In my last post, I discussed how Eucharistic Prayer IV emphasizes the unity of the human race as a real symbol of the reign of God in our midst. Here, I focus on how this prayer expands the scope of salvation and redemption to the cosmos as such, living beings and inanimate beings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Pope Paul VI observed, a primary objective of the liturgical reform set in motion by the Second Vatican Council was to encourage the participation of all in the assembly \u201cin the celebration of this Most Holy Mystery, to offer it to God along with the priest as a sacrifice for their own salvation and that of the whole world, and to use it as spiritual nourishment\u201d (Mysterium Fidei <\/em>1; H\/T Devin Rice).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Consider these excerpts from EP IV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [Preface]<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is truly right to give you thanks, truly just to give you glory, Father, most holy, for <\/u>you . . . have made all that is, so that you might fill your creatures with blessings and bring joy to many of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n &&&<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n [<\/strong>Preface]<\/p>\n\n\n\n And so, in your presence are countless hosts of Angels, who serve you day and night and, gazing upon the glory of your face, glorify you without ceasing. With them we, too, confess your name in exultation, giving voice to every creature under heaven <\/u>as we acclaim:<\/p>\n\n\n\n &&&<\/p>\n\n\n\n We give you praise, Father most holy, for you are great, and you have fashioned <\/u>all your works in <\/u>wisdom and in <\/u>love. You formed man in your own image and entrusted <\/u>the whole world to his care,<\/u> so that in serving you alone, the Creator, he might have dominion over all creatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n &&&<\/p>\n\n\n\n To accomplish your plan, he gave himself up to death,<\/em> and, rising from the dead, he destroyed death and restored life.\u00a0 And that we might live no longer for ourselves but for him who died and rose again for us,<\/em> he sent the Holy Spirit from you, Father, as the first fruits for those who believe,<\/em> so that, bringing to perfection <\/u>his work in the world, he might sanctify creation to the full<\/u>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n &&&<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n . . . with the whole of creation, <\/u>freed from the corruption of sin and death, may <\/u>we glorify you <\/u>through Christ our Lord, <\/u>through whom <\/u>you bestow on the world all <\/u>that is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n &&&<\/p>\n\n\n\n No other Eucharistic Prayer refers to the creatures with whom we humans share the world, much less any divine intention to fill them with blessings. No other EP presents human beings praising God on behalf of all other creatures. Indeed, I wonder if this line might one day be revised in light of Pope Francis\u2019 lament in Laudato Si\u2019 <\/em>33: \u201cBecause of us, thousands of species will no longer give glory to God by their very existence, nor convey their message to us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n EP IV is unique in its mention of the divine charge to care for \u201cthe whole world.\u201d Even if one can raise questions about how the concept of \u201cdominion\u201d has been misused by Christians to justify all manner of environmental degradation, the language of care nevertheless pricks the conscience. Regarding the \u201cwhole world,\u201d EP III asks that \u201cthis Sacrifice of our reconciliation, we pray, O Lord, advance the peace and salvation of all the world,\u201d but no other EP makes reference to God\u2019s vision of salvation as encompassing \u201call the world.\u201d Indeed, \u201cworld\u201d appears once in EP I, once in EP II, three times in EP III, and six times in EP IV. (It also appears in Memorial Acclamation C, which hails Jesus Christ as \u201cSavior of the world.\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n No other EP mentions creation as such.\u00a0 Of course, the Preface to EP II begins with \u201cit 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.\u201d\u00a0 EP III asserts that \u201cyou are indeed Holy, O Lord, and all you have created rightly gives you praise.\u201d\u00a0 Yet EP IV stresses that sanctifying creation is a matter of the perfection of the work of the Holy Spirit in the world.\u00a0 This prayer refers to creation in the context of being \u201cfreed from the corruption of sin and death.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nothing I say here should be interpreted as belittling the dignity and significance of any EP. I suggest only that in a church of the twenty-first century that is called to ever greater fidelity to care for our common home, EP IV has a particular resonance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This prayer expands the scope of salvation and redemption to the cosmos as such.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":65221,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[2972,19,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-65597","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environment-and-ecology","category-mass","category-liturgical-spirituality"],"yoast_head":"\n