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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 the mass of the Roman rite and also in the Eucharist of the Anglican Communion, the Lutheran Church, and the Western rite of the Orthodox Church the Agnus Dei is the invocation to the Lamb of God sung or recited during the fraction of the Host. It is said to have been introduced into the mass by Pope Sergius I (687–701). The text of the invocation is based upon John the Baptist’s reference in John 1:29 to Jesus, “Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.” It is one of my favorite prayers. It asks God for that final gift of peace. Following is the text, first in Latin, then English:
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. Amen.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant us peace. Amen.