Eucharistic Prayers Recall God's Work Through Jesus
In his letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul mentions that when the people celebrate the Lord’s Supper, “Whenever you eat this bread, then, and drink this cup, you are proclaiming the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). The Eucharistic Prayer of the Gallican Rite (present-day France, Belgium, Luxemburg, Switzerland, northern Italy, and parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the western side of the Rhine River) mentioned originally only Jesus’ Passion. In the Eucharistic Prayer of Hippolytus (215 A.D.), Jesus’ resurrection was added to his death. St. Ambrose (339-397 A.D.), bishop of Milan, includes Jesus’ Ascension. The Eastern Orthodox Church also remembers Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension. Some of their Eucharistic Prayers add “the three days’ stay in the tomb,” and “sitting at the right hand of the Father, and his glorious and awesome second coming.”
While the Eucharist is done in memory of Jesus’ actions at the Last Supper, which refers to his death on the Cross, the liturgy actually celebrates Jesus’ entire life, which is the reason other events in his life were mentioned in other Eucharistic Prayers. Jesus’ death was the final act of his self-giving life, which began from the very first moment of his conception when Jesus left the glory of heaven to walk our human way of life. St. Paul in his letter to the Colossians refers to this as “Jesus emptied himself….” This final act of self-emptying was his death on the cross. His entire life was spent in selfless love on behalf of others in healing the sick, raising the dead, feeding the hungry and teaching the people about God. His resurrection was God’s affirmation and acceptance of Jesus’ self-giving love. Some prayers, therefore, include his birth and other events in his life.
Our Eucharistic Prayer II dating back to Hippolytus recalls Jesus’ “death and resurrection.” Eucharistic Prayer III mentions “the saving Passion of your Son, his wondrous Resurrection and Ascension into heaven, and we look forward to his second coming.” Eucharistic Prayer I uses the words “his Death and Resurrection from the dead, and looking forward to his blessed Coming.” The four new Eucharistic Prayers use the same wording in their Memorial Prayers “we celebrate the memorial of Christ your Son, our Savior, whom you led through his Passion and Death on the Cross to the glory of the Resurrection, and whom you have seated at your right hand.”
Since this remembrance is not only by the priest but also by the entire worshipping community, the word “we” is used instead of “I.” In the earliest days of the Church in Egypt, the people had shouted out an acclamation similar to the Memorial Acclamations addressed to Christ now incorporated into today’s liturgy following Vatican II – “We proclaim your death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again;” “When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again;” or “Save us, Savior of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.” This is another sign of how our liturgy has evolved and changed throughout the centuries.
In summary, as a prayer of remembrance, the Eucharistic Prayer recalls God’s work accomplished in Jesus Christ. When the assembly, in obedience to Jesus’ command to remember him, recalls Jesus’ death and resurrection, the continuing present and eternal effectiveness of Jesus’ historical acts in his death on the Cross and his resurrection are made present now in the assembly.
