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Ministry Title |
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Spirituality through the Liturgical Seasons |
Article Title |
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(50) Eucharistic Prayer (III): Sanctus (and Benedictus) |
Publish Date |
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04-Nov-2017 |
Author |
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The Steering Committee of the HKSKH Church Policy Paper - The Working Group for Discipleship Training |
"Sanctus" as in the name of the hymn Sanctus is the Latin word for "holy." The more accurate name is the Latin "Tersanctus", meaning "thrice holy" or "three holies". It is apparent because the liturgy has the celebrant, together with the people, sing "holy" three times at the end of the Preface of the Eucharistic Prayer, as our expression of praise and reverence to the Holy Lord.
In response to the great things God has gifted us, we, as His creation, should join our voices with the heavenly chorus, with Angels and Archangels, and with all the company of heaven, to sing this hymn with passages in both Isaiah (6:3) and the Book of Revelation (4:8) to proclaim the glory of our Lord; then, we join those who welcomed our Lord as he entered the city of Jerusalem by singing the Benedictus: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.” Knowing where the Sanctus (and Benedictus) came from within the Scriptures can help us develop a deeper and more detailed understanding of the hymn. Isaiah 6:3 and Revelation 4:8 relate to our worship of God our Heavenly Father. The quote taken from the Gospel (Mark 11:9-10) relates to our glorifying Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who entered Jerusalem, shared the Last Supper with His apostles, was crucified, died, and lastly rose from the dead.
For those of us on earth, whenever we sing or recite the Sanctus (and Benedictus), we are joining the worship of God in heaven to celebrate that Jesus Christ has chosen to become flesh to be in our midst. The Sanctus is a hymn of great praise to God both for all that He has done for us and for all He is about to do during the Eucharist.
Although a very large part of the Eucharistic Prayer is said by the celebrant, this solemn prayer that follows the Preface allows us who participate in the Eucharist to join all the angels and the company heaven in a choir to extol Almighty God with the entire creation. What a most beautiful event this is!
Meditation:
As you sing or recite the Sanctus (and Benedictus) in this week's Eucharist, try to add a bit of imagination and visualize yourself among all the company of heaven and all of God's creation to bless God's Holy Name. See whether this will bring you different experience from what you had on the previous Sunday.