Below are notes taken from Cardinal Ratzinger's reflections on The Sanctus, written in 1996. Cardinal Ratzinger later became Pope Benedict XVI...
What we call the Sanctus (or the Holy, Holy, Holy) is not one prayer or one acclamation, but two. The two parts of the Sanctus are as follows:
- The Sanctus – Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts. Heaven and Earth are full of your Glory.
- The Benedictus – Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the Highest.
The first part is the acclamation made by the angels in Heaven, that Isaiah overheard in a vision. “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Is 6:1b-3).
At Mass, when the priest asks the people to "Lift up your hearts!", he is telling us that we are now in Heaven with Christ and are swept up into the heavenly Liturgy. Therefore we give thanks to the Father through Christ, His Son and our Lord, and with the angels and all the heavenly hosts, we proclaim, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts.
The second half of the Sanctus is a very different acclamation. It is far more earth-bound and comes from a completely different Scripture. It is the song of the Hebrew children, who greeted Jesus as the Messiah when he entered Jerusalem, humbly, riding on a donkey:
Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven! (Mk 11:9-10). It is an acclamation of praise, by the people, this time, and not the angels, that resonates all the way to the highest Heaven.
Two texts, two songs, one Sanctus. A remarkable moment in the Liturgy!
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!
