GREAT GLORIA OR GREAT DOXOLOGY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEfm32h2oFQ&feature=player_embedded

Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace, good will among men.

We praise Thee, we bless Thee,

we worship Thee, we glorify Thee,

we give thanks to Thee for Thy great glory.

O Lord, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty;

O Lord, the Only-Begotten Son, Jesus Christ; and O Holy Spirit.

O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,

that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy on us;

Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer;

Thou that sittest at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.

For Thou only art holy,

Thou only art the Lord, O Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Every day will I bless Thee and I will praise Thy name forever, yea forever and ever.

Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord, the God of our fathers,

and praised and glorified is Thy name unto the ages. Amen.

Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us according as we have hoped in Thee.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord, teach me Thy statutes.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord, teach me Thy statutes.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord, teach me Thy statutes.

Lord, Thou hast been our refuge in generation and generation.

I said: O Lord, have mercy on me, heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee.

O Lord, unto Thee have I fled for refuge, teach me to do Thy will, for Thou art my God;

For in Thee is the fountain of life, in Thy light shall we see light.

O continue Thy mercy unto them that know Thee.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us

Great Gloria (Greek: khozologia a megala, latin "Gloria") is an ancient Christian hymn, one of the most important texts of the Matin service (Utrenya). Another name is Glory in the Highest to God (Choza en upsisitois Theo) after the first words of the hymn.

In the Orthodox Church service books the Great Gloria is in two different editions. The first of these in the contemporary liturgical terminology is especially called Great Gloria, the second is designated variously often as Glory in the Highest to God or as the daily gloria; this difference in name is due to the particular different liturgical usages.

ORIGIN

The basic portion of the Great Gloria first appeared in texts at the second half of the fourth to the beginning of the firth century. At this time this hymn could be called "morning" or "angelic" hymn. This hymn was translated into all languages of the Christian world, the original being in Greek and was well known in several versions. The most important is the Greek version of the 7th book of the Apostolic Decress (380 AD), and the Alexandrian Codex of Bible (middle 5th century) and also later Armenian and Syrian (more precisely East Syrian) versions occuring in the 5th to 6th centuries. In the Byzantine tradition, the text corresponds to the version of the Alexandrian codex.

The first portion of the Great Glory consists of several parts:

a.) Angelic praise sung at the Birth of Christ (Luke 2:14)
b.) General praise of God
c.) Praise of God-the Holy Trinity
d. Large Christological portion
e. Final confirmation

Parts A and B occur in all the most ancient versions of the first portion of the Great Gloria. Parts C to E - part D is present only in the versions of the Alexandrian codex and Armenian versions. The various versions of the texts indicates the great antiquity of the first half of the Great Glory compared to the second. The changing of the text during the 4th-5th centuries, shows that this portion was developing at that time. However, in the opinion of certain investigators, the prototype of the Great Gloria might have appeared already in the second century with the earliest Christian hymns. (K Gamber). In as much as it appeared in the Biblica songs of the Alexandrian codex, the Great Glory, it has come to be associated with Alexandria. Already Origen (III century) considered that Biblical songs were those sung by prophets and angels. Under the name of angelic songs, Origen meant the Trisagion and the beginning lines of the Great Gloria.

USAGE DURING LITURGIES/SERVICES

The earliest documents reliably witnesses to the use of the Great Doxology during divine services is the work Pseudo Athansios -"About Virginity" where the hymn is brought in as part of the morning prayers of virgins following after Psalm 62, together with the song of the Babylonian youths. In the 47th chapter of the 7th book of the Apostolic Instructions - the hymn is written as a morning prayer. In the preaching of St. John Chrysostom, given in Antioch, there is a reference to singing the Angelic Gloria (probably the Great Doxology) before the rise of the sun (Ioann Chrysostom. Hom 68 (69)). St. Basil the Great in a letter to St. Gregory the Theologian, discussing Monastic Life, mentions that it is good to begin the day already before the sunrise with the singing in honor of the creator, immitating the Angels (Basil, Magn Ep. 2) The Great Doxology entered into the composition of the Matin Service (Utrenya) of most rites in the East and in the West except Rome where it was included in the composition of solemn masses. With the widespread use of the Roman rite in the West, this has become the overal pratice of the Catholic Church.

As a rule in the order of Matins the Great Doxology follows after the praise psalms (148-150). In Russian Divine Service, the practice of the 15-17th centuries to sing the Great Doxology at the end of Sunday Utrenya.




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