Sanctus

The Sanctus, which concludes the Preface of the Eucharistic Prayer, comes directly from the Sacred Scriptures. In addition to the Latin Rite, it appears as The Hymn of Victory in many Eastern liturgies.

The new translation of the Sanctus features a subtle, yet meaningful change. Translators have expressed Dominus Deus Sabaoth as “Lord God of Hosts” instead of the less precise “Lord God of power and might.” This is an important revision.

To state that the Lord is “God of power and might” sounds not unlike any mythic hero. Even pagan gods and cult heroes can be addressed in terms of power and might. However, the terms “hosts” and, more to the point, “heavenly hosts” refer to the armies of angels and, in some references, the armies of God’s chosen people who stand against the powers of Satan. Not only do we invoke the Lord our God when we chant the Sanctus, we also acknowledge God’s great dominion and majesty. His power and might are so vast that they encompass even the most powerful of heavenly and earthly beings.

This revised translation restores unity between the message of the Sanctus and its meaning for all who proclaim these words. The first half comes from a vision of the prophet Isaiah, wherein he sees Seraphim flying about the throne of God crying, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Is 6:3, NRSV).

The second half comes from Jesus’ procession into Jerusalem before his passion. “The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Mt 21:9, NRSV).

These two proclamations, one of the Old Testament and one of the New, come together in the Sanctus. And just as this hymn brings two ages together, it also unites all who sing it, man and angel alike: angels praising God in heavenly glory and man praising the Incarnate Word of God.

Finally, the Sanctus’ place in the liturgy sets our hearts and mind on the reality of our actions. It culminates the message of thanksgiving to God found in the Preface. It reminds us of the transcendence of the Holy Mass. We do not celebrate a one-time event, isolated to a single moment or place. Each celebration of the Mass is our union with the sacrifice of Christ, with those holy angels in Heaven, and with all the faithful saints who have gone before us.