The Glory Be prayer is a doxology, a short hymn of praise to God. The English word “doxology” derives from combining the Greek doxa which means glory and logia which means saying. This ancient prayer is often called the Lesser Doxology or the Minor Doxology, to distinguish it from Gloria in Excelsis Deo (also called Gloria or translated from Latin into English as “Glory to God in the Highest”) which is known as the Greater Doxology.
Doxologies direct our gaze outward and upward toward God so that we can sing His praises and bear witness to the full splendor and radiant beauty of the divine. The Glory Be is inserted after canticles, psalms, and hymns commonly prayed during sacred liturgy to honor the words of God; it is added after each decade of the rosary to honor the works of God. When included at the beginning or end of personal prayers, doxologies also help to reinforce our sacred beliefs, express gratitude for God’s blessings, and seek His protection and guidance.
This prayer opens with a declaration of glory to the God the Father–our Creator and the source of everything, God the Son–our Savior who becomes man to redeem humanity through his death and resurrection, and God the Holy Spirit–our Sanctifier who remains with the faithful to inspire and guide us. Saint Teresa of Ávila distinguishes that the diversity of the Holy Trinity does not detract from the unity as our single God: “The three Persons are distinct from one another; a sublime knowledge is infused into the soul, imbuing it with a certainty of the truth that the Three are of one substance, power, and knowledge and are one God.” Saint Basil of Caesarea comments on this mystery: “There is one God and Father, one Only-Begotten Son, and one Holy Spirit. We declare each Person to be unique, and if we must use numbers, we will not let a stupid arithmetic lead us astray to the idea of many gods.”
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Scripture and Tradition never cease to teach and celebrate this fundamental truth: ‘The world was made for the glory of God’ (Dei Filius). Saint Bonaventure explains that God created all things ‘not to increase his glory, but to show it forth and to communicate it,’ for God has no other reason for creating than his love and goodness: ‘Creatures came into existence when the key of love opened his hand’ (Saint Thomas Aquinas)” (CCC 293). Theologian Dr. Peter Kreeft observes: “If God is not a Trinity, God is not love. For love requires three things: a lover, a beloved, and a relationship between them.” Praying the Glory Be reverences the infinite and eternal love shared within the Holy Trinity.
Saint Paul teaches us that God in all His majesty also dwells within the faithful: “it is Christ in you, the hope for glory” (Colossians 1:27). It is a humbling and promising reminder to live our lives in communion with God, appreciating the influence of each Person, in order to experience that glory and partake in that enduring love. Saint John Bosco urges us to consider “All for God and for His glory. In whatever you do, think of the glory of God as your main goal.”
The next portion of the prayer expresses the unchanging nature and eternal existence of God and the glory due to Him: “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty’” (Revelation 1:8). God is always true, always great, and always worthy of our worship…in all ways. Even in the midst of his suffering, Jesus prays similarly: “Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began” (John 17:5).
The traditionally used translation of this prayer contains the phrase “world without end,” meant to stress the belief that the Kingdom of God–not the physical world–endures forever. The original Latin phrase saecula saeculorum literally translates to “age of age,” “time of time,” or “forever and ever.” To convey this concept more accurately, the Church now adopts the International Consultation on English Texts (ICET) translation of the prayer as follows: “Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.”
Note that we add the word “amen” which means “so be it” (CCC 2856) to the close of our prayers as a seal of affirmation and as an expression of faith that God will hear and act on our petitions.
As you pray the Glory Be this week, bask in the wonder of one trinitarian God who enables us to live in unity and love with each of the three separate Persons. Recognize that our lives are just a small part of God’s plan for the universe, and maintain that perspective during periods of uncertainty. Saint Gerard Majella encourages us to “Consider the shortness of time, the length of eternity and reflect how everything here below comes to an end and passes by. Of what use is it to lean upon that which cannot give support?” Trust instead in the unfathomable goodness of God. Although He remains the same, we can change to better orient our lives toward Him. This week, contemplate how you can become a living hymn of praise to God.
