Prayers & Creeds · Catholic
Glory Be (Gloria Patri)
A short doxology praising the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, used across Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant worship.
Tagged: Trinity Praise Prayer Catholic
The Text
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
Historical Context
The Glory Be, known in Latin as the Gloria Patri, is a 'minor doxology' that took shape in the 4th century, when its explicitly Trinitarian wording also served to affirm the full divinity of the Son and the Spirit against Arian teaching. Although catalogued here with Catholic prayers, where it closes each decade of the Rosary, it is used across traditions: Orthodox Christians pray a close form of it, and it appears in Anglican, Lutheran, and other Protestant services.
Use and Practice
The prayer is said at the end of each decade of the Rosary, after psalms in the Liturgy of the Hours and in Anglican offices, and as a brief act of praise in personal prayer throughout the day.
References
- USCCB Prayers and Devotions Free / open access
- EWTN Devotions Free / open access
Related Prayers and Creeds
- Prayers of the Rosary — The set of prayers prayed on the beads of the Rosary, including the Fatima Prayer and the Hail Holy Queen.
- Hail Mary — A prayer to the Virgin Mary built from the angel's greeting in Luke 1, asking for her intercession.
- Trisagion Prayers — The opening prayers of Orthodox services and prayer rules, built around the thrice-holy hymn 'Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal.'
- The Lord's Prayer (Our Father) — The prayer Jesus taught his disciples in Matthew 6 and Luke 11, shared by Christians of every tradition.
Related Across the Site
- Act of Contrition Prayer or Creed — A prayer of sorrow for sin, prayed in the Sacrament of Penance and in personal examination of conscience.
- Anima Christi Prayer or Creed — A medieval prayer asking Christ's body, blood, and passion to sanctify, save, and protect the one who prays.
- Hail Mary Prayer or Creed — A prayer to the Virgin Mary built from the angel's greeting in Luke 1, asking for her intercession.
- Kaddish Prayer or Creed — An Aramaic prayer sanctifying God's name, best known in its form recited by mourners.
- Prayers of the Rosary Prayer or Creed — The set of prayers prayed on the beads of the Rosary, including the Fatima Prayer and the Hail Holy Queen.
- Te Deum Prayer or Creed — An ancient Latin hymn of praise to God, sung on occasions of solemn thanksgiving in Catholic and Anglican worship.
- The Angelus Prayer or Creed — A thrice-daily prayer of versicles and Hail Marys commemorating the Annunciation and the Incarnation.
- Trisagion Prayers Prayer or Creed — The opening prayers of Orthodox services and prayer rules, built around the thrice-holy hymn 'Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal.'