By Robin G. Jordan
Unlike other recent Anglican service books, 2019 BCP’s compilers did not give what is called the anaphora in Greek-speaking Eastern Church or what is often nowadays called the eucharistic prayer in the Western Church the title, “the Great Thanksgiving.” This is the title that is given the eucharistic prayer in recent Lutheran and Methodist liturgical book as well as Anglican ones. Its omission suggests a downplaying of the function of the eucharistic prayer as the Church’s preeminent prayer of thanksgiving.
Scripture tells us that at the Last Supper our Lord gave thanks over a loaf of bread and then a cup of wine. It is his offering of thanksgiving that inspired the title, “the Great Thanksgiving.
In one of the earliest written accounts of the Holy Eucharist, that in Justin Martyr’s First Apology, written circa 150 AD, is described an early form of the eucharistic prayer. It was improvised by the president at the eucharistic celebration. Over a loaf of bread and the cup of wine, which was apparently mixed with water, Justin Martyr tells us, he—
“…offers praise and glory to the Father of all in the name of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and gives thanks at some length that we have been deemed worthy of these things. When he is finished the prayers and the thanksgiving, all the people present give their assent by saying ‘Amen.’”
If the rite of the Renewed Ancient Text was what it purports to be, the eucharistic prayer would have been titled “the Great Thanksgiving,” based on this ancient precedent as well as our Lord’s. The lion’s share of the recent eucharistic rites have adopted this title for the eucharistic prayer on the basis of these precedents. The term “eucharist” itself is derived from the Greek word eucharistia, meaning “thanksgiving.”
The titling of different parts of the eucharistic prayer destroy any sense that these components are part of a single, unified prayer. The 2019 BCP’s compilers title everything that follows the Proper Prefaces and the Sanctus/Benedictus as “the Prayer of Consecration.” In apply this particular title to that section of the prayer the 2019 BCP’s compilers appear to have been motived by the desire to make the 2019 BCP appear to be closer to the 1662 BCP than it really is. In several places in the book, its compilers try to ape the 1662 revision. The 2019 book’s overall doctrine and liturgical practices, however, are a far cry from that of the 1662.
The title of this section of the eucharistic prayer as “the Prayer of Consecration,” when we consider other components that the 2019 BCP’s compilers have incorporated into the liturgy such as the two optional invitations to communion historically associated with the showing of the consecrated elements to the people and the practice of eucharistic adoration, and the placement of the Prayer of Humble Access and the Agnus Dei as communion devotions immediately prior to the distribution of the consecrated elements are very revealing into the eucharistic doctrine of the book’s compilers.
In the early Church the eucharistic prayer, while it was offered by the elder presiding over the gathering was regarded as the prayer of the whole assembly. The presiding elder was simply acting as the “tongue” of the assembly, as one early Church Father put it. If it had not been considered the assembly’s prayer, all the people present would not have assented with their “Amen.”
Historically Anglicans have viewed the eucharistic prayer in its entirety and even the whole service as setting apart the elements of bread and wine for sacramental use. Unfortunately, the Restorations bishops’ addition of a rubric in which everything after the Prayer of Humble Access is referred to as “the Prayer of Consecration” and their addition of a form for the consecration of additional bread and wine, which consisted of reciting the Words of Institution over the additional elements that were needed reinforced the view that the moment of consecration occurred during the recitation of the Words of Institution. As soon as these words were recited over the elements by the right person, presto they became the sacrament. This view of consecration has a historical association with the belief that ordination gives a priest the special gift of being able to transmogrify the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ.
While the Restoration bishops did not hold this belief, they did have a high view of the clergy as mediators of God’s grace to God’s people. It is not a view found in Scripture or which can be derived from Scripture, but it was nonetheless held by the Caroline High Churchmen. It is this view that they incorporated into the 1662 revision, and it is only a few steps from that view to the belief that at the moment of consecration Christ becomes substantively present in the consecrated elements. The Restoration bishops’ addition of a rubric directing the priest to reverently consume any leftover consecrated bread or wine with the assistance of members of the congregation at the conclusion of the service, rather than taking it home for his personal use, lends itself to this view since it implies that the elements have become a sacrament in a way other than in their use.
When the eucharistic prayer printed in the Renewed Ancient Rite was first published for trial use by ACNA clergy and congregations, its eucharistic prayer was hyped as a modern-day version of the Anaphora of Hippolytus, also know as the Anaphora of the Apostolic Tradition, compiled early in the third century AD. It was implied that it was groundbreaking. But the hype surrounding the prayer was just that—hype, publicity meant to make the prayer seem very important and to interest ACNA clergy and congregations in trying it. In reality the Roman Catholic Church, Several Anglican provinces, and several Lutheran Churches were already using eucharistic prayers, which like this prayer are based in part on the Anaphora of Hippolytus.
An analysis of the prayer shows that only a small part of the prayer is based upon the Anaphora of Hippolytus —"inspired by” would be a more accurate description. The rest of the prayer is taken from 1979 BCP’ Eucharistic Prayer A and from earlier version of that prayer in Authorized Services (1973), a collection of trial service that led up to 1979 BCP, and other eucharistic prayers in the 1979 BCP. I am going to look at the prayer section by section, beginning with the Sursum Corda and concluding with the Great Amen.
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 up to the Lord.
Celebrant Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People It is right to give him thanks and praise.
The Celebrant continues
It is right, our duty and our joy, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
With the exception of two alterations the Sursum Corda, or opening dialogue, and the Preface are identical to that of Eucharist Prayer A in 1979 BCP’s Rite II Holy Eucharist.
The first alteration is the substitution of “And with your spirit” for “And also with you.” It comes from the Latin Mass of 1570 and is used In the introductory dialogue in 2011 English translation of that Mass. Historically Anglo-Catholics have viewed the versicle and response, “The Lord be with you; and with your spirit” as prayer for the priest, asking God stir up the Holy Spirit’s special gift to the bishop or priest presiding at the Mass. This is the gift that the priest or bishop receive at ordination with the laying on hands and the anointing of his hands to transmogrify the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ and to offer Christ substantively present in the consecrated elements for the sins of the living and the dead. This offering is considered to be connected to Christ’s self-offering on the cross and the bishop or priest’s offering of Christ in the elements to be one and the same as Christ’s own offering of himself on Calvary. These are the Roman Catholic Church’s teachings which the 39 Articles of Religion call transubstantiation and the sacrifice of the Mass. Historically they have been rejected by Anglicans as having no basis in Scripture, but some Anglo-Catholics subscribe to these doctrines. The inclusion of this versicle and response in the opening dialogue in the Renewed Anglican Text is one of several features which are found in the ACNA’s Ordinal and its 2019 BCP and which make room for these doctrines in the Anglican Church in North America. Archbishop Thomas Cranmer omitted this versicle and response from the 1552 BCP’s eucharist and all subsequent revisions of the Prayer Book have followed suit until the unauthorized liturgies of the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century Anglican Missals.
The second alteration is the substitution of the words “our duty and our joy…” for the words “and a good and joyful thing….” In the Preface. I have not identified the source of this phrase, but it is similar to phrases in the opening dialogues in a number of recent Anglican service books, for example, “…it is right, it is our duty and our joy….” It is not usually for those tasked with preparing a new service book to borrow phrases from existing ones.
Here a Proper Preface (pages 152-158) is normally sung or said
If the Proper Prefaces in the 2019 BCP are compared with those in 1979 BC, it quite evident that the 2019 BCP’s compilers borrowed heavily from 1979 BCP’s Proper Prefaces. They changed the titles of some Proper Prefaces, but otherwise made no changes in them. They not surprisingly added more Proper Prefaces, consistent with their tendency to make rites and services longer and more elaborate as seen elsewhere in the Renewed Ancient Text and in the 2019 BCP, a tendency that is observable in Anglican Missals and other liturgies showing a strong Anglo-Catholic influence.
While the Gelasian sacramentary had more than 50 proper prefaces, the Gregorian reforms in the eleventh century reduced the number of proper prefaces to about a dozen.
The Gelasian sacramentary was compiled in Paris in the eighth century and contains a mixture of elements from the Gallican and Roman rites. The eucharistic prayers of the Gallican rites did not have proper prefaces. Rather they were composed of numerous variable elements that were changed with the Sunday and occasion.
The Sarum missal used at Salisbury Cathedral and from which Archbishop Thomas Cranmer took textual material for the 1549 BCP contained only ten. Cranmer reduced the number of proper prefaces in the 1549 BCP to five, one for each of the principle feast of the church year—Christmas, Easter, Ascension, Whitsunday, and Trinity, and limited their use to the day of the feast. The compilers of the German church orders had similarly reduced the number of proper faces in the liturgies that they prepared.
What also deserves our attention because of its importance and relevance to the claim that the 2019 BCP’s second eucharistic rite is “renewed” and “ancient” is that the Anaphora of Hippolytus, the Anaphora of the Apostolic Tradition, had no proper preface, none whatsoever!
Based on my examination of the Renewed Ancient Text and the other rites and services of the 2019 BCP I believe that it is accurate to classify the service book as a twenty-first century Anglican Missal. While it is missing a number of the elements found in earlier Anglican Missals, it has a number of characteristics of an Anglican Missal. It takes an existing liturgy, makes it longer and more elaborate, provides additional textual material that may be used with the liturgy, and contains a number of supplemental occasional rites and services. It also shows a marked preference for the worship of the late Medieval period.
It is noteworthy that 2019 BCP lacks the brevity and simplicity which commended the early Roman Rite to the Anglo-Saxons and which the reformed liturgy of the 1552 BCP recovered. A service book can benefit from a measure of flexibility and variety, enabling worship planners to tailor its rite and services to local circumstances, but not to make them too long and too complicated.
Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:
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.
This section is lifted out of the 1979 BCP’s Eucharistic Prayer A. It is noteworthy that the Sanctus and Benedictus are not a component in the Anaphora of Hippolytus. The Sanctus as an acclamation of the people was not used until the fourth century at the earliest. The use of the Benedictus as an expansion of the Sanctus is an even later development, apparently having originated in Gaul. Spread to Rome, and then to most of the Eastern liturgies.
The People stand or kneel. The Celebrant continues
This rubric is almost word for word the rubric in Eucharistic Prayer A. The 2019 BCP’s compilers omitted the “then” before “the celebrant continues….”
One of the criticisms of the 1979 BCP’s eucharistic rites is this rubric. By standing for the first part of the eucharistic prayer and then kneeling for the second part, the action of the congregation suggests that the second part of the prayer is more important to the first part. The 2019 BCP’s compilers have further contributed to this impression by labeling the second part “The Prayer of Consecration.” For the congregation to change their posture at this point disrupts the flow and unity of the prayer. A New Zealand Prayer Book (1990) has a rubric immediately prior to the eucharistic prayer directing the people to stand or kneel. In this way they maintain the same posture throughout the prayer. This preserves the unity of the prayer.
Holy and gracious Father: In your infinite love you made us for yourself; and when we had sinned against you and become subject to evil and death, you, in your mercy, sent your only Son Jesus Christ into the world for our salvation.
These words are adapted from Eucharistic Prayer A.
By the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary he became flesh and dwelt among us.
The initial phrase “by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary” may have been inspired by the Anaphora of Hippolytus, or it may have been inspired by the Apostles Creed. The concluding phrase “…he became flesh and dwelt among us” comes from John 1: 14.
In obedience to your will, he stretched out his arms upon the Cross and offered himself once for all, that by his suffering and death we might be saved.
This initial wording, “in obedience to your will, he stretched out his arms upon the Cross and offered himself…,” shows the influence of Eucharistic Prayer A. “…he stretched out his arms upon the cross…,” however, does date from the time of Hippolytus, and is used in a number of twentieth century and twenty-first century eucharistic prayers. Eucharistic Prayer A is one of them. The remaining wording is not from Eucharistic Prayer A or Anaphora of Hippolytus.
By his resurrection he broke the bonds of death, trampling Hell and Satan under his feet.
This wording shows a weak similarity to wording in the Anaphora of Hippolytus.
As our great high priest, he ascended to your right hand in glory, that we might come with confidence before the throne of grace.
These words were inspired by Hebrews 4:14 - 5:10. Whether they were taken from an existing eucharistic prayer I cannot say. They are not a part of Anaphora of Hippolytus.
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.
This rubric is adapted from the one in Eucharistic Prayer A.
On the night that he was betrayed…
These words are found in 1979 BCP’s Eucharistic Prayer C
… 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.”
Likewise, 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.”
This section is taken from Eucharistic Prayer A with some differences in punctuation. The 1979 BCP version does not contain an asterisk marking where the bread may be broken during the prayer.
Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith:
Celebrant and People
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
Once more straight out of Eucharistic Prayer A. “Christ has died…” is a widely used memorial acclamation in a number of eucharistic prayers — Anglican, Methodist, Lutheran, Roman Catholic.
We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O Father, in this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, and we offer you these gifts.
This wording comes from Authorized Services (1973), and it suffers from a serious drawback of that wording. In Introducing the Proposed Book: Prayer Book Studies 29 Revised, the late Charles P. Price, who prepared the booklet for the Standing Liturgical Commission writes—
“Although the intensity of the acclamation, ‘Christ has died, Christ is rise, Christ will come again,’ is powerful, it did not make explicit the remembering of God’s action in Christon our behalf in connection with the offering of the bread and wine. Many felt that such silence rendered the prayer weak if not defective. Consequently, in the paragraph following the acclamation, te sentence has been inserted, ‘Recalling his death, resurrection, and ascension, we offer you these gifts.’ This addition constitutes the section as a formally complete anamnesis.”
All the recent Anglican service books compiled in the second half of the twentieth century and later, which I have surveyed, have such an anamnesis.
Sanctify them by your Word and Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of your Son Jesus Christ. Sanctify us also, that we may worthily receive this holy Sacrament, and be made one body with him, that he may dwell in us and we in him. In the fullness of time, put all things in subjection under your Christ, and bring us with all your saints into the joy of your heavenly kingdom, where we shall see our Lord face to face.
This section is adapted from Eucharistic Prayer A. There are some omissions, substitutions, and additions. Omitted is “the holy food and drink of new and unending life in him.” “Worthily” has been substituted for “faithfully;” “and be made one body with him, that he may dwell in us and we in him” from the 1928 BCP’s eucharistic prayer and 1979’s BCP’s Rite I’s Eucharistic Prayer I for “and serve you in unity, constancy,
and peace;” and “In the fullness of time, put all things in subjection under your Christ…” from 1979 BCP’ Eucharistic Prayer B for “at the last day.” “… where we shall see our Lord face to face,” a reference to the beatific vision has been added to “and bring us with all your saints into the joy of your heavenly kingdom….” It is a superfluous addition to this section of the prayer and to the prayer in its entirety.
All this we ask through your Son Jesus Christ: 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 for ever. Amen.
This section has also been lifted from Eucharistic Prayer A.
In the final analysis the eucharistic prayer in the Renewed Ancient Rite owes more to Eucharist Prayer A than it does the Anaphora of Hippolytus. Eucharistic Prayer A was composed for the most part by the late H. Boone Porter. The Preface was composed by the late Howard Galley who composed Eucharistic Prayer C for 1979 BCP.
Eucharistic Prayer A is a shortened, modern version of the eucharistic prayer that has been used in the American Prayer Book since 1789. In its older version it is adaptation of the eucharistic prayer of the Scottish Usager Non-Juror Communion Office of 1764 whose antecedents included the eucharistic prayers of the 1637 Scottish Prayer Book and the 1549 BCP.
The General Convention that adopted the 1789 version made a number of alterations to the 1764 Scottish Usager Non-Juror eucharistic prayer to make it orthodox. The Scottish Usager Non-Jurors had their own peculiar doctrine of eucharistic sacrifice. They believed that Christ had offered himself at the Last Supper for the sins of the world and had only died on the cross. The original wording of the 1764 eucharistic prayer reflected their belief. The epiclesis asked God to sanctify and bless the bread and wine so that they would “become” the Body and Blood of Christ. The wording also suggested that moment of consecration occurred during the recitation of the Words of Institution. This was consistent with the Scottish Usager Non-Jurors’ doctrine of eucharistic sacrifice. They believed in a double consecration. First it was consecrated so that the priest could offer the consecrated bread and wine to God as a reiteration or representation of Christ’s offering and then the elements were consecrated again so that the communicants could receive them.
When compared with other eucharistic prayers which are in part based upon the Anaphora of Hippolytus, it is very evident that the eucharistic prayer in the Renewed Ancient Rite has a tenuous connection to that anaphora at best. What it does show is that, while the 2019 BCP compilers had the liturgical resources of the global Anglican Communion at their disposal, they drew heavily from the 1979 BCP and its predecessors and the 1549 BCP. They incorporated some features from 1662 BCP but these features appear to be largely window dressing. They appear to have occasionally borrowed material from the 2011 English translation of the Latin Mass, authorized by Pope Benedict XVI. Since the Anglican Church in North America is supposed to be GAFCON in North America, one might have expected them to tap these resources or at least draw from the Anglican Church of Canada’s The Book of Alternative Services (1985) and The Book of Common Prayer (1962) and their predecessors.
A number of changes could be made in the eucharistic prayer to improve it just as a number of changes could be made in the entire rite to improve it. The Anglican Church in North America was in too great a hurry to produce its own service book in my opinion and could have devoted more time to refining its rites and services.
It has been my policy when I critique something to offer an alternative if I am able to do so. I have decided to add a sixth article to this series in which I will offer an alternative eucharistic rite with an alternative eucharistic prayer to replace the misnamed Renewed Ancient Text.
