The Preface and “Holy, Holy, Holy” “The Lord be with you.” “And with your spirit.” “Lift up your hearts.” “We lift up them up to the Lord.” “Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God.” “It is right and just.” This exchange, which is so familiar to most Catholics, is called the Preface. It takes place just before the most important prayer of the Mass – the Eucharistic Prayer. How fitting that we “lift up our hearts” and “give thanks to the Lord, Our God” just before Jesus is made present in the Blessed Sacrament. After a brief prayer, the congregation joins in singing “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.” Here we find ourselves quoting Scripture again as we join the heavenly hosts we see in Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4 forever singing “Holy, Holy, Holy.” The Catechism, in paragraph 1352, puts it like this: “The whole community 47 this is. The word Eucharist means “thanksgiving.” So it is appropriate thus joins in the unending praise that the Church in heaven, the angels and all the saints, sing to the thrice-holy God.” For further study: Isaiah 6:2-3 • Revelation 4:8 • Matthew 21:9 • CCC 1352 Notes
20459CD
To see the actual publication please follow the link above