The Gloria

At my parish, we are in the process of learning to sing new Mass parts, bilingual settings that are now being prayed by our entire community in our respective languages. It is our hope that these arrangements will make it easier for everyone to pray when we come together to celebrate a bilingual liturgy.

This is the first of several articles which will explore the sung parts of the Mass. Today we look at the Gloria, sometimes called the Glory to God.

The Gloria is a hymn of praise to God and forms part of the Introductory Rites at Mass. The Gloria follows the Penitential Act and sometimes the sprinkling rite, and precedes the Collect or opening prayer. The Gloria unites the community in the praise of God and prepares the people to hear the words of Sacred Scripture.

We sing the Gloria on Sundays outside of Advent and Lent. We also sing it on special occasions—solemnities, feasts, and even weddings.

The ancient text of the Gloria is believed to have had its origins in the Eastern Church. In the fourth century, it became part of morning prayer.

The first line of the Gloria comes from Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus:

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:8-14

This news of Christ’s birth was not announced to kings or queens or people who held power or nobility. It came to simple shepherds working the night shift. These men, inferior by society’s standards, were chosen by God to be the first to hear the Good News. The shepherds confirm God’s love for the poor and the lowly. They demonstrate that God comes to us in our common, ordinary, everyday lives, often when least expected. May we respond with hearts filled with praise as we sing this angelic hymn.