Nov 21, 2005

Gloria In Excelsis Deo

Missale Romanum 1962

Gloria in excelsis Deo. Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. Laudamus te. Benedicimus te. Adoramus te. Glorificamus te. Gratias agimus tibi, propter magnam gloriam tuam. Domine Deus, Rex caelestis, Deus Pater omnipotens. Domine Fili unigenite, Jesu Christe. Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris. Qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis. Qui tollis peccata mundi, suscipe deprecationem nostrum. Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, miserere nobis. Quoniam tu solus Sanctus. Tu solus Dominus. Tu solus Altissimus, Jesu Christe. Cum Sancto Spiritu in gloria Dei Patris. Amen.

Glory to God in the highest. And on earth peace to men of good will. We praise Thee. We bless Thee. We adore Thee. We glorify Thee. We give Thee thanks for Thy great Glory. O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father almighty. O Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son. Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father. Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Who takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. Who sittest at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us. For Thou alone art holy. Thou alone art Lord. Thou alone, O Jesus Christ, art most high. Together with the Holy Ghost, in the glory of God the Father. Amen. 1

Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace to men of good will. We praise Thee; we bless Thee; we adore Thee; we glorify Thee. We give Thee thanks for Thy great glory, O Lord God, heavenly king, God the Father almighty, O Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son. O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Who takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. Who sittest at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us. For Thou alone art holy; Thou alone art the Lord; Thou alone O Jesus Christ, together with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen. 2

Missale Romanum 1970

Gloria in excelsis Deo. Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. Laudamus te. Benedicimus te. Adoramus te. Glorificamus te. Gratias agimus tibi, propter magnam gloriam tuam. Domine Deus, Rex caelestis, Deus Pater omnipotens. Domine Fili unigenite, Iesu Christe. Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris. Qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis. Qui tollis peccata mundi, suscipe deprecationem nostrum. Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, miserere nobis. Quoniam tu solus Sanctus. Tu solus Dominus. Tu solus Altissimus, Iesu Christe. Cum Sancto Spiritu in gloria Dei Patris. Amen.

Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen. 3

The Gloria comes to us, in the first part (from Gloria to voluntatis), from Luke 2:14. Pope Telesphorus (128-139?) first decreed that this text be sung at the Mass of the Nativity of our Lord before the sacrifice.4 The rest of the Gloria, also called the Hymnus Angelicus and the Doxologia Maior (the Gloria Patri is the Doxologia Minor), comes to us from the East. 5 St. Hilary of Poitiers (366) was in exile in the East where he heard it and then translated it, bringing it to the West when he returned.6 The rubrics have it first only for Christmas, then extended to Sundays and feast days of martyrs but only for the Pontifical Mass. Priests at first are allowed it only on Easter (Ordo Romani I), then also for Easter Vigil and their ordination day (Ordo of St. Almand) but it is not until the 11th century when it is allowed for both bishops and priests. 7

The practice of farcing the text, as in the Kyrie, created the collection of tropes in books called libri troparii vel troponari. Eventually, the practice of farcing the Gloria was prohibited but the farcing of the Gloria continued to be observed especially in Masses of the Virgin (farced Gloria called Gloria Marianum). This led to the insertion of a rubric into the 1570 Roman Missal by Pope St. Pius V that the Gloria was to be sung as it was found in the missal, even for Masses of the feast of the Blessed Virgin.8

“[T]he Gloria in excelsis, an expression of thankfulness and joy at our Redemption, which finds its renewal in every Mass. The beginning of this hymn of praise was sung by the Angels at the birth of Christ; the remainder is an ascription of praise to God and an expression of our gratitude to Him. The Gloria, being a hymn of joy, is omitted in Masses for the dead and on the Sundays of Advent and Lent, besides any other days on which joy is unsuitable.”9

The hymn which the Angels sang, (from Gloria to voluntatis), seems a fitting text for the celebration of Christmas but the next portion goes directly into the death (Agnus Dei . . . qui tollis peccata mundi) and ascension (qui sedes ad dexteram Patris) of our Lord. This shows two things: the first is that every Mass is the renewal of the Incarnation of our Lord and the second is that His birth and His Passion are intimately connected, so also this is true of the Mass. Just as the King of the Universe was hidden under the appearance of a lowly babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, likewise Christ the King is hidden under the appearance of bread and wine in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

“Holy Church herself teaches us that the birth of Christ is effected anew after a spiritual manner in the Mass, for she places on the lips of the officiating priest the self-same song of praise which the Angels sand on Christmas morn: Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will. Let us, when these words sound in our ears, imagine ourselves listening to the Angel who thus spoke to the shepherds. ‘I bring you good tidings of great joy...for this day is born to you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord...You shall find the Infant wrapped in swaddling-clothes, and laid in a manger.’” 10

“The [whole] prayer itself expresses the whole purpose of the Liturgy: to render glory to God, which in turn brings peace and good will to men. May God be glorified by men around the altar by the descent of this same Word, who humbles Himself only in order to exalt God. Christ procure the glory of the Father by giving Himself to men and offering them salvation. For this glorification, God will grant peace to all who open their hearts to the Prince of peace. Here at the altar we have to realize that, although this treaty of peace was signed with Christ’s blood and sealed with the seal of His cross, the acceptance of it is performed by us here and today. 11

“Glory to the divine mercy, which, instead of chastising rebellious men, causes this same God to take upon himself their punishment, and so to save them. Glory to the divine wisdom, which has devised a means of satisfying his justice, and at the same time of delivering man from the death he had deserved. Glory to the divine power, destroying in so signal a manner the powers of hell, by the divine Word coming in poverty to suffer pains, contempt, and death; and thus to draw the hearts of men to himself, and to leave everything for his sake, - honors, riches, and life; as so many virgins and young men have done, and even nobles and princes, to show their gratitude for the love of this God. Finally, glory to the divine love, which induced God to become a little child, poor and lowly, to live a hard life, and to die a cruel death, in order to show man the love which he bears him, to gain his love in return.” 12





1 My Sunday Missal, Confraternity of the Precious Blood, Msgr. Joseph F. Stedman, 1962, p. 22.

2 The New Roman Missal, Fr. Lassance, 1993 reproduction of the 1945 edition, p. 762 .

3 Daily Roman Missal, Rev. James Socias, Midwest Theological Forum, 2003, pp. 678-79.

4 The Mass: A Study of the Roman Liturgy, Rev. Dr. Adrian Fortescue, Loreto Publications, 2003: original printing 1912, p. 241 – “The Liber Pontificalis says that Telesphorus ‘ordered that … on the Birth of the Lord Masses should be said at night … and that the angelic hymn, that is: Gloria in excelsis Deo, be said before the sacrifice.”

5 The Mass: A Study of the Roman Liturgy, Rev. Dr. Adrian Fortescue, Loreto Publications, 2003: original printing 1912, p. 239.

6 The Mass: A Study of the Roman Liturgy, Rev. Dr. Adrian Fortescue, Loreto Publications, 2003: original printing 1912, p. 241 – Fortescue makes note that the Latin translation is a free version of the Greek original, ft. 4. The Gloria is found in the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom in the Prothesis (preparation of the elements) before the Divine Liturgy proper, entitled “The Great Doxology”: Glory to Thee, O Giver of Light! Glory to God in the Highest; on earth peace, and good will to men. We sing to Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee, we glorify Thee, we give thanks to Thee for the Splendour of Thy glory. O Lord King, O Heavenly God: the Father Almighty! O Lord, Only-begotten Son: Jesus Christ! And O Thou: All-Holy Spirit! O Lord God, O Lamb of God, O son of the Father who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. O Thou who takest away the sins of the world! Accept our supplications, O Thou who art enthroned at the right hand of the Father, and have mercy on us. Every day I will bless Thee and sing to Thy name, always and for ever and ever. Deign, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, God of our Fathers; praised and glorified is Thy name forever. Amen. - Liturgy, Archbishop J. Raya, Baron Jose De Vinck, Alleluia Press, 2001, p. 36.

7 The Mass: A Study of the Roman Liturgy, Rev. Dr. Adrian Fortescue, Loreto Publications, 2003: original printing 1912, p. 242.

8 The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass; Dogmatically, Liturgically and Ascetically Explained, Rev Dr. Nicholas Gihr, 6th edition, B. Herder Book Co, 1924, p. 394 ft 2. “Sic dicitur Gloria in excelsis Deo, etiam in Missa beatae Mariae, quando dicendum est.

9 The Incredible Catholic Mass, Fr. Martin von Cochem, Tan Books, 1997, pp. 434-35; Gihr, p. 397; The Holy Mass Explained, Fr. F. X. Schouppe, 1891, pp. 64, 82.

10 The Incredible Catholic Mass, Fr. Martin von Cochem, Tan Books, 1997, p.91.

11 The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Fr. Basil Shereghy, Byzantine Seminary Press, 1970, pp. 32-33.

12 The Incarnation, Birth and Infancy of Jesus Christ, St. Alphonsus de Ligouri, Redemptorist Fathers, 1983, p. 146.

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