Essential
Lamb of God
Agnus Dei
The Agnus Dei is the litany sung or recited during the breaking of the consecrated Host at Mass. Its title and imagery come from Saint John the Baptist’s proclamation of Christ as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” in John 1:29. The prayer entered the Roman liturgy in the early Middle Ages and remains part of the Order of Mass. Catholics address Christ with it three times, asking twice for mercy and finally for peace as Holy Communion approaches.
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.
In Latin
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.
When to pray it: Pray or sing it during the Fraction Rite at Mass, shortly before Holy Communion.
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