Panis Angelicus
The St. Philips Boy's Choir Lyrics

The lyrics to The St. Philips Boy's Choir's song Panis Angelicus are quite profound and reflective of the Catholic faith's theology of Holy Communion. The song's opening line, "Panis angelicus," which translates to "Bread of Angels" sets the tone for the rest of the song. The song talks about the different types of bread that exist, from the bread of humans, which is earthly and temporal, to the bread of angels, which is heavenly and eternal. The bread of angels is said to be the bread that is given to us during Holy Communion.

The following lines, "O res mirabilis, manducat Dominum," translate to mean "O wonderful reality, that the Lord feeds us." This is a reflection on how Holy Communion is the sacrament that enables us to personally receive the body and blood of Christ, thus feeding us and giving us strength for our journey of faith. The song also makes an emphasis on the humility of those who partake in Holy Communion, describing them as "pauper, pauper, servus et humilis" which means "poor, poor, servant, and humble."