BLOG POST | Hey Deacon!

Can a priest “adlib” or alter the Eucharistic prayer when celebrating the Holy Mass?

The short answer is no, never. In fact, as a deacon, I have never witnessed any priest alter the words of any Eucharistic prayer set by the Church.

Over the 2000 years since Jesus instituted the Mass, diverse forms of the Eucharistic prayer have existed throughout parts of the Christian world. The differences were not great, but there were variations in the words used and the order in which the parts were prayed. Historical names for these prayers, such as, the Mozarabic, Gallican, and Ambrosian rites, or the Gelasian Sacramentary, may be familiar to some of you (but not so for this deacon).

The anaphora (Eucharistic prayer) of the Latin-rite Church was first recorded in a work entitled, “The Apostolic Tradition.” It is attributed to Hippolytus of Rome and scholars traditionally accept that it was composed around the year A.D. 215. It was written in Greek and remained the language of the Church until it was replaced by Latin in the Western Church during the fourth and fifth centuries.

Pope St. Gregory the Great gave us the Roman Canon in the seventh century. It is listed first among our Eucharistic prayers in the Roman Missal and remains relatively unchanged to this day. Up until 1970 it was the only canon used during the Mass. It remains the standard Eucharistic prayer in the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, aka the Latin Mass. (For anyone not familiar with the nomenclature, the Canon is that part of the Mass that occurs between the Offertory and before Communion.)

Today’s standard missals and missalettes include six Canons. They are Eucharistic Prayers I through IV and two Eucharistic Prayers for Reconciliation. The altar missal used by the priest – the Sacramentary – has nine (the ones mentioned and three for children’s Masses).

Eucharistic Prayer II is the Canon most commonly used at Mass and is nearly identical with the anaphora of Hippolytus. It represents the most ancient prayer of the Mass, predating Eucharistic Prayer I by almost four centuries. Eucharistic Prayers III and IV were composed following the Second Vatican Council. Eucharistic Prayer III is greatly influenced by the Gallican and Mozarabic rites and Eucharistic Prayer IV draws from Eastern sources, especially the fourth-century anaphora of St. Basil.

A mystical beauty is portrayed in the eucharistic prayers proclaimed at Mass. These words should create visuals that can take us to a different place. Focus, listen, and if you prefer, read quietly along with the priest. You may actually get a tiny glimpse of heaven itself. Just let the words transport you to a different realm – a place where heaven and earth intersect – our Holy Mass.




Author Bio:
Deacon Dan Vaughn