From a reader:
I was at Mass today. It was a First Holy Communion. There were many things that were obviously not right, but one thing stood above the rest of the usual novelties and abuses. It was the Eucharistic Prayer. I know it didn’t seem right to me, however I am not at all familiar with the GIRM or with what is actually permitted, especially for so-called children’s liturgies. However, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t right.
Anyway, I lifted this from the Mass booklet that was produced. [Excellent.. they actually printed it.]
I was wondering if you could advise me on what exactly is going on here and what might be done to address this issue.
This is what the reader sent:
This was the Eucharistic Prayer. The congregation were encouraged to say the bits in bold.
Lord, accept these gifts of bread and wine we offer you on this happy day. In your fatherly love watch over and protect all the boys and girls who receive your body for the first time today, may this mystery of unselfish love, increase their love for you and for each other. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give God thanks and praise.
God, our loving Father, we are glad to give you thanks and praise because you love us. With Jesus we proclaim your praise.
Response: Glory to God in the highest.
Because you love us, you gave us this great and beautiful world. With Jesus we proclaim your praise:
Response: Glory to God in the highest.
Because you love us, you sent Jesus your son to bring us to you and to gather us around him as the children of one family. With Jesus we proclaim your praise:
Response: Glory to God in the highest.
For such great love we thank you with the angels and saints as they praise you and sing:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might….
Blessed be Jesus, whom you sent to be the friend of children and of the poor. He came to show us how we can love you, father, by loving one another. He came to take away sin, which keeps us from being friends, and hate, which makes us all unhappy. He promised to send the Holy Spirit, to be with us always so that we can live as your children.
Response: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
God our Father, we now ask you to send your Holy Spirit to change these gifts of bread and wine into the body + and blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
The night before he died, Jesus your Son showed us how much you love us.
When he was at supper with his disciples, he took bread, and gave you thanks and praise. Then he broke the bread, gave it to his friends, and said:
Take this all of you, and eat it: This is my body, which will be given up for you.
Response: Jesus has given his life for us.
When supper was ended, Jesus took the cup that was filled with wine. He thanked you, gave it to his friends and said:
Take this, all of you, and drink from it: This is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven.
Response: Jesus has given his life for us.
Then he said to them: Do this in memory of me.
And so loving Father, we remember that Jesus died and rose again to save the world. He put himself into our hands to be the sacrifice we offer you.
Response: We praise you, we bless you, we thank you.
Lord our God, listen to our prayer. Send the Holy Spirit to all of us who share in this meal. May this Spirit bring us closer together in the family of the Church, with Benedict, our Pope, Joseph, our bishop, and all who serve your people.
Response: We praise you, we bless you, we thank you
[……]And so it went like this until the end of the Eucharistic Prayer.
At Holy Communion time, all the first communicants and their parents were invited to stand in an arc around the altar, and the priest shook hands with them all (perhaps 40 or 50 people) and distributed Holy Communion first to the first communicants, then to their parents.
I didn’t know there is any form of any Eucharistic Prayer that looks like this. I did find this, however. There are Eucharistic Prayers for Masses with Children. I don’t use Eucharistic Prayers for Children. I don’t think there should even be Eucharistic Prayers for Children. I don’t think it is right to talk down to children when you don’t have to and when the occasion is, how to put this… not childish.
Also, I am unaware that it is permitted for people to gather around the altar in that manner.
I am also pretty sure that the priest is to receive Communion before others, not after.
What I would suggest you do when you have a doubt about something – and when you have something printed – is to send a copy of the booklet to the local bishop asking the bishop if [X] is approved. I am assuming that the pastor of the parish has been unresponsive.
If that doesn’t produce a good anwer, or any answer, send also a copy of your letter to the bishop and a copy of the booklet to the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments.
Ask if this is permitted and what approve book this comes from.
Address:
His Eminence
Antonio Card. Canizares Llovera
Prefect of the Congregation for
Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments
Palazzo delle Congregazioni
P.za Pio XII
00120 VATICAN CITY
