TheMemorial Acclamation is an acclamation sung or recited by the people after the institution narrative of theEucharist.[1] They were common in ancient easternliturgies[1] and have more recently been introduced intoRoman Catholic,Lutheran,Anglican andMethodist liturgies. The acclamation references the memorial aspect of the Eucharist, taught by Jesus at theLast Supper: "Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me" (1 Corinthians 11:25).[2] It is additionally linked with the pattern of the anamnesis, which is "that of the Lord's death, resurrection and ascension", along with theSecond Coming.[2][3]
TheLiturgy of St James is the principal liturgy of theSyriac Orthodox Church,Syriac Catholic Church,Syro-Malankara Catholic Church,Maronite Church, andMalankara Orthodox Church. It is also occasionally used in theEastern Orthodox Church andMelkite Catholic Church and otherEastern Catholic Churches ofByzantine Rite.
In the Syriac form of this liturgy, after theWords of Institution, to which the people respond with "Amen" after the formula for the blessing of the bread and again after the formula for the blessing of the chalice, the priest celebrant says: "Do in remembrance of Me when you partake of this sacrament, commemorating My death and My resurrection until I come." The people then respond with the acclamation: "Your death, our Lord, we commemorate, Your resurrection we confess and Your second coming we wait for. May Your mercy be upon us all."[4]
In the Byzantine form of the Liturgy of St James, the priest celebrant says: "This do in remembrance of me; for as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show forth the Lord's death, and confess His resurrection, till He comes." The people respond: "We show forth Thy death, O Lord, and confess Thy resurrection."[5][6]
TheAlexandrian Rite is the liturgical rite of theCoptic Orthodox Church. The Memorial Acclamation is present within the conclusion of theInstitution Narrative of all three liturgies of the rite, which are theLiturgy of St. Cyril, theLiturgy of St. Basil, and theLiturgy of St. Gregory. The memorial acclamation is made up of a short prayer by the priest followed by a congregational response. These two parts are commonly referred to as theAnamnesis to distinguish them from theEpiclesis and the other segments of the Institution Narrative. As with many Alexandrian prayers the priest prays in Coptic while the congregation responds in Greek.[7][8][9]
Ⲥⲟⲡ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲛⲓⲃⲉⲛ ⲉ̀ⲧⲉⲧⲉⲛⲛⲁⲟⲩⲱⲙ ⲉ̀ⲃⲟⲗ ϧⲉⲛ ⲡⲁⲓⲱⲓⲕ ⲫⲁⲓ: ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉⲧⲉⲛⲥⲱ ⲉ̀ⲃⲟⲗ ϧⲉⲛ ⲡⲁⲓⲁ̀ⲫⲟⲧ ⲫⲁⲓ: ⲉ̀ⲣⲉ ⲧⲉⲛϩⲓⲱⲓϣ ⲙ̀ⲡⲁⲙⲟⲩ: ⲉ̀ⲣⲉ ⲧⲉⲛⲉⲣⲟ̀ⲙⲟⲗⲟⲅⲓⲛ ⲛ̀ⲧⲁⲁ̀ⲛⲁⲥⲧⲁⲥⲓⲥ: ⲉ̀ⲣⲉ ⲧⲉⲛⲓ̀ⲣⲓ ⲙ̀ⲡⲁⲙⲉⲩⲓ ϣⲁϯⲓ̀.
For every time you eat of this bread and drink of this cup, you proclaim My Death, confess My Resurrection, and remember Me till I come.
Ⲁ̀ⲙⲏⲛ ⲁ̀ⲙⲏⲛ ⲁ̀ⲙⲏⲛ: ⲧⲟⲛ ⲑⲁⲛⲁⲧⲟⲛ ⲥⲟⲩ Ⲕⲩⲣⲓⲉ ⲕⲁⲧⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲗⲟⲙⲉⲛ: ⲕⲉ ⲧⲏⲛ ⲁ̀ⲅⲓⲁⲛ ⲥⲟⲩ ⲁ̀ⲛⲁⲥⲧⲁⲥⲓⲛ ⲕⲉ ⲧⲏⲛ ⲁ̀ⲛⲁⲗⲏⲯⲓⲛ ⲥⲟⲩ ⲛ̀ⲧⲏⲥ ⲟⲩⲣⲁⲛⲓⲥ ⲥⲉ ⲟ̀ⲙⲟⲗⲟⲅⲟⲩⲙⲉⲛ.
Ⲥⲉ ⲉ̀ⲛⲟⲩⲙⲉⲛ ⲥⲉ ⲉⲩⲗⲟⲅⲟⲩⲙⲉⲛ ⲥⲓ ⲉⲩⲭⲁⲣⲓⲥⲧⲟⲩⲙⲉⲛ Ⲕⲩⲣⲓⲉ: ⲕⲉ ⲇⲉⲟ̀ⲙⲉⲑⲁ ⲥⲟⲩ ⲟ̀ Ⲑⲉⲟⲥ ⲏ̀ⲙⲱⲛ.
Amen. Amen. Amen. Your Death, O Lord, we proclaim; Your holy Resurrection and Ascension into the heavens, we confess.
We praise You, we bless You, we thank You O Lord, and we entreat You, O our God.
The Memorial Acclamation was introduced into theRoman Rite ofMass in 1969 as part of therevision of theRoman Missal byPope Paul VI. Previously the only acclamations by the people in the eucharistic prayer were theSanctus and the Amen to the final doxology.[10]
The three acclamations given in the Roman Missal are, in the official English translation, as follows:
We proclaim your Death, O Lord,
and profess your Resurrection,
until you come again.
When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup,
we proclaim your Death, O Lord,
until you come again.
Save us, Saviour of the world,
for by your Cross and Resurrection
you have set us free.
The initial edition of theRoman Missal in English, which in part was a more dynamic rather than literal translation of the original, had instead the following four acclamations:
As a lead to the Memorial Acclamation, the priest says or sings: "The mystery of faith".[11]
This introductory phrase,mysterium fidei in theLatin original, was previously translated loosely into English as "Let us proclaim the mystery of faith", and in some places was sung or spoken by thedeacon instead of the priest in spite of the clear instruction in the Missal itself and in the apostolic constitutionMissale Romanum with which Pope Paul VI promulgated the revision of the Roman Missal.[12] The English translation was corrected in 2011 and now reads simply: "The mystery of faith".
Before the 1969 revision of the Roman Missal, the phrasemysterium fidei was included in theformula of consecration of the wine spokeninaudibly by the priest,[12] appearing as follows (here accompanied by an unofficial English translation):[13]
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Sometraditionalist Catholics have criticised the removal of the phrasemysterium fidei from the words of consecration.[14]
The phrasemysterium fidei was added to the words of consecration at some time before the 6th century, perhaps byPope Leo I (440-461) and perhaps, in reaction to the denial byManichaeism of the goodness of material things, as an expression of the Catholic Church's belief that salvation comes through Christ's material blood and through participation in the sacrament, which makes use of a material element.[15]
The memorial acclamations that follow suggest that "the mystery of faith" refers, in its new context, to "the entire mystery of salvation through Christ's death, resurrection and ascension, which is made present in the celebration of the Eucharist". An alternative memorial acclamation permitted in Ireland, "My Lord and my God", was disapproved of by Pope Paul VI for seemingly concentrating on thereal presence of Christ in the Eucharist rather than on Eucharistic sacrifice as a whole, but even this may be interpreted in the same sense, since it is a repetition of what inJohn 20:28 refers to Christ as risen and as still bearing the marks of his suffering.[15]
Lutherans have the Memorial Acclamation:[16]
For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.[17]
In its1979 version of theBook of Common Prayer, theEpiscopal Church (United States) has in Prayer B the acclamation:
We remember his death
We proclaim his resurrection
We await his coming in glory
In three of its Rite 2 eucharistic prayers, the acclamation is made by celebrant and people together.[1]
TheBook of Alternative Services of theAnglican Church of Canada has a Memorial Acclamation, as have someUnited Methodist churches.