Eucharistic Prayer C: A Wedding Ceremony Option?

The Eucharistic Prayer is the central prayer of the Liturgy of the Eucharist in a Catholic wedding ceremony. After the Sanctus, the prayer of epiclesis is heard, an ancient form of prayer asking God to send the Holy Spirit to transform the bread and wine into the presence of Christ. The prayer then moves into the institution narrative, where we remember the night when Jesus first expressed his desire to be with us in the Eucharistic elements of bread and wine. The entire congregation then proclaims the Memorial Acclamation, recalling Christ's death and resurrection. The latter part of the Eucharistic Prayer continues to remember what Christ has done for us in his death and resurrection. It is not clear whether Eucharistic Prayer C can be used at weddings, but it is a prayer that is used in the Episcopal Church.

The role of the priest and the congregation during the Eucharistic Prayer

The Eucharistic Prayer is the heart of the Liturgy of the Eucharist. During the prayer, the priest acts in the person of Christ as head of his body, the Church. The priest gathers the bread and the wine, as well as the substance of the congregation's lives, and joins them to Christ's perfect sacrifice, offering them to the Father. The priest offers the prayer in the first person plural, for example, "Therefore, O Lord, we humbly implore you…", to signify that all the baptised present make the sacrificial offering in union with Christ and pray the Eucharistic Prayer in union with him.

The priest begins the prayer with an introductory dialogue, establishing that this prayer is that of the baptised and ordained, offered in the presence of God, and with thanksgiving as its central focus. Following this, the priest begins the Preface. The Eucharistic Prayers make clear that these prayers are offered not to Christ, but to the Father. This is worship offered to the Father by Christ, but through the priest acting in the person of Christ, and by all the baptised, who are part of Christ's Body, the Church.

The congregation's role is to join with the priest in the introductory dialogue, responding to the priest's statements, and joining in the acclamation, singing the Sanctus. The Eucharistic Prayer is a sacrificial offering made in union with Christ, and the congregation are called to offer themselves, their lives, and their efforts to spread God's Word and serve God's people, to the Father in union with Christ through the hands of the priest.

The Eucharistic Prayer is made up of several parts:

• The thanksgiving, in which the priest glorifies God the Father and gives thanks for the whole work of salvation or a particular aspect of it, depending on the day, festivity, or time of year.
• The acclamation, sung by the whole congregation, joining with the heavenly powers, singing the Sanctus.
• The epiclesis, in which the Church implores the Holy Spirit to consecrate the gifts offered by human hands, so they become Christ's Body and Blood.
• The Institution narrative and Consecration, recalling the words and actions of Christ during the Last Supper, when he offered his Body and Blood as bread and wine, and commanded his disciples to perpetuate this mystery.
• The anamnesis, in which the Church celebrates the memorial of Christ, recalling his Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension.
• The oblation, in which the Church offers the unblemished sacrificial Victim in the Holy Spirit to the Father, and the faithful offer themselves, learning to offer their very selves.
• The intercessions, in which the fact that the Eucharist is celebrated in communion with the whole Church is expressed, and the oblation is made for her and all her members, living and dead.
• The concluding doxology, in which the glorification of God is expressed and affirmed by the people's acclamation of "Amen".

The significance of the Eucharistic Prayer for the couple

The Eucharistic Prayer holds great significance for a couple celebrating their wedding in the Catholic Church. This prayer is the central and most important part of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, during which the priest acts in the person of Christ and gathers the bread, wine, and the substance of the couple's lives, joining them to Christ's perfect sacrifice and offering them to God the Father.

The prayer begins with an introductory dialogue, which establishes that it is offered in the presence of God by the baptised and ordained, with thanksgiving as its central focus. The priest then commences the Preface, giving thanks and glorifying God the Father for the work of salvation. This is followed by the acclamation, or Sanctus, during which the congregation joins with the angels to sing "Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of your glory."

The Eucharistic Prayer for a wedding then moves into the epiclesis, an ancient form of prayer asking God to send the Holy Spirit to transform the bread and wine into the presence of Christ. This is followed by the institution narrative, where Jesus expressed his desire to be with his disciples in the Eucharistic elements of bread and wine and commanded them to "Do this in memory of me." The congregation then proclaims the Memorial Acclamation, recalling Christ's death and resurrection.

The latter part of the prayer continues to remember Christ's sacrifice and resurrection, uniting the couple's gift of their lives and love to Christ's gift. A short prayer for the couple is also inserted, highlighting their central role and asking for God's blessing upon them. The prayer concludes with intercessions and a doxology, expressing glorification of God and ending with the people's acclamation of "Amen."

The Eucharistic Prayer, therefore, holds immense significance for the couple as it encapsulates the essence of their union—the joining of their lives in love, offered to God through Christ, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit. It is a powerful reminder of God's presence in their marriage and the community of believers supporting them.

The theological anthropology of the Eucharistic Prayer

Theological anthropology is the study of what it means to be a human being made by God. It is how we think through the creator-creation relationship and how we understand ourselves. In Christian thought, theological anthropology almost always starts with the concept of the imago Dei, or the image of God. This concept is found in Genesis 1:26-27:

> Then God said, 'Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.' So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Humans (and no other part of creation) were created in the image of God, according to the divine likeness. In some way, humanity is a small, imperfect reflection of God. However, the specific qualities that make humans the image of God are not explicitly stated in the Bible, and so this is something that Christian theologians have debated over the years.

Eucharistic Prayer C contains a salvation narrative that goes back to creation:

> From the primal elements you brought forth the human race, and blessed us with memory, reason, and skill. You made us the rulers of creation. But we turned against you, and betrayed your trust; and we turned against one another.

The phrase "memory, reason, and skill" is a modern attempt to define what it means to be made in the image of God. This definition is prevalent and can be found in the writings of Augustine and advanced most convincingly by Thomas Aquinas in his Summa Theologiae. However, it is not the only definition that theologians have put forward. Other definitions include our special relationship to the Creator, the human capacity for religion, the human capacity for infinitude through plasticity, the "ecstatic impulse" or urge to connect to others, and even as nothing inherent in humanity but as a continuing act on God's part of establishing a relationship with us.

Some theologians have raised objections to defining the image of God as a type of rationality or capacity. John Swinton, in his book Dementia: Living in the Memories of God, argues that defining humanity in terms of capacity or ability inevitably leaves some people out, including those with dementia, mental illness, or disabilities. He argues that it is harmful for people affected by these conditions to hear that they lack what is supposed to define the image of God.

In conclusion, Eucharistic Prayer C's theological anthropology centres on its definition of the imago Dei as "memory, reason, and skill". While this is a prevalent definition, it is not the only one, and some theologians argue that it is harmful to those with certain conditions.

The history of the Eucharistic Prayer

One of these new prayers was Eucharistic Prayer II, which is based on the anaphora in the "Apostolic Tradition," a document supposedly written by Hippolytus of Rome in the 3rd century. Interestingly, Hippolytus was an anti-pope, a falsely elected and self-declared pope during the reign of Callistus I. Despite this, his writing provides valuable insight into the traditions and practices of the early Church.

Eucharistic Prayer II tries to recapture the roots of the early Church, and its wording closely mirrors what was written in the "Apostolic Tradition." This prayer is the shortest and is commonly used for weekday Masses due to its brevity and general themes.

In addition to Eucharistic Prayer I and II, there are three other basic texts for the Roman Catholic Eucharist: Eucharistic Prayers III, IV, and the Eucharistic Prayer for a Wedding. These prayers follow a similar structure, with slight variations in wording and length. The choice of prayer depends on the liturgical season and feast being celebrated, except for Eucharistic Prayer IV, which is used on days without a strictly proper preface.

The Eucharistic Prayer is the central prayer of the Liturgy of the Eucharist. It begins with an introductory dialogue, followed by the Preface, where the priest glorifies God the Father and gives thanks for the work of salvation. The congregation then joins in the acclamation, singing the Sanctus. The prayer continues with the epiclesis, where the Church asks God the Father to send the Holy Spirit to transform the bread and wine into the presence of Christ.

The latter part of the prayer, known as the institution narrative, recalls the night when Jesus expressed his desire to be with his disciples in the Eucharistic elements and commanded them to "Do this in memory of me." The congregation responds with the Memorial Acclamation, proclaiming Christ's death and resurrection. The prayer concludes with the doxology, glorifying God, and the people's acclamation of "Amen."

The use of the Eucharistic Prayer in other denominations

The Eucharistic Prayer is a central part of the Liturgy of the Eucharist in the Catholic Church. It is a prayer of thanksgiving, offered to God the Father, and not to Christ. The priest offers the prayer in the first person plural, on behalf of all the baptised present.

The prayer begins with an introductory dialogue, followed by the Preface, which includes a chosen text appropriate to the particular feast or liturgical season. The congregation then sings the Sanctus, or Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Hosts. This is followed by the epiclesis, a prayer asking God the Father to send the Holy Spirit to transform the bread and wine into the presence of Christ.

The Institution Narrative follows, recalling the words and actions of Jesus at the Last Supper, and his command to his disciples to "Do this in memory of me". The congregation then proclaims the Memorial Acclamation, recalling Christ's death and resurrection. The latter part of the prayer continues to remember Christ's sacrifice, and calls to mind all those who are praying.

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (no. 79) outlines the main elements of the Eucharistic Prayer, as follows:

• The thanksgiving (expressed in the Preface)
• The acclamation (the Sanctus)
• The epiclesis
• The Institution narrative and Consecration
• The anamnesis
• The oblation
• The intercessions
• The concluding doxology

There are four Eucharistic Prayers outlined in the Roman Missal, and there are norms guiding the choice of prayer. Eucharistic Prayer I, the Roman Canon, may always be used and has pride of place, due to its long history of use in the Roman rite. Eucharistic Prayer II is often used for weekday Masses due to its brevity, and Prayer III is suitable for Sundays, as it includes a place for the commemoration of the saint of the day. Prayer IV may be used on Ordinary Time Sundays and any days without a proper preface, but it is not usually used for funeral Masses.

There are also other Eucharistic prayers approved for children's Masses, special occasions, and reconciliation, which should be used only in their limited thematic contexts.

While this answer has focused on the Roman Catholic Church, other denominations with similar liturgical traditions, such as the Anglican and Lutheran churches, also include the Eucharistic Prayer as a central part of their worship services. These churches may have their own variations and additional prayers, but the structure and purpose of the Eucharistic Prayer remain similar.

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