The ACNA's New “Ancient Canon” and the Roman Rite’s Eucharistic Prayer II: A Comparison

By Robin G. Jordan

The similarities between what the ACNA’s Prayer Book and Common Liturgy Task Force describe as the “ancient canon” and the Roman Rite’s Eucharistic Prayer II are striking. While both eucharistic prayers are inspired by the so-called Anaphora of Hippolytus of Rome, this does not account entirely for their similarity. The task force clearly borrowed and adapted textual material from Eucharistic Prayer II.

The Sursum Corda is almost identical.

“Ancient Canon”

The People remain standing. The Celebrant faces them and sings or says

The Lord be with you.

People And with your spirit.

Celebrant Lift up your hearts.

People We lift them to the Lord.

Celebrant Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

People It is just and right so to do.

Eucharistic Prayer II

Priest:  The Lord be with you.   

People:  And with your spirit.

Priest:  Lift up your hearts.   

People:  We lift them up to the Lord.

Priest:  Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.   

People:  It is right and just.

The ACNA eucharistic prayer has a different introductory preface from Eucharistic Prayer II but as we shall see, what is used as the introductory preface in Eucharistic Prayer II is used as a post-sanctus in the ACNA eucharistic prayer.

“Ancient Canon”

The Celebrant continues

It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty.

The following (or a Proper Preface) is said

Through Jesus Christ our Lord: For he is your living Word from before time and for all ages; by him you created all things, and by him you make all things new.

The Celebrant concludes

Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who forever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:

Eucharistic Prayer II

It is truly right and just, our duty and salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, Father most holy, through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, your Word through whom you made all things, whom you sent as our Savior and Redeemer, incarnate by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin. Fulfilling your will and gaining for you a holy people, he stretched out his hands as he endured his Passion, so as to break the bonds of death and manifest the resurrection. And so, with the Angels and all the Saints we declare your glory, as with one voice we acclaim....

“Ancient Canon”

Celebrant and People

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

Eucharistic Prayer II

All: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

“Ancient Canon”

The People stand or kneel.

The Celebrant continues

Lord God our Father: When we had sinned against you and become subject to evil and death, you sent your only Son into the world for our salvation; by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary he became flesh and dwelt among us. On the cross he offered himself once for all as our Redeemer, that by his suffering and death we might be saved. By his resurrection he broke the bonds of death, trampling Hell and Satan under his feet. After he ascended to your right hand in glory, you sent your Holy Spirit, that we might become your holy people.

At the following words concerning the bread, the Celebrant is to hold it, or lay a hand upon it, and here* may break the bread; and at the words concerning the cup, to hold or place a hand upon the cup and any other vessel containing the wine to be consecrated.

On the night that he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks, he broke it,* and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take, eat; this is my Body which is given for you: Do this in remembrance of me.” After supper, Jesus took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink this, all of you; for this is my Blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for you, and for many, for the forgiveness of sins: Whenever you drink it, do this in remembrance of me.”

Eucharistic Prayer II

At the time he was betrayed and entered willingly into his Passion, he took bread and, giving thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: 

TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND EAT OF IT: FOR THIS IS MY BODY WHICH WILL BE GIVEN UP FOR YOU.

In a similar way, when supper was ended, he took the chalice and, once more giving thanks, he gave it to his disciples, saying:

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.

Note that both eucharistic prayers use language that infers a change in the substance of the eucharistic elements upon consecration. The Scottish Non-Juror Prayer of Consecration of 1764 used similar language. When the Episcopal Church adopted the Scottish Non-Juror Prayer of Consecration of 1764, one of the changes that it made in the prayer was to replace this language with language from the 1662 Prayer of Consecration.

The prayer for the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the elements and for a change in their substance are both inconsistent with the teaching of the Holy Bible and the doctrine of the Anglican Formularies.

“Ancient Canon”

Now sanctify these gifts that they may become for us the Body and Blood of your Son, Jesus Christ. Sanctify us also, that we may be filled with your Holy Spirit and manifest your presence and power in the world.

Eucharistic Prayer II

You are indeed Holy, O Lord, the fount of all holiness.

Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall, so that they may become for us the Body + and Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

While the ACNA eucharistic prayer avoids an explicit offering of the consecrated bread and wine of Eucharistic Prayer II, its rubrics do not prohibit the ceremonial offering of the elements. They do not prohibit the celebrant from inaudibly offering the elements. With the exception of the eucharistic prayer, the third form of Holy Communion contains the same elements  as the Long and Short Forms. They include elements that have strong associations with the Medieval Catholic and Post-Tridentian Roman Catholic doctrines of eucharistic sacrifice and presence. When these factors are considered with the fact that the eucharistic prayer in the Long Form does contain an explicit offering of the consecrated elements and that the ACNA in none of its formularies has distanced itself from these doctrines or the Lambeth doctrine of eucharistic sacrifice, the preponderance of evidence supports the conclusion that the ACNA has more in common in its teaching and practices with Roman Catholicism than it does authentic historic Anglicanism.

“Ancient Canon”

Therefore, heavenly Father, as we joyfully proclaim our Lord’s life, death, and resurrection, we offer ourselves, our souls and bodies, as a living sacrifice. Grant that we who partake of this Holy Communion may receive the Body and Blood of your Son Jesus Christ, and be made one body with him, that he may dwell in us, and we in him. At the last day bring us with all your saints into the fullness of your heavenly kingdom, where we shall see our Lord face to face. By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and forever. Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer II

Therefore, as we celebrate the memorial of his Death and Resurrection, we offer you, Lord, the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation, giving thanks that you have held us worthy to be in your presence and minister to you.

Humbly we pray that, partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ, we may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.

Priest:  Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, for ever and ever.

People:  Amen.  [may be sung more than once]

The Prayer Book and Common Liturgy Task Force has yet to produce a Holy Communion service that conforms to the teaching of the Holy Bible and the doctrine of the Anglican Formularies.

For further comparison, see the Anaphora of Hippolytus of Rome. The anaphora is found in the Apostolic Tradition which is attributed to Hippolytus, a 3rd-century Roman theologian. Recent scholarship questions the the antiquity of the Apostolic Tradition and Hippolytus' authorship of the treatise.

Also see
The Eucharistic Doctrine of the Anglican Church in North America