Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus,
Dominus Deus, Sabaoth.
Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua.
Hosanna in excelsis.
Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini
Hosanna in excelsis.

The Sanctus is the last part of the Preface in the Mass, sung in practically every rite by the people (or choir). It is one of the elements of the liturgy of which we have the earliest evidence. St. Clement of Rome (d. about 104) mentions it. He quotes the text in Isaiah 6:3, and goes on to say that it is also sung in church; […]: „for the Scripture says „Holy, holy, holy Lord of hosts; full is every creature of his glory“.

The next oldest witness is Origen (d. 254). He quotes the text of Isaias and continues: „The coming of my Jesus is announced, wherefore the whole earth is full of his glory“ (In Isa., hom., I, n. 2).

From the fourteenth century we have abundance of testimony for the Sanctus in every liturgical centre. In Egypt St. Athanasius (d. 373) mentions it (Expos in Ps, cii, P.G. XXVII, 434); at Jerusalem St. Cyril (d. 373) (Catech. myst., V, 6), and at Antioch St. John Chrysostom (d. 407) alludes to it (in Ps. cxxxiv, n. 6, P.G., LV, 393). Tertullian (d. about 220) („de Oratione“, 3) and Victor of Vite (d. 486) („Hist. persec. Vandal“, III, P.L., LVIII quote it in Africa; Germanus of Paris (d. 576) in Gaul (in Duchesne, „Origines du Culte“, 2d ed., Paris, 1898, p. 204), Isidore of Seville (d. 636) in Spain (ibid.). The Sanctus is sung by the people in „Apostolic Constitutions“, VIII, XII, 27 (Brightman, „Eastern Liturgies“, 18-19) and so in almost all rites.

The Gregorian Sacramentary gives the text exactly as we still have it (P.L. LXXVIII, 26).