Glory Be
Traditional Catholic 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.
In Latin
Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto.
Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
About this prayer
The Glory Be, also known as the Gloria Patri, is a short prayer of praise to the Holy Trinity. In just a few words, it gives glory to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and recognizes that God’s glory is eternal.
This kind of prayer is called a doxology, a brief expression of praise to God. The Glory Be has been part of Christian prayer for centuries and is woven into many Catholic devotions and forms of liturgical prayer.
Its simplicity is part of its strength. The prayer asks for nothing. Instead, it turns our attention away from ourselves for a moment and toward God, praising Him simply because He is God.
Scripture to pray with
- Matthew 28:19 – Jesus sends His disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
- 2 Corinthians 13:13 – St. Paul closes his letter by invoking the grace of Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
- Revelation 4:8 – The heavenly worship described in Revelation gives unending praise to the holiness of God.
When to pray it
The Glory Be can be prayed anytime you want to pause and praise God. It is prayed throughout the Rosary, after many psalms and canticles in Catholic prayer, and as part of numerous traditional devotions.
Because it is so short, it is also easy to make part of everyday prayer. Pray it after an answered prayer, at the end of another devotion, or simply when you want to turn a quiet moment into praise.