Deepening The Experience of The Eucharistic Prayer
Wednesday, February 21, 2024
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To heighten the meaning and role of the Eucharistic prayer to foster a revived faith in the Eucharist itself, several other points need to be reconsidered. At the consistent urging of the Church, all the hosts and wine needed for Communion are to be consecrated during the Eucharistic prayer. This practice demonstrates more than any that the Communion is from the sacrifice being celebrated with the Eucharistic prayer (cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium, No 55; General Instruction of the Roman Missal, No. 85).
Additionally, the reception of holy Communion under both kinds as a regular practice gives expression to the divine will of the Savior as he gave the chalice of his blood to his disciples and now to all of us with the Eucharistic prayer (cf. The Order f Mass, Roman Missal, No. 90: GIRM, No. 281). Sometimes, an overriding concern about what is practical when it comes to these two points diminishes their impact on deepening the faith of all in the action of Christ in this prayer.
There are 10 Eucharistic prayers in the current and third edition of the Roman Missal, along with numerous prefaces. The preface and prayer chosen do make a difference and impact the reception of the mystery of Christ. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal provides guidance for this choice with a preference for Eucharistic Prayer I and III for Sundays (cf. No. 364-365). Additionally, the singing of the Eucharistic prayer on occasion according to forms in the Roman Missal serves to highlight the theological value of the prayer. The National Eucharistic Revival offers all priests an opportunity to consider new the overarching role of the Eucharistic prayer in all its dimensions to intensify the faith of all in the Eucharistic Mystery.