New texts of Eucharistic Prayer 2 & 3

The new liturgical texts are due to be introduced in a year’s time.  Advance preparation for their introduction will begin shortly.  I think it is true to say that most priests, and almost all laity, are fairly unaware as yet of what this will involve.  We are posting here the new text for Eucharistic Prayers I and II, to give a sample of what is coming down the line.

It would be good if priests got together to talk about these, and maybe even better if they gathered some lay people from the parish and see what they think.

All the texts are available on the American Catholic Bishops website.

Eucharistic Prayer II

It is truly right and just, our duty and salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, Father most holy, through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, yourWord through whom you made all things, whom you sent as our Savior and Redeemer, incarnate by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin.  Fulfilling your will and gaining for you a holy people, he stretched out his hands as he endured his Passion, so as to break the bonds of death andmanifest the resurrection.  And so, with the Angels and all the Saintswe declare your glory, as with one voice we acclaim:
   Thanksgiving You are indeed Holy, O Lord, the fount of all holiness.
Epiclesis Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall, so that they may become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Institution Narrative At the time he was betrayed and entered willingly into his Passion, he took bread and, giving thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:Take this, all of you, and eat of it:for this is my Body which will be given up for you.In a similar way, when supper was ended, he took the chalice and, once more giving thanks, hegave it to his disciples, saying:

Take this, all of you, and drink from it: for this is the chalice of my Blood, the Blood of the new andeternal covenant, which will bepoured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.  Do this in memory of me.
Anamnesis Therefore, as we celebrate the memorial of his Death and Resurrection, we offer you, Lord, the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation,giving thanks that you have held us worthy to be in your presence and minister to you.
Epiclesis Humbly we pray that, partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ, we may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.
Intercessions Remember, Lord, your Church,spread throughout the world, andbring her to the fullness of charity, together with N. our Popeand N. our Bishop and all the clergy.In Masses for the Dead:
Remember your servant N., whom you have called (today) from this world to yourself.  Grant thathe (she) who was united with your Son in a death like his, may also be one with him in his Resurrection.Remember also our brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection and all who have died in your mercy: welcome them into the light of yourface.  Have mercy on us all, we pray, that with the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with the blessed Apostles, and all the Saints who have pleased youthroughout the ages, we may merit to be co-heirs to eternal life, and may praise and glorify youthrough your Son, Jesus Christ.

Eucharistic Prayer III

You are indeed Holy, O Lord, and all you have created rightly gives you praise, for through your Son our Lord Jesus Christ, by the power and working of the Holy Spirit, you give life to all things and make them holy, and you never cease to gather a people to yourself, so that from the rising of the sun to its setting a pure sacrifice may be offered to your name.
Therefore, O Lord, we humbly implore you: by the same Spirit graciously make holy these gifts we have brought to you for consecration, that they may become the Body and Blood of your Son our Lord Jesus Christ at whose command we celebratethese mysteries.
For on the night he was betrayed hehimself took bread, and givingyou thanks he said the blessing, broke the bread and gave it to his disciples, saying:Take this, all of you, and eat of it:for this is my Body which will be given up for you.In a similar way, when supper was ended, he took the chalice,and giving you thanks he said the blessing, and gave the chalice to his disciples, saying:

Take this, all of you, and drink from it: for this is the chalice of my Blood, the Blood of the new andeternal covenant; which will bepoured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.  Do this in memory of me.
Therefore, O Lord, we celebrate the memorial of the saving Passion of your Son, hiswondrous Resurrection and Ascension into heaven, and as we look forward to his second coming, we offer you in thanksgiving this holy and living sacrifice.
Look, we pray, upon the oblation of your Church, and, recognizingthe sacrificial Victim by whose death you willed to reconcile us to yourself, grant that we, who are nourished by the Body and Bloodof your Son and filled with his Holy Spirit, may become one body, one spirit in Christ.
May he make of us an eternal offering to you, so that we may obtain an inheritance with yourelect, especially with the most blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with your blessed Apostlesand glorious Martyrs (with Saint N.: the Saint of the day or Patron Saint) and with all the Saints, on whose constant intercession in your presence we rely for unfailinghelp.May this Sacrifice of our reconciliation, we pray, O Lord,advance the peace and salvation of all the world.  Be pleased to confirm in faith and charity your pilgrim Church on earth, with your servant N. our Pope and N. our Bishop, the Order of Bishops, all the clergy, and the entire peopleyou have gained for your own. Listen graciously to the prayers of this family, whom you havesummoned before you: in your compassion, O merciful Father, gather to yourself all your childrenscattered throughout the world.To our departed brothers and sisters and to all who were pleasing to you at their passing from this life, give kind admittance to your kingdom.  There we hope to enjoy for ever the fullness of your glory through Christ our Lord through whomyou bestow on the world all that is good.
Remember your servant N. whom you have called [today] from this world to yourself.  Grant that he (she) who was united with your Son in a death like his, may also be one with him in his Resurrection, when from the earth he will raise up in the flesh those who have died, and transform our lowly body after the pattern of his own glorious body.To our departed brothers and sisters, too, and to all who were pleasing to you at their passing from this life, give kind admittance into your kingdom. There we hope to enjoy for ever the fullness of your glory, whenyou will wipe away every tearfrom our eyes.  For seeing you, our God, as you are, we shall belike you for all the ages and praise you without end, through Christ our Lord, through whom you bestow in the world all that is good.

 
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5 Comments

  1. Gerard Alwill says:

    The examples the new versions of Eucharistic Prayers II and III, as published here on the Association’s web site, only serve to confirm my deepest concerns and fears about this proposed new translation of the Missal.

    Language
    Most appalling is the style of English used in this new translation. It is unbelievably archaic. The easy flow of the current set of prayers has been replaced by a cumbersome and convoluted style that will be almost impossible to read with meaning and that will be totally removed from the everyday English of ordinary people.

    Secrecy
    Concern must be expressed at the secrecy that has surrounded the discussions on this New Missal. It is regretful that priests have been totally ignored in this process. Is it that they are deemed as having nothing worthwhile to contribute? How disheartening for priests.

    Ignoring Lay People
    At a time when we are inviting our lay people to become more involved in the day-to-day running of our church they too, on this central issue of the Missal, have been completely ignored. It seems that they too are not regarded as having any valuable role to play in this process. So much for lay involvement!

    Confusion
    If the New Missal is launched as planned, we could have a situation where it may be fully accepted in some churches, where it may be fully rejected in others, and where many churches may end up with a pick-and-mix version of the Mass from both Missals.

    Division
    Furthermore, an enforced introduction of the New Missal could give rise to much anger and frustration among laity, religious and priests. In these difficult times, our church needs all this like a hole in the head.

    Real Problems
    Many people will be aghast to think that our church leaders seem to be more concerned about these totally unnecessary changes to the wording of the prayers of the Mass than they are about the REAL problems facing our church today.

    Conclusion
    A revision of the Missal and its prayers may be necessary, but the version that is about to be imposed on us within the next year or so is not the answer.

    I call on the Association of Catholic Priests to give immediate and urgent priority to addressing this issue.

    Reply

  2. Most lay people, indeed most priests and bishops, do not have the necessary competence to translate liturgical texts. I have no knowledge of root canal work, so I have no business telling dentists how to do their work. Why is it, within the Church, that everybody, even if he have no competence or expertise, is suddenly thought suitable for such work?

    (I wonder if this comment will get through the Association of Catholic Priests moderation? If I don’t see it, I’ll take that as a no.)

    Reply
  3. patrick Mc Dermott says:

    Very simple question. What is wrong with the existing Euch prayers?
    Don’t like the wording, very old fashioned??

    Reply

  5. Damien, the link you give plays off the new translations of the preces against the 1973 texts, which everyone agrees are sawdust. But all the collects etc were excellently translated in 1998 and could have been used to the immense spiritual benefit of us all over the last 12 years if the Vatican had not shut them away in a drawer like the Third Secret of Fatima. Now we are going to get rubbishy translations of these prayers as well as of the ordo missae, to the immense spiritual detriment of us all.

    Reply

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