Agnus Dei

Definition and Meaning

Agnus Dei is Latin for "Lamb of God." It is also the name of a prayer and chant used in the eucharistic liturgy of the Western church, the rite in which bread and wine are shared. In its basic form, the petition "Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us" is repeated three times, with the third petition commonly ending "grant us peace." Because it consists of brief petitions, it is easy for a congregation or choir to sing together.

Biblical and Historical Background

The prayer derives from John 1:29, where John the Baptist points to Jesus and says, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." The Passover lamb, the prophecy of the Suffering Servant, and the scenes in Revelation in which the Lamb is worshiped are also read as part of its background. Its biblical meaning is treated in more detail in the article Lamb of God.

The prayer is generally held to have entered the Roman Mass (the eucharistic worship of the Catholic Church) in the late seventh century under Pope Sergius I. It became established as a chant sung while the priest breaks the bread, and during the Middle Ages its final petition was changed to a plea for peace. It later became one of the fixed texts of the Mass, and numerous composers set it to music as a movement of their Mass settings.

After the Reformation, its use varied from tradition to tradition. Martin Luther retained it in the eucharistic liturgy to be sung in German, and as a result the prayer has remained in use in Lutheran churches. The Anglican tradition alternately included and omitted it in successive revisions of its prayer books before restoring it in its modern rites. By contrast, the Reformed tradition, which reduced fixed prayers and emphasized worship centered on the Word, rarely used it as a set part of the order of worship.

Practice in Korean Churches

• Catholic Church: In the Mass, the "Lamb of God" is sung or said together just before Holy Communion (the reception of the sacrament).
• Anglican Church of Korea and Lutheran Church in Korea: The prayer is included in the order of the Eucharist.
• Presbyterian, Methodist, and similar churches: Within movements that value the church year and liturgy (set forms of worship), it is sometimes included in certain denominational service books or in the Lord's Supper liturgies of individual congregations. It is, however, seldom used as a fixed element of the weekly Sunday service.
• Baptist, Full Gospel, and other free-worship traditions: It is almost never used as a fixed prayer.

Regardless of denomination, the name is often more familiar as music. A choir may sing a movement from a classical Mass setting, and a worship team may sing a contemporary worship song of the same title during a service.