Doxology

A doxology is a Christian prayer which gives praise and glory to God, often in a special way to the three divine Persons of the Trinity. Liturgical prayers traditionally conclude with the doxology "to the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit" (CCC 2639). The word comes from the Greek doxa (glory) and logos (word or utterance) — literally, a "word of glory."

The Great Doxology and the Small Doxology

The Catholic tradition uses two principal doxologies. The Gloria in Excelsis ("Glory to God in the highest") is the Great Doxology — an ancient hymn of praise sung at Mass on Sundays and feasts. The Gloria Patri ("Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit") is the Lesser Doxology — prayed at the end of each psalm in the Liturgy of the Hours and at the conclusion of the rosary decades.

The Doxology at the End of the Lord's Prayer

The final doxology of the Lord's Prayer — "For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever" — renews the prayer's first three petitions (hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done) in the form of adoration and praise (CCC 2855). In the Roman Rite, this doxology is proclaimed aloud by the congregation after the priest's embolism following the Our Father at Mass.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the doxology at the end of the Our Father in the Bible? It appears in some ancient manuscripts of Matthew 6:13 and in the first-century liturgical manual Didache, but is not found in the oldest manuscripts. The Catholic Mass includes it as a separate acclamation following the Our Father, distinguishing it from the prayer itself (CCC 2855).