Why we sing ‘Holy! Holy! Holy!’ at every Mass
The U.S. bishops are encouraging Catholics to deepen their love for the Eucharist as part of the ongoing National Eucharistic Revival initiative. In light of that effort, the following is the first in a series from Angelus contributing editor Mike Aquilina on the meaning and makeup of the Eucharistic Prayers.
“Holy! Holy! Holy!”
So we sing (or say) at every celebration of the Mass.
We call it the “Sanctus” (Latin for “Holy”) or the “Trisagion” (Greek for “Thrice-Holy”), and it marks the beginning of the Eucharistic Prayer, the most important moment in our worship.
In fact, God’s people have used it in worship since centuries before the coming of Jesus. In many ways, it is the song at the heart of biblical religion.