What's your favorite Eucharistic Prayer (Anaphora) and why?

[David_B]

akemner:

I said the Anaphora of St John Chrysostom, but really my favorite is the Anaphora of St Basil. It comes at the most solemn moments of the year, and is a marvel of prayer and ecclesial writing (to my mind, it makes even the Anaphora of St John Chrysostom and the Roman Canon sound vague and simplistic, by comparison).

There is a story here. Whenever St Basil would celebrate the Divine Liturgy, at the moment of the Epiclesis, the Tabernacle would shake and move (it was in the form of a dove, suspended from the ceiling). One time, however, it did not. St Basil, sensing something was wrong, looked around and noted that one pof his deacons was not paying attention to the service at hand, but was looking out through the chancel screen at a beautiful woman. Needless to say, he was a bit upset. Unfortunately, i forget what happens next. Maybe someone (Neil?) can fill the rest of it out.

In Christ,
Adam

I’d definitely like to hear the rest of this story if anyone can provide a link for something written about it.

 

[David_B]

Fortiterinre:

I chose III, because as a small child I memorized it and loved the fact that it specifically mentioned the saint of the day and the patron saint. I took the Archbishop Cranmer reference as slightly sarcastic, but I think it has to be said that Rite I of the Book of Common Prayer is quite beautiful: “And we most humbly beseech thee, O merciful Father, to hear us; and, of Thy almighty goodness, vouchsafe to bless and sanctify, with Thy Word and Holy Spirit, these Thy gifts and creatures of bread and wine; that we, receiving them according to Thy Son our saviour Jesus Christ’s holy institution, in remembrance of His death and passion, may be partakers of his most blessed Body and Blood.”

Many Anglicans consider themselves the “Western Orthodox,” and they have intercommunion and sometimes ordination with the Eastern Orthodox, so they often have a powerful sacramental infuence that is easy to forget.

Yes I must confess when I created the poll I did throw the Cranmer reference in a little sarcastically, but I wholeheartedly agree that his prose is beautiful. Perhaps if he had been only been born a few hundred years later and been on the ICEL staff in the early 70s…

 

[Catholic_Eagle]

But the preVaticanII Roman Canon is different from the post VaticanII Roman Canon.

 

[James0235]

Catholic Eagle:

But the preVaticanII Roman Canon is different from the post VaticanII Roman Canon.

Mostly, but not entirely, due to the crappy translation we use.

James

 

[Alta]

I voted for #4 because of the references to God as Father, e.g. “Father we acknowlegde your greatness…” “Father, you so loved the world…”…He sent the Holy Spirit from you, Father…" “Father, may this Holy Spirit sanctify…” “…to you his heavenly Father…”, “…Father, we now celebrate…” …Father, in your mercy…" and also for what appears to me to acknowledge men of other faiths, e.g. “Remember those who take part in this offering…and all who seek you with a sincere heart…” and “Remember those who have died in the peace of Christ and all the dead whose faith is known to you alone.” Unfortunately, this Eucharistic Prayer is rarely used. I must admit, however, that if we had only one Eucharistic Prayer, I would hope it would be the Roman Canon. I would like to know of the origin of the various Eucharistic Prayers. I was told by a priest the EP II is of supposedly ancient origin. (I detest EP II, and unfortunately, we have to endure it at our parish at practically ALL week day Masses and most Sundays, too. SIGH

 

[Annunciata]

My favorite Eucharistic Prayer is IV…though we rarely hear it in my parish, it really speaks to me especially:…
“He always loved those who were his own in the world. When the time came for him to be glorified by you, his heavenly Father, he showed the depth of his love…” While they were at supper, he took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his diciples, saying…**Take this, all of you, and eat it: this is my body which will be given up for you… **It just touches my heart…makes me really *feel *like he did it for me.

 

[akemner]

Eucharistic prayer II is sopposed to be based on on of the earliest written Anaphorae that we have (i think there is one that dates earlier, but we’ll leave it at that). This is from the third century On Apostolic Tradition by Hippolytus, (a) bishop of Rome (i put that there because there was more than one bishop at the time-though this done NOT mean more than one Pope as such). By tradition there are older Anaphorae, but this is the earliest textual witness there is, and the earliest that was meant to be used (previously, Anaphorae were extemporaneous-in the Byzantine Rite the Deacon still admonishes the priest to make a good prayer, though this has not been the practise for over a milleneum and a half). Now, the translation we have in EPII and the translation i have are not that similar, so i cannot say how close EPII is to Hippolytus’ prayer. One would have to look at EPII in Latin (its original language) and translations into Latin of Hippolytus, as well as the extant Greek Manuscripts to be absolutely sure. But I think i will go ahead and compare my translation and the ICEL transllation-i’ll report what i find if any one is interested.

In Christ,
Adam

 

[akemner]

Ok, even if you didn’t want it-here it is.

This is the Anaphora of St Hippolytus, translated by Alistair Stewart-Sykes, rubrics omitted.

The Lord be with you.

And with your spirit.

Hearts on high.

We have them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks.

It is fitting and right.

We give thanks to you God, through your beloved child Jesus Christ, whom, in these last times, you sent to us as savior and redeemer and angel of your will, who is your inseparable Word through whom you made all things and who was well pleasing to you. You sent him from heaven into the womb of a virgin, and he was conceived and made flesh in the womb and shown to be your Son, born of the Holy Spirit and the virgin. He fulfilled your will and won for you a holy people, opening wide his hands when he suffered that he might set free from suffering those who believe in you. When he was handed over to a voluntary suffering, in order to dissolve death and break the chains of the devil and harrow hell and illuminate the just and fix a boundary and manifest the resurrection, he took bread and giving thanks to you he said: take, eat, this is my body which will be broken for you. Likewise the cup saying: this is my blood which is poured out for you. Whenever you do this, you perform my commemoration.

Remembering therefore his death and resurrection, we offer you bread and cup, giving thanks to you because you have held us worthy to stand before you and minister to you as priest.

And we ask that you should send your Holy Spirit on the presbytery of the holy church. Gathering into one, may you grant to all the saints who receive for the fullness of the Holy Spirit, for the confirmation of their faith in truth, that we may praise and glorify you through your child Jesus Christ, through whom be glory and honor to you, with the Holy Spirit in your holy church both now and to the ages of ages. Amen.

 

[akemner]

As you can see (differences in translation aside) EPII is indeed St Hippolytus’ prayer (for the most part), with an explicit Epiclesis and the Seraphic Hymn/Sanctus added, as well as other interpolations. Given that most of the prayer is before the institution narrative, thereby before the Sanctus, it is often erroneously labeled “preface.” One must keep in mind that the Roman Canon is unique in that the part before the Sanctus is variable. Most, if not all EPs are considered to begin with the opening dialogue.

At any rate, this is an ancient EP used in Rome for Christians there.

In Christ,
Adam

 

[Iohannes]

The Roman Canon is what Makes the Latin Rite the Latin rite. By far, the Roman Canon is surperior to EPII or Hyppilotus Canon.

 

[akemner]

Iohannes and others,

I will have to disagree with you-one prayer does not make a Rite-the gamut of Divine Office, Divine Liturgy, theological emphasis, and personal devotions do. EPII and its pure form by St Hippolytus are a part of Latin Rite heritage and modern practice, for good or ill.

FWIW, in the Byzantine Rite, there is a so-called Divine Liturgy of St Peter, used on June 29, and perhaps other Petrine feasts (like the Chains). The form that we have extant is basically a heavily Byzantinized Mass-the most notable feature being the Anaphora-it is the Roman Canon. Here is a link: odox.net/Liturgy1-Peter.htm

Enjoy.
Adam

 

[David_B]

akemner:

Iohannes and others,

I will have to disagree with you-one prayer does not make a Rite-the gamut of Divine Office, Divine Liturgy, theological emphasis, and personal devotions do. EPII and its pure form by St Hippolytus are a part of Latin Rite heritage and modern practice, for good or ill.

FWIW, in the Byzantine Rite, there is a so-called Divine Liturgy of St Peter, used on June 29, and perhaps other Petrine feasts (like the Chains). The form that we have extant is basically a heavily Byzantinized Mass-the most notable feature being the Anaphora-it is the Roman Canon. Here is a link: odox.net/Liturgy1-Peter.htm

Enjoy.
Adam

akemner,

I know you said that this Divine Liturgy of St. Peter is in the Byzantine Rite, but do say churches like the Ruthenians or Melkites use this liturgy? Or is it just the Orthodox?

 

[akemner]

Dear David,

If you click on the link, there is a short article describing the status of this Liturgy. Sadly, Churches in the Unia (epsecially the Ruthenian and Ukrainian) have had a tendency to reduce the number of Liturgies to just the Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, though the DL of St Basil and the DL of St Gregory the Dialogist (aka Gregory the Great, Pope of Rome) are making a strong comeback. The Liturgy of St James is only recently returning to the Greek Orthodox Chruch, though i have heard that this has been used by Arab Churches all along (i think this was meant like the Melchite Catholic and Antiochene Orthodox Churches, but i am not sure-it diffinately is common in Ortienal Chruches).

Now to actually get to the point: Liturgy of St Peter would not be heard in Ruthenian or Melchite or any other Byzantine Church. Somehow it fell out of favor, though it seems to have been commonly used, especially in southern Italy and Greece. How Old Believers came to it, i have no idea. If they preserved it in their books, i.e. it was used in Moskovy prior to 1667, then i do not now how it fell out of use with the Russians, or the Rusyn, Ukrainian, and Byelorussian Churches. If it were in use in these reasons, it may have been suppressed owing to fallout from the Council in Florence. It is hard to say.

At any rate, it is a nice Liturgy, and seems to have been used for Liturgies for the dead (in which case, the Antiphons mention at the outset would be Psalm 90, and Psalm 118, divided into into two). It would be interesting to see if in the revival of the Italian Greek Catholic Church, this doesn’t turn up in some dusty service book at Grottaferrara, and become popular.

I will poke around and see in i can dig up more info.

In Christ,
Adam

 

[Teresita]

I’m a Roman Canon gal too - don’t like II because there’s no explicit sacrifice (‘living bread’ and ‘cup of our salvation’ pussyfoots around it so as not to scare Protestants); III’s OK; would like IV, but it does spend a lot of time telling God what He already knows.

Sue

 

[ATeNumquam]

I know we’re talking about Eucharistic prayers here - but since there’s been a mention of Archbishop Cranmer’s Communion Service earlier, maybe you won’t mind if I quote a pre-communion prayer that I loved in my far-distant Anglican days, and I still think it’s beautiful - and quite astonishing (if you are prepared to wade through the archaic language to the end of it!). It’s the equivalent of our prayer “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you …”

“We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord, whose property [nature] is always to have mercy : Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son, Jesus Christ, and to drink His blood, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by His body and our souls washed through His most precious blood, and that we may evermore dwell in Him and He in us. Amen”

I recently read the modern equivalent in the Anglican liturgy, and this prayer now tamely refers to “feeding on” Him!!

---

A Te numquam separari permittas - never let me be separated from You

 

[porthos11]

Iohannes:

Those are not translation at all. The Roman Canon is what makes the Latin Rite the Latin Rite. EPII and EPIII stinks. EPIV Is ok and is syriac in origin.

I like the Roman Canon, but PLEASE, as Catholics we must be careful when declaring that something stinks. EP I to IV are all approved by the Church and bring about the Real Presence and the Sacrifice of Calvary. As such, ALL of them are holy and sacred texts (despite being badly translated). We may not appreciate the newer EP’s or their translations, but if it’s good enough for the Church, it’s good enough for me.

 

[David_B]

ATeNumquam:

“We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord, whose property [nature] is always to have mercy : Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son, Jesus Christ, and to drink His blood, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by His body and our souls washed through His most precious blood, and that we may evermore dwell in Him and He in us. Amen”

Wow, that’s awesome!

 

[Anathama_Sit]

Still it never gets old for me. I find it funny every single time. Thanks for the laugh Reggie. I sure could use it.

God Bless,
Anathama Sit