The Sanctus (, "Holy") is a hymn in Christian liturgy. It may also be called the epinikios hymnos (, "Hymn of Victory") when referring to the Greek rendition and parts of it are sometimes called "Benedictus". Tersanctus (Latin: "Thrice Holy") is another, rarer name for the Sanctus. The same name is sometimes used for the Trisagion.
In Western Christianity, the Sanctus forms part of the Ordinary and is sung (or said) as the final words of the Preface of the Eucharistic Prayer of remembrance, consecration, and praise. The preface, which alters according to the season, usually concludes with words describing the praise of the worshippers joining with the angels, who are pictured as praising God with the words of the Sanctus. In the Byzantine Rite and general Eastern Orthodox Christianity, the Sanctus is offered as a response by the choir during the Holy Anaphora.
Text
In Greek
Hágios, hágios, hágios, Kýrios Sabaṓth; plḗrēs ho ouranós kaí hē gê tês dóxēs sou, hōsanná en toîs hupsístois. Eulogēménos ho erkhómenos en onómati Kyríou. Hōsanná (ho) en toîs hupsístois.
In the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom and the Liturgy of St. Basil: Ἅγιος, ἅγιος, ἅγιος Κύριος Σαβαώθ· πλήρης ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ τῆς δόξης σου, ὡσαννὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις. Εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου. Ὡσαννὰ ὁ ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις.
Hágios, hágios, hágios, Kýrios Sabaṓth; plḗrēs ho ouranós kaí hē gê tês dóxēs sou, hōsanná en toîs hupsístois. Eulogēménos ho erkhómenos en onómati Kyríou. Hōsanná ho en toîs hupsístois.
In the Liturgy of St. James: Ἅγιος, ἅγιος, ἅγιος Κύριος Σαβαώθ. Πλήρης ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ τῆς δόξης σου. Ὡσαννὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις. Εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου. Ὡσαννὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις.
Hágios, hágios, hágios, Kýrios Sabaṓth. Plḗrēs ho ouranós kaí hē gê tês dóxēs sou. Hōsanná en toîs hupsístois. Eulogēménos ho erkhómenos en onómati Kyríou. Hōsanná ho en toîs hupsístois.
In Latin
In the Roman Rite: Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Pleni sunt cæli et terra gloria tua. Hosanna in excelsis. Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Hosanna in excelsis.
In the Roman Rite, the Sanctus also forms part of the solemn hymn of praise Te Deum laudamus, but with the addition of a reference to the "majesty" of the Lord's glory in the Pleni sunt verse (the phrase pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua becomes pleni sunt caeli et terra maiestatis gloriae tuae). The Benedictus is not included in the Te Deum, and the Sanctus is therefore included as part of that hymn as follows:
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Pleni sunt cæli et terra maiestatis gloriæ tuæ.
In the Mozarabic Rite: Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth: Pleni sunt cæli et terra gloria maiestatis tuæ, Hosanna filio David. Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Hosanna in excelsis. Hagios, hagios, hagios Kyrie o Theos.
In English
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 and earth are full of thy glory Osanna in the highest. Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the lorde: Glory to the, o lorde in the highest.
In the 1552 Book of Common Prayer and 1559 BCP it appears without the Benedictus: Holy, holy, holy, lord god of hostes, heven and earth are ful of thy glory, glory be to the, O Lord most hyghe.
The 1662 BCP has it thus:
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hoſts, heaven and earth are full of thy glory; Glory be to thee, O Lord Moſt High.
Later Anglican prayer books following the ritualist and liturgical movements of the twentieth century, restored the Benedictus to this form, yielding:Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts, heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Glory be to thee, O Lord most high. Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. The following English version was used by most Lutherans in North America until 1978 when the ICET version was adopted in the Lutheran Book of Worship. This traditional version has continued to be used in the Divine Service of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod: 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, Lutherans, Methodists 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.