Where I grew up, Eucharistic Prayer 2 held sway in grade school, weekday, funeral, and Sunday Masses… I don’t think I ever heard the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer 1) until I was at least 16. There has been an interesting and ongoing combox discussion on the matter over at Bonfire of the Vanities.
Where I attend weekday Mass on occasion EP 1 is the norm (out of 13 different approved prayers) and I find that pleasing for one simple reason: It offers the following brief exhortations to pray for the living and the dead:
For the living:“Remember, Lord, your people, especially those for whom we now pray, N. et N.”
For the dead:“Remember, Lord, those who have died and have gone before us marked with the sign of faith, especially those for whom we now pray, N. et N. May these, and all who sleep in Christ, find in your presence light, happiness, and peace.”
It is a true mercy to take a moment to remember the dead and the living whose intentions I bring to place on the altar - it is a reminder to fix my intentions at the offertory and then fix my intentions at communion.
Prayer for the dead has been so utterly neglected in the Catholic Church today. This is something we may all, one day, come to see the tragedy of in a most uncomfortable light.
(NOTE: I am making an effort to better understand how to play with the size of graphics on WordPress - be patient with me! )
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