FAST FOOD (AD 2019): Eleventh Helping
Why not pray the Sanctus on Sundays as follows,
“Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of love (or Lord God who is love or Lord God Father of all)
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,”
instead of
“Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of host
Heaven and earth are full of your glory, etc.”
Host as use in the Sanctus is a little known archaic English word that means armies. It comes from the Medieval Latin word hostis that means army. But, the archaic host is an accurate translation of the official Latin Mass text which reads,
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Dominus Deus Sabaoth is a Latin translation of the Hebrew Yahweh Sabaoth, which means God of Armies. The title is common in the Old Testament being used 284 times. However, Jesus never uses it.
So why do most of the Christian Churches still employ God of armies? Why do they not use Jesus’ designation for God: Abba or Father, or even love
Are heaven and earth filled with the glory of the God of armies or the glory of God who is love, Father of all?
Why the obfuscation via the use of a misleading, almost unknown, archaic English word?
Do you, personally, as a disciple of Jesus, want to call Holy and praise the God of Armies or the God of love each Sunday?
-Emmanuel Charles McCarthy
