates that comparison, ending with the superlative, as in "God is holy, holier, and holiest"
* scriptural sources of the Sanctus are from:
<blockquote>One cried out to the other: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts! All the earth is filled with his glory!” ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/6?3 Isa 6:3])</blockquote><blockquote>The four living creatures, each of them with six wings,* were covered with eyes inside and out. Day and night they do not stop exclaiming: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come.” ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/revelation/4:8 Rev 4:8])</blockquote>

====D) ''Epiclesis''====
*section may also be called ''te igutur'', "we come to you, Father"
*all kneel, while the priest extends his hands over the offering 
**asking the Father to bless and accept these gifts
** and calls down the Holy Spirit to consecrate the bread and wine
* from the [https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/general-instruction-of-the-roman-missal/girm-chapter-2 GIRM Ch 2]:
** "The epiclesis, in which, by means of particular invocations, the Church implores the power of the Holy Spirit that the gifts offered by human hands be consecrated, that is, become Christ’s Body and Blood, and that the unblemished sacrificial Victim to be consumed in Communion may be for the salvation of those who will partake of it."

*"epiclesis" means "invocation" (calling for assistance)
<blockquote>The Holy Spirit makes present the mystery of Christ

Christian liturgy not only recalls the events that saved us but actualizes them, makes them present. The Paschal mystery of Christ is celebrated, not repeated. It is the celebrations that are repeated, and in each celebration there is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that makes the unique mystery present. ([https://www.usccb.org/sites/default/files/flipbooks/catechism/288/ CC 1104])

The Epiclesis ("invocation upon") is the intercession in which the priest begs the Father to send the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier, so that the offerings may become the body and blood of Christ and that the faithful by receiving them, may themselves become a living offering to God. ([https://www.usccb.org/sites/default/files/flipbooks/catechism/288/ CC 1105]) </blockquote>
*a bell may be rung during the epiclesis to mark the calling down of the Holy Spirit

====E) Institution Narrative & Consecration ====

===== Institution Narrative =====
*standing for Christ, the priest recounts the Lord's words at the Last Supper
**in which Jesus instituted (created) the sacrament and affirmed the New Covenant

*the priest holds up the host and the chalice and says new and everlasting covenant 
**brings us to holy communion w/ God to bridge the gap that was lost w/ fall of Adam/Eve
** this act by the priest is known as the "'''Major Elevation'''"
*the Eucharistic Prayer has various forms 
**all of which tell of the Last Supper
**Here from Eucharistic Prayer No. 1:
<blockquote>On the day before he was to suffer he took bread in his holy and venerable hands, and with eyes raised to heaven to you, O God, his almighty Father, giving you thanks he said the blessing, broke the bread and gave it to his disciples, saying: 

'''"Take this, all of you, and eat of it: for this is my body which will be given up for you."'''

In a similar way, when supper was ended, he took this precious chalice in his holy and venerable hands, and once more giving you thanks, he said the blessing and gave the chalice to his disciples, saying: 

'''"Take this, all of you, and drink from it: for this is the chalice of my blood, the blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of me."'''</blockquote>
*the Institution Narrative affirms how Jesus transformed his betrayal and murder into an act of love, sacrifice, and salvation
*from the [https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/general-instruction-of-the-roman-missal/girm-chapter-2 GIRM Ch. 2, 79d]:
**" The institution narrative and Consecration, by which, by means of the words and actions of Christ, that Sacrifice is effected which Christ himself instituted during the Last Supper, when he offered his Body and Blood under the species of bread and wine, gave them to the Apostles to eat and drink, and leaving with the latter the command to perpetuate this same mystery."

===== Consecration =====
*during the Institution Narrative, the priest holds up the bread and the wine (in a "chalice")

*and "consecrates" or makes it holy
*it becomes the actual Body and Blood of Christ 
**called "transubstantiation"
**bells may be run three times for each, Body and Blood
***in order to mark and remind about the present mystery
***(i.e., the mystery that is going on at that moment)
*Jesus is now wholly present in the Mass
*after the consecration of each, the priest holds up the consecrated Bread and Wine 
**then he sets it down on the altar and bows to the Lord

===== The Mystery of Faith =====
*also called the "Memorial Acclamation" 
**"memorial" because Christ called for us to "''do this in memory of me''"
*at the end of the Institution Narrative, after the priest speaks for Jesus, saying
<blockquote>"Do this in memory of me"</blockquote>
*the priest calls upon the faithful to celebrate the "'''Mystery of Faith'''"
** i.e., faith in the real presence of the Lord

===== Three Acclamations =====
*the people respond to the Memorial Acclamationwith
**one of three "acclamations" which the priest may choose, and which the faithful say in response to the Memorial Acclamation
<blockquote>We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection, until you come again.</blockquote><blockquote>When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.</blockquote><blockquote>Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.</blockquote>
*the Memorial Acclamation is spoken to Jesus 
**(the Eucharistic Prayer is otherwise spoken to God the Father)

====F) Anamnesis & Oblation====

*usually starts with
 Therefore, holy Father,
*the second half of Eucharistic Prayer contains the Anamnesis and Oblation:
** "anamnesis" = "remembrance" or "memorial"
**"oblation" = offering or sacrifice to God
* the "memorial" is the actual sacrifice of Jesus made present
**i.e., happening again now

* from the [https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/general-instruction-of-the-roman-missal/girm-chapter-2 GIRM Ch. 2]: 
** "The anamnesis, by which the Church, fulfilling the command that she received from Christ the Lord through the Apostles, celebrates the memorial of Christ, recalling especially his blessed Passion, glorious Resurrection, and Ascension into heaven." 
** "The oblation, by which, in this very memorial, the Church, in particular that gathered here and now, offers the unblemished sacrificial Victim in the Holy Spirit to the Father. The Church’s intention, indeed, is that the faithful not only offer this unblemished sacrificial Victim but also learn to offer their very selves, and so day by day to be brought, through the mediation of Christ, into unity with God and with each other, so that God may at last be all in all."

* the prayer continues its appeal to God the Father 
**explaining why we partake in this "memorial"
* various versions may be read; here for Eucharistic Prayer II (EP II):
<blockquote>Therefore, as we celebrate the memorial of his Death and Resurrection, we offer you, Lord, the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation, giving thanks that you have held us worthy to be in your presence and minister to you.</blockquote>
*the Anamnesis also contains another Epiclesis, or calling down of the Holy Spirit
*as well as a prayer to unite all who participate in the Eucharist to be joined in one by the Holy Spirit:
<blockquote>Humbly we pray that, partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ, we may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit. (EP II)</blockquote>or<blockquote>Look, we pray, upon the oblation of your Church, and, recognizing the sacrificial Victim by whose death you willed to reconcile us to yourself, grant that we, who are nourished by the Body and Blood of your Son and filled with his Holy Spirit, may become one body, one spirit in Christ. (EP III)</blockquote>
* note: the GIRM treats the Anamnesis and Oblation as separate elements

==== G) Intercessions==== 

*"intercession" = a prayer for blessings and others
*the Eucharistic Prayer continues with prayers for the Church, the Pope, the Bishops, and all the priests
**and usually includes a special call to the Saint of the particular parish
*different versions may include prayer for  
**union with the saints
**for the dead
** "for all of creation"
*and concludes with a call for the Lord God to sanctify and bless all those prayed by and for
*from the [https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/general-instruction-of-the-roman-missal/girm-chapter-2 GIRM Ch. 2]:
**"The intercessions, by which expression is given to the fact that the Eucharist is celebrated in communion with the whole Church, of both heaven and of earth, and that the oblation is made for her and for all her members, living and dead, who are called to participate in the redemption and salvation purchased by the Body and Blood of Christ."

====H) Concluding Doxology and Great Amen====

* doxology = "words of praise"
<blockquote>Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, for ever and ever.</blockquote>
*the people respond with the "'''Great Amen'''" 
**which may be sung and repeated
*the Great Amen is affirmation by the faithful of the Eucharistic Prayers
**"amen" = "so be it" or "it is so"
*from the [https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/general-instruction-of-the-roman-missal/girm-chapter-2 GIRM Ch 2]:
**" The concluding doxology, by which the glorification of God is expressed and which is affirmed and concluded by the people’s acclamation Amen."
*the “Geat Amen” is the moment of the sacrifice of Christ:
**per Leviticus, the people would present the animal for sacrifice, placing a hand on it to show ownership (of the animal and of their sins) ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/leviticus/1?4 Lv 1:4])
**in the Mass, this is the moment the priest would splash the blood of the victim onto the altar ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/leviticus/1?5 Lv 1:5])