The Lord’s Prayer

After the Consecration comes the Our Father.  As Our Lord is, at this moment in the service, praying to his Father for us, so we sum up his prayers and our own by saying or singing the Lord’s Prayer itself.  This is followed by the Fraction or Breaking of the Host.

Fraction (Breaking of the Host)

The priest first breaks the Host in half, as Jesus broke the Bread at the Last Supper.  When the Host is broken, the priest says:

“We break this bread
to share in the body of Christ”. (1)

Agnus Dei

The Agnus Dei, or “O Lamb of God” is said or sung.  This is a prayer to Our Lord present in the Blessed Sacrament, asking for his mercy and peace:

“Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world,
have mercy on us”

is sung twice, and then:

“Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world,
grant us peace”. (2)