Faith

Common to each of the Eucharistic Prayers are prayers for the Church, for those assembled for this Mass, for civil needs, for the deceased in general, and an intercession of the saints.

Father Robert M.
O'Grady

The single longest prayer at any Mass is the Eucharistic Prayer. Even though it is said or sung (or some combination of both), there are responses which the rest of the assembly makes, again either spoken or sung, which indicate that we are all participating in this prayer.
Each of the four Eucharistic Prayers, which may be used on Sunday, has a history, shape and emphasis. Some history is very long; Prayer II is the oldest. Prayer I has multiple interpellations or inserts for various solemnities and has the double list of saints. Prayer III is the newest of the four, composed during and immediately following the Second Vatican Council, and it is an expansion and augmentation of Prayer II. Prayer IV is the least often used at Sunday Mass because of its length and because it is an extended but beautiful narrative of salvation history. Of the four, it is unique in having what we call an "invariable preface." Its preface must always be used when that prayer is chosen. This also means it cannot be used on Sundays or solemnities that have an assigned preface. So, it cannot be used during the Lent, Easter, Advent, or Christmas seasons, or on solemnities. Safe to state that this prayer could only be chosen for the Sundays of Ordinary Time.
Common to each of the Eucharistic Prayers are prayers for the Church, for those assembled for this Mass, for civil needs, for the deceased in general, and an intercession of the saints.

There are postures and gestures common to all four.
We stand through the "Holy, Holy, Holy," and then, if we are able, the assembly kneels, or sits, or even remains standing if kneeling is impossible. This posture is maintained until the singing at the end of the prayer of the Great Amen, which is sung standing.
For the principal celebrant, there are many gestures prescribed, and the celebrant is not free to add, delete, or adjust these gestures to his own liking.
Each prayer has a different set of directions for the celebrant, among which are that he extends his hands and arms for some parts of the prayer. The previous rubric of the priest holding two fingers of each hand together following the consecration has been eliminated and therefore should not be done.
The celebrant bows slightly at the words of institution. The exaggerated bow with the speaking of the word of institution to the host and then into the chalice have been replaced by the simple bow. The words themselves tell us that these are words spoken by the Lord at his Last Supper to the apostles, and the priest, in the person of Christ the head, speaks them to us, not to the host or the chalice.
There are two elevations, first of the host when it has been consecrated and then of the chalice when it has been consecrated. There is some dilemma here as there is no direction on how high or for how long the host or chalice are to be shown.
A good guide is the priest shows both to the assembly at his eye level, so he can be seen seeing with the assembly. How long is also an issue. I heard the following sound advice: "Not more than ten seconds," after that, people are no longer looking at the host or the chalice but at you.
The priest also genuflects after each showing, and this should not be prolonged or exaggerated.
The assembly, but not the principal celebrant, responds to the "Mystery of Faith" proclamation. The response is a "people's part," not a celebrant's part. This also applies to the Great Amen at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer.
The celebrant continues to the end of the prayer and concludes, preferably singing the "doxology" (it begins with "Through Him," etc.) This is a priest's part of the prayer, and the assembly should not be joining in its singing. Some have asked me about having heard this prayer "adjusted" to "Through Christ," etc. I am not sure what occasions this, but if it is some sense of accommodation to inclusive language, that explanation falls flat, as of course, in this case, there is no need for this, as Jesus Christ was incarnate as a male, lived as one, died as one, and rose and ascended as a male.
Again, tinkering with our prayers is not part of the Roman rite, nor does it lead to the unity that the Missal intends to bring about at Mass.
The fewer distractions by the insertion of personal piety of celebrant or of assembly that happens occasionally at Mass, the easier it is for us to participate in our prayer.

• 

  Putting Christmas awayJaymie Stuart Wolfe

• 

  The venerable Roman CanonFather Robert M. O'Grady

• 

  Why are there four Gospels?Archbishop Richard G. Henning

• 

  Light breakingScott Hahn

• 

  Scripture Reflection for Feb. 8, 2026, Fifth Sunday in Ordinary TimeFather Joshua J. Whitfield