1. Ecce Panis Angelorum, 1. Behold the Bread of Angels
Factus cibus viatorum made the Food of wayfarers,
Vere panis filiorum, Truly the bread of children,
Non mittendus canibus. not to be given to the dogs.
2. In figuris praesignatur, 2. Presignified by figure,
Cum Isaac immolatur, When Isaac was immolated,
Agnus Paschae deputatur, the Paschal Lamb was commanded,
Datur manna patribus. Manna was given to the fathers.
3. Bone pastor, panis vere, 3. Good shepherd, true Bread,
Jesu, nostri miserere: Jesus, have mercy on us:
Tu nos pasce, nos tuere, Feed us, protect us,
Tu nos bona fac videre Make us to see good things
In terra viventium. in the land of the living.
4. Tu qui cuncta scis et vales, 4. Thou who knowest and willest all things,
Qui nos pascis hic mortales: Who feeds us mortals by This:
Tuos ibi commensales, Make thine own to be partakers of,
Coheredes et sodales coheirs and citizens in
Fac sanctorum civium. that holy City of Saints.
Amen. Amen.
“Behold the Bread of Angels” – this is often used as a Benediction hymn, for obvious reasons. It recalls how the mystery of the Eucharist was signified by many events in the Old Testament – the immolation of Isaac, the Paschal Lamb, the manna given to the fathers in the desert. It then proceeds to ask Jesus for the grace to save our souls, so that we can join the citizens of Heaven, seeing Him forever in “the land of the living”.
This is only the last 4 stanzas of the famous hymn, “Lauda Sion”, written by St. Thomas Aquinas before the year 1274. It is the sequence for Corpus Christi, the great feast of the Body of Christ when the Church turns our attention to the great Gift of the Eucharist. Jesus gave us this precious Gift of Himself so that He might always be with us.
–Special attention Ann Marie
