“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace,…



“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

The hymn of the angels on the night of the Nativity of the Lord Jesus holds an important place in the orthodox liturgical services, especially in our daily prayers, known as the doxology, since the first word “glory” is doxa in Greek. B109-en

This hymn is chanted in great reverence at the end of Matins, before the Divine Liturgy stars. It is then known as “great doxology”, an expression of Jesus Christ being the center of this liturgy. He is the Living God who condescended and was incarnate, then was crucified, buried and resurrected us with him.

He is the eternal sacrifice for our salvation, and the Holy Sacraments, the Body and Blood of the Lord in which we partake Holy Communion and eternal life.

It is a very beautiful hymn. Let us get acquainted with its notions.

No matter how we try to describe God's glory in our human words, our expressions remain powerless.

Saint John the Evangelist says of the Lord Jesus Christ, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

Our limited human conception translates the word "glory" as greatness accompanied by haughtiness. It hints to grandeur, splendor, honor, prestige and awe, and yet we see Jesus crucified and hanging on wood!

What a paradox! How can the Only-Begotten Son of God be whipped, spat upon, smeared, crucified and placed in a grave?

In fact, it is a divine glory that cannot be understood by human logic. It is the glory of infinite love and extreme humility.

We note that when Jesus revealed his divine nature in the Transfiguration, the three disciples could not bear it and fell to the ground. Moreover, when the soldiers came to arrest Him in the olive grove, He said to them, I am back and fell to the ground.

How could it be otherwise, since He cast out demons, shut the wind, healed the sick, and raised the dead?

This is unparalleled glory, savored by anyone who enters in relationship with the Lord, as Peter witnessed in his epistle: “We … were eyewitnesses of His majesty” (2Peter 1:16).