Sanctus in Anglican Eucharistic Liturgy
The Sanctus is the hymn beginning "Holy, holy, holy" in the Anglican eucharistic rite. In the classical Book of Common Prayer tradition it follows the preface and the invitation to join "with Angels and Archangels" in the praise of God. The text joins the angelic acclamation of Isaiah with the messianic greeting associated with Christ's entry into Jerusalem, placing the congregation's thanksgiving within the worship of the whole Church and the heavenly host.[1]
Biblical and liturgical origins
The first part of the Sanctus is drawn from Isaiah's vision of the Lord enthroned in the Temple: "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts." In Christian worship this threefold acclamation has commonly been read in relation to the glory of the triune God, though its immediate biblical setting is the prophet's encounter with divine holiness. The second part, often called the Benedictus qui venit, echoes the words "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord," used in the Gospel accounts of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and rooted in Psalm 118.
The Sanctus was part of the eucharistic worship of the ancient Church before the English Reformation. In the Western liturgical tradition it stood near the beginning of the eucharistic canon, after the preface. The Anglican Prayer Book tradition retained this basic placement, preserving continuity with older Christian liturgy while placing the text within reformed English-language worship. Its use therefore illustrates a characteristic feature of Anglican liturgy: ancient forms are retained, translated, and ordered according to the doctrinal and pastoral aims of the Prayer Book.
In the Book of Common Prayer
The 1549 Book of Common Prayer included the Sanctus in the Communion office after the preface. Later Prayer Book revisions simplified and reordered several parts of the eucharistic rite, but the Sanctus remained a regular congregational act of praise. In the 1662 Book of Common Prayer it follows the seasonal or ordinary preface and is introduced by the words, "Therefore with Angels and Archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious Name."[2]
In the 1662 rite the Sanctus is printed without the Benedictus qui venit. This differs from many older Western forms and from numerous later Anglican rites, in which the Benedictus is restored or provided as an option. The shorter Prayer Book form emphasizes the angelic hymn of holiness, while modern Anglican eucharistic prayers often place the fuller Sanctus and Benedictus before the prayer of consecration. The variation is one example of the diversity found within Anglican worship, especially between classical Prayer Book use and twentieth-century liturgical revision.
The Sanctus is normally sung or said by the whole congregation. In choral settings it may be sung by a choir on behalf of, or in alternation with, the congregation, but the text remains a corporate act of praise. Its location after the preface connects it directly to thanksgiving for God's saving work, whether expressed in a common preface or in a proper preface appointed for a feast or season.
Theological significance
The Sanctus gives liturgical expression to several Anglican theological themes. First, it joins earthly worship to heavenly worship. The congregation does not approach the Holy Communion as an isolated assembly, but as part of the communion of saints and the wider creation's praise of God. The introductory phrase about angels and archangels makes this connection explicit.
Second, the Sanctus holds together reverence and access. Isaiah's vision stresses divine holiness and human unworthiness, themes also present in Anglican eucharistic devotion, including the Prayer of Humble Access. Yet the eucharistic context is one of thanksgiving and communion through Christ. The worshipper's awe before God's holiness is not separated from the grace by which the Church is invited to draw near.
Third, when the Benedictus is included, the hymn points directly to Christ. The one who comes in the name of the Lord is received in praise, and the eucharistic action is interpreted in relation to the saving presence and work of Jesus Christ. For this reason, the Sanctus serves not merely as an ornamental hymn but as a doctrinally rich part of Anglican eucharistic prayer.