Basic Texts for the Roman Catholic Eucharist
Eucharistic Prayers for Reconciliation  I - II

(from the 3rd Edition of the Roman Missal, English Translation, 2011)

This webpage is not intended for presiders to use while celebrating the Liturgy, but is designed for comparative study of the Eucharistic Prayers. In order to see both the similarity in structure and the differences in wording and length of the various prayers, they are printed in parallel columns below. Texts and responses sung or spoken by all the people are indicated in bold type. The "words of institution" are printed in dark red.


Preface Dialogue:

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.

Preface (giving praise and thanksgiving to God):

EP for Reconciliation I EP for Reconciliation II

It is truly right and just that we should always give you thanks, Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God.

For you do not cease to spur us on to possess a more abundant life and, being rich in mercy, you constantly offer pardon and call on sinners to trust in your forgiveness alone.

Never did you turn away from us, and, though time and again we have broken your covenant, you have bound the human family to yourself through Jesus your Son, our Redeemer, with a new bond of love so tight that it can never be undone.

Even now you set before your people a time of grace and reconciliation, and, as they turn back to you in spirit, you grant them hope in Christ Jesus and a desire to be of service to all, while they entrust themselves more fully to the Holy Spirit.

And so, filled with wonder, we extol the power of your love, and, proclaiming our joy at the salvation that comes from you, we join in the heavenly hymn of countless hosts, as without end we acclaim:

It is truly right and just that we should give you thanks and praise, O God, almighty Father, for all you do in this world, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

For though the human race is divided by dissension and discord, yet we know that by testing us you change our hearts to prepare them for reconciliation.

Even more, by your Spirit you move human hearts that enemies may speak to each other again, adversaries may join hands, and peoples seek to meet together.

By the working of your power it comes about, O Lord, that hatred is overcome by love, revenge gives way to forgiveness, and discord is changed to mutual respect.

Therefore, as we give you ceaseless thanks with the choirs of heaven, we cry out to your majesty on earth, and without end we acclaim:

Sanctus ("Holy, Holy"; based on the praise of the Seraphim in Isa 6:3 and Rev 4:8):

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.

Thanksgiving and Epiclesis (calling upon the Holy Spirit):

EP for Reconciliation I EP for Reconciliation II

You are indeed Holy, O Lord, and from the world’s beginning are ceaselessly at work, so that the human race may become holy, just as you yourself are holy.

Look, we pray, upon your people’s offerings and pour out on them the power of your Spirit, that they may become the Body and + Blood of your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, in whom we, too, are your sons and daughters. Indeed, though we once were lost and could not approach you, you loved us with the greatest love: for your Son, who alone is just, handed himself over to death, and did not disdain to be nailed for our sake to the wood of the Cross.

But before his arms were outstretched between heaven and earth,
to become the lasting sign of your covenant,
he desired to celebrate the Passover with his disciples.

You, therefore, almighty Father, we bless through Jesus Christ your Son, who comes in your name. He himself is the Word that brings salvation, the hand you extend to sinners, the way by which your peace is offered to us. When we ourselves had turned away from you on account of our sins, you brought us back to be reconciled, O Lord, so that, converted at last to you, we might love one another through your Son, whom for our sake you handed over to death.

And now, celebrating the reconciliation Christ has brought us, we entreat you: sanctify these gifts by the outpouring of your Spirit, that they may become the Body and + Blood of your Son, whose command we fulfill when we celebrate these mysteries.

Institution Narrative (recalling the words of Jesus at the Last Supper; see Mark 14:22-24; Matt 26:26-28; Luke 22:19-20; 1 Cor 11:23-25):

EP for Reconciliation I EP for Reconciliation II

As he ate with them, he took bread and, giving you thanks, he said the blessing, broke the bread and gave it to them, 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, knowing that he was about to reconcile all things in himself through his Blood to be shed on the Cross, he took the chalice, filled with the fruit of the vine, and once more giving you thanks, handed the chalice 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.

For when about to give his life to set us free, as he reclined at supper, he himself took bread into his hands, and, giving you thanks, he said the blessing, broke the bread 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, on that same evening, he took the chalice of blessing in his hands, confessing your mercy, and gave the chalice 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: While the "words of institution" over the bread and wine are identical, the introductory words are slightly different in all the Eucharistic prayers. Yet they all include the same four basic actions with the bread (taking, thanking/blessing, breaking, giving) and the same three basic actions with the cup (taking, thanking/blessing, giving). The verbal variation between "giving thanks" and "said the blessing" is due to the use of two very similar words in the various Gospel accounts of Jesus' Last Supper (click for details).

Mystery of Faith (formerly called the Memorial Acclamation):

Priest:  The mystery of faith:

People: A - We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.
    or B - When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your death, O Lord, until you come again.
 
  or C - Save us, Savior of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.

Anamnesis, Epiclesis, and Intercessions:

EP for Reconciliation I EP for Reconciliation II

Therefore, as we celebrate the memorial of your Son Jesus Christ, who is our Passover and our surest peace, we celebrate his Death and Resurrection from the dead, and looking forward to his blessed Coming, we offer you, who are our faithful and merciful God, this sacrificial Victim who reconciles to you the human race.

Look kindly, most compassionate Father, on those you unite to yourself by the Sacrifice of your Son, and grant that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, as they partake of this one Bread and one Chalice, they may be gathered into one Body in Christ, who heals every division.

Be pleased to keep us always in communion of mind and heart, together with N. our Pope and N. our Bishop. Help us to work together for the coming of your Kingdom, until the hour when we stand before you, Saints among the Saints in the halls of heaven, with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, the blessed Apostles and all the Saints, and with our deceased brothers and sisters, whom we humbly commend to your mercy.

Then, freed at last from the wound of corruption and made fully into a new creation, we shall sing to you with gladness the thanksgiving of Christ, who lives for all eternity.

Celebrating, therefore, the memorial of the Death and Resurrection of your Son, who left us this pledge of his love, we offer you what you have bestowed on us, the Sacrifice of perfect reconciliation.

Holy Father, we humbly beseech you to accept us also, together with your Son, and in this saving banquet graciously to endow us with his very Spirit, who takes away everything that estranges us from one another.

May he make your Church a sign of unity and an instrument of your peace among all people and may he keep us in communion with N. our Pope and N. our Bishop and all the Bishops and your entire people.

Just as you have gathered us now at the table of your Son, so also bring us together, with the glorious Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with your blessed Apostles and all the Saints, with our brothers and sisters and those of every race and tongue who have died in your friendship. Bring us to share with them the unending banquet of unity in a new heaven and a new earth, where the fullness of your peace will shine forth in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Doxology and Great Amen:

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]


See also these related pages:


Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

These webpages were compiled by Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D.
This page was last updated on June 27, 2023