Liturgical Question of the week: What is the Fraction Anthem? The Latin verb frangere means to break into pieces or shatter, and its perfect participle fractum means broken. The Fraction Rite of the Mass takes place after the recitation of the Lords Prayer and is our first encounter with the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. At the Fraction, the sacred host is broken into pieces just as the matzo is broken at the Passover Seder, and, as the Holy Mass is the Passover meal of the Lord, we witness the sacred Lamb bruised and broken for our offenses, telescoped through the ages and made real and present in our time. Here we encounter Christ on the road, yet are not fully aware of Him until we receive him in the eating of the consecrated host. We know him first in the breaking of the bread. In the Anglican tradition we proclaim Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast! In the ancient tradition, we may also recognize our Lord for the first time according to the new Covenant in proclaiming Lamb of God, who takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us! This canticle we call in Latin the Agnus Dei. In both fraction anthems, we anticipate receiving Christs real presence in the Eucharist in the form of the sacred elements, bread and wine. The music of the Fraction anthem is often simple and quiet, our intimate song of recognition. My Lord and my God!
Posted on: Fri, 16 May 2014 13:56:51 +0000
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