The Traditional Latin Mass - Part VI - The Canon I
“Te igitur”: Entering the Holy of Holies with Christ the High Priest
I. The Roman Canon: The Most Ancient Eucharistic Prayer of the West
The Roman Canon is not merely old—it is venerable with an antiquity that predates most liturgical texts in Christianity.
It is substantially the same prayer offered:
in the days of Pope St. Damasus (4th century),
codified more clearly by Pope St. Leo the Great (5th century),
stabilized by Pope St. Gregory the Great (6th century),
and dogmatically protected by the Council of Trent (16th century).
Trent describes the Canon as:
“Composed from the words of our Lord, apostolic tradition, and the devout instructions of the holy pontiffs.”[1]
For over 1,500 years, this Canon has been the unbroken Eucharistic heart of the Roman Rite.
And now—after the Sanctus—the priest enters it in silence.
II. “Te igitur, clementissime Pater” — The Priest Bows in Adoration
The Canon begins:
“Te igitur, clementissime Pater…”
“Therefore, most merciful Father…”
A. Why “therefore”?
Everything from the beginning of Mass has led to this moment:
preparation,
purification,
instruction,
offering,
praise.
Now the Sacrifice begins.
B. The Priest’s Profound Bow
The priest bends deeply over the altar, hands joined.
This gesture expresses:
Christ bowing His head in Gethsemane, accepting the Father’s will.
The High Priest entering the Holy of Holies, as described in Hebrews 9.
The humility of Christ on the Cross, bowing His head before death (John 19:30).
St. Gregory the Great explains:
“The priest bows to show the humility of Christ, who bowed His head to receive death.”[2]
C. The Canon’s First Petition: Acceptance of the Offering
The prayer continues:
“…we humbly pray and beseech Thee to accept and bless these gifts, these presents, these holy unspotted sacrifices…”
The priest calls the offerings “holy” and “unspotted” even before consecration, because the Church speaks in prophetic certainty of what they are about to become.
III. Intercession for the Church and Her Shepherds
The priest prays:
“In the first place, for Thy holy Catholic Church…”
This is the ancient pattern: sacrifice is always offered for the people.
St. Augustine writes:
“The whole redeemed city is the sacrifice of the Church offered to God.”[3]
The Canon then names the Pope and the diocesan bishop, signifying:
unity,
apostolic succession,
the visible structure of the Church,
communion with Peter.
This is why the Roman Canon cannot be separated from the teaching authority of the Church—it is a prayer of unified sacrifice offered through apostolic governance.
IV. The “Memento: Pro vivis” — Prayer for the Living
The priest now pauses, in silence, to remember by name the living faithful for whom he offers the Mass.
The prayer begins:
“Memento, Domine, famulorum famularumque tuarum…”
“Remember, O Lord, Thy servants and handmaids…”
This moment is profoundly personal.
A. A Priest Is Bound to Pray for His People
The priest is obliged by charity to pray for:
the living,
the sick,
the faithful entrusted to him,
those who requested prayers.
In this moment, the Church’s ancient teaching becomes liturgically present:
“The priest offers the Sacrifice for all the faithful, living and dead.”
—Council of Trent, Session XXII[4]
B. Theological Meaning
According to St. Thomas Aquinas:
“The priest prays for the living that they may be united to Christ’s sacrifice and profit from it.”[5]
Every Mass is a personal inclusion of those remembered in the Heart of Christ.
V. “Communicantes” — Union With the Church Triumphant
After remembering the living, the priest proclaims the Communicantes, one of the most beautiful prayers of the Canon:
“Communicating with, and venerating the memory of, in the first place, the glorious ever-Virgin Mary…”
This prayer expresses the full communion of saints gathered at Calvary.
A. Mary at the Foot of the Cross
Mary is listed first because she is:
the New Eve,
the Mother of God,
the Mother of the Sacrifice,
and physically present at Calvary.
Her presence in the Canon is a liturgical continuation of John 19:25–27.
B. The Apostles and Martyrs
The Canon names:
Peter and Paul (the pillars of Rome),
Andrew (first apostle),
James and John,
Thomas, James, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Simon, Thaddeus,
Then the early Roman martyrs: Linus, Cletus, Clement…
This litany is not random.
Each saint represents:
continuity of the one faith,
the victory of martyrdom,
and the surety that the sacrifice offered now is the same sacrifice proclaimed by the Apostles.
St. John Chrysostom writes:
“When we call upon the martyrs, the Church declares that she suffers with Christ and conquers with Him.”[6]
The Canon now unites:
the Church on earth (militant),
the souls awaiting heaven (suffering),
and the saints in glory (triumphant),
all at the one Sacrifice of the Lamb.
VI. “Hanc igitur” — The Church Places Her Sacrifice Before God
The priest extends his hands over the offerings in a gesture identical to the Old Testament priests placing their hands on the victim (Lev. 1:4).
This gesture is called epiclesis of oblation, though distinct from the Eastern epiclesis of consecration.
The prayer begins:
“Hanc igitur oblationem servitutis nostrae…”
“We therefore beseech Thee, O Lord, graciously to accept this oblation of our service…”
A. Symbolic Meaning of the Extended Hands
The hands extended over the gifts signify:
Identification: The priest identifies the offering with himself and with the people.
Imploration: A plea for God’s acceptance of the forthcoming sacrifice.
Consecratory anticipation: A gesture that foreshadows the transformation soon to occur.
Aquinas teaches:
“The priest stretches forth his hands over the oblation as a sign of the grace of the Holy Spirit which sanctifies the sacrifice.”[7]
B. The Church Prays for Peace and Salvation
The rest of the prayer asks God to:
“dispose our days in Thy peace,”
deliver us from damnation,
and number us among the elect.
This is not poetry—it is a reminder that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the primary means by which God applies salvation to souls.
VII. The Canon Is Not Just a Prayer—It Is the Act of Sacrifice
At this point in the Canon:
the offering has been made,
the Church is united in heaven and on earth,
the priest stands as mediator,
and the words of consecration draw near.
The Roman Canon is not a “Eucharistic prayer” in the modern sense.
It is the liturgical anamnesis of Calvary—the eternal sacrifice made present.
St. Leo the Great said:
“What was visible in our Redeemer has passed into the mysteries.”[8]
In the Canon, Christ offers Himself through His priest, and the Church participates in the one Sacrifice that redeems the world.
ENDNOTES
[1] Council of Trent, Session XXII, Chapter 4.
[2] St. Gregory the Great, Dialogues, II.
[3] St. Augustine, City of God, X.
[4] Council of Trent, Session XXII.
[5] St. Thomas Aquinas, ST III, q. 83, a. 4.
[6] St. John Chrysostom, Homily on St. Babylas.
[7] St. Thomas Aquinas, ST III, q. 83, a. 5.
[8] St. Leo the Great, Sermon 74.