Having completed the first portion of the Eucharistic Prayer, we now move to an interesting portion of the Prayer, for it is really a summation of all the Priest has already said. Yet, aside from the Preface, it is the most variable part of the Eucharistic Prayer, for it has a special formula for almost all Ritual Masses, and this prayer is the Hanc Igitur, once again named from the first two words of the prayer in Latin.
Before we begin our considerations, let us look at the text of the prayer:
"Therefore, Lord, we pray:
graciously accept this oblation of our service,
that of your whole family;
order our days in your peace,
and command that we be delivered from eternal damnation
and counted among the flock of those you have chosen.
(Through Christ our Lord. Amen.)"
Likely, we quickly see the resemblance herein to the Te Igitur, but, as noted, in a much simplified and shorter formula. We would be wrong to think, however, this indicates a more ancient or separate development from the Te Igitur, for it seems these two were both present in the Roman Canon of the early Church. The format and text of this prayer, however, was set by Pope St. Gregory the Great, a great proponent of the Sacred Liturgy during his Papacy.
It is likely this prayer was originally meant to be the direct statement of the Priest's intention in offering the Mass. As we saw with the Memento for the Living, other people may be named, such as the sponsors of the Catechumens, who were not directly part of the Priest's specific Mass intention. Here, however, there was a restriction so that only the chief intention of the Mass could be stated. This, of course, meant this prayer would change with each Mass, so that the Celebrant would have to create a wording that fit within the context of the Eucharistic Prayer.
The difficulty of this should be obvious to us. While this may be easier for the standard intention of a person or ritual such as an Ordination or Nuptial Mass, for the more complicated intentions, or downright odd ones, which have always and continue to be requested, the Priest would be tasked with trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. As we have noticed, the intentions expressed in the Eucharistic Prayer take a more universal character to them and look towards the eternal benefit of souls, without getting bogged down in their earthly lives. Therefore, St. Gregory decided to discontinue the practice of stating the intention, except through an indirect manner as we will shortly examine. It is worth commenting, however, the practice was maintained for a few feasts and ritual Masses, and has been revived in our current Missal for even more ritual Masses.
But let us now examine the words of this prayer. Within the first line, we see a clear reference back to the Te Igitur, which began, "To you, therefore, most merciful Father." This address is restated with the words, "Therefore, Lord, we pray," so that we may be reminded that the entire Eucharistic Prayer is addressed to God the Father, for the importance of this cannot be understated. While the rest of the doctrines contained in the previous three prayers are here consolidated, this address is not. Once again, if we lose the focus of this prayer, we risk losing the tremendous graces which can be gained from the Eucharist. For if we do not make our petition to the Father through Christ, we lose our Mediator in Heaven, and without Him we can gain nothing, for there exists the infinite gap between the creature and the Creator. Therefore, the Eucharistic Prayer will not cease to remind us of this direction of prayer.
The next line forms what would previously have been the statement of the Celebrant's intention for the Mass. For the reason we have already explained however, it has become, "graciously accept this oblation of our service." The Priest is duty bound to offer the Sacrifice for those whom he has promised to offer It, but this statement goes even further. The Priest cannot refrain from offering the Sacrifice. Though he may personally not do so on a daily basis, or though he may be unable to for whatever reason, as far as the one Priesthood of Jesus Christ goes, the Sacrifice will always be offered up, for the Priest participates in the one eternal Sacrifice of our Lord Jesus (Hebrews 9-10).
The Priest offers the Sacrifice of Christ, then, not only for the direct intention of that one Mass, but for the entire Church and all Her prayers and petitions. The chief duty of the Priest is to sanctify through the Sacraments, most especially the Sacrament of the Eucharist. We see a reflection of this in the Code of Canon Law, the Laws set up by the Vatican to govern the Universal Church, for Canon 534 states, "After a pastor has taken possession of his parish, he is obliged to apply a Mass for the people entrusted to him on each Sunday and holy day of obligation in his diocese (Canon 534, Paragraph 1)." This is what is commonly referred to as the pro populo Mass, since it is offered for the entire Parish, the needs and intentions of all Her members.
In order to incorporate all this intentions into the Hanc Igitur, then, the Priest follows the acknowledgment of his service with, "that of your whole family." Though the Sacrifice is being offered for a specific intention, all the Faithful who have come have prayers and petitions which they wish to unite to the Offering of the Priest, and he, as a shepherd of souls, cannot neglect them.
But let us pause briefly to consider an important feature here, for while in Masses with Concelebrants present, the Memento for the Living and the Communicantes may be said by a Concelebrant, this prayer, as well as the Te Igitur are always reserved for the Main Celebrant. We see here a reflection of the ancient Church where the intentions would still be explicitly stated here. While the manner of reciting the Eucharistic Prayer then would be different from now, the point we are here noting is that the Main Celebrant is making the statement of who he is offering the Mass for, especially in regards to Ritual Masses, whereas the Concelebrants may have a different Mass intention for themselves.
Moving on, now, in the prayer, we encounter another summation of the petitions which the Priest makes on behalf of all the people. "Order our days in your peace, and command that we be delivered from eternal damnation and counted among the flock of those you have chosen." Once again we see the unwillingness of the Church to expressly pray for any specific quality for the Faithful upon earth, aside from the peace of Christ. And we may define this peace as trusting acceptance of His Will for us. This is how we must interpret these words, which said on the very border of the great moment about to occur - the Consecration. We must place our trust in God that all we endure in this life is given, whether good or ill, is given us so that we may unite ourselves with the Cross of Jesus about to become present.
There is little further elaboration in the intention regarding the spiritual lives of the Faithful. All that is prayed for is salvation, ultimately, though this includes a request that we may always be united to the Church of Christ, the sole means of grace in the world, and the sole means of the salvation for which the Priest prays.
We should note if the Priest chooses to conclude the prayer with the, "Through Christ our Lord. Amen," he joins his hands for this portion. While they were extended in the orans posture for the prayer, since it was a prayer of petition, they are now joined, to show the conclusion of his statement of intention, as well as to direct the Sacrifice to the Father through Christ. We must understand, the profound, albeit basic symbolism of the joined hands, for they thus point upwards, towards God the Father. As children are taught to pray with their hands joined pointing up towards God, so this basic lesson has even found its way into the Holy Mass, as Mother Church is ever solicitous in taking the most natural basic things of earth and using them to raise our minds to Divine realities.
Before we conclude, however, let us quickly look at two other possible forms the Hanc Igitur may take, if it takes place in a ritual Mass. We look first at the Hanc Igitur, used from the Easter Vigil through Divine Mercy Sunday:
"Therefore, Lord, we pray:
graciously accept this oblation of our service,
that of your whole family,
which we make to you
also for those to whom you have been pleased to give
the new birth of water and the Holy Spirit,
granting them forgiveness of all their sins;
order our days in your peace,
and command that we be delivered from eternal damnation
and counted among the flock of those you have chosen.
(Through Christ our Lord. Amen.)"
Although this form is very similar to the standard, we see the addition of mention of the Neophytes. This is a remnant of the ancient form of including specific people the Priest would be offering Mass for, since the Easter Vigil is especially appropriate to offer for the Neophytes, both in a personal parish and throughout the Church. The reason so much is retained of the standard form, however, is likely because the Faithful will have numerous other intentions, which are summarized as explained above.
Let us see now, however, a Hanc Igitur, which greatly diverges from the standard form. It is the Hanc Igitur for a Nuptial Mass:
"Therefore, Lord, we pray:
graciously accept this oblation of our service,
the offering of your servants N. and N.
and of your whole family,
who entreat your majesty on their behalf;
and as you have brought them to their wedding day,
so (gladden them with your gift of the children they desire and)
bring them in your kindness
to the length of days for which they hope.
(Through Christ our Lord. Amen.)"
Here there are no mention of other petitions, for all gathered should be praying in union with the Priest for the same intention, namely the bride and groom and their eternal welfare. Jungmann notes an interesting understanding of this formula in Ritual Masses, where the entire community joins in prayer for specific persons. He says:
"We discover here a fine piece of ancient Christian etiquette. It must have been accounted an honor to relieve those concerned of their duty of offering on this their great day, and to make the offering 'for' them, in their stead and for their benefit (182)."
How wonderful it is, in these Masses, that the entire Church joins in prayer for these special persons! It truly shows forth the Communion of Saints and unity of the Church!
We will simply note the other divergences from the ordinary form take place on Holy Thursday and in Masses for the celebration of the Scrutinies, the Conferral of Baptism and Confirmation, all degrees of Holy Orders, for the Blessing of an Abbot or Abbess, for the Consecration of Virgins, for a Religious' solemn profession, and for the Dedication of a Church.
Finally, we see the only mention of the Saints in Heaven now, is an implicit referral to
them as part of, "the flock of those you [the Lord] has chosen." We
should not neglect, however, to forget they are present, along with the
numberless host of angels now bowed in humblest adoration for the sacred
moment is upon us!
All historical information taken from:
Rev. Joseph A. Jungmann, S.J. The Mass of the Roman Rite: Its Origins and Development. Volume
2. Part IV: Hanc igitur, 179-187.
Translated by Rev. Francis A. Brunner, C.SS.R. (Christian Classics:
Notre Dame, Indiana, 1951).
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