Melchizedek mentioned during the Mass

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I was chaperoning a middle school retreat, and we had a giant game of hide and go seek, where the chaperones had to hide, and when the groups found us, we each had a different task, such as making a poster on what it means to be Catholic, stuff that had to do with blindfolds, etc. I guess I didn’t explain that very well, but my job was to give the kids four questions. The last question that I had to give was this:

During the Mass, a priest is mentioned. What is his name?
~“Our priest, __________”

The answer is Melchizedek. I have never heard this before, and so I concentrated hard this Sunday at Mass, but I did not hear it. It is in the Eucharistic Prayer.
 
hamburglar said:
I was chaperoning a middle school retreat, and we had a giant game of hide and go seek, where the chaperones had to hide, and when the groups found us, we each had a different task, such as making a poster on what it means to be Catholic, stuff that had to do with blindfolds, etc. I guess I didn’t explain that very well, but my job was to give the kids four questions. The last question that I had to give was this:

During the Mass, a priest is mentioned. What is his name?
~“Our priest, __________”

The answer is Melchizedek. I have never heard this before, and so I concentrated hard this Sunday at Mass, but I did not hear it. It is in the Eucharistic Prayer.
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That is because it is in Eucharistic Prayer I, the Roman Canon. Theother Eucharistic Prayers (II, III, IV) do not have this reference

The passage is:
Look with favor on these offerings and accept them as once you accepted the gifts of your servant Abel, the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith, and the bread and wine offered by your priest Melchizedek.
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which is supposed to be a translation of
Supra quae propitio ac sereno vultu respicere digneris, et accepta habere sicut accepta habere dignatus es munera pueri tui justi Abel, et sacrificium patriarchae nostri Abrahae, et quod tibi obtulit summus sacerdos tuus Melchisedech, sanctum sacrificium, immaculatam hostiam.
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which is more accurately
Upon which be pleased to look with a favourable and serene countenance: and accept them, even as you were pleased to accept the gifts of your just child Abel, and the sacrifice of our patriarch Abraham: and that which your high priest Melchisedech offered to you, a holy sacrifice, a spotless victim.
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It is only in the Roman Canon (EP I). Unfortunately, this seems to be the least used of all the EPs.

**Look with favor on these offerings and accept them as once you accepted the gifts of your servant Abel, the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith, and the bread and wine offered by your priest Melchisedech.

**God bless,
James
 
Hello,

Depends on which Eucharistic Prayer was used - there are today at least 6. Melchizedek is part of Eucharistic Prayer I (The Roman Canon) - the traditional Eucharistic Prayer that was used in the Tridentine Liturgy. The text, which occurs shortly after the Words of Institution, is:

Supra quae propitio ac sereno vultu respicere digneris: et accepta habere, siculti accepta habere dignatus es munera pueri tui iusti Abel, et sacrificium Patriarchae nostri Abrahae, et quod tibi obtulit summus sacerdos tuus Melchisedech, sanctum sacrificium, immaculatam hostiam.

Look with favor on these offerings and accept them as once you accepted the gifts of your servant Abel, the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith, and the bread and wine offered by your priest Melchisedech.
 
Too bad the first Eucharistic prayer is not used more often. Those references to Abel, Abraham, and Melchizedek, place the Mass in a historical context of sacrifices offered to God.

Even the most inattentive of kids growing up with the old Mass would recognize the reference to Melchizedek, who offered a sacrifice of bread and wine.
 
JimG said:
Even the most inattentive of kids growing up with the old Mass would recognize the reference to Melchizedek, who offered a sacrifice of bread and wine.
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Actually, I grew up in the 80s and 90s and remember this reference at many of the masses. They still do it where I attend mass now.
 
Luckly the Priest at my church for the last 5 years (he just resigned) but he almost always used the first Eucharistic prayer. So I always feel a little let down at Mass when i dont hear that prayer. It seems to be the most traditional and appropriate for the reality of the Most Holy Sacrafice of the Mass.
 
I had my brother (a priest) use EP I for my wedding. I just think that prayer needs to be said – and heard, for the benefit of those at the Ordinary Form – more often.
 
japhy said:
I had my brother (a priest) use EP I for my wedding. I just think that prayer needs to be said – and heard, for the benefit of those at the Ordinary Form – more often.
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I attend NO at two parishes. This prayer is used all the time.
 
James0235 said:
It is only in the Roman Canon (EP I). Unfortunately, this seems to be the least used of all the EPs.
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Maybe at the parish you attend, but not throughout the US. I heard it while travelling this summer at parishes throughout VA and FL.
 
Sr_Sally said:
Maybe at the parish you attend, but not throughout the US. I heard it while travelling this summer at parishes throughout VA and FL.
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I have only heard it used in 3 parishes out of maybe 100 or so parishes throughout Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tenn, Penn and the DC area that I have been to in my life. In 2 of those parishes I have heard it quite often.

And in the 3rd the associate pastor used it exclusively - he was dyslexic and had basically memorized it. The pastor at that parish only uses EP II.

It is my experience that maybe 90 or 95% of priests will only use EP II and most of the rest use EP III. The Roman Canon is rarely used and EP IV is never used.

James
 
Melchizedek has always fascinated me, and I wish there was more written about him.

I know that he was a priest who used bread and wine in his sacrifice, rather than making animal sacrifices.

Beyond that, I haven’t been able to find out more.

Jim
 
Hello,
JimR-OCDS said:
Melchizedek has always fascinated me, and I wish there was more written about him.

I know that he was a priest who used bread and wine in his sacrifice, rather than making animal sacrifices.

Beyond that, I haven’t been able to find out more.

Jim
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One thing I have heard about Melchizedek is that he was the King of Salem which became Jerusalem. The altar that he made his sacrifice on was the same one that Abraham used to almost sacrifice Isaac and then instructed to sacrifice the lamb upon. This same place called Moriah got a new name - Golgatha/Calvary and is the same place that Christ was sacrificed for us.
 
I have heard the theory that Melchizedek is actually Noah’s son Shem. The reasoning is that the blessing is handed down from father to son.

Adam would have passed the blessing to Seth. It passed through the generations to Noah. Then God renewed the blessing to Noah, who passed it on to Shem. Then we don’t hear anything about the blessing until Abram.

After he defeated the four kings, he met Melchizedek in the countryside. That is when Melchizedek, both priest and king, offered bread and wine and blessed Abram.

If you go back through the geneologies and do the math, you realize that Shem would still be alive. Since we didn’t hear that Shem passed the blessing along before this, it makes sense that he is the one with the authority to pass it on to Abram.

Just a little trivia to tickle your brain.🙂
 
Well I’m praying that the Lord will inspire some expert to write a book about Melchizedek.

Jim
 
I definetly love the older version of the Confetior
I confess to Almighty God, to blessed Mary ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the Archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, to all the saints, and to you, brethren, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore, I beseech blessed Mary ever Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, all the saints, and you, brethren, to pray for me to the Lord our God
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It just seems to be more elequent, and more honest about how we as humans have sinned. “Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.”

In my church we usuall say the confetior(the new version) on Sunday, but not always.
 
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