Sanctus
Encyclopedia
The Sanctus is a hymn
from Christian
liturgy
, forming part of the Order of Mass
. In Western Christianity
, the Sanctus is sung (or said) as the final words of the Preface
of the Eucharistic Prayer, the prayer of consecration of the bread and wine. The preface, which alters according to the season
, usually concludes with words describing the praise of the worshippers joining with the angel
s, who are pictured as praising God with the words of the Sanctus:
It is loosely related to the Trisagion
, another invocation sometimes referred to in the West as the Tersanctus (Latin: Thrice Holy).
's vision of the throne of God surrounded by six-winged, ministering seraphim. A similar representation found in appears to be the basis of the Trisagion
, with which the Sanctus should not be confused. In Jewish liturgy, the verse from Isaiah
is uttered by the congregation during Kedusha
, a prayer said during the cantor's repetition of the Amidah
(18 Benedictions) before the opening of the ark:
The text of the second part, beginning with the word Benedictus (Latin
for "Blessed"), is taken from , describing Jesus' Palm Sunday
entry into Jerusalem.
, and many more composer
s have set it to polyphonic
music, both in single settings and as part of cyclic mass settings
.
the priest joins his hands while saying the word "Sanctus" and then, bowing, continues to recite the whole of the Sanctus in a lower voice, while a small bell is rung; then, on reaching the words "Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini", he stands erect again and makes the Sign of the Cross
. He then continues immediately with the Canon of the Mass
, while the choir, if there is one, sings the Sanctus, pausing for the Consecration and continuing with the Benedictus part afterwards. As a result of this division, the Sanctus is sometimes called the Sanctus-Benedictus.
In the Mass as revised after the Second Vatican Council
, the only ceremony prescribed for the priest is to join his hands. He and the people sing or recite together the whole of the Sanctus, before the priest continues the Eucharistic Prayer.
In the Roman Catholic Church
, a partial indulgence was once associated with the Sanctus when prayed once a day together with the Trisagion
, with a contrite heart to adore the Holy Trinity. No such grant is included in the present Enchiridion Indulgentiarum.
In the 1559 BCP it appears without the Benedictus:
English version of some Lutherans
:
In 1973 the International Consultation on English Texts (ICET) produced an ecumenical version that at that time was adopted by Catholics, Anglicans and others:
Since 2011 the Roman Missal
in English has:
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
from Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
liturgy
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
, forming part of the Order of Mass
Order of Mass
The Order of Mass , also called the Ordinary of the Mass, is the set of texts of the Roman Rite Mass that are generally invariable. This contrasts with the proper, which are items of the Mass that change with the feast or following the Liturgical Year...
. In Western Christianity
Western Christianity
Western Christianity is a term used to include the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church and groups historically derivative thereof, including the churches of the Anglican and Protestant traditions, which share common attributes that can be traced back to their medieval heritage...
, the Sanctus is sung (or said) as the final words of the Preface
Preface (liturgy)
In liturgical use the term Preface is applied to that portion of the Eucharistic Prayer that immediately precedes the Canon or central portion of the Eucharist...
of the Eucharistic Prayer, the prayer of consecration of the bread and wine. The preface, which alters according to the season
Liturgical year
The liturgical year, also known as the church year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches which determines when feast days, including celebrations of saints, are to be observed, and which portions of Scripture are to be read. Distinct liturgical colours may appear in...
, usually concludes with words describing the praise of the worshippers joining with the angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
s, who are pictured as praising God with the words of the Sanctus:
- Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus
- Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
- Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua.
- Hosanna in excelsis.
- Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.
- Hosanna in excelsis.
It is loosely related to the Trisagion
Trisagion
The Trisagion , sometimes called by its opening line Agios O Theos or by the Latin Tersanctus, is a standard hymn of the Divine Liturgy in most of the Eastern Orthodox Churches, Oriental Orthodox Churches and Catholic Churches.In those Churches which use the Byzantine Rite, the Trisagion is chanted...
, another invocation sometimes referred to in the West as the Tersanctus (Latin: Thrice Holy).
Sources
The first part of the Sanctus is adapted from , which describes the prophet IsaiahIsaiah
Isaiah ; Greek: ', Ēsaïās ; "Yahu is salvation") was a prophet in the 8th-century BC Kingdom of Judah.Jews and Christians consider the Book of Isaiah a part of their Biblical canon; he is the first listed of the neviim akharonim, the later prophets. Many of the New Testament teachings of Jesus...
's vision of the throne of God surrounded by six-winged, ministering seraphim. A similar representation found in appears to be the basis of the Trisagion
Trisagion
The Trisagion , sometimes called by its opening line Agios O Theos or by the Latin Tersanctus, is a standard hymn of the Divine Liturgy in most of the Eastern Orthodox Churches, Oriental Orthodox Churches and Catholic Churches.In those Churches which use the Byzantine Rite, the Trisagion is chanted...
, with which the Sanctus should not be confused. In Jewish liturgy, the verse from Isaiah
Book of Isaiah
The Book of Isaiah is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, preceding the books of Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the Book of the Twelve...
is uttered by the congregation during Kedusha
Kedusha
The Kedushah is traditionally the third section of all Amidah recitations. In the silent Amidah it is a short prayer, but in the repetition, which requires a minyan, it is considerably lengthier...
, a prayer said during the cantor's repetition of the Amidah
Amidah
The Amidah , also called the Shmoneh Esreh , is the central prayer of the Jewish liturgy. This prayer, among others, is found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book...
(18 Benedictions) before the opening of the ark:
-
- Kadosh Kadosh Kadosh Adonai Tz'vaot
- Melo Kol Haaretz Kevodo.
The text of the second part, beginning with the word Benedictus (Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for "Blessed"), is taken from , describing Jesus' Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in all four Canonical Gospels. ....
entry into Jerusalem.
Musical settings
The Sanctus has been set to numerous plainchant melodies, many of which are given in the Roman MissalRoman Missal
The Roman Missal is the liturgical book that contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of the Mass in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church.-Situation before the Council of Trent:...
, and many more composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
s have set it to polyphonic
Polyphony
In music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords ....
music, both in single settings and as part of cyclic mass settings
Mass (music)
The Mass, a form of sacred musical composition, is a choral composition that sets the invariable portions of the Eucharistic liturgy to music...
.
Accompanying ceremony
In the Tridentine MassTridentine Mass
The Tridentine Mass is the form of the Roman Rite Mass contained in the typical editions of the Roman Missal that were published from 1570 to 1962. It was the most widely celebrated Mass liturgy in the world until the introduction of the Mass of Paul VI in December 1969...
the priest joins his hands while saying the word "Sanctus" and then, bowing, continues to recite the whole of the Sanctus in a lower voice, while a small bell is rung; then, on reaching the words "Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini", he stands erect again and makes the Sign of the Cross
Sign of the cross
The Sign of the Cross , or crossing oneself, is a ritual hand motion made by members of many branches of Christianity, often accompanied by spoken or mental recitation of a trinitarian formula....
. He then continues immediately with the Canon of the Mass
Canon of the Mass
Canon of the Mass is the name given in the Roman Missal, from the first typical edition of Pope Pius V in 1570 to that of Pope John XXIII in 1962, to the part of the Mass of the Roman Rite that begins after the Sanctus with the words Te igitur...
, while the choir, if there is one, sings the Sanctus, pausing for the Consecration and continuing with the Benedictus part afterwards. As a result of this division, the Sanctus is sometimes called the Sanctus-Benedictus.
In the Mass as revised after the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
, the only ceremony prescribed for the priest is to join his hands. He and the people sing or recite together the whole of the Sanctus, before the priest continues the Eucharistic Prayer.
In the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, a partial indulgence was once associated with the Sanctus when prayed once a day together with the Trisagion
Trisagion
The Trisagion , sometimes called by its opening line Agios O Theos or by the Latin Tersanctus, is a standard hymn of the Divine Liturgy in most of the Eastern Orthodox Churches, Oriental Orthodox Churches and Catholic Churches.In those Churches which use the Byzantine Rite, the Trisagion is chanted...
, with a contrite heart to adore the Holy Trinity. No such grant is included in the present Enchiridion Indulgentiarum.
The English Sanctus
The Sanctus appears thus in the 1549 Book of Common Prayer (and as set to music by John Merbecke in 1550):-
- Holy, holy, holy, Lorde God of Hostes:
- heaven (& earth) are full of thy glory:
- Hosanna, in the highest.
- Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lorde:
- Glory to thee, O lorde in the highest.
In the 1559 BCP it appears without the Benedictus:
-
- Holy, holy, holy, lord god of hostes,
- Heaven and earth are full of thy glory,
- Glory be to the, O Lord most hyghe.
- Amen (most hyghe in some versions).
English version of some Lutherans
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
:
-
- Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth;
- heaven and earth are full of thy glory.
- Hosanna in the highest.
- Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord
- Hosanna in the highest.
In 1973 the International Consultation on English Texts (ICET) produced an ecumenical version that at that time was adopted by Catholics, Anglicans and others:
-
- Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
- heaven and earth are full of your glory.
- Hosanna in the highest.
- Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
- Hosanna in the highest.
Since 2011 the Roman Missal
Roman Missal
The Roman Missal is the liturgical book that contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of the Mass in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church.-Situation before the Council of Trent:...
in English has:
-
- Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.
- Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
- Hosanna in the highest.
- Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
- Hosanna in the highest.
External links
- Article at Catholic EncyclopediaCatholic EncyclopediaThe Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia and the Original Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in the United States. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and the last three volumes appeared in 1912, followed by a master index...
- The Divine Liturgy in Greek