The Canon

The  Canon

     The Canon or Eucharistic Prayer is the central prayer of the Holy Mass.  No hymns are sung and in Passiontide no music is played during the Canon.

     The celebrant lifts his hands, then blesses the gifts and continues with hands extended while saying:

      Father, through Jesus Christ, Your Son, we ask you to accept and bless these gifts we offer You in sacrifice.  We offer them for Your holy catholic Church, asking You to defend and guide it throughout the world.  We offer them for   . . . our prime bishop and . . . our bishop and for all bishops, priests, deacons and other ministers who profess the true faith, which comes to us from the apostles.

      Remember Your people, Lord, especially our brothers and sisters for whom we now pray.

     The celebrant joins his hands while he and the faithful pray quietly for church members, relatives and friends.  He may also present names at this time of  Prayer Intentions for the Living.

      Remember all of us who are present here, who truly believe and are devoted to You.

      We offer this sacrifice of praise to You, our living, eternal and true God, for ourselves and all those we love, for the redemption of our souls with hope for our salvation.  Together with the whole Church, we honor the Virgin Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We also honor the apostles and martyrs as well as all those who have lived and died confessing Your name (especially Saint . . . whose memory we keep today).  In remembering them we desire to follow their example and so gain Your love and help.  Father, accept this offering from Your whole family.  Grant us Your peace in this life, preserve us from spiritual damnation and count us among Your chosen people.

The celebrant blesses the bread and wine as he says:

      Bless, accept and approve this offering we now make to You and let it be pleasing to You.

Extending his hands over the bread and chalice, he says:

      Fill it with the power of Your Holy Spirit and let it become for us the Body and the Blood of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

THE  CONSECRATION

With his hands joined the celebrant continues:

      The day before He suffered and died, our Lord desired to make His love known to His disciples and all who would follow Him.  He, therefore, instituted these Sacred Mysteries by which He joined Himself with them spiritually and bodily, in His whole being, and abides with us forever.

     The chime sounds.  The celebrant (uncovers the ciborium if there is one with new hosts,) takes his host, then blesses and consecrates the bread while saying:

      At that moment, so sacred for all of humanity, Jesus took bread into His holy hands and looking up to heaven to You, His almighty Father, He gave You thanks.  He blessed the bread, broke it and gave it to His disciples, saying:

Take this, all of you, and eat;

for this is My Body, Which is given for you.

     He lifts the Host, lays it on the paten, then genuflects while the chimes sound.  He uncovers the chalice (and intinction cup if there is one with wine), grasps it, and then blesses and consecrates the wine while saying:

      When supper had ended, He took the cup.  In the same way He gave You thanks, blessed it and gave it to His disciples, saying:

Take this, all of you, and drink from it;
for this is the cup of My Blood;

the Blood of the new and everlasting covenant,

Which shall be shed for you and for many
for the forgiveness of sins.
As often as you do this, do it in remembrance of Me.

     The celebrant elevates the chalice, places it on the corporal, then genuflects while the chimes sound.  With his hands extended he says:

      Father, in celebration of the memory of Jesus Christ, Your Son, we Your people recall His passion, resurrection from the dead and ascension into glory.

      From the many gifts You have given us, we offer You this pure, holy and spotless offering; the holy Bread of Life and the holy Cup of Eternal Salvation.  Look favorably on these offerings and accept them as You once accepted the gifts of Your servant, Abel, and the sacrifice of our father in faith, Abraham, and the bread and wine offered by Your priest, Melchizedek.

After blessing himself, the celebrant extends his hands and says:

      Remember, Lord, our brothers and sisters who have died and have gone before us marked with the sign of faith.

     He joins his hands while he and the faithful pray quietly for deceased church members, relatives and friends.  He may also present names at this time of  Prayer Intentions for the Dead.

      May these and all who rest in Christ find happiness, light and peace.

      And we, who trust in Your love, also ask to be included in the fellowship of Your holy apostles, martyrs and saints, who offered their lives to You.  They were filled with Your justice and mercy and, because they lived in accord with the teachings of Jesus, gained eternal joy.

      Count us among them, Father, not because of what we truly deserve, but because You are willing to forgive us.  We ask this in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, by Whom You give us all these gifts; You fill them with life and goodness; You bless them and make them holy.

     The celebrant raises the Host and chalice together, which is called:  The Minor Elevation.  He says or sings:

C.:     Through Him, with Him and in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and glory is Yours, almighty Father, forever and ever.
R.:     Amen.

The Great Amen may be sung as an alternate response at a High or Solemn Mass:

R.:     Amen, amen, amen.

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