Eucharistic Prayer I (Roman Canon)

[matthias]

I vaguely remember someone telling me that the Eucharistic Prayer I (Roman Canon) should be preferred for the first mass of most Sundays and that the other three main EP’s should generally not be used on Sundays.

I now can’t remember where I heard this but the topic recently came up in discussion with a priest. Has anyone else heard this and specifically are there any references to any church documents that affirm this preference.

I am fairly sure most people would agree that this preference is there but showing an official document indicating the intention to maintain traditional continuity prefers us to have EP1 on most Sundays would be helpful.

Or maybe my memory is wrong and I only imagined this.

 

[LuxAurumque]

The GIRM says:

1. The choice of the eucharistic prayer may be guided by the
   following norms.

a. Eucharistic Prayer I, the Roman Canon, which may be used on any
day, is particularly apt on days when there is a special text for the
prayer, or in Masses that have a
special form of the prayer, <Father, accept this offering;> also on
the feasts of the apostles and saints mentioned in it and on Sundays,
unless for pastoral considerations another eucharistic prayer is
preferred.

b. Eucharistic Prayer II has features that make it particularly
suitable for weekdays and special circumstances.

Although it has its own preface, it may also be used with other
prefaces, especially those that summarize the mystery of salvation,
such as the Sunday prefaces or the common prefaces.

When Mass is celebrated for a dead person, the special formulary may
be inserted in the place indicated, namely, before the intercession,
.

c. Eucharistic Prayer III may be said with any preface. Its use is
particularly suited to Sundays and holydays.

The special formulary for a dead person may be used with this prayer
in the place indicated, namely, at the prayer, .

d. Eucharistic Prayer IV has a fixed preface and provides a fuller
summary of the history of salvation. It may be used when a Mass has
no preface of its own.

Because of the structure of this prayer no special formulary for the
dead may be inserted.

e. A eucharistic prayer that has its own preface may be used with
that preface. even when the Mass calls for the preface of the season.

 

[matthias]

I’m not entirely sure I understand this text.
The GIRM that is on the USCCB website and is approved for the US is slightly different than what you quoted too…

a. Eucharistic Prayer I, that is, the Roman Canon, which may always be used, is especially suited to be sung or said on days when there is a proper text for the *Communicantes *(In union with the whole Church) or in Masses endowed with a proper form of the *Hanc igitur *(Father, accept this offering) and also in the celebrations of the Apostles and of the Saints mentioned in the Prayer itself; it is likewise especially appropriate for Sundays, unless for pastoral considerations Eucharistic Prayer III is preferred.Is this saying that EP3 is preferred over the traditional Roman Cannon or is it saying that if there is a pastoral consideration that would prevent EP1 then EP3 would be the preferred substitute?

 

[drforjc]

I’m not entirely sure I understand this text.
The GIRM that is on the USCCB website and is approved for the US is slightly different than what you quoted too…

a. Eucharistic Prayer I, that is, the Roman Canon, which may always be used, is especially suited to be sung or said on days when there is a proper text for the *Communicantes *(In union with the whole Church) or in Masses endowed with a proper form of the *Hanc igitur *(Father, accept this offering) and also in the celebrations of the Apostles and of the Saints mentioned in the Prayer itself; it is likewise especially appropriate for Sundays, unless for pastoral considerations Eucharistic Prayer III is preferred.Is this saying that EP3 is preferred over the traditional Roman Cannon or is it saying that if there is a pastoral consideration that would prevent EP1 then EP3 would be the preferred substitute?

I would say that they are saying that occasionally there may be “pastoral considerations” that would make EP 3 a better choice than EP 1. What circumstances they had in mind that would render EP3 preferable are not clear-- perhaps time considerations would be one example. EP 3 is shorter, after all.

 

[BlestOne]

hmmmm… My pastor almost always uses EP II. I wondered about that too. As a child, our pastor would announce at the beginning of mass which one would be used, but at my present parish they just almost always use II so no announcement is made.

 

[cathsem]

It seems like the gist of the GIRM is that EP1 (Roman Canon) is preferred on Sunday, especially on days with proper parts (e.g. Christmas and its octave, Epiphany, Holy Thursday, Easter and its octave, Ascension, and Pentecost, a.k.a. the really holy days of the Church year). It is also most likely to be used at occasions with lots of concelebrants that are particularly solemn such as the Chrism Mass and ordinations, since it has 4 parts that an individual concelebrates can pray.

EP3 is another option for Sunday since it is essentially a longer form of EP2, an option particularly suited for weekdays. It is shorter than EP1, so some celebrants prefer it. It also allows for some progressive solemnity between the different Sundays and solemnities, some priests I know like to reserve EP1 for the major feast days and use EP3 on the other Sundays.

In addition, EP4 can be used on Sundays unless it has a proper preface (e.g. Christmas, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, most Sundays of Lent, Palm Sunday, most solemnities and feasts of the Lord or the BVM). It is thus ideally suited for the Sundays of Ordinary Time.

I personally prefer EP1, though I do wish I heard EP4 more frequently. I would tend to save EP3 for feasts and solemnities that fall on weekdays, when time is more of an issue.

Finally, though it is not recommended, nothing prohibits EP2 from being used on Sundays if the circumstances require it. I would consider it liturgically imprudent to use it on Sundays regularly.

 

[Tomster]

I vaguely remember someone telling me that the Eucharistic Prayer I (Roman Canon) should be preferred for the first mass of most Sundays and that the other three main EP’s should generally not be used on Sundays.

I now can’t remember where I heard this but the topic recently came up in discussion with a priest. Has anyone else heard this and specifically are there any references to any church documents that affirm this preference.

I am fairly sure most people would agree that this preference is there but showing an official document indicating the intention to maintain traditional continuity prefers us to have EP1 on most Sundays would be helpful.

Or maybe my memory is wrong and I only imagined this.

Matthias,

The Roman Canon is no longer used. It can only be found in the Tridentine Rite. Eucharistic Prayer #1 used in the Novus Ordo is a variation of the ancient Roman Canon.

Tomster

 

[matthias]

Matthias,

The Roman Canon is no longer used. It can only be found in the Tridentine Rite. Eucharistic Prayer #1 used in the Novus Ordo is a variation of the ancient Roman Canon.

Tomster

Actually if you look I quoted the current GIRM from the USCCB website. It says…
“a. Eucharistic Prayer I, that is, the Roman Canon, which may always be used, is especially suited to…”
So apparently the Church uses the phrase “the roman canon” to refer not only to tridentine rite celebration but also Novus Ordo Eucharistic payer #1.

Not that it’s really that important of a qualification. I’m just using the language the Church uses to refer to this prayer.

The main reason I was asking was that I think EP#1 should have pride of place because it does provide a sense of continuity with the Tridentine liturgy. In my experience it is however almost never used. I was wondering if the Church had specified any normative rule I could appeal to to show that it “should” have pride of place not just according to my opinion but according to the opinion of the Church, but the text of the GIRM seems fairly ambiguous about which option a celebrant chooses.