Eucharistic Prayer

This prayer over the bread and wine at communion begins with the Sursum Corda dialogue and concludes with the doxology and the Great Amen. The prayer is also called The Great Thanksgiving, the anaphora, the prayer of consecration, and the canon of the Mass. The BCP includes eight eucharistic prayers: two for Rite 1 (pp. 333-343), four for Rite 2 (pp. 361-375), and two shortened forms in An Order for Celebrating the Holy Eucharist (pp. 402-404). The booklet Supplemental Liturgical Materials includes two additional eucharistic prayers. The diversity and variety of eucharistic prayers in the BCP can be contrasted with earlier Prayer Books which had only one eucharistic prayer. In some parishes, eucharistic prayers are chosen in light of the seasons or occasions of the church year. See Great Amen.