Catholic

Glory Be (The Doxology)

A short, ancient hymn of praise to the Trinity, prayed after every decade of the Rosary and throughout the Liturgy of the Hours.

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The Shortest Prayer in Constant Use

The "Glory Be" (also called the Gloria Patri, or minor doxology) traces back to the 2nd-4th centuries, when Trinitarian doxologies were added to Christian worship partly to affirm the full divinity of the Son and the Holy Spirit against early heresies (Arianism especially) that denied it. St. Basil the Great defended its use explicitly in his 4th-century treatise On the Holy Spirit.

Today it closes every decade of the Rosary, opens and closes every Psalm and canticle in the Liturgy of the Hours, and is one of the most frequently repeated lines of Christian prayer.

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.

Helper

  1. "As it was in the beginning" is a deliberate claim: the Trinity's glory is not new or evolving — it is eternal.
  2. It is one of the shortest prayers in regular Catholic use, which makes it an easy one to memorize first if you are learning to pray the Rosary.
  3. Praying it after difficult news or a hard day is a small way of reorienting toward praise even when circumstances have not changed.

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