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.
ECUMENICAL 1ST CENTURY AD
The Sanctus
Also known as Holy, Holy, Holy ยท The Holy, Holy, Holy
Other forms
Latin (Sanctus)
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus
Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua.
Hosanna in excelsis.
Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.
Hosanna in excelsis.
Traditional English (BCP)
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts,
heaven and earth are full of thy glory.
Glory be to thee, O Lord most high.
Amen.
About this prayer
The Sanctus is a short acclamation of praise that has been part of Christian worship since the earliest centuries. It draws from two scriptural sources: Isaiah 6:3, where the seraphim cry "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts" before the throne of God, and Matthew 21:9, where crowds greet Jesus entering Jerusalem with "Hosanna in the highest." The triple repetition of "holy" (the Trisagion pattern) is one of the oldest forms of worship in both Jewish and Christian tradition. In Christian liturgy, the Sanctus marks the beginning of the Eucharistic prayer, the central act of thanksgiving over the bread and cup. Its placement at this moment signals the congregation's entry into the heavenly worship described in Isaiah and in the book of Revelation.
When it's said
The Sanctus is sung or said at the same point in the Eucharistic liturgy across Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, and many other Protestant traditions. It follows the Preface (the opening section of the Eucharistic prayer) and is said by the whole congregation, often to a sung setting. In many traditions it is one of the few fixed congregational responses in an otherwise presider-led prayer. It has been set to music by virtually every major composer of sacred music.
Notes on the text
The Benedictus ("Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord") is included in the Sanctus in Catholic, Orthodox, and most Anglican liturgies, but in some Reformed and low-church Protestant traditions it is omitted or separated. The phrase "Hosanna" is a Hebrew exclamation meaning "save us" or "save now," drawn from Psalm 118:25. Its use as an acclamation of praise reflects its adoption into liturgical use as a shout of joy.
Source
Drawn from Isaiah 6:3 and Matthew 21:9. Ancient Christian liturgical tradition, 1st century AD. English text from the Roman Missal (traditional form) and the Book of Common Prayer, 1662. Public domain.
Last reviewed: May 2026 against primary source.