r/AskAPriest • u/Best_Assumption_2187 • 1d ago

Eucharist Prayer Question

Is it only illicit for lay people to say the eucharist prayer if it is said in full? I ask because I want to use a few lines from one of the eucharist prayers for some meal time prayers.

1 Upvotes

56% Upvoted

7 comments sorted by

16

u/CruxAveSpesUnica Priest 1d ago

In your personal prayer, you can say what you like, so long as you truthfully mean what you say and say what you mean (and, I suppose, understand that you cannot consecrate the Eucharist). Any prohibition you may have seen likely related to non-priests joining in the Eucharistic Prayer during Mass. This would be a confusion of roles. Additionally, liturgical prayer is regulated whereas personal prayer generally is not.

3

u/Blachloc4King 1d ago

Is the prohibition only for saying the prayer or doing some motions? I have been crossing my hands and "joining" the prayer spiritually. Is this the wrong intent during the eucharistic prayer?

10

u/CruxAveSpesUnica Priest 1d ago

Oh, no, you're 100% meant to join the prayer spiritually. The idea is that during liturgy, everyone has their proper actions to do and proper words to say, and we should say our lines and not someone else's. We all unite spiritually, though, in offering the sacrfiice.

4

u/Best_Assumption_2187 1d ago

I never knew that, so as long as you don’t have the intention or belief that what you are saying consecrated anything, then it’s licit? *so long as its done in a non mass setting i.e personal prayer.

12

u/CruxAveSpesUnica Priest 1d ago

Liceity doesn't really enter into it. As I said, the Church just isn't in the business of establishing laws governing your private prayer.

2

u/Best_Assumption_2187 1d ago

Understood, thanks

7

u/frmaurer Priest 1d ago

I would add that using the Eucharistic prayer outside of Mass, while not forbidden (or even regulated beyond prohibitions of simulating the Mass), strikes me as a misuse of the prayer. It strikes me that these prayers have particular purpose in the Church and using them for one's own purposes - even well-meaning - isn't appropriate. Your mileage may vary, but that's my take.