Disciples or Friends?

A reader writes:

Jimmy,

I am reading your book "Mass Confusion" and I need some help that I can’t find on page 118.  My question has to do with the wording of the section that reads: "When supper was ended, he took up the cup.  Again he gave you thanks and praise, gave the cup to his DISCIPLES, and said".   Our priest is substituting the word "Freind" for disciples.   Is this OK?  He is a Franciscan brother…tom

The word "friends" is used in place of "disciples" in the currently-authorized translations of the First and Second Eucharistic Prayers for Masses with Children. (I don’t have access to the Latin originals, so I can’t check to see if that’s the word used in the original. It may be ICEL tomfoolery.) Curiously, "friends" is not in the Third Eucharistic Prayer for Masses with Children ("disciples" is).

So if he’s saying one of those two Eucharistic prayers, he’s fine.

If he’s injecting the word "friends" into any other Eucharistic prayer (e.g., Eucharistic Prayers I-IV) then he’s not fine.

Because of the confusion caused to the faithful by any tampering with the words of consecration, this substitution (while it does not affect the validity of the consecration), is a liturgical abuse and sinful.

Author: Jimmy Akin

Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live."

6 thoughts on “Disciples or Friends?”

  1. Does your book discuss why the Scripture and old prayer says “…you and for many,” and the current Eucharistic prayers say “…you and for all”?

  5. Of course, my copy of the book is by “James Akin”
    Quick question though, is the current version by “Jimmy” a new edition, or a re-issue of the original?

  6. The Latin editions of the Eucharistic Prayer for Masses with Children are in the 2002 Roman Missal.
    The first uses “discipulis” before both consecrations.
    The second has “discipulis” before the consecration of the bread, but not before the consecration of the wine. There is has “Item accepit calicem vino repletum, oravit tibi, gratias agens, et porrexit eis calicem, dicens: ACCIPITE ET BIBITE …”
    The third uses “discipulis” before both consecrations.

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