Lord's Prayer, Rite of Peace, & Angus Dei

The Lord’s Prayer

  Why does the priest say in the invitation, “we dare to say”? As Charles Belmonte notes, “This invitation is a very touching and most ancient formula (one alluded to as early as the fourth century by St. Jerome). It states that we should not dare (audemus) to utter what we are about to say—were it not for the express command of our Lord. He taught us to approach God as a son talks to his father” (Understanding the Mass, p. 169). According to the Diocese of Peoria, “Our Lord used the word ‘Abba’ to express our filiation of the most high God. We are His sons and daughters and we call upon Him in a most intimate and familial term: Father. Our Lord desires we approach our Father with the serenity and confidence of children. Not only does he reveal this, but in a certain sense he commands it when he says, ‘When you pray, pray like this… Our Father!’” (“A Study of the Mass, p. 17). We dare to call God our Father because Jesus said we could!  

If you look through the Old Testament, we see a few people having a uniquely close relationship with God: Adam, Abraham, and others who talked with God (Genesis 3 and 18); Moses, whose face was radiant after being in God’s presence (Exodus 34); Jonah and Job who talked with God when angry and frustrated (Jonah 4; Job 3 and 42), among others. As Edward Sri writes, “The ancient Jews certainly viewed God as the father of the people of Israel. But it was not at all common for an individual to address God as ‘Father.’ Nevertheless, this is precisely what Jesus calls us to do […] and if he was speaking his native Aramaic, he probably used the word ‘Abba’ for father. This was an intimate, affectionate term similar to ‘Daddy’… This underscores the intimate relationship we now have with God because of Jesus’ work of salvation. Through our union in Christ, God has truly become our Father” (A Biblical Walk Through the Mass, p. 124).

The Rite of Peace

   What is true peace? Perhaps we could go to various definitions. Our Catechism says, “Peace is not merely the absence of war, and is not limited to maintaining a balance of powers” (CCC, 2304). The Catechism continues with a quotation from St. Augustine, who wrote that peace is “the tranquility of order” (CCC, 2304). “Earthly peace is the image and fruit of the peace of Christ, the messianic ‘Prince of Peace.’ By the blood of his Cross… he reconciled men with God and made his Church the sacrament of the unity of the human race and of its union with God. ‘He is our peace’ [Eph 2:14]” (CCC, 2305). As Edward Sri writes, “Many people seek the security and peace of this world, which is a peace based on success, on everything going well, on avoiding problems and suffering. But this kind of peace is quite fragile and fleeting… Christ, however, offers us a deeper, longer lasting peace—one that the world does not give. When we allow Jesus to be the foundation of our lives and live according to his plan for us, he gives us an internal, spiritual peace that can withstand life’s many disappointments, trials, and sufferings. This is the kind of peace of heart that also builds true unity within marriages, families, communities, parishes, and nations. And this is what the priest prays for at this moment of the liturgy” (A Biblical Walk Through the Mass, p. 130–31).

Angus Dei

   You may be thinking, Hold on, Father! What about the Lamb of God? Well, as we will see, at this moment of the Mass a couple of actions will be overlapping. At this point in the Mass, we either sing or say the Agnus Dei: “Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.” The Roman Missal instructs that the first phrases may be repeated if needed, but the final time always ends with “grant us peace.” As John the Baptist heralded, Jesus is the Lamb of God—the one true sacrifice offered out of love for us for the forgiveness of sins. As the Diocese of Peoria teaches, “The slaughtered lamb is of extreme importance throughout Sacred Scripture. The prophecy of Jeremiah is that the suffering Servant of the Lord would be like a ‘lamb led to the slaughter.’ The Book of Revelation states that enthroned on the Heavenly Altar is the Lamb of God showing the marks of being slain for our offenses. For the Jewish Passover, the lamb was the prescribed animal of sacrifice. The sacrifice of Jesus is the new Passover. In fact, as the Gospel of John details, Jesus is the Lamb of the new Passover” (A Study of the Mass, p. 18).

Source: EucharisticRevival.org