Eucharistic Prayer for Children

[travellinmike]

This past Sunday, I realized that Father was not using any of the Eucharistic prayers in the missalette. In the first half instead of breaking the bread and giving it to his discipes, he gave it to his friends. OK they were his friends. While I flipped back and forth trying to figure out where this was it was over. Seemed like as soon as “Christ has died, Christ had risen, Crist will come again” finished I was hearing “Through Him, with Him…”

I asked our dear pastor as I shook his hand on the way out afterwards which Eucharistic prayer he was using as it wasn’t in the book. He replied “It’s the 3rd Eucharistic Prayer for Children.” Instead of ending the handshake he wouldn’t let go and continued “And I feel justified in using it because we are called to the Lord as little children”

This was the 7:30 AM mass and there were 2 grade school age children and a couple toddlers.

It dawned on me that I miss hearing the part about “pray brothers and sisters for our Pope Benedict, our Bishop, and all the clergy. St Peter and all the saints on whose constant intercession we rely for help. May we praise you in union with them and all who have left this world in your presence”

Wow! where did that all come from? I’m sure it’s not right but not bad for someone who’s been away for 20 yrs.

Anyway, what i want to know is this. Is there any instruction that specifies when this should be used? It might be good for Catholic grade school mass (if they still go to mass as a class) but it left me wanting more.

When I leave the Banquet of the Lord I want to feel full, not like I grabbed a shriveled up death dog at the 7-11

Mike

 

[stbruno]

Our parish uses the Eucharistic prayer for children on weekdays only when our school children are in church and are the predominate members of the congregation. However, on Sunday we subscribe to the usual Eucharistic prayers used at adult masses. That seems the proper form and usage. Were you attending a mass announced as a children’s mass or just a regular Sunday mass?

 

[chicago]

I’m not sure, offhand, where the regulations are; but it isn’t supposed to be used on Sundays for the parish Mass, only for special Masses with children.

Frankly, when I was a kid and it got used I felt offended and pandered to. I didn’t see any need for them to dumb things down. I knew what an apostle was, for goodness sake!

 

[travellinmike]

chicago:

I’m not sure, offhand, where the regulations are; but it isn’t supposed to be used on Sundays for the parish Mass, only for special Masses with children.

Frankly, when I was a kid and it got used I felt offended and pandered to. I didn’t see any need for them to dumb things down. I knew what an apostle was, for goodness sake!

This was the 7:30 AM Sunday Mass. We usually go to the 9:00 Mass but I went to the earlier Mass hoping for a more reverant atmosphere.

Imagine my surprise when the childrens eucharist ws used for a congregation of mostly 40s and up. Pandered to? You bet. I didn’t even know there was such a thing as a Childrens Eucharistic Prayer.

Well the only thing I could find online was this link from the Bishops conference.
nccbuscc.org/liturgy/q&a/mass/child.shtml

While it doesn’t specifically prohibit use on Sunday, it does say that it should be used at celebrations with only children or a majority of children.

Well now that we don’t have to take Jr to CCD I’m going to visit a few of the neighboring parishes.

Mike

 

[Dr.Bombay]

Those Eucharistic Prayers for children are the most insipid pieces of trash to ever be foisted on us. They make the ICEL translation of the regular Eucharistic Prayers seem like soaring prose.

I am offended by them on behalf of all children. I know many kids. I have nieces and nephews. Children aren’t stupid and they don’t need to be talked down to. :tsktsk: The least they should expect from their Church is not to be treated like idiots.