Luke 13: 35b:“You shall not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the King Who comes in the Name of the Lord.’” Why does the Church pray the “Blessed is He” as part of the Sanctus in the Eucharistic prayer? Originally given to the Jews in Psalm 118: 26 as a way to greet their Messiah (Jesus’ disciples said it on Palm Sunday; others didn’t, Luke 19: 38, 39), we now confess that we expect the presence of Christ in the Sacrament; we will see Him spiritually in the Body and Blood. So before that happens we proclaim this verse as a way to welcome Him Who is always with us, but is about to join us in a most special way.
