The Great Doxology
A prayer that has been sung daily at Mattins since the fourth century.
This prayer, which comes from the Eastern churches, became part of daily Matins in the fourth century. The text given here is based on the Book of Common Prayer of 1549, a translation from the Latin of St Hilary of Poitiers (?300-368). Hilary spent time in the East in 359-360, and may have come across the prayer then. The Latin differs slightly from the Greek, but the differences are not particularly significant.
GLORY be to God on high, And in earth peace, good will towards men.* We praise thee, we bless thee, we worship thee, we glorify thee, we give thanks to thee for thy great glory, O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty.
O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesu Christ, O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us: thou that takest away the sins of the world,* receive our prayer. Thou that attest at the right hand of God the Father,* have mercy upon us; for thou only art holy,* thou only art the Lord. Thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
* Taken from the song of the angels who announced Christ’s birth to some shepherds near Bethlehem: see Luke 2:8-16.
* Taken from the words used of Jesus Christ by St John the Forerunner and Baptist in John 1:29.
* See among others Mark 16:19, Acts 7:55 and 1 Peter 3:22.
* See Revelation 15:4.
The Great Doxology is sung here by the Choir of the College of Gonville and Caius, Cambridge, in a setting by William Child (1606-1697).
Media not showing? Let me know!