Eucharistic Prayer B

 The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give him thanks and praise.

Father, it is truly right and our greatest joy to give you thanks and to sing your praise, for, in the beginning, you fashioned us in your image, inviting us to relationship with you, and showering upon us the blessings of your love.

When our first parents turned to their own ways, and found themselves exiled from Eden’s perfection, you promised them a love that would never die. When sin blanketed the earth, you rescued your righteous ones aboard the Ark, bringing them safely to dry land and a new beginning. When slavery nearly shattered your chosen people, you liberated them from Egypt, guiding them through the sea and sustaining them with heavenly food, as you led them toward a land flowing with milk and honey. When all seemed lost, you sent Jesus your Son to fulfil your ageless promise, lifting up the oppressed and lowly and filling the hungry with all that is good.

Your mighty works have brought us to this moment. Your goodness and love have called us to worship. And so, we join with your angels and saints, as we lift our voices to you in praise.

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts!

Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

We praise you, Father, for the love you have revealed to us in Jesus Christ, your Word made flesh. He taught us to share the abundance of your love, and offered himself for our fallen race, pouring out his life for the redemption of the world. Rising to new life, he made himself known to his disciples revealing himself through opened Scriptures and broken bread. Even now, he calls us to his Table, inviting us to taste and see that you are truly good. In answer to his call we have gathered, offering to you, from the fruits of your own creation, these gifts of bread and wine.

The Celebrant's hands are spread over the Gifts.

May your Spirit descend upon them, + that they may become the Body and Blood of your Son, given and shed for the life of the world.

The Celebrant takes the bread.

On the night before he suffered, Jesus took bread into his sacred hands, and looking heavenward, to you, his almighty Father, he gave thanks and said the blessing. He then broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said:

“TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND EAT IT,

FOR THIS IS MY BODY WHICH WILL BE GIVEN UP FOR YOU.

DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME.”

The Celebrant takes the cup.

In a similar way, when supper was ended, he took the cup into his sacred hands. Once again, he gave thanks and said the blessing. He then gave the cup to his disciples and said: 

“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.

IT WILL BE SHED FOR YOU, AND FOR ALL, SO THAT SINS MAY BE FORGIVEN.

DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME.”

The Celebrant briefly bows. 

And so, Father, with this Bread and this Cup, we celebrate the memory of Christ, your Son. 

As we await the day of his return, we joyfully celebrate his Dying and Rising...

The Celebrant briefly joins hands and bows, touching the edge of the Altar,
before standing upright and making the sign of the cross.

...and we offer ourselves to you through your Spirit as a living sacrifice dedicated to your praise. + May the same Spirit make us one with Christ, and with all who share this meal, that we may be your Son’s body at work in the world today.

 

The Celebrant briefly bows and strikes the breast. 

Deliver us from every evil, and grant us peace in our day. In your mercy keep us free from sin, and protect us from all anxieties, as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

 

Elevating the Consecrated Gifts, the Celebrant concludes with the Doxology: 

Through him, with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honor is yours, Almighty Father, for ever and ever.
Amen.