Gloria in Excelsis

At the Gloria in Excelsis, the celebrant alone, facing the altar, intones Glory be to God on high, with hands held apart, and rejoins them palm to palm while the congregation replies, and on earth good will toward men. His hands remain palm to palm throughout the remainder of the Gloria. The celebrant and attendants are careful to bow at the usual places during the Gloria ("we worship Thee," "we give thanks to Thee for Thy great glory," "Jesus Christ," "receive our prayer," and "Thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art + most high in the glory of God the Father").

The Gloria is not said at low (spoken) mass, nor during penitential seasons; though some permit its use in Advent. It is also sung on Maundy Thursday.

The substitution of "This is the Feast" for the Gloria is a most unfortunate innovation.


10 comments:

Fr BFE said...

Does anyone else follow the rubric of omitting the Gloria at weekday, spoken masses?

Dcn. Muehlenbruch said...

The historic Western use indicated that the Gloria in Excelsis is omitted at Masses of the season during Advent and Lent, and in general whenever Mass is celebrated in violet of black vestments.

You may be confusing this omission of the Gloria in Excelsis with another rubric that omits the Creed "on ferias, and even on many saints days." (It is always said on Sundays, and on many principle feasts.)

Dcn. Muehlenbruch said...

A number of years ago I visited a local parish on Advent I. Before the service pastor announced that "since Advent is a penitential season, we will not sing the Gloria in Excelsis. Instead, we will sing the alternate, 'This is the Feast of Victory'."

Anonymous said...

When would be a better time to use "This is the Feast?"

Fr BFE said...

According to Lamburn, the Gloria is not said on the ferias of Epiphanytide or of the Trinity season when the vestments are green. Since it is also not said when the vestments are purple, this would limit its weekday use to the times when the vestments are white or red.

Fr BFE said...

As for "This is the Feast," I would call that a eucharistic hymn, which may be used accordingly.

Anonymous said...

I omit the Gloria during both Advent and Lent. I think omitting it during Advent makes a ton of sense. Those words find their fulfillment at the Christ Mass.

I also am not a big fan of "This is the Feast", most Lutherans favorite Roman Catholic canticle. However, I put up with it and follow a friend's advice. I only allow "This is the Feast" to replace the Gloria during the season of Easter.

It is very hard to argue with what is in your hymnal, so ya gotta make it work for ya.

Oh, and by having "This is the Feast" only during Easter you might be able to introduce your congregation to weekly communion without too much fuss cuz whoever heard of a feast without........
....well.....a feast? Of course I suppose we could have communion every Sunday and not only during Easter Season. Hmmm, now why didn't I think of that? Perhaps we should. In fact, let's do it!

-Ftr. Russell

Anonymous said...

I omit the Gloria during both Advent and Lent. I think omitting it during Advent makes a ton of sense. Those words find their fulfillment at the Christ Mass.

I also am not a big fan of "This is the Feast", most Lutherans favorite Roman Catholic canticle. However, I put up with it and follow a friend's advice. I only allow "This is the Feast" to replace the Gloria during the season of Easter.

It is very hard to argue with what is in your hymnal, so ya gotta make it work for ya.

Oh, and by having "This is the Feast" only during Easter you might be able to introduce your congregation to weekly communion without too much fuss cuz whoever heard of a feast without........
....well.....a feast? Of course I suppose we could have communion every Sunday and not only during Easter Season. Hmmm, now why didn't I think of that? Perhaps we should. In fact, let's do it!

-Ftr. Russell

Fr BFE said...

Here's a rubric for you:

Congregations using "This is the Feast" during non-communion Sundays shall insert the term "not" after "This is."

Anonymous said...

RE: This is the Feast

Does the verb tense in this canticle cause concern for anyone, i.e., "For the Lamb who was slain has begun his reign." The Revelation text uses the present tense verb, "reigns".

So, when DID the Lamb begin His reign. Does not this verse have the scent of Arius?

-keb-

Fr. BF Eckardt, Editor-in-chief, Gottesdienst