Priest changed words of consecration

[sneakers]

This morning, we had a visiting priest from our local college Catholic Church. At the consecration, instead of starting with “On the night he was betrayed” he said “When they gathered for dinner” (or something that means the same thing). Then, instead of “He said to his Disciples”, he said “He said to his friends”.

Needless to say, I want out of there very upset.

I can’t believe that such changes would be ok! Please, thoughts on this? Anybody?

Blessings,
sneakers

 

[LilyM]

Well, the only thing required for a valid consecration are the actual words ‘This is my body’ and ‘this is my blood’.

Remember that there are a lot of different Liturgies, for example in the Eastern Catholic rites. Of course they don’t all use precisely the same words (not nearly!), even at the point of Consecration - apart from the words of Our Lord.

And there are several different Eucharistic prayers, possibly he was using one you hadn’t heard before. I think there is a reference to ‘while they were at supper’ or some such in one of them.

Having said that, of course priests really shouldn’t be tampering with the prescribed words. Next time something like this happens, bring the subject up (nicely of course!) with the priest after Mass if you get the chance.

Just say something like ‘oh that was an unusual wording you used, Father - which Eucharistic Prayer is that from?’

 

[Mattapoisett64]

I may be mis-remembering this, but I believe the formula you cited (“dinner” and “said to His friends”) occur in one of the approved Eucharistic Prayers for “Masses for Children.” As noted by the prior poster, it is the words of institution that bear on validity of the Sacrament. The visiting priest MAY have used a Eucharistic Prayer he uses in his college setting because it sounds more “casual.” (I’m not a fan of the wording in Masses for Children, by the way.)

You received good advice - to ask Father what Eucharistic Prayer that was from – there are some we rarely hear.

 

[jamannor]

Sneakers,

Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with this. His Disciples were his friends. They were his follewers, they were his students, they were his family, and thus friends. Not that it actually gives me crediability but the english translation of Disciple actually fails the Latin equivalent. Too me friends is more personable and welcoming. I rather feel that Christ is welcoming me as a friend then as my master or teacher (even though I look to him as both.) To me a friend is about love. I think the Gospel of John will help me clairify my feelings.

John 15:9 As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remian in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remian in his love. I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete. This is my commandment: love one aother as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.

I might feel differntly then you because I just graduated from college and this sounds like something Father Larry would have said. I can’t really remember .

Jerry

This morning, we had a visiting priest from our local college Catholic Church. At the consecration, instead of starting with “On the night he was betrayed” he said “When they gathered for dinner” (or something that means the same thing). Then, instead of “He said to his Disciples”, he said “He said to his friends”.

Needless to say, I want out of there very upset.

I can’t believe that such changes would be ok! Please, thoughts on this? Anybody?

Blessings,
sneakers

 

[puzzleannie]

when something like this happens the first thing is to simply ask the priest when you get the chance.
Father, I am not familiar with the version of the Eucharistic Prayer you used this morning and I would like to read it.

If he said it is Eucharistic Prayer for children, or the second form of the Eucharistic prayer for reconciliation or whatever, you just find it in your missal and check it out.

If he says, well I just used prayer 1 but with a few little touches of my own, how did you like it? with a cheesy grin, you are in trouble. Your next response is, Father do you enjoy flirting with disaster and risking invalidating the Eucharist or did you graduate from the seminary of What’s Happnin’ now? I am sure you can find a more tactful way of asking the same thing.

 

[m134e5]

Sneakers,

Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with this. His Disciples were his friends. They were his follewers, they were his students, they were his family, and thus friends. Not that it actually gives me crediability but the english translation of Disciple actually fails the Latin equivalent. Too me friends is more personable and welcoming. I rather feel that Christ is welcoming me as a friend then as my master or teacher (even though I look to him as both.) To me a friend is about love. I think the Gospel of John will help me clairify my feelings.

I might feel differntly then you because I just graduated from college and this sounds like something Father Larry would have said. I can’t really remember .

Jerry

There is a problem with this because the celebrant is supposed to follow the words in the Roman Missal- he can’t just do his own things. Mispronouncing a word or getting words mixed up by accident is one thing (it just better not happen during the consecration- or there isn’t one)- but disregarding the instructions of the Church is (at best) presumptuous.

 

[jamannor]

There is a problem with this because the celebrant is supposed to follow the words in the Roman Missal- he can’t just do his own things. Mispronouncing a word or getting words mixed up by accident is one thing (it just better not happen during the consecration- or there isn’t one)- but disregarding the instructions of the Church is (at best) presumptuous.

I completly agree, I might not have stated it correctly, I was having trouble sleeping last night, I think my post was at 4 in the morning. I wouldn’t want it changed for presumptuous reasons, but I was trying to give comfort that friend and Disciple are similar in the thought… I wasn’t sure if it was right or wrong, just comforting that if it is right, It’s cool to me that friend seems more of an intimate relationship with Christ.

All the best,
Jerry

 

[CALDE]

There is a problem with this because the celebrant is supposed to follow the words in the Roman Missal- he can’t just do his own things. Mispronouncing a word or getting words mixed up by accident is one thing (it just better not happen during the consecration- or there isn’t one)- but disregarding the instructions of the Church is (at best) presumptuous.

In all Eucaristic Prayers the word is DISCIPLES. No other can be used at this time. If the priest wants to define this word he can; in his Homily or before or after Mass.

 

[LCMS_No_More]

In all Eucaristic Prayers the word is DISCIPLES. No other can be used at this time. If the priest wants to define this word he can; in his Homily or before or after Mass.

Actually, Eucharistic Prayers I and III for Masses with Children both say friends.