A User's Guide to The Holy Eucharist Rites I & II

Christopher L. Webber

• Publisher: Morehouse Publishing
• Year: 1997
• ISBN:
  9780819224897
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Rituals & Practice

Become a full partner in the worship of God using this guide which illuminates the theology, history, and practical concerns of the Holy Eucharist.

This guide is designed to help newcomers, confirmation classes, and lay members understand and appreciate the Episcopal liturgy. They invite the person in the pew to participate in the service, not merely as a spectator, but as a full partner in the worship of God in community.

Developed specifically to address the needs of inquirers and others not familiar with the Book of Common Prayer, this volume provides an easily accessible introduction to the liturgy. This guide shows how the Holy Eucharist has its roots in two ancient Jewish patterns of worship: the synagogue service and the seder meal.

The Holy Eucharist Rite II

The same General Convention which approved the 1928 version of the Book of Common Prayer also created a Standing Liturgical Commission to begin work on the next revision. It was recognized that a deeper understanding of the early church and a closer relationship with other liturgical churches was rapidy creating a need for a more thorough revision. That revision, adopted in 1979, is Rite II. Rite I is a re-ordered and slightly reworded revision of the 1928 Prayer Book. The differences between them have been discussed already on page 6.

Rite II, like Rite I, can begin either with or without the Penitential Order. Most churches provide a printed order of service to give guidance on matters like this and on the hymns and service music to be found in the Hymnal.

A Penitential Order: Rite Two

For use at the beginning of the Liturgy, or as a separate service.

A hymn, psalm, or anthem may be sung.

The people standing, the Celebrant says

	Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
People	And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.

In place of the above, from Easter Day through the Day of Pentecost

Celebrant People

Alleluia. Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.

In Lent and on other penitential occasions

Celebrant People

Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins. His mercy endures for ever.

When used as a separate service, the Exhortation, page 316, may be read, or a homily preached.

The Decalogue may be said, the people kneeling.

The Celebrant may read one of the following sentences

Jesus said, “The first commandment is this: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31

Before the Service Begins

Every church service involves a balance between what we do together and what we do as individuals. In that sense, we begin our worship as soon as we enter the church. In fact, even our going to church is an act of worship. We can use the time before the service begins to prepare ourselves for what we are about to do with others by simply sitting or kneeling and letting our minds become quiet and centered. We can also speak to God in our own words about the reasons we are here and what we hope to do. It can also be helpful to read quietly psalms such as Psalms 42 and 43 (pages 643-645).

A Penitential Order: Rite II

When we come into God's presence, we can appropriately respond with either praise or penitence as we emphasize either God's greatness or our unworthiness. It is appropriate sometimes to do one and sometimes the other. The Penitential Order is most often used to begin the service in Lent, but may be used at other times also or as a separate service. If it is not used at the beginning, the Confession of Sin will normally be said later in the service.

The Entrance and Salutation

See the discussion on page 18.

Words of Scripture

Prayer Book worship is always Biblical. The First English Prayer Book inserted the “Comfortable Words” of Scripture (still found in Rite I) into the eucharist after the confession and absolution as evidence of God's forgiveness. Here one or more passages of Scripture come before the confession. The Decalogue may be read here as a summary of God's will for us in our relationships with God and with each other. Three other passages of Scripture are provided. The first sets before us God's standard of love by which we are judged, the second promises forgiveness, and the third assures us that God's forgiveness is accessible to us, since Jesus, who shares our human nature and died for us, is the one who sits on “the throne of grace.”

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8, 9

Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14, 16

The Deacon or Celebrant then says

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

Silence may be kept.

Minister and People

Most merciful God,

we confess that we have sinned against you

in thought, word, and deed,

by what we have done,

and by what we have left undone.

We have not loved you with our whole heart;

we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.

We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.

For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,

have mercy on us and forgive us;

that we may delight in your will,

and walk in your ways,

to the glory of your Name. Amen.

The Confession and Absolution

Sin has been defined most simply as separation. We have a sense of separation from God and from other human beings. All religion is based on that sense of alienation and the need to overcome it. Sacrificial systems build on the idea that we can recover our unity by giving God something we value. Christians understand that there is nothing we can offer God, but that if we confess our sins, we will be forgiven. God in Christ has already offered his own life to God on our behalf to restore our unity; we need only admit our need and accept in thankfulness what God in Christ has done.

The wording of the Confession is based on a contemporary English prayer, though some of the language goes back to the form of preparation said by the priest and acolyte before Mass in the Middle Ages. The Absolution is closely related to that form and was part of the Sarum Rite in England before the Reformation.

The Bishop when present, or the Priest, stands and says

Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.

A deacon or lay person using the preceding form substitutes “us” for “you” and “our” for “your.”

When this Order is used at the beginning of the Liturgy, the service continues with the Gloria in excelsis, the Kyrie eleison, or the Trisagion.

When used separately, it concludes with suitable prayers, and the Grace or a blessing.

The bishop or priest pronounces the Absolution, declaring our forgiveness. St. John's gospel tells us that Jesus gave his disciples authority to forgive sins immediately after his resurrection (St. John 20:22-23). The ordination service (on page 531) lists the declaration of absolution as a specific duty of priests.

Notice the sequence of verbs: have mercy: God begins the reconciling action by having compassion for us; forgive: God acts to remove the barriers we have created; strengthen: God acts to build up our resistance to sin and our ability to serve God; keep: God acts to hold us in a way of life that will keep us within the realm of God's love forever.

If the service begins with the Penitential Order, it moves now to one of the acts of praise on page 356.

The Holy Eucharist: Rite Two

The Word of God

A hymn, psalm, or anthem may be sung.

The people standing, the Celebrant says

	Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
People	And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.

In place of the above, from Easter Day through the Day of Pentecost

Celebrant People

Alleluia. Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.

In Lent and on other penitential occasions

Celebrant People

Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins. His mercy endures for ever.

The Celebrant may say

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Entrance

Those providing leadership for the service can enter during a hymn or simply walk to their places. Either way, it is customary for the congregation to stand. From the earliest times, a psalm, hymn, or anthem such as the Gloria or the Kyrie was used for the opening of the liturgy.

The Salutation

Every act of worship involves a conversation among those taking part as well as a conversation with God. The Salutation begins the service by drawing priest and people into a dialogue and establishing our reason for being here. Always we are here to praise God, but in Easter Season we praise God for raising Christ from the dead and in Lent and other penitential times we praise God who forgives our sins. The first salutation, “Blessed be God…” is based on Jewish custom and that of the Eastern church. The second salutation is the ancient Christian Easter greeting. The third salutation, based on Psalm 103:1-3 and 136:1-26, is used in Lent and on other penitential occasions.

The Collect for Purity

All Christian worship is Trinitarian, offered to God the Father in and through Jesus Christ by the power and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The opening prayer, a hallmark of Anglican worship ever since the first English Prayer Book in 1549, sets this pattern clearly before us. Known as the “Collect for Purity,” this prayer can be traced back to the eighth century; it was used in England before 1549 as a prayer said by the priest while vesting. Omission of this prayer is permitted and may allow the theme of praise to continue uninterrupted from the opening hymn through one of the first two salutations and into the Gloria in excelsis.

When appointed, the following hymn or some other song of praise is sung or said, all standing

Glory to God in the highest,

and peace to his people on earth.

Lord God, heavenly King,

almighty God and Father,

we worship you, we give you thanks,

we praise you for your glory.

Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Fat...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Introduction to the Eucharist
• Rite I and Rite II
• The Holy Eucharist, Rite I
• The Holy Eucharist, Rite II
• Notes about Customs
• Glossary
• Suggestions for Further Reading
• Index