also known as Glory Be, The Doxology, Lesser Doxology
Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Sicut erat in principio, et nunc et semper, et in saecula saeculorum.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
Amen.
The Gloria Patri — known in English as the Glory Be — is the Church's lesser doxology, a brief act of praise to the Most Holy Trinity. Though only two short verses, it is the prayer most often on the lips of the faithful: at the end of every psalm in the Liturgy of the Hours, after each decade of the Rosary, and in countless devotions throughout the Christian day.
When prayed: Prayed at the end of each psalm in the Divine Office, after each decade of the Rosary, and as a brief act of praise throughout the day.
The Latin text of the Gloria Patri alongside its English translation, line by line.
| Latin | English |
|---|---|
| Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. | Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. |
| Sicut erat in principio, et nunc et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. | As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. |
| Amen. | Amen. |
Word-by-word definitions and example uses. Tap any word to learn its meaning, then return to the prayer with new ears.
Definition: glory, fame, or honor
Gloria victoriae perpetua est. (The glory of victory is everlasting.)
Definition: to the Father
Oratio patri dedicatur. (The prayer is dedicated to the Father.)
Definition: and
Luna et stellae in caelo sunt. (The moon and stars are in the sky.)
Definition: to the Son
Tributum filio regis datum est. (The tribute was given to the king's son.)
Definition: to the Spirit
Gratia spiritui sancto debetur. (Thanks is owed to the Holy Spirit.)
Definition: holy, sacred
Templum est locus sanctus. (The temple is a holy place.)
Definition: as, just as
Sicut scriptum est, verbum manet. (As it is written, the word remains.)
Definition: was
Tempus erat calidum. (The weather was warm.)
Definition: in, on
In horto flores sunt. (There are flowers in the garden.)
Definition: beginning
In principio erat verbum. (In the beginning was the word.)
Definition: now
Tempus est nunc. (The time is now.)
Definition: always
Amicitia vera semper durat. (True friendship always lasts.)
Definition: ages, generations
Memoria ad saecula vivet. (The memory will live for generations.)
Definition: of ages, of generations
Cursus temporum est saeculorum seriem. (The course of times is a series of generations.)
Definition: so be it, truly
Fidem suam expressit cum 'Amen' dixit. (He expressed his faith by saying 'Amen'.)
The Gloria Patri is the Church's 'lesser doxology' — a brief prayer of praise to the Most Holy Trinity. Its two short verses confess our faith in the equal glory of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, both in eternity past and in the age to come. It is one of the oldest prayers in continuous use in the Roman Rite.
The Gloria Patri is prayed at the end of each psalm in the Divine Office, after each decade of the Rosary, and as a brief invocation throughout the day. Many of the faithful pray it whenever they hear an ambulance, finish a meal, or complete a small task — turning each ordinary moment into an occasion for praise.
It means 'as it was in the beginning.' This phrase confesses that the glory of the Trinity is eternal — not something that began at creation, but something that was, is, and ever shall be. It is the Church's way of insisting that God is not changed by His relationship with the world: He has always been, and will always be, perfectly glorious in Himself.
No — the Gloria of the Mass is the 'greater doxology,' Gloria in excelsis Deo, sung between the Penitential Rite and the Collect on Sundays and feast days. The Gloria Patri is the 'lesser doxology,' a much shorter prayer used throughout the Office and in private devotion.
The prayer Christ Himself taught — the heart of every Christian's life of prayer.
The greeting of the Archangel Gabriel, joined to the Church's own petition.
The Church's evening hymn to Mary, our life, our sweetness, and our hope.
St. Bernard's confident plea to the Mother of God.
Three times a day the Church remembers the Word made flesh.
A medieval Eucharistic prayer of self-offering to the wounded Christ.
Credo teaches you to read the Gloria Patri (and every other Catholic prayer) in Latin the way the saints did — through the words themselves, not grammar drills.
Download Credo for iOS