The Roman Canon of the Mass in Modern English
The Roman Canon of the Mass in Modern English
Gelasian Sacramentary
Latin text of the 7th–8th century
The Canon is the long prayer at the heart of the Roman Mass, from the opening dialogue before the preface to the Lord’s Prayer and the peace. It is the oldest eucharistic prayer of the Latin West, and it was in use in Rome, in much this form, by the end of the sixth century. This modern English version was made from the Latin of the Gelasian Sacramentary as Wilson edited it in 1894.
The opening dialogue, the preface and the Sanctus
1 Here begins the Canon of the Action. Lift up your hearts. Response: We lift them up to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. Response: It is right and fitting. 2 It is truly right and just, fitting and saving, that we always and everywhere give you thanks, holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal God, through Christ our Lord. Through him the angels praise your majesty, the dominions worship, the powers tremble; the heavens, and the powers of the heavens, and the blessed seraphim celebrate together with shared joy. With them we ask that you would let our voices be admitted too, as we say in humble confession: 3 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.
The prayers for the church, the living and the saints
1 Therefore, most merciful Father, we humbly ask and beg you, through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, to accept and bless these gifts, these offerings, these holy and spotless sacrifices. First of all we offer them for your holy catholic church: grant her peace, protect her, unite her and guide her throughout the whole world, together with your servant our pope N. and our bishop N. 2 Remember, Lord, your servants, men and women, and all who stand around us, whose faith is known to you and whose devotion you know. They offer you this sacrifice of praise for themselves and for all who are theirs, for the redemption of their souls, in hope of salvation and safety, and they pay their vows to you, the eternal, true and living God. 3 In fellowship with the saints, and honoring first the memory of the glorious Mary, ever virgin, mother of our God and Lord Jesus Christ, and also of your blessed apostles and martyrs, Peter and Paul, Andrew, James, John, Thomas, James, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Simon and Thaddeus, Linus, Cletus, Clement, Xystus, Cornelius, Cyprian, Laurence, Chrysogonus, John and Paul, Cosmas and Damian, [Dionysius, Rusticus], and Eleutherius, [Hilary, Martin, Augustine, Gregory, Jerome, Benedict] and all your saints: by their merits and prayers grant that in everything we may be defended by the help of your protection. Through Christ our Lord.
The offering
1 This offering from us your servants, and from your whole household, we ask you, Lord, to accept in peace. Order our days in your peace, rescue us from eternal damnation, and have us counted in the flock of your chosen ones. Through Christ our Lord. 2 We ask you, God, to be pleased to make this offering in every way blessed, approved, ratified, reasonable and acceptable, so that it may become for us the body and blood of your most beloved Son, our Lord and God Jesus Christ.
The words of Jesus and the remembrance
1 On the day before he suffered he took bread into his holy and revered hands, and lifting his eyes to heaven, to you, God, his almighty Father, he gave you thanks, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my body. In the same way, after supper, he took this glorious cup also into his holy and revered hands, again gave you thanks, blessed it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the cup of my blood, of the new and eternal covenant, the mystery of faith, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. As often as you do this, you will do it in memory of me. 2 And so, Lord, we your servants, and your holy people with us, remember the blessed passion of Christ your Son, our Lord God, and his rising again from the dead, and his glorious ascension into heaven. From your own gifts and bounty we offer to your glorious majesty a pure victim, a holy victim, a spotless victim, the holy bread of eternal life and the cup of everlasting salvation.
After the consecration
1 Look upon these gifts with a favorable and gracious face, and accept them as you were pleased to accept the gifts of your righteous servant Abel, the sacrifice of our patriarch Abraham, and the holy sacrifice, the spotless victim, that your high priest Melchizedek offered to you. 2 We humbly ask you, almighty God: command that these gifts be carried by the hands of your angel to your altar on high, in the sight of your divine majesty, so that all of us who by sharing in this altar receive the most holy body and blood of your Son may be filled with every heavenly blessing and grace. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 3 To us sinners also, your servants, who hope in the multitude of your mercies, graciously grant some share and fellowship with your holy apostles and martyrs: with John, Stephen, Matthias, Barnabas, Ignatius, Alexander, Marcellinus, Peter, Felicity, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cecilia, Anastasia, and with all your saints. Into their company, we ask, welcome us, not weighing our merit but granting pardon. Through Christ our Lord.
4 Through whom, Lord, you always create all these good things, make them holy, give them life, bless them, and give them to us. 5 Through him, and with him, and in him, all honor and glory is yours, God the Father almighty, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer, the peace and the communion
1 Let us pray. Taught by the saving commands and formed by the divine instruction, we dare to say: Our Father, who are in heaven … but deliver us from evil. (The manuscript gives only the first and last words of the prayer.) 2 Deliver us, Lord, we ask, from all evils, past, present and to come. With the blessed and glorious Mary, ever virgin, mother of God, and your holy apostles Peter and Paul and Andrew interceding for us, graciously grant peace in our days, so that, helped by the support of your mercy, we may always be free from sin and safe from all disturbance. Through … 3 The peace of the Lord be with you always. Response: And with your spirit. 4 After this the people are to be reminded, at their proper times, of the fasts of the fourth, seventh and tenth months, or of the scrutinies and the opening of the ears, or to pray for the sick, or to announce the feasts of the saints. After this the priest receives communion with the sacred orders and all the people.