Learn Latin Prayers
Chapter 7 - Prayers & Responses During the Traditional Latin Mass

8. May the Lord Receive the Sacrifice at Thy Hands (Suscipiat Dominus)

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Offering the Sacrifice Worthily

The Suscipiat Dóminus is one of the most profound liturgical responses in the Traditional Latin Mass. It is the faithful’s humble acknowledgment that the priest—standing in the place of Christ—offers the Holy Sacrifice to Almighty God not merely for himself, but on behalf of the whole Church. This response, deeply rooted in the Church’s ancient liturgy, affirms both the sacrificial nature of the Mass and the unique mediating role of the ordained priest.

In stark contrast, the Vatican II revolution gave rise to a man-centered “liturgy” which rejects the priest as mediator and downplays the sacrificial nature of the Mass. The Novus Ordo rite, with its false theology, reduces the Holy Sacrifice to a “shared meal” or a symbolic gesture of community celebration. The clear doctrinal and liturgical rupture brought about by the Vatican II sect proves it is not the Catholic Church but a counterfeit.

To faithfully recite the Suscipiat Dóminus is to reject these modernist errors and to reaffirm the Catholic truth: that the Mass is the unbloody re-presentation of the Sacrifice of Calvary, offered by the priest on behalf of the faithful for the glory of God and the sanctification of souls.
Suscipiat Dominus - Pronunciation Guide

Suscipiat Dominus - Pronunciation Guide

Latin Phrase Phonetic Pronunciation Meaning
Suscipiat Dóminus sacrificiumSOO-shee-pee-aht DOH-mee-noos sah-kree-FEE-chee-oomMay the Lord receive the sacrifice
de manibus tuisdeh MAH-nee-boos TOO-eesat thy hands
ad laudem et gloriam nóminis suiahd LAU-dem et GLOH-ree-ahm NOH-mee-nees SOO-eefor the praise and glory of His name
ad utilitátem quoque nostramahd oo-tee-lee-TAH-tem KWOH-kweh NOH-stramfor our benefit
totíusque Ecclésiæ suæ sanctætoh-TEE-oos-kweh ehk-KLEH-zee-eh SOO-eh SAHNK-tehand that of His whole holy Church

📌 Key Pronunciation Notes:

  1. "Suscipiat" – SOO-shee-pee-aht

    • "sc" before "i" is pronounced "sh" (not "sk").

    • The stress is on "shee" (SOO-shee-pee-aht), not "SOO-skip-ee-aht".

  2. "Dóminus" – DOH-mee-noos

    • The "o" is long (DOH), not short like "DAW".

  3. "Sacrificium" – sah-kree-FEE-chee-oom

    • "c" before "i" is pronounced "ch" (FEE-chee), not "kee".

    • Stress is on "FEE", not "sah-KREE-fi-kee-oom".

  4. "De manibus" – deh MAH-nee-boos

    • "de" is short (deh), not "day".

    • The "i" in "manibus" is short (MAH-nee-boos), not "may-nee-boos".

  5. "Laudem" – LAU-dem

    • "au" is pronounced like "ow" in "loud", not "law-dem".

    • Stress on "LAU", not "dehm".

  6. "Glóriam" – GLOH-ree-ahm

    • "o" is long (GLOH), not "GLAW".

    • "ia" is two syllables (ree-ahm), not "GLOH-ryam".

  7. "Nóminis" – NOH-mee-nees

    • "o" is long (NOH), not "NAW".

    • Final "e" is fully pronounced (nee-s), not silent.

  8. "Utilitátem" – oo-tee-lee-TAH-tem

    • "u" is pronounced as "oo" (oo-tee), not "yoo".

    • Stress on "TAH", not "tee-lee-TAY-tem".

  9. "Quoque" – KWOH-kweh

    • "qu" is always "kw" in ecclesiastical Latin (KWOH).

    • Never pronounce it as "koh-kweh".

  10. "Nostram" – NOH-stram

    • "o" is long (NOH), not "NAW-stram".

  11. "Totíusque" – toh-TEE-oos-kweh

    • "i" is long (TEE), giving it three syllables (toh-TEE-oos).

    • "qu" is "kw", not "k".

  12. "Ecclésiæ" – ehk-KLEH-zee-eh

    • "cc" before "l" is a hard "k" sound (ehk-KLEH), not "ek-sleh".

    • "æ" is pronounced "eh", not "eye" or "ay".

  13. "Sanctæ" – SAHNK-teh

    • "c" before "t" is a hard "k" (SAHNK), not "sankt".

    • "æ" is pronounced "eh", not "ay".

3. Videos

1. Suscipiat Dominus

Latin:

℟. Suscipiat Dóminus sacrificium de manibus tuis,
ad laudem et gloriam nóminis sui,
ad utilitátem quoque nostram,
totíusque Ecclésiæ suæ sanctæ.

℣. Amen.

English Translation:

℟. May the Lord receive the sacrifice at thy hands,
for the praise and glory of His name,
for our benefit,
and that of His whole holy Church.

℣. Amen.

📌 Key Notes:

  1. Confirms That the Mass is a True Sacrifice – The priest offers the Sacrifice on behalf of the people, just as Christ offered Himself to the Father.

  2. Affirms the Hierarchical Priesthood – The faithful do not “concelebrate” with the priest; they assist by uniting themselves spiritually to his offering.

  3. A Counter to the Novus Ordo Theology – In the modernist Vatican II liturgy, the role of the priest has been blurred, and the distinction between priest and laity is often ignored.

  4. Prayed in Humility and Submission to God’s Will – The faithful recognize that our participation in the Mass is dependent on God’s grace, not human effort.

  5. Reaffirms the Universality of the Mass – The Sacrifice is offered not only for those present, but for the entire Church, including the souls in Purgatory.

2. Pronunciation Guide

Here is a word-by-word pronunciation breakdown using Ecclesiastical Latin:

LATIN: ℟. Suscipiat Dóminus sacrificium de manibus tuis, ad laudem et gloriam nóminis sui, ad utilitátem quoque nostram, totíusque Ecclésiæ suæ sanctæ. ℣. Amen.

PHONETIC: ℟. SOO-shee-pee-aht DOH-mee-noos sah-kree-FEE-chee-oom deh MAH-nee-boos TOO-ees, ahd LAU-dem et GLOH-ree-ahm NOH-mee-nees SOO-ee, ahd oo-tee-lee-TAH-tem KWOH-kweh NOH-stram, toh-TEE-oos-kweh ehk-KLEH-zee-eh SOO-eh SAHNK-teh. ℣. AH-men.

LATIN: ℟. Suscipiat Dóminus sacrificium de manibus tuis, ad laudem et gloriam nóminis sui, ad utilitátem quoque nostram, totíusque Ecclésiæ suæ sanctæ. ℣. Amen. PHONETIC: ℟. SOO-shee-pee-aht DOH-mee-noos sah-kree-FEE-chee-oom deh MAH-nee-boos TOO-ees, ahd LAU-dem et GLOH-ree-ahm NOH-mee-nees SOO-ee, ahd oo-tee-lee-TAH-tem KWOH-kweh NOH-stram, toh-TEE-oos-kweh ehk-KLEH-zee-eh SOO-eh SAHNK-teh. ℣. AH-men.

4. How to Integrate the Prayer Into Daily Prayer

  1. Pray It at Every Mass With Devotion – This prayer expresses full submission to God’s divine plan and reminds us of the importance of sacrifice in worship.

  2. Use It to Prepare for Personal Sacrifices – Before performing acts of penance, fasting, or reparation, offer them in the spirit of this prayer.

  3. Recite It Before Receiving Holy Communion – A powerful reminder that the Eucharist is a sacrifice before it is a meal.

  4. Pray It When Offering Prayers for the Church – It reinforces the universal nature of the Church and reminds us to pray for all members of the Mystical Body of Christ.

  5. Use It in Reparation for Liturgical Abuses – Many modern Masses downplay the sacrificial nature of the Eucharist. This prayer reaffirms the true Catholic understanding.

📌 When Reciting the Suscipiat Dominus, Show Reverence and Devotion By:

  1. Kneeling or Bowing the Head – This prayer acknowledges that the Mass is a true Sacrifice, offered to Almighty God. Bowing the head as a sign of reverence while reciting it deepens our humility before the altar.

  2. Speaking the Words with Solemnity – The Suscipiat Dominus is not just a response but a declaration of faith in the priest’s sacred offering. It should be recited slowly and reverently, not rushed or spoken casually.

  3. Focusing on the True Meaning of the Mass – When praying this response, reflect on the reality that the Mass is not a communal gathering but the re-presentation of Christ’s Sacrifice on Calvary.

  4. Uniting Your Intentions to the Sacrifice – As this prayer mentions "for our benefit and that of His whole holy Church," unite your own sufferings, prayers, and sacrifices with Christ’s offering.

  5. Meditating on the Priest’s Role as Mediator – The phrase “at thy hands” (de manibus tuis) reminds us that the priest alone offers the Sacrifice in persona Christi (in the person of Christ). Recognizing this reinforces true Catholic teaching on the priesthood.

  6. Praying It With Gratitude – This prayer is an act of thanksgiving that God allows us to be present at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Recite it with deep gratitude for the gift of the Traditional Latin Mass.

  7. Remembering the Communion of Saints – As the prayer states, the Sacrifice is offered for the entire Church, including the souls in Purgatory. Pray it for the salvation of souls and for the restoration of the Catholic Faith.

5. Lesson Summary

The Suscipiat Dóminus is a solemn response of the faithful, affirming that the priest offers the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass to God for His glory and the benefit of His Holy Church. Unlike the Vatican II sect, which promotes a protestantized “meal” liturgy, this prayer proclaims the true nature of the Mass—sacrificial, priestly, and God-centered.

6. Final Thought – Why Does This Prayer Matter?

This prayer is a bold declaration of the true Catholic Faith, preserved in the Traditional Latin Mass. The words of the Suscipiat Dóminus acknowledge that the Sacrifice of the Mass is real, propitiatory, and offered by the priest alone in persona Christi. It stands in total opposition to the Vatican II sect’s heretical redefinition of the Mass as a communal celebration rather than a divine act of worship and reparation.

The Novus Ordo's casual and even irreverent handling of this moment—sometimes involving lay “concelebrants” or distorted translations—makes a mockery of what this prayer truly means. The rejection of Latin, the devaluation of the priesthood, and the loss of the sacrificial character of the Mass are all symptoms of a counterfeit church that no longer holds the Catholic Faith.

In faithfully preserving and praying the Suscipiat Dóminus, traditional Catholics align themselves with the unbroken Catholic tradition, the true priesthood, and the timeless doctrine of the Mass as the Sacrifice of Calvary. This brief response is an act of spiritual resistance—a profession that we do not belong to the new religion of Vatican II, but to the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church founded by Our Lord Jesus Christ.

To pray this is to say, in action and word: We hold fast to the true Catholic Mass, and we reject the false church that dares to counterfeit it.

“Suscipiat Dóminus sacrificium de manibus tuis,..."

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