Episode 3148: The Mass of the Ages: Step-by-Step Commentary on the Traditional Mass - Part 3 - The Preface, Sanctus, and Roman Canon

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The Mass of the Ages: A Step-by-Step Commentary on the Traditional Latin Mass
Episode Title: Part III – Entering the Holy of Holies: The Preface, Sanctus, and Roman Canon
Welcome, dear listeners, to The Mass of the Ages, where we rediscover the reverence, symbolism, and mystery of the Traditional Latin Mass, the Mass of the Saints, the martyrs, the Church Fathers, and our Catholic ancestors for nearly 2,000 years.
Today we present Part III of our detailed journey through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. If you’ve been following along, you’ll remember that in Part II we walked through the Collect, Epistle, Gradual, Gospel, Credo, and the Offertory Prayers the transition from the Mass of the Catechumens to the Mass of the Faithful.
Now, dear friends, we cross a sacred threshold. We prepare to enter the heart of the mystery, the Holy of Holies. In this episode, we will cover:
• The Preface, the majestic introduction to the Canon
• The Sanctus, the angelic hymn of Heaven
• And the most sacred and unchangeable portion of the Mass: the Roman Canon, culminating in the Consecration and elevation of Our Lord
Let us approach with trembling hearts and humble souls, as the veil is lifted, and Heaven descends to Earth.
1. THE PREFACE – The Heavenly Dialogue
The Preface begins with a dialogue between the priest and the people a sacred exchange found in the earliest Christian liturgies.
Facing the altar, the priest chants:
“Dominus vobiscum” — The Lord be with you
And the server replies: “Et cum spiritu tuo” — And with your spirit

Then comes the profound call:
“Sursum corda” — Lift up your hearts
And we respond: “Habemus ad Dominum” — We have lifted them up to the Lord
“Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro” — Let us give thanks to the Lord our God
“Dignum et justum est” — It is right and just
This isn’t just a liturgical formality. This is a summons to Heaven. The priest, acting in persona Christi, invites the faithful to leave behind the world to lift their hearts from earthly concerns, from distractions, from the weight of sin and to enter into the eternal liturgy.
Then, the priest chants the Preface itself a rich prayer that praises God’s glory, majesty, and mercy, always tailored to the season or feast. For example, during most Sundays after Pentecost, we hear the Preface of the Most Holy Trinity:
“It is truly meet and just, right and salutary, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to Thee, O Holy Lord, Father Almighty, Eternal God: Who, together with Thine Only-begotten Son and the Holy Ghost, art one God, one Lord...”
In the Traditional Mass, the doctrine is precise. God is not merely praised as “loving” or “merciful,” but as Almighty, eternal, just, unchanging God of Hosts, the Judge of Heaven and Earth. This sets the stage for the awe-filled moment that follows.
2. THE SANCTUS – The Song of the Seraphim
At the conclusion of the Preface, the choir or schola begins the Sanctus, the “Holy, Holy, Holy,” sung in Latin.
“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.”
This hymn is not of human invention it is the very song of the angels. In Isaiah 6:3, the prophet saw the Seraphim before the throne of God, crying out day and night, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of Hosts.”
We join this eternal praise, not metaphorically, but truly and mystically, through the sacred liturgy. At this moment, we are no longer on Earth alone we are joined with Heaven. Saints, angels, and the faithful are united in one voice.
That’s why the bells cease, and silence falls after the Sanctus. We are entering into something beyond time something eternal.
3. THE ROMAN CANON – The Immovable Heart of the Mass
Now begins the most sacred portion of the Mass: the Canon Missae, or Roman Canon.
Unlike the Novus Ordo, which has many Eucharistic prayers, the Traditional Latin Mass has only one the Canon that stretches back to at least Pope St. Gregory the Great in the 6th century and likely as far as the Apostles themselves.
The Canon is silent whispered by the priest in a low voice. Why? Because this moment is intimate. The priest is no longer addressing the people he is addressing God the Father directly, offering the Sacrifice of His Divine Son.
The first words of the Canon are:
“Te igitur, clementissime Pater...”
We therefore humbly pray and beseech Thee, O most merciful Father...
Here, the priest bows profoundly over the altar, interceding on behalf of the Church for the Pope, the bishop, the faithful, and those present.
4. THE COMMEMORATION OF THE LIVING
The priest prays specifically for the living: for the intentions of those for whom the Mass is offered by name if a private Mass and for all the faithful.
He then pauses a moment of sacred silence to interiorly call to mind names of those he prays for.
This is where we, the faithful, should also bring forward our intentions silently for our families, for the sick, for the conversion of sinners, and the salvation of souls.
5. THE INVOCATION OF THE SAINTS – The Church Triumphant Joins the Sacrifice
The priest then invokes the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, the Holy Apostles, and an extraordinary list of early Roman martyrs: Linus, Cletus, Clement, Sixtus… right down to Saints Cosmas and Damian.
Why this ancient list?
Because these martyrs shed their blood for the Mass. They died during the Roman persecutions, refusing to offer pagan sacrifice, and instead remained faithful to the Holy Sacrifice of the Altar.
Their names anchor us to Apostolic Tradition. They remind us: this Mass is not ours to alter it is the inheritance of saints and martyrs.
6. THE CONSECRATION – Calvary Made Present
Now, we come to the moment of Consecration.
The priest begins the “Qui pridie” recalling the words of Christ at the Last Supper. But this is not merely a remembrance. It is an actual re-presentation of the Sacrifice of Calvary.
With great reverence, he takes the host in his hands, bows, and then says:
“Hoc est enim Corpus Meum” – For this is My Body.
He elevates the Sacred Host and in that moment, the Bread is no longer bread. It is Jesus Christ, whole and entire: Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.
The priest genuflects in adoration.
Then, taking the chalice, he says:
“Hic est enim calix Sanguinis Mei…” – For this is the chalice of My Blood…
Once more, the Sacrifice is real. The separate consecration of Body and Blood symbolizes Christ’s death on the Cross when His Blood was poured out for our redemption.
This is the same Sacrifice as Calvary made present in an unbloody manner.
We fall to our knees, not in memory, but in adoration. We are at Golgotha, in the presence of the Crucified King.
7. THE COMMEMORATION OF THE DEAD
After the Consecration, the priest remembers the faithful departed:
“Be mindful, O Lord, of Thy servants who have gone before us, marked with the sign of faith, and who sleep the sleep of peace…”
This is one of the most consoling moments of the Mass.
In the Traditional Latin Mass, the Holy Souls in Purgatory are not forgotten. We actively intercede for them asking God to grant them rest and peace.
Here, you may pray silently for your loved ones who have died. Offer this moment for them for their release and for their union with God.
8. FINAL DOXOLOGY – Through Him, With Him, In Him
Finally, the priest concludes the Canon with the Per Ipsum:
“Per Ipsum, et cum Ipso, et in Ipso…”
Through Him, and with Him, and in Him, is unto Thee, God the Father Almighty, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, all honor and glory...
The priest lifts the Host and Chalice together, offering them to God in a single act the culmination of the entire Canon.
The server responds with the Great Amen affirming everything that has been offered, prayed, and adored.
Closing Reflection
We have just walked through the most sacred and ancient part of the Mass the Preface, the Sanctus, and the Roman Canon leading to the Consecration of our Lord.
This is the eternal sacrifice made present. It is not a meal, not a performance, not a community gathering it is the once-for-all Sacrifice of Christ on Calvary, offered for the salvation of souls.
Let us never attend Mass casually. Let us fall to our knees, not with routine, but with trembling love, recognizing that here in the Traditional Latin Mass we are closest to Heaven on Earth.
Epistle – 1 Timothy 6:6–12 (Douay-Rheims)
"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world: and certainly we can carry nothing out. But having food, and wherewith to be covered, with these we are content.
But they that will become rich, fall into temptation, and into the snare of the devil, and into many unprofitable and hurtful desires, which drown men into destruction and perdition.
For the desire of money is the root of all evils; which some coveting have erred from the faith, and have entangled themselves in many sorrows.
But thou, O man of God, fly these things; and pursue justice, godliness, faith, charity, patience, mildness. Fight the good fight of faith: lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art called..."
Reflection on the Epistle:
In this powerful exhortation to St. Timothy, St. Paul reminds us of a fundamental Christian truth: this world is passing. We are pilgrims, not settlers. The desire for riches has led many astray, and the Church has always warned against this snare. Notice how the Apostle doesn’t just tell Timothy to avoid evil, but to pursue virtue actively: justice, godliness, faith, charity, patience, and mildness.
This is a call to all of us who seek to live as soldiers of Christ in a fallen world. Are we content with the daily bread God gives us? Do we strive for heavenly riches, or are we storing up barns like the foolish man in the Gospel?
Gospel – Luke 12:35–40 (Douay-Rheims)
"Let your loins be girt, and lamps burning in your hands. And you yourselves like to men who wait for their lord, when he shall return from the wedding: that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open to him immediately.
Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh, shall find watching. Amen I say to you, that he will gird himself, and make them sit down to meat, and passing will minister unto them.
And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
But this know ye, that if the householder did know at what hour the thief would come, he would surely watch, and would not suffer his house to be broken open.
Be you then also ready: for at what hour you think not, the Son of man will come."
Reflection on the Gospel:
This Gospel emphasizes one word: Watchfulness. Our Lord does not tell us if He will come, but when. And that "when" is unknown, sudden, and certain. This is not a cause for anxiety, but for vigilance. He uses the beautiful image of servants with lamps burning symbols of hearts aflame with charity, illuminated by grace, ready at every moment.
How often do we live as though we have endless time to repent, to reform, to pray more, to detach from earthly things? The servant who is ready at the second or third watch is one who loves his master more than his sleep.
Saint of the Day – St. Alexis, Confessor
Today we honor St. Alexis, a Roman noble who gave up his wealth and family name to live in poverty for the love of Christ. After disappearing on the night of his wedding, he lived as a beggar in Edessa, praying and performing penance for seventeen years. He later returned to Rome and lived under the stairs of his family’s home unrecognized for another seventeen years, until his death.
His story is a stark and holy contrast to the desire for riches St. Paul warned us about. St. Alexis became poor for Christ and gained eternal treasure. His hidden life teaches us that sanctity lies not in outward signs but in inward fidelity.
Conclusion and Prayer:
Dear friends, as we reflect on today’s readings, may we ask ourselves:
• Am I content with the providence of God in my life?
• Am I watchful, vigilant, and prayerful, knowing the Lord may come at any moment?
• And am I, like St. Alexis, willing to surrender my comforts for the greater glory of God?
Let us conclude in prayer.
Prayer:
O God, who by the example of St. Alexis hast taught us the value of poverty, humility, and hidden sanctity, grant that we, rejecting the riches of this world, may seek only that which leads to eternal life.
Inflame in us a vigilant spirit, that with our loins girt and lamps burning, we may be found ready when the Divine Bridegroom comes.
Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints, especially St. Alexis, may we be found faithful in the hour of our judgment.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Closing
Until next time, stay rooted in tradition, faithful to truth, and ever watchful for the coming of Our Lord.