Reflections on the Mass: The Eucharistic Prayer

We now enter into the climax of the Mass as the priest begins to recite the Eucharistic Prayer. There are four major Eucharistic Prayers that the priest can choose from. They are of varying lengths and complexities, but they all contain the necessary elements of the epiclesis, the institution narrative and consecration, and the anamnesis.

The epiclesis invokes the Holy Spirit to come down upon the gifts of bread and wine and transform them into the Body and Blood of Christ. We watch as the priest extends his hands over our offerings and asks God to accept them and to change our hearts and minds and lives along with them so that we may be all the more ready and eager to receive our Lord. A server will sometimes ring a bell to remind us that a very important invocation is taking place.

The institution narrative follows. While the prayers are slightly different in each Eucharistic Prayer, they all recall how, on the night before He suffered and died for us, Jesus took bread, broke it, gave thanks to the Father, and said, “Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is My Body, which will be given up for you.” With these words, the bread on the altar becomes the Body of Christ. The priest is acting in persona Christi, and Christ acts through Him as the Holy Spirit answers the prayer of the epiclesis. This is the first part of the consecration.

The priest is holding the bread as he speaks the words of consecration and the transubstantiation takes place on the altar. He then raises the Host up for all to view. We cannot see the transformation happen, but we know it by faith.

The priest then takes up the chalice, recalling how Jesus took the chalice in His hands and said the blessing before giving it to the disciples with these words: “Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the chalice of My Blood, the Blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of Me.” With these words, the wine is transformed into the Blood of Christ.

Jesus Christ is now present on the altar, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. We have the obligation to worship Him in wonder and awe and to receive Him with the greatest reverence. We declare this mystery of faith with a brief response proclaiming the death and resurrection of our Lord and declaring that He has set us free and that we will continue to proclaim this mystery until He comes again.

Each Eucharistic Prayer also features an anamnesis, a remembrance. In the anamnesis, we do exactly what Jesus commanded us to do when He said, “Do this in memory of Me.” We remember what Jesus did, but we also remember the people with whom we share in this offering and those for whom we pray. We remember the whole Church, clergy and laity together. We remember those living and those who have gone before us. We remember the saints and those who may still be suffering in Purgatory. We remember our own special intentions. What is more, we ask God the Father to remember all of this, too. It is not that He will ever forget, but we reverently place all of this before Him so that we do not forget.