BLESSED BE GOD

"Blessed Be God" is a direct and reverent choral setting of the prayers for the Preparation of the Gifts. Any Catholic choir will immediately recognize these words—they are the very prayers the priest prays over the bread and wine at the altar before the Eucharistic Prayer begins.

When we sing this during the Offertory, we are joining in the ancient blessing of the bread and wine. The melody is steady and dignified, carrying the congregation through the offering of the "fruit of the earth" and "work of our hands." The refrain bursts into a joyful, repeated acclamation of "Blessed be God forever! Amen!", allowing the whole church to affirm the goodness of God's creation and the gifts being prepared for the altar.