Question for Father Michael J. Truongluan Nguyen, PAPA Spiritual Director
MEMBER : Father Michael, in Isaiah 6:3 the phrase “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts! The earth is full of His glory” is what we say in mass and it was a phrase used in Jewish worship. What does this phrase mean? God bless you
Father Michael
It is our SANCTUS at Mass.
The triple SANCTUS sung by the hosts or army of angels means to honor the Most Holy Trinity.
This is what we do as Catholics when we sign ourselves with the Cross.
When we glorify God, the Most Holy Trinity, His glory fills the earth.
We find this in Isaiah 6:3:
קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ ה' צְבָאוֹת מְלֹא כָל הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדוֹ
Kadosh Kadosh Kadosh Adonai Tz'vaot M'lo Khol Ha'aretz K'vodo
"Holy, Holy, Holy, The Lord of Hosts, The entire world is filled with His Glory." "Kadosh" means sacred or holy. Its Hebrew root means to purify or to consecrate." So when we sign ourselves with the Sign of the Cross to glorify the Most Holy Trinity, we fill ourselves with the Presence of God - just as when the Angelic Hosts sing the triple SANCTUS, they fill the earth with God's presence.
As y'all may remember in my many teachings, "the Glory of God" is synonymous with "the Presence of God."
Pax Christi
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