The Clericalism of Eucharistic Prayer 2
Something struck me a wee while ago. When comparing the Roman Canon with Eucharistic Prayer 2 it is striking that the People of God ™ don’t get a look in in the post-conciliar prayer. Compare and contrast:
Get that? In the pre-Conciliar prayer, you and me and all good Christian folk, no matter what terrible sinners we are are remembered at the altar and commended to almighty God. In the post-Conciliar prayer, just the clergy get a look in. Now, I know a good priest at the altar will remember us in the memento. Some misguided priests change the text and add in something like: “and all religious and all your people” etc etc. Their intent is good - they want to to be inclusive, but they are changing the words of the text and that way lies danger, as we all know. I see where they are going but the ancient canon contains the wisdom of the ages and gathers all good Christians into the prayer of the church.
Another point about Eucharistic Prayer 2. A criticism leveled at the EF Low Mass is that it was mumbled away at top speed and occasionally finished in under 20 minutes. I have begun to actively dislike Eucharistic Prayer 2 in that it is curt to the point of rudeness and prosaic compared to the beauty of the language of the Roman Canon, even in the ICEL 1970 translation. Even Eucharistic Prayers 3 & 4 have some elegance to them by comparison.
The more I think about Eucharistic Prayer 2 the more it seems like a postcard to God bearing the words “THANKS FOR DINNER. Yrs etc, The Church”
Eucharistic Prayer 2 (ICEL, 1970):
Lord, remember your Church throughout the world; make us grow in love, together with [Benedict] our Pope, {name of local bishop}, our bishop, and all the clergy.
Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer 1; ICEL, 1970)
We offer them for your Holy Catholic Church, watch over it, Lord, and guide it; grant it peace and unity throughout the world. We offer them for {Benedict} our Pope, for {name of Bishop in local diocese} our bishop, and for all who hold and teach the Catholic faith that comes to us from the apostles.
Get that? In the pre-Conciliar prayer, you and me and all good Christian folk, no matter what terrible sinners we are are remembered at the altar and commended to almighty God. In the post-Conciliar prayer, just the clergy get a look in. Now, I know a good priest at the altar will remember us in the memento. Some misguided priests change the text and add in something like: “and all religious and all your people” etc etc. Their intent is good - they want to to be inclusive, but they are changing the words of the text and that way lies danger, as we all know. I see where they are going but the ancient canon contains the wisdom of the ages and gathers all good Christians into the prayer of the church.
Another point about Eucharistic Prayer 2. A criticism leveled at the EF Low Mass is that it was mumbled away at top speed and occasionally finished in under 20 minutes. I have begun to actively dislike Eucharistic Prayer 2 in that it is curt to the point of rudeness and prosaic compared to the beauty of the language of the Roman Canon, even in the ICEL 1970 translation. Even Eucharistic Prayers 3 & 4 have some elegance to them by comparison.
The more I think about Eucharistic Prayer 2 the more it seems like a postcard to God bearing the words “THANKS FOR DINNER. Yrs etc, The Church”
posted by Paulinus at 9:40 PM
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