Agnus Dei

 

(ăg'nəs dē'ī, än'yʊs dā'ē) [Lat.], the Lamb of God, i.e., Jesus. The lamb of the Passover sacrifice is said to prefigure the crucifixion. Isaiah calls the expected Messiah the Lamb of God, and Jesus is met by John the Baptist with the words, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” In the Mass the Agnus Dei, or Lamb of God, is said or sung while the communion bread is being broken for distribution. It is usually the final movement of choral masses. In Anglican worship it is sung during communion. In iconography a lamb with halo and cross is called an Agnus Dei.

Agnus Dei is a Latin term meaning Lamb of God, and was originally used to refer to Jesus Christ in his role of the perfect sacrificial offering that atones for the sins of humanity in Christian theology, harkening back to ancient Jewish Temple sacrifices. See Lamb of God for an explanation of this. Agnus Dei is used to refer to several things related to it.

Art and sacramental

In ecclesiastical art, an Agnus Dei is a representation of Jesus as a lamb bearing a cross. It is also a tablet of wax stamped with a representation of Jesus as a lamb bearing a cross, then blessed by the Supreme Pontiff as a sacramental.

The Moravian Church uses an Agnus Dei as their seal with the surrounding inscription Vicit agnus noster, eum sequamur ("Our Lamb has conquered, let us follow him.").

Liturgy

In the Mass of the Roman Rite, the Agnus Dei is the invocation to the Lamb of God sung or recited during the fraction of the Host.^[1] It is said to have been introduced into the Mass by Pope Sergius I (687–701).

Based upon John the Baptist's reference in John 1:29 to Jesus as the Lamb of God, the text in Latin is:

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona nobis pacem.

Translation

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

Translation (as currently used in many English-speaking churches)

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, grant us peace.

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 83 states: "The supplication Agnus Dei, is, as a rule, sung by the choir or cantor with the congregation responding; or it is, at least, recited aloud. This invocation accompanies the fraction and, for this reason, may be repeated as many times as necessary until the rite has reached its conclusion, the last time ending with the words dona nobis pacem (grant us peace)."

Historically, in Requiem Masses, the first two invocations ended with "dona eis requiem" (give them rest) instead of "miserere nobis", and the last with "dona eis requiem sempiternam" (give them rest eternal).

The priest again uses the phrase "Lamb of God", in a more complete quotation from John 1:29, when displaying the consecrated Host (or the Host and Chalice) to the people before giving them Holy Communion. He says: "Ecce Agnus Dei, ecce qui tollit peccata mundi" ("Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who taketh away the sins of the world.")

Famous composers have set to at times elaborate music this part of the Ordinary of the Mass.

The Agnus Dei chant also appears in the Eucharistic liturgies of other Communions. Lutherans and (usually) Anglicans almost always use it prior to or at the beginning of the administration of Holy Communion. Lutheran celebrants will often genuflect at the beginning of the three phrases.

In the Book of Common Prayer of The Episcopal Church, the Agnus Dei is listed (along with Pascha Nostrum) as one of several Fraction Anthems that may be used at the breaking of the bread. A Requiem Mass substitutes the final phrase with "grant them rest."

Music

This liturgical text has been set to music by many composers, usually as part of a Mass setting, but sometimes it stands alone, e.g. it is the lyrics for the choral arrangement of Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings.

Agnus Dei is also the name of several other songs, which may not have the traditional words:

• The atmospheric opening piece from Elliot Goldenthal's soundtrack to the movie Alien 3
• A song on Rufus Wainwright's Want Two album.
• A contemporary Christian praise song written by Michael W. Smith first released on his 1990 CD Go West Young Man. Later Smith performed it on his 2001 CD Worship. The song was subsequently covered by Third Day on their 2000 CD Offerings: A Worship Album. Donnie McClurkin has recorded a rendition of the song on his 2005 CD entitled Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs. However, the text of this version does not bear any resemblance to the original historical texts.
• The name of an instrumental produced by Asaki for Drummania 9/Guitar Freaks 10.
• The name of a song by Mylene Farmer.
• The name of a song by Funeral Mist.
• The name of a CD single produced by Janus.
• The group Bel Canto set the Agnus Dei to music on the holiday compilation CD Winter, Fire & Snow.
• Guy Gross set a version of Agnus Dei to music in a funeral scene in the tv series Farscape.
• A song track from the Namco videogame Ace Combat 04 (specifically, the background music for the final mission, "Megalith"). This rendition of Agnus Dei is properly called "Megalith-Agnus Dei" and features a 4-part chorus arrangement and a mix of classical and techno elements.
• Background theme throughout the space strategy game "Homeworld" by Relic Entertainment, writing credit to Samuel Barber, and performed by Santa Barbara "Quire of Voyces".
• A track on the Michael Garrick Jazz Orchestra album "Yet Another Spring".
• The boys' choir Libera also did their own variation on the piece "Agnus Dei"
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Requiem in D Minor, K.626: Agnus Dei
• Orchestra Manoeuvres in the Dark's Agnus Dei from their Liberator Album

References

• St Leonards Chuch, Speeton Has a fine example of a carved Norman Agnus Dei

1. ^ See Catholic Encyclopedia article

Gregorian chants of the Roman Mass
Ordinary: Proper: Accentus:		Kyrie | Gloria | Credo | Sanctus | Agnus Dei | Ite missa est or Benedicamus Domino Introit | Gradual | Alleluia or Tract | Sequence | Offertory | Communion Collect | Epistle | Gospel | Secret | Preface | Canon | Postcommunion

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