The Doxology and the Great Kristopher W. Seaman

Doxology means an account (-ology) almighty Father, / in the unity of the of glory (-). Doxologies appear in , / all glory and honor is various liturgies of the Church. One yours. . . .” We give glory and honor of the most familiar is the doxology to the Triune who is Father, Son at the end of the Lord’s Prayer: “For and Holy Spirit. Through the entire the kingdom, / the power and the Eucharistic Prayer, we pray to God glory are yours / now and for ever.” the Father, through Christ and in the During the , power of the Holy Spirit. It is the there are doxologies at the end of the Spirit that moves us to pray in, with, . The includes the and through Christ to God the “Glory be.” , especially ancient Father. Christ is our mediator. Christ ones, have a doxology as the final or is the one who unites us to commu- part of the final, stanza. Finally, there nion with God. This is beautifully is the doxology at the end of the prayed by the priest and the faith- Eucharistic Prayer: “Through him, ful in the Eucharistic Prayer for and with him, and in him, / O God, Reconciliation I: “But before his almighty Father, / in the unity of the arms were outstretched between Holy Spirit, / all glory and honor is heaven and earth, / to become the yours, / for ever and ever.” lasting sign of your covenant, / he Doxologies are ancient and desired to celebrate the Passover have been part of the Church’s litur- with his disciples.” Christ unites gies since the early centuries. Many heaven with earth: Christ unites him- of the early Church fathers used these self and with the doxologies to defend the doctrine of entire cosmos in general and human- the . Those who held heretical views denied the divinity ity in particular. of Christ and/or the divinity of the Holy Spirit. Early In the liturgy, words are united to actions or gestures or theologians reminded those espousing heretical views that the objects. The priest holds the Body and Doxologies give glory and praise to the Triune God: Father throughout the chanting of this particular doxology. If there is Son, and Holy Spirit. a deacon present at the liturgy, the priest holds the Body of These, like our Creeds, have a Trinitarian structure. The Christ and the deacon holds the Blood of Christ. This is when doctrine of the Trinity states that God is One, yet three persons: we offer our glory and honor to the God who becomes tangi- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We see this doctrine in the struc- ble in our midst: the Body and Blood of Christ. The faithful ture and theology of the doxology of the Eucharistic Prayer. acclaim this proclamation, that is, they make it their own, “Through him, and with him, and in him,” though with the singing of “Amen.” Our “Amen” is our way of giving not apparent in the text itself, is not about Father, Son, of, confirming, and believing what the priest chanted, not only and Holy Spirit, rather it is through Christ, and with Christ, in the doxology, but in the entire Eucharistic Prayer. and in Christ, that we worship, praise, and thank God the Doxologies are our way of praising, glorifying, and hon- Father. Then, through the proclamation of these words by oring the Triune God who seeks to unite us to himself. How the priest, our glory and praise of God is offered: “O God, can we not sing Amen?!

Preparing Your Parish for the Revised : and Reproducibles for Faith Formation © 2011 Archdiocese of Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 3949 South Racine Avenue, Chicago IL 60609; 1-800-933-1800; www.LTP.org. Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL). All rights reserved. Photo © John Zich. This image may be reproduced for personal or parish use. The copyright notice appear with the text. Published with Ecclesiastical Approval (Canon 823, 1).