The Gloria

When have you received news so amazing that you cheered with joy? Perhaps you were asked to interview for a job that was a long shot. Or you discovered a couple had become pregnant who had thought they were infertile. Or perhaps a cure was found for a disease a friend had been told was fatal.

The joy expressed in these events is the euphoric joy that the Gloria expresses. This joy, though, is deeper, for we are praising God, who has given us everything. God’s love is so great that he sent his only Son, and for that, the angels expressed their joy in the first words of the Gloria, which come from Luke’s account of the Gospel:

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest / and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

(Luke 2:8–14)

The Gloria, which is part of the Introductory Rites at Mass, unites the community in the praise of God and prepares the faithful to hear the words of Sacred Scripture. This hymn of praise is sung on Sundays outside of Advent and Lent as well as on special occasions such as solemnities, feasts, and weddings.

The ancient text of the Gloria is believed to have had its origins in the Eastern Church. In the fourth century, it became part of Morning Prayer.

News of Christ’s birth was not announced to royalty or others in power. It came to simple shepherds working the night shift. God chose these men, inferior by society’s standards, to be the first to hear the Good News. The shepherds confirm God’s love for the poor and the lowly. They demonstrate that God comes to people in their common, ordinary, everyday lives, often when least expected. May we respond with hearts filled with praise as we sing this angelic hymn.

Five Minute Jesus

Using the Gospel for Prayer – The Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

July 16, 2023

It’s simple. 1. Read the Gospel for the following Sunday slowly, reflecting on the story it tells. 2. Reflect on the questions assigned for each day. 3. Make some resolution about how what you read can be lived that day. 4. Then thank God for speaking to you through this reflection.

Gospel Matthew 13:1-9

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore. And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

Monday

Was there something in this reading that spoke to me? Challenged me? What was it? Why did it have this effect on me?

Tuesday

We know that the seed is the Word, and the sower is God. So, if I am the seed, how do I spread the Word of God to those in my community?

Wednesday

What if I am the soil? Soil not only provides nourishment for growth, but it must also be tended and cultivated. What aspects of my life are nourishment to the Word of God (love, family, etc)? What aspects hinder that growth (stress, habits, etc)?

Thursday

God plants the seeds in our life. How can I be rich soil that can provide nourishment to my community?

Friday

At different points in our lives, we have become different types of soil - the rocky, the thorny, the shallow and the deep - in being open to the message of the Gospel. How do I keep myself rooted in the deep soil so that I may bear abundant fruit?

Saturday

Jesus really challenges us today to listen. In the world, in our community, it seems increasingly difficult to listen because we are surrounded by so much noise. Today, how can I filter some of that noise and listen to the voice of Jesus so I can open my ears and heart to his message?