Q: I recently had a friend tell me about a Christmas Eve Mass they attended where they ran out of consecrated host during the distribution of communion. They had none left in the tabernacle.
He said that it looked like the priest went to the credence table retrieved a bowl of hosts, took it to the altar, appeared to say a very short prayer and then brought it down to distribute.
His question, is whether or not the hosts were consecrated? Is there a shortened prayer that can be said?
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A: They were not consecrated. The consecration only takes place within the complete eucharistic prayer.