Liturgically Speaking: The Eucharistic Prayer, Part I

After the Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy), we come to the center and high point of the entire celebration of the Mass, that is, the Eucharistic Prayer.  The priest associates all those assembled with himself in the Eucharistic Prayer that he addresses to God the Father, through Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit.  In the Eucharistic Prayer all of us join with Christ in confessing the great deeds of God and in the offering of sacrifice.

It can be all too easy to let one’s mind wander at this most sacred of moments.  One way to focus on the Eucharistic Prayer is to know its structure and meaning.  The main elements of all the Eucharistic Prayers may be distinguished in this way:

·         The epiclesis.  This word from Greek means a calling down upon, or we might say “invocation.”  In the epiclesis, the Church implores the power of the Holy Spirit that the gifts become Christ’s body and blood, and that the sacrificial Victim may be for the salvation of those who will partake of it.  You can recognize the epiclesis as the priest extends his hands over the gifts and, usually, the altar server will ring the bells.

·         The institution narrative and consecration.   By the words of Christ the sacrifice which He instituted during the Last Supper is recalled and made effective here and now.  This is a recalling of Christ’s familiar words at the Last Supper, “This is my body,” and “This is my blood.”  These words are traditionally seen as the “form” or essential prayers that bring about the change, or transubstantiation, of bread and wine into Christ’s body and blood.  Again, you will recognize this part of Mass also by the ringing of the bells at the altar.

·         The anamnesis.  Another word from Greek meaning, roughly, “remembrance.”   By the anamnesis, the Church celebrates the memorial of Christ, recalling especially his Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension into heaven.  Unlike a simple memorial, however, an anamnesis does not leave the events it recalls to the past, but makes those realities present here and now, so that we may participate in them.

·         The oblation.  An oblation is an offering to God, often the offering of a sacrificial victim.   The Church gathered here and now offers the sacrificial Victim in the Holy Spirit to the Father.  Not only is the body and blood of Christ offered to the Father at Mass, but we the faithful are meant to offer our very selves in union with the sacrifice of Christ.

·         The intercessions, by which we realize that the Eucharist is celebrated in communion with the whole Church of both heaven and of earth, and that the offering is made for her and for all her members, living and dead.

·         The concluding doxology.  “Doxology” is yet another word from Greek, meaning “praise.”  In the concluding doxology, the glorification of God is expressed and is affirmed by the people’s acclamation “Amen.”

In our upcoming articles, we will follow Eucharistic Prayer III as a model as we look at these different elements.